Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuroendocrine stress responses to an oral academic examination: No strong influence of sex, repeated participation and personality traits

Public speaking tasks have been widely used as laboratory stressors in human research. Fewer studies have investigated similar real life situations like oral examinations and results have been inconsistent. The present study investigated salivary cortisol (as a marker of hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) activity) and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA as a marker of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity) within the context of a university examination. Subjects were 40 undergraduate students who participated in an oral examination. Of these, 20 also participated in a second examination within a few weeks. Cortisol and sAA were measured immediately before and after the examination and on a control day. Additionally, subjects filled out personality questionnaires. A strong anticipatory increase in salivary cortisol and sAA as well as more modest further increases between the pre- and post-measurements were detected during the examination. Sex or oral contraceptive use had no influence on either measure. In addition, no significant differences between the first and second examination were observed. The findings indicate the neuroendocrine stress responses to laboratory stressors and to heralded real life stressors as well as the modulatory variables involved differ from each other.
THE IMPACT OF READING RECOVERY PARTICIPATION ON STUDENTS' SELF-CONCEPTS

The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of Reading Recovery participation on students' self-concepts. The 103 participants in the study were students from three metropolitan Atlanta school districts in nine elementary schools. The resultsof theinvestigation revealed statistically significant differences in the adjusted posttest means of Global Self-Concept scores and Significance dimension scores on the Joseph Pre-School and Primary Self-Concept Screening Test with treatment students scoring higher than control students. There was no statistically significant difference in the adjusted posttest means of the Competence dimension scores between the Reading Recovery participants and the control students.
Assay for Leukemia Differentiation Induction

Colony stimulating factors (CSF) 1 a r e a class of hemopoietic regulatory glycoproteins required for survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hemopoietic stem and progenitor cells in vitro, and probably in vivo (1, 2). Many efforts have been undertaken to characterize the biochemical and biological properties of these factors. In the routine system, CSF stimulating the growth of progenitor cells of neutrophil granulocytes (G-CSF), of macrophages (M-CSF or CSF-1), of macrophages and granulocytes (GM-CSF), and of mixed colonies containing erythrocytes, granulocytes, macrophages, and megakaryocytes (multi-CSF or interleukin 3 [IL-3]) have been purified to homogeneity (3-6). It is not yet known whether these four murine CSF account for all biological activities originally ascribed to a greater number of specialized colony-stimulating activities that had been defined operationally on the basis of colony morphology. Through the advent of molecular biology, it has become possible to genetically clone some of these factors (7, 8). Initial attempts to purify human CSF were less successful. Recently however, CSF-1, GM-CSF, and erythroid potentiating activity (EPA), a CSF-like activity, have been purified to homogeneity (9-12), and human GM-CSF has been genetically cloned and sequenced (13). We have purified to apparent homogeneity a pluripotent hemopoietic colony stimulating factor from conditioned media of the human urinary bladder carcinoma cell line, 5637 (14). The purified molecule, which we have termed pluripotent CSF (pCSF) or pluripoietin, supports colony formation of normal human bone marrow in vitro from muitipotential (colony forming unit of granulocytes/erythrocytes/macrophages/megakaryocytes [CFU-GEMM]) and early erythroid (burst forming unit of erythroid cells [BFU-E]) progenitors, as
Kinesthetic operant bias in keyboard-based choice behavior

ABSTRACT In any type of behavioral research involving a choice element, the researcher must consider the possible methodological challenge of operant bias: a consistent preference for one operant over another. In the first experiment described in this article, originally designed to study the effect of number of prior repetitions of an operant on the frequency with which the operants were subsequently chosen for performance, systematic bias for certain operants over others—strong enough to override the programmed independent variable of the study—was observed. Since the operants in use involved typing non-word sequences of letters on the computer keyboard, it was initially believed that this bias was verbal in origin and related to the specific letter patterns used. The second experiment presented was then designed to remove this source of bias by replacing the letters on the keyboard with symbols. However, more systematic operant bias was observed in Experiment 2 than previously in Experiment 1. Ergonomic analysis of the specific keystrokes making up operants for which bias was observed in Experiment 2 points to three specific and quantifiable kinesthetic biases affecting human typing behavior. These results have implications for any future research involving operant behaviors which require the use of the computer keyboard.
A Tool for Requirements-Based Programming

Absent a general method for mathematically sound, automated transformation of customer requirements into a formal model of the desired system, developers must resort to either manual application of formal methods or to system testing (either manual or automated). While formal methods have afforded numerous successes, they present serious issues, e.g., costs to gear up to apply them (time, expensive staff), and scalability and reproducibility when standards in the field are not settled. The testing path cannot be walked to the ultimate goal, because exhaustive testing is infeasible for all but trivial systems. So system verification remains problematic. System or requirements validation is similarly problematic. The alternatives available today depend on either having a formal model or pursuing enough testing to enable the customer to be certain that system behavior meets requirements. The testing alternative for non-trivial systems always have some system behaviors unconfirmed and therefore is not the answer. To ensure that a formal model is equivalent to the customer s requirements necessitates that the customer somehow fully understands the formal model, which is not realistic. The predominant view that provably correct system development depends on having a formal model of the system leads to a desire for a mathematically sound method to automate the transformation of customer requirements into a formal model. Such a method, an augmentation of requirements-based programming, will be briefly described in this paper, and a prototype tool to support it will be described. The method and tool enable both requirements validation and system verification for the class of systems whose behavior can be described as scenarios. An application of the tool to a prototype automated ground control system for NASA mission is presented.
Antimicrobial efficacy of riboflavin/UVA combination (365 nm) in vitro for bacterial and fungal isolates: a potential new treatment for infectious keratitis.

PURPOSE To demonstrate the antimicrobial properties of riboflavin/UVA (365 nm) against common pathogens. METHODS One group of bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa [PA], Staphylococcus aureus [SA], and Staphylococcus epidermidis [SE]) was tested by using Kirby-Bauer discs with (1) empty disc (Control - C); (2) riboflavin 0.1% (B2); (3) riboflavin 0.1% previously activated by UVA (B2'); (4) UVA alone (UVA); (5) group 2+additional UVA exposure (UVA+B2); and (6) group 3+additional UVA exposure (UVA+B2'). In addition, another group of microbes was tested with the same approach: methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa (MDRPA), drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (DRSP), and Candida albicans (CA). The mean growth inhibition zone (GIZ) in square millimeters was measured around the discs. The mean standard deviation (MSD) was calculated to be 3.65 when alpha = 0.01. A mean deviation (MD) > MSD indicates a significant difference. RESULTS In the first group, the GIZ was significantly greater after UVA (MD = 14.30), UVA+B2 (MD = 39.61), and UVA+B2' (MD = 40.45) when compared with C, B2, and B2'. UVA alone was less effective than UVA+B2 (MD = 25.31) and UVA+B2' (MD = 26.15). The second group demonstrated increased GIZ in UVA (MD = 6.98), UVA+B2 (MD = 17.80), and UVA+B2' (MD = 21.15) when compared with C, B2, and B2'. UVA alone was less effective against the second group of bacteria than was UVA+B2 (MD = 10.82) and UVA+B2' (MD = 14.17). CA did not show any GIZ after treatment. CONCLUSIONS Riboflavin/UVA was effective against SA, SE, PA, MRSA, MDRPA, and DRSP, but was ineffective on CA and has the potential for use in treatment of microbial keratitis in the future.
The Effect of Holland's RIASEC Interest Inventory on the Vocational Identity Development of Japanese High School Students

OHASHI, TAKASHI, Ph.D., March 2009, Counselor Education The Effect of Holland’s RIASEC Interest Inventory on the Vocational Identity Development of Japanese High School Students (230 pp.) Director of Dissertation: Tracy Leinbaugh The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of providing Holland’s (1997) RIASEC interest inventory as a tool for Japanese high school students to narrow down their career choices and develop their vocational identity. It especially focused on how students reacted differently depending on their sex differences and job-seeking attitudes (occupational model or workplace/company model). Holland’s theory assumes that an individual chooses his or her desired occupation (occupational model), however, traditional Japanese job-seekers place more importance on choosing a desired workplace or a company (workplace/company model) and become generalists rather than choosing a single occupation. In such a culture, the effectiveness of Holland’s career intervention needed to be carefully investigated before its application to the target culture. A sample of 58 Japanese high school students temporarily residing in the U.S. participated in an experimental design on their development of vocational identity after receiving an intervention. Data were analyzed using a factorial Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). A McNemar chi-square significance of change was also used to analyze the impact of Holland’s career intervention on students’ attitudinal change in their job-seeking orientation. While these analyses did not reveal any statistically significant
One Hundred and One Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumors: An Adult Epilepsy Series With Immunohistochemical, Molecular Genetic, and Clinical Correlations and a Review of the Literature

Simple and complex forms of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNTs) are readily recognizable but forms with diffuse growth pattern, and hybrid tumors, that is, mixed DNT and ganglioglioma (DNT/GG), are more contentious entities. Rare DNTs have shown aggressive behavior. We reviewed cortical growth patterns, immunophenotype (including CD34, nestin and calbindin), genetic profile, and outcome in 101 DNT in adults. Simple (n = 18), complex (n = 31), diffuse (n = 35) DNT, and mixed DNT/GG (n = 17) showed no difference in age of onset, associated seizure type, or outcome (67.5% free from seizure; mean follow-up, 6 years). CD34 was seen in 61%, calbindin in 57%, and nestin in 86% of all DNT types; these markers were less common in simple DNT. Peritumoral cortical changes (Layer I hypercellularity [61%], satellite nodules [51.6%]) were frequent, but dyslamination (cortical dysplasia) was not identified. Molecular genetic abnormalities identified in 17 cases were IDH1 mutation (n = 3), 1p/19q loss (n = 10), isolated loss 9q (n = 2), and PTEN loss (n = 3), which were not associated with tumor type or location, higher cell proliferation, or distinguishing clinical features (mean age of epilepsy onset, 9 years; age at surgery = 31 years; 69% free from seizure); none had progression on magnetic resonance imaging (mean follow-up, 6 years). No single feature was predictive of seizure-free outcome, but there was a trend for better outcome in CD34-positive tumors (p = 0.07). One case has shown transformation to a higher grade. This study supports the existence of a range of subtypes of DNT some with overlapping features with ganglioglioma; molecular genetic abnormalities were not predictive of atypical behavior.
MIMO Interference Alignment Over Correlated Channels With Imperfect CSI

Interference alignment (IA), given uncorrelated channel components and perfect channel state information, obtains the maximum degrees of freedom in an interference channel. Little is known, however, about how the sum rate of IA behaves at finite transmit power, with imperfect channel state information, or antenna correlation. This paper provides an approximate closed-form signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) expression for IA over multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) channels with imperfect channel state information and transmit antenna correlation. Assuming linear processing at the transmitters and zero-forcing receivers, random matrix theory tools are utilized to derive an approximation for the postprocessing SINR distribution of each stream for each user. Perfect channel knowledge and i.i. d. channel coefficients constitute special cases. This SINR distribution not only allows easy calculation of useful performance metrics like sum rate and symbol error rate, but also permits a realistic comparison of IA with other transmission techniques. More specifically, IA is compared with spatial multiplexing and beamforming and it is shown that IA may not be optimal for some performance criteria.
Combining Unsupervised and Supervised Classification to Build User Models for Exploratory

In this paper, we present a data-based user modeling framework that uses both unsupervised and supervised classification to build student models for exploratory learning environments. We apply the framework to build student models for two different learning environments and using two different data sources (logged interface and eye-tracking data). Despite limitations due to the size of our datasets, we provide initial evidence that the framework can automatically identify meaningful student interaction behaviors and can be used to build user models for the online classification of new student behaviors online. We also show framework transferability across applications and data types.
Diet, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors as risk factors for childhood obesity: an urban and rural comparison.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to examine the differences in diet, physical activity, and weight status among children living in rural and urban America and to study the roles of obesity-related behaviors in residence-based differences in childhood obesity. METHODS We performed cross-sectional analysis of the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, restricted to 14,332 children aged 2-19 years old (2771 rural, 13,766 urban). Residence was measured at the census tract level using Rural-Urban Commuting Areas. Age-specific questions were used to assess physical activity, and the 24-hour diet recall was used to measure dietary intake. RESULTS Among 2- to 11-year-olds, rural children consumed 90 more kcal/day on average than urban children (p < 0.05) and were more likely to consume the recommended two to three cups of dairy per day (p < 0.05). More 2- to 11-year-old rural children also reported participating in exercise five or more times per week than urban children of the same age (79.7% vs. 73.8%). Among 12- to 19-year-olds, rural children were less likely to consume any fruit or meet the recommendation of two cups of fruit. Using measured height and weight data, proportionately more rural than urban children were overweight/obese (35.4% v. 29.3%) and obese (18.6% v. 15.1%). Rural children had 30% higher odds of being overweight and/or obese even after adjustment for sociodemographics, health, diet, and exercise behaviors. CONCLUSIONS The persistently higher odds of overweight and obesity among rural children even after adjustment suggest that rural environments may be "obesogenic" in ways that a person-level analysis cannot discern. Future research should examine disparities in the accessibility and affordability of healthy food and beverage choices and safe physical activity locales in rural areas.
An empirical investigation of software fault distribution

The paper investigates the distribution of faults within three evolutionary versions or releases of a system software product. A greater concentration of faults was found in certain software program modules as compared to other modules. The fault rates are correlated to the percentage of new and changed lines of code, the module size, and the programming languages used. Additionally, a number of purely qualitative reasons for the observed concentration of faults are asserted. <<ETX>>
Occurrence of Harmful Algal Species and Shellfish Toxicity in Sardinia (Italy)

Sardinia (Italy, north-western Mediterranean) is a commercially important producer of edible bivalve molluscs. Since the early 2000s, it was subjected to recurring cases of mussel farm closures due to toxic algal poison. Here, we present the studies on toxin concentrations and the associated potentially toxic phytoplankton distribution and abundances carried out by a regular monitoring programme in Sardinian shellfish areas, from January to May 2015. Diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins were detected in several bivalve molluscs samples, while paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) and paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins were present just once, without exceeding the legal limits. Potentially toxic algal species have been constantly present. Pseudo-nitzschia species were present during the entire study often with high abundances, while Dinophysis species reached high densities sporadically. Among PSP phytoplankton, only Alexandrium minutum Halim was found. The data obtained in this study showed an increase in the DSP toxicity in mussels in Sardinia. No clear relation between the occurrence of toxins in shellfish and the presence of potentially toxic algal species was found, although a slight correlation between DSP toxins and Dinophysis species could be supported.
Nonverbal indicators of deception: How iconic gestures reveal thoughts that cannot be suppressed

Abstract This study explores the morphology of iconic gestures during deception. Participants narrated a static cartoon story twice. In one condition they provided an accurate account of the story, in the other they were instructed to introduce false details. Participants produced significantly fewer iconic gestures when describing plot-line events deceptively than when narrating comparable episode units truthfully. Deceptive gestures had significantly fewer post-stroke holds and shorter stroke phase durations than those produced alongside truthful utterances. Following Beattie (Visible thought: The new psychology of body language, Routledge, 2003) three narrators in the deceptive condition produced gestures that in their morphology contradicted the semantic information encoded in their speech stream, and ultimately signaled possible deceit.
Design of a Network of Digital Sensor Macros for Extracting Power Supply Noise Profile in SoCs

Increased functional density with shrinking technology could result in escalating power supply noise (PSN)-induced failures in the field. Furthermore, the low correlation between system-level functional test and production test is making it difficult to better screen parts that would fail in the field due to PSN. To address these issues, in this paper, we present a fully digital on-chip distributed sensor network to continuously monitor the PSN profile across the chip and generate a trace for diagnosis of any noise-induced failure at silicon validation, structural test, system test, and functional operation phases of system on chips (SoCs). The sensors capture PSN at a fine granularity and store the SoC's critical status bits. The sensor offers easy access and control with the aid of scan chains. The sensor network has been designed in the 28-nm standard cell library, and its performance is demonstrated in the physical design of OpenSPARCT1 multicore processor SoC.
Design Paradigm for Permanent-Magnet-Inductor-Based Power Converters

Inductors are a significant contributor to mass in many power applications including the dc link in high-power drives and in dc-dc power conversion equipment. Permanent magnet inductors (PMIs) may be used in place of traditional inductors in dc biased applications with significant (40%) mass savings. This paper sets forth a rigorous, systematic, and multifaceted design paradigm for a PMI, using a buck converter application as an example. The algorithm includes electrical, magnetic, and thermal analysis and minimizes overall converter mass and loss. The algorithm is demonstrated in the design and testing of a 4 kW laboratory scale dc-dc converter.
Phenol‐soluble modulin α induces G2/M phase transition delay in eukaryotic HeLa cells

Staphylococcus aureus is a gram‐positive bacterium responsible for a wide range of infections. Host cell cycle alteration is a sophisticated mechanism used by pathogens to hijack the defense functions of host cells. We previously demonstrated that S. aureus MW2 (USA400) bacteria induced a G2/M phase transition delay in HeLa cells. We demonstrate here that this activity is triggered by culture supernatant compounds. Using size exclusion chromatography of the MW2 supernatant, followed by mass spectroscopy analysis of corresponding peaks, we identified phenol‐soluble modulin α (PSMα) peptides as the likely candidates for this effect. Indeed, synthetic PSMα 1 and PSMα3 caused a G2/M phase transition delay. The implication of PSMα in cell cycle alteration was confirmed by comparison of S. aureus Los Angeles County clone (LAC) wild‐type with the isogenic mutant LACΔpsmα, which lacks the psmα operon encoding PSMα1‐4. PSMα‐induced G2/M transition delay correlated with a decrease in the defensin genes expression suggesting a diminution of antibacterial functions of epithelial cells. By testing the supernatant of S. aureus human clinical isolates, we found that the degree of G2/M phase transition delay correlated with PSMα1 production. We show that PSMs secreted by S. aureus alter the host cell cycle, revealing a newly identified mechanism for fostering an infection. —Deplanche, M. , Filho. R. A. E. ‐A. , Alekseeva, L. , Ladier, E. , Jardin, J., Henry, G. , Azevedo, V. , Miyoshi, A. , Beraud, L. , Laurent, F. , Lina, G. , Vandenesch, F. , Steghens, J.‐P., Le Loir, Y. , Otto, M. , Götz, F. , Berkova, N. Phenol‐soluble modulin α induces G2/M phase transition delay in eukaryotic HeLa cells. FASEB J. 29, 1950‐1959 (2015). www.fasebj. org