Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Aerial Spray Prescriptions for Balsam Fir Stand Protection Against Spruce Budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Abstract Although commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Btk) are being widely used in forest protection against lepidopteran defoliators, optimal application prescriptions have often yet to be worked out in detail. We conducted field experiments over a 6-yr period (1996–2001) in southwestern Québec to determine application prescriptions for optimal protection of balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.), healthy stands against the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). At moderate larval densities (<30 larvae per 45-cm branch tip), similar foliage protection was achieved with one or two Btk applications of 30 billion international units per hectare (BIU/ha). When larval densities exceeded 30 larvae per branch tip, two successive applications of 30 BIU/ha significantly increased foliage protection. Whether the second application took place 5 or 10 d after the first spray did not affect treatment efficacy. Increasing the application dosage from 30 to 50 BIU/ha did not lead to better foliage protection against high larval densities, but the current standard dosage of 30 BIU/ha saved more foliage than 15 BIU/ha against moderate populations. The recommended dosage of 30 BIU can be applied in lower application volumes (1.5 liters/ha) by using a high-potency product (20 BIU/liter), because we did not observe a reduction in efficacy compared with the application of a lower potency product (12.7 BIU/liter) in 2.37 liters/ha. We also demonstrated that Btk can be applied much earlier in the season without compromising spray efficacy: there was no difference in treatment efficacy of double applications at 30 BIU/ha when the first spray was timed for early third, peak third, or early fourth instars.
Expression patterns of hormones, signaling molecules, and transcription factors during adenohypophysis development in the chick embryo

The chick embryo is an ideal model to study pituitary cell‐type differentiation. Previous studies describing the temporal appearance of differentiated pituitary cell types in the chick embryo are contradictory. To resolve these controversies, we used RT‐PCR to define the temporal onset and in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to define the spatial localization of hormone expression within the pituitary. RT‐PCR detected low levels of Fshβ (gonadotropes) and Pomc (corticotropes, melanotropes) mRNA at E4 and Gh (somatotropes), Prl (lactotropes), and Tshβ (thyrotropes) mRNA at E8. For all hormones, sufficient accumulation of mRNA and/or protein to permit detection by in situ hybridization or immunohistochemistry was observed ∼3 days later and in all cases corresponded to a notable increase in RT‐PCR product. We also describe the expression patterns of signaling (Bmp2, Bmp4, Fgf8, Fgf10, Shh) and transcription factors (Pitx1, Pitx2, cLim3) known to be important for pituitary organogenesis in other model organisms. Developmental Dynamics 239:1197–1210, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Does trait anger, trait anxiety or organisational position moderate the relationship between exposure to negative acts and self-labelling as a victim of workplace bullying?

This study investigates the relationship between exposure to negative acts at work (NAQ) and self-labelling as a victim of workplace bullying, and whether this relationship is moderated by the targets’ personality (trait anger and trait anxiety) or organisational position (leader vs. follower). A total of 466 employees participated in the study, in which 61 self-labelled victims (13.7%) were identified. The results show that NAQ acts as a strong predictor of self-labelling, a relationship which is not moderated by the personal or situational factors examined. However, both trait anxiety and trait-anger acted as independent predictors of self-labelling. Hence, personality seems to influence the self-labelling process although further research is needed in order to understand this process more thoroughly.
All for One and One for All: Understanding Health Professionals’ Experience in Individual Versus Collaborative Online Learning

Introduction: Computer‐supported collaborative learning (CSCL) may facilitate continuing interprofessional education while overcoming barriers of time and place for busy health care professionals. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences, advantages, and challenges of group versus individual online learning. Methods: Fifteen multidisciplinary health professionals participated in a 12‐week online course on either diabetes or traumatic brain injury. This consisted of background e‐modules and a longitudinal build‐a‐case exercise, done either individually or as a group. Focus group sessions exploring participants’ experiences after course completion and at 4 months were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed for recurring themes. Participant reflection homework and video‐recorded group sessions were used for triangulation of results. Results: Individual learners appreciated the flexibility and control, but experienced decreased motivation. Group learners appreciated the immediate feedback from their co‐learners and felt social pressure to come to the weekly sessions prepared but expressed challenges in determining group goal‐setting for the session. Both groups felt they learned about interprofessional roles; however, group learners described a richer learning experience and understanding of interprofessional roles through the online collaboration exercise. The intense resources necessary for interprofessional CSCL, including time, faculty development, and technological issues, are described. Discussion: CSCL is a valuable educational strategy in online learning. While individual online learning may be better suited for short and simple educational interventions such as knowledge acquisition, CSCL seems to allow for richer and deeper learning in complex and interprofessional educational experiences. However, strategies, resources, and faculty development required to enhance CSCL need to be addressed carefully.
Doing reflective practice: a data-led way forward

This article makes the case for an approach to reflective practice (RP) that is both evidence-based and data-led. We argue that, while RP within the field of TESOL enjoys a relatively high level of acceptance and status (perhaps even an orthodoxy), it has little corresponding knowledge base that demonstrates how RP ‘gets done’. We propose a need for more concrete descriptions of RP in order for teachers and teacher educators to fully engage with its possibilities, and in order to establish a knowledge base for promoting and supporting research by and for practitioners. In this article, we focus on the approaches that might be adopted to promote data-led and evidence-based reflection. Such a data-led approach would encourage the use of professional data, alongside appropriate tools (presented below) as a means of aiding and promoting practitioner reflection. In the first part of the article, we briefly outline what we consider to be some of the main challenges facing RP; in the second, we put forward a number of tools and procedures for enhancing RP and making it collaborative, data-led, and evidence-based.
Effects of Physicochemical Characteristics of Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-Based Polyplexes on Cellular Association and Internalization

Abstract The cationic polymer poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (p(DMAEMA)) is able to efficiently bind and condense DNA and to mediate transfection of a variety of cell types. In this study, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), confocal laser fluorescence microscopy (CSLM) and electron microscopy (EM) techniques were used to investigate in vitro the cellular interaction of p(DMAEMA)-based polyplexes with human ovarian carcinoma cells (OVCAR-3). Cellular association and subsequent internalization only occurred when the polyplexes exhibited a positive zeta potential. Small-sized polyplexes have an advantage over large-sized complexes regarding cellular entry. The effect of the presence of tertiary amine groups versus the presence of quatenary amine groups was evaluated by comparing p(DMAEMA) with its quaternary ammonium analogue poly-(2-(trimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (p(TMAEMA)). The combined cellular interaction and transfection results suggest that the latter polymer does not have an intrinsic endosomal escape property, in contrast to the ‘proton sponge’ effect proposed for p(DMAEMA). PEGylation of p(DMAEMA) effectively shielded the surface charge and yielded a notably lower degree of cellular interaction. Data on the effects of the presence of endocytosis inhibitors and an endosome-disruptive peptide in the culture medium on the cellular interaction and transfection activity of p(DMAEMA)-based polyplexes support endocytosis as being the principal pathway for intracellular delivery of plasmid. Both the CLSM and EM studies did not reveal the presence of polyplexes or plasmid outside the endocytic vesicles or within the nucleus, suggesting that intracellular trafficking from the endosomes to the nucleus is a very inefficient process.
Episodic memory-related activation in schizophrenia: meta-analysis

Background Numerous studies have examined the neural correlates of episodic memory deficits in schizophrenia, yielding both consistencies and discrepancies in the reported patterns of results. Aims To identify in schizophrenia the brain regions in which activity is consistently abnormal across imaging studies of memory. Method Data from 18 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were combined using a recently developed quantitative meta-analytic approach. Results Regions of consistent differential activation between groups were observed in the left inferior prefrontal cortex, medial temporal cortex bilaterally, left cerebellum, and in other prefrontal and temporal lobe regions. Subsequent analyses explored memory encoding and retrieval separately and identified between-group differences in specific prefrontal and medial temporal lobe regions. Conclusions Beneath the apparent heterogeneity of published findings on schizophrenia and memory, a consistent and robust pattern of group differences is observed as a function of memory processes.
The Effect of Religious Leaders’ Emotional and Social Competencies on Improving Parish Vibrancy

Pastoral leaders of parishes have an effect on people’s lives and communities. Improvement in parishioner satisfaction and support (i.e., donations and attendance) over 3 years were assessed with the Parish Vibrancy Study of 135 parishes in a Catholic Diocese. In 52 of the parishes of this diocese, the priest’s demonstration of emotional and social competencies as seen by others had a positive effect on improvement of parishioner satisfaction but not on their support. The behavioral expressions of power and humility in the form of Influence versus Inspirational Leadership and Transparency versus Self-Confidence competencies were related to improvement in parishioner satisfaction. Size of the parish was related to improvement in parishioner support only.
An Example of Role Preparation by a Professional Actor: A Think-Aloud Protocol

Previous research has shown that professional actors gain a deep understanding of a role by analyzing a script to discern the plans their assigned characters are following. The think‐aloud protocol reported here shows this plan‐recognition process in action by specifying the relationship between the aspects of the text attended to and the information derived from them. A coding procedure was developed that revealed that the actor attends not only to the meaning but also to such elements of the text as structure, punctuation, and linguistic devices in order to determine the character's internal states (e.g., intentions and motivations) and specific performance characteristics (e.g., speech and movement patterns). This approach may be dictated by the actor's need to turn written text into living conversation. The types of elaborations that the actor derived from the input and the role that these elaborations may play in the understanding and learning of lengthy complex material are discussed.
Anticancer activity of bacteriophage T4 and its mutant HAP1 in mouse experimental tumour models.

BACKGROUND Previously, we have shown the ability of the bacteriophage T4 and its substrain HAP1 (selected for a higher affinity to melanoma cells) to reveal antimetastatic activity in a mouse melanoma model. Here, we investigated the potential phage anticancer activity in primary tumour models. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mice were inoculated subcutaneously with B16 or LLC cells (collected from in vitro culture). Bacteriophages T4 and HAP1 were injected intraperitoneally daily (8 x 10(8)pfu/mouse, except the experiment concerning the dose-dependence). RESULTS Treatment with purified preparations of bacteriophage T4 resulted in significant reduction of tumour size, the effect being dose-dependent. HAP1 was more effective than T4 and its activity was also dose-dependent. Parallel experiments with non-purified bacteriophage lysates resulted in significant stimulation of tumour growth. CONCLUSION These data suggest that purified bacteriophages may inhibit tumour growth, a phenomenon with potentially important clinical implications in oncology.
Using Blackboard in an Educational Psychology Course to Increase Preservice Teachers' Skills and Confidence in Technology Integration.

An important education issue that needs to be addressed in teacher education is the gap between the continuing and increasing technology demands placed on new teachers entering K-12 classrooms and the training that they receive during their college years. There is evidence that not only are new teachers lacking the technological skills, they also lack the confidence needed to motivate them to expand their technological abilities. There is concern that many school of education faculty are not effectively modeling the use of technology to pre-service teachers in education courses. This paper investigates how the incorporation of the Blackboard Learning System, with its expanded communication and hands-on features, helps pre-service teachers to gain confidence in integrating technology into their future teaching. In addition, it documented how students and professors think the use of a course management system helps students’ learning. It will also provide guidance for the effective use of a web-enhanced learning system.
Phytoplankton Competition for Nutrients and Light in a Stratified Water Column

Phytoplankton compete for nutrients and light in a vertically heterogeneous environment determined by turbulent mixing. We analyzed a model of competition between two phytoplankton species in a stratified water column. We assume that the surface layer is uniformly mixed and that the deep layer is poorly mixed, as is commonly observed in lakes and oceans. We employed two analytical techniques, \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$I_{\mathrm{out}\,}-R$$ \end{document} theory in the mixed surface layer and a game theoretical approach in the deep layer. Under our assumptions, at equilibrium, each species is either absent or resides in the benthic layer, the deep layer, or the surface layer. Assuming a trade‐off between nutrient‐ and light‐competitive abilities, we obtained five spatial configurations of coexistence and the corresponding parameter regions where they occur. Good light competitors show two distinct ecological niches: in mesotrophic conditions, they live as understory species below a layer of good nutrient competitors; in eutrophic conditions, they live as competitive dominants in the surface layer. Multiple regions of alternative stable states are possible in parameter space. This work extends previous phytoplankton competition theory to stratified water columns, as commonly found in lakes and oceans.
Applying Object Relations Theory to Psychosocial Occupational Therapy

Abstract This paper presents and discusses some important aspects of object relations theory and explores whether object relations theory fills the requirements for a conceptual model of practice for occupational therapy. This paper presents the work of two theorists of potential interest to occupational therapy-Harry Stack Sullivan and Donald Woods Winnicott. To explore whether object relations theory fills the requirements for a conceptual model of practice for occupational therapy, Kielhofner's (1997) criteria for a conceptual model of practice are used, and an attempt to formulate an object relations model for occupational therapy practice is outlined. It is concluded that object relations theory provides important knowledge, and it is possible to formulate a conceptual model of practice for psychosocial occupational therapy based on this theory. Further empirical studies, however, are necessary to evaluate and refine such a model.
Senior managers’ effectiveness: the case of the steel industry in Iran

Three categories of managerial skills are described as essential for effectiveness of senior managers: task, people and analytical and self‐development skills. Argues that managers at the lower level of the hierarchy value task‐related skills whereas self‐development and people‐ related skills are perceived as essential by the top management team. Suggests that although the above categories of managerial skills are somewhat broadly grouped in the literature there may exist distinct meaningful patterns of interrelationships among them which have several implications for the effective management training and development of senior managers.
Using Discriminative Training Techniques in Practical Intelligent Music Retrieval System

The development of speech recognition technology has made it possible for some intelligent query systems to use a voice interface. In this paper, we developed a pop-song music retrieval system for telecom carriers to facilitate the interactions between the end users and the music database. When trying to improve the system performance, however, it was found that some typical recognizing optimization techniques for large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) is not practicable for such a real-time application, in which accuracy and speed are both highly stressed. Thus, model optimization techniques are considered. Feature discriminative analysis and minimum phone error discriminative training techniques proposed in recent years have obtained great success in LVCSR, however, there are few reports about their practical applications on online grammar-constrained recognition tasks. In this paper, these techniques are employed and evaluated on such a real-time recognition task. The experimental result shows that these techniques can be effectively implemented in our practical application system with a remarkable error rate reduction of 13.3%.
Changes in Pronoun Use in American Books and the Rise of Individualism, 1960-2008

Change over time in culture can appear among individuals and in cultural products such as song lyrics, television, and books. This analysis examines changes in pronoun use in the Google Books ngram database of 766,513 American books published 1960-2008. We hypothesize that pronoun use will reflect increasing individualism and decreasing collectivism in American culture. Consistent with this hypothesis, the use of first person plural pronouns (e.g., we, us) decreased 10% first person singular pronouns (I, me) increased 42%, and second person pronouns (you, your) quadrupled. These results complement previous research finding increases in individualistic traits among Americans.
Cultural values and aging in Chinese television commercials

This study examined commercials (N = 141) featuring older adult(s) shown on three Chinese TV stations (i.e., national, provincial, and local) in the fall of 2005 to uncover the dominant value themes, the major product categories, and the association between value themes and product categories. Content analysis results revealed that three dominant value themes (i.e., health/life, product effectiveness, and family) appeared frequently in the Chinese television commercials featuring older adults, in which some major product categories such as food/drink, food/health supplements, and medicine were promoted. Results also indicated that the value of health/life was presented frequently in commercials for medicine and food/health supplements and that the family value appeared frequently in food/drinks commercials. Altogether these results demonstrated the importance of health and a lack of emphasis of modern values in Chinese television commercials which feature older adults, indicating a mixed view of aging (i.e., passive and negative). Findings are discussed in the context of the Chinese culture, aging, and television advertising.
Interviewing the Interviewers: Journalistic Norms and Racial Diversity in the Newsroom

Many mainstream newspapers have diversified their organizations—at least to some extent—by hiring minority journalists. Some scholars argue that a diversified newsroom will improve media coverage of minority communities and issues; others think that the power of journalistic norms will constrain minority journalists so that they will be unable or unwilling to enhance the news coverage of minorities. In this article, the authors examine journalistic norms and racial diversity in mainstream newsrooms by conducting face-to-face interviews with African American and Latino journalists working at mainstream papers. They investigate journalists' perceptions of how norms influence their behavior and their attitudes about advocacy. They also examine their perceptions of audience characteristics and how they choose sources, and conclude that journalistic norms do shape the behavior of African American and Latino journalists; nevertheless, many of these journalists are still able to bring a unique perspective to the table.