Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional variation of organic functional groups in aerosol particles on four U.S. east coast platforms during the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation 2004 campaign

Submicron atmospheric aerosol samples were collected during the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) 2004 campaign on four platforms: Chebogue Point (Nova Scotia, Canada), Appledore Island (Maine), the CIRPAS Twin Otter over Ohio, and the NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown in the Gulf of Maine. Saturated aliphatic C-C-H, unsaturated aliphatic C=C−H, aromatic C=C−H, organosulfur C-O-S, carbonyl C=O, and organic hydroxyl C-OH functional groups were measured by calibrated Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy at all four sampling platforms. The ratio of molar concentrations of carbonyl C=O to saturated aliphatic C-C-H groups was nearly constant at each sampling platform, with the Twin Otter samples having the lowest ratio at 0.1 and the three more coastal platforms having ratios of 0.4 and 0.5. Organic mass (OM) to organic carbon (OC) ratios follow similar trends for the four platforms, with the Twin Otter having the lowest ratio of 1.4 and the coastal platforms having slightly higher values typically between 1.5 and 1.6. Organosulfur compounds were occasionally observed. Collocated organic aerosol sampling with two Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometers for OM, a Sunset Laboratory thermo-optical analysis instrument for OC, and an ion chromatography-particle into liquid sampler (IC-PILS) for speciated carboxylic acids provided comparable results for most of the project, tracking the time series of FTIR OM, OC, and carbonyl groups, respectively, and showing simultaneous peaks of similar magnitude during most of the project. The FTIR/IC-PILS comparison suggests that about 9% of the carbonyl groups found in submicron organic particles on the Twin Otter are typically associated with low molecular weight carboxylic acids.
The Effect of In-service Training of Computer Science Teachers on Scratch Programming Language Skills Using an Electronic Learning Platform on Programming Skills and the Attitudes towards Teaching Programming

This study was conducted to examine the effect of in-service training of computer science teachers in Scratch language using an electronic learning platform on acquiring programming skills and attitudes towards teaching programming. The sample of this study consisted of 40 middle school computer science teachers. They were assigned into two groups; 20 teachers were in the control group and 20 teachers in the experimental group. The study tools consist of an achievement test in Scratch programming language and a measure of attitudes toward programming instruction. After the experimental treatment at the end of the second semester, the teachers were examined and the results showed that there were statistically significant differences between the achievement test mean scores in favor of the experimental group that trained using an electronic training platform. The results also showed a positive effect on attitudes toward teaching programming for the experimental group.
Effect of fast and slow pranayama on perceived stress and cardiovascular parameters in young health-care students

Context: Perceived stress is higher for students in various healthcare courses. Previous studies have shown that pranayama practice is beneficial for combating stress and improve cardiovascular functions but both fast and slow pranayama practice produce different physiological responses. Aim: Present study was conducted to compare the effects of commonly practiced slow and fast pranayama on perceived stress and cardiovascular functions in young health-care students. Materials and Methods: Present study was carried out in Departments of Physiology and Advanced Centre for Yoga Therapy Education and Research, JIPMER, Pondicherry. Ninety subjects (age 18-25 years) were randomized to fast pranayama (Group 1), slow pranayama (Group 2) and control group (Group 3). Group 1 subjects practiced Kapalabhati, Bhastrika and Kukkuriya Pranayama while Group 2 subjects practiced Nadishodhana, Savitri and Pranav Paranayama. Supervised pranayama training was given for 30 min, 3 times a week for the duration of 12 weeks to Groups 1 and 2 subjects by certified yoga trainer. Following parameters were recorded at the baseline and after 12 weeks of training; perceived stress scale (PSS), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), rate pressure product (RPP), and double product (Do P). Results: There was a significant decrease in PSS scores in both Group 1 and Group 2 subjects but percentage decrease was comparable in these groups. Significant decrease in HR, DBP, RPP, and Do P was seen in only Group 2 subjects. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that both types of pranayama practice are beneficial in reducing PSS in the healthy subjects but beneficial effect on cardiovascular parameters occurred only after practicing slow pranayama.
A Phosphorylatable Sphingosine Analog Induces Airway Smooth Muscle Cytostasis and Reverses Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Experimental Asthma

In asthma, excessive bronchial narrowing associated with thickening of the airway smooth muscle (ASM) causes respiratory distress. Numerous pharmacological agents prevent experimental airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) when delivered prophylactically. However, most fail to resolve this feature after disease is instated. Although sphingosine analogs are primarily perceived as immune modulators with the ability to prevent experimental asthma, they also influence processes associated with tissue atrophy, supporting the hypothesis that they could interfere with mechanisms sustaining pre-established AHR. We thus assessed the ability of a sphingosine analog (AAL-R) to reverse AHR in a chronic model of asthma. We dissected the pharmacological mechanism of this class of agents using the non-phosphorylatable chiral isomer AAL-S and the pre-phosphorylated form of AAL-R (AFD-R) in vivo and in human ASM cells. We found that a therapeutic course of AAL-R reversed experimental AHR in the methacholine challenge test, which was not replicated by dexamethasone or the non-phosphorylatable isomer AAL-S. AAL-R efficiently interfered with ASM cell proliferation in vitro, supporting the concept that immunomodulation is not necessary to interfere with cellular mechanisms sustaining AHR. Moreover, the sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase inhibitor SM4 and the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor antagonist VPC23019 failed to inhibit proliferation, indicating that intracellular accumulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate or interference with cell surface S1P1/S1P3 activation, are not sufficient to induce cytostasis. Potent AAL-R-induced cytostasis specifically related to its ability to induce intracellular AFD-R accumulation. Thus, a sphingosine analog that possesses the ability to be phosphorylated in situ interferes with cellular mechanisms that beget AHR.
Role of Phonology in Reading: A Stroop Effect Case Report With Japanese Scripts

An experiment investigated the role of phonological activation in Japanese adults’ reading of ideograms (Kanji) and syllabic characters (Kana), using the Stroop effect. A group of 21 native speakers of Japanese completed color-naming (Stroop) and word-reading (reverse-Stroop) tasks with Kanji and Kana scripts. A series of analyses contrasted the reaction time required for different script types; including Kanji color words, Kanji homophones, and Kana. On the hypothesis that a word’s pronunciation plays an important role in its semantic activation process, it was predicted that color-naming/word-reading interference and facilitation would be demonstrated for both the Kanji color words and Kanji homophones, with Kanji homophones showing somewhat reduced effects. The results showed robust color-naming (Stroop) patterns for the Kanji color words, significant effects for Kana, and no significant Stroop effects for the Kanji homophones. A word-reading (reverse-Stroop) task revealed uniform effects of interference with incongruent stimuli across the three script types. Taken together, the data suggest different processing routes may be accessed in colornaming and word-reading tasks.
Effect of nanocellulose isolation techniques on the formation of reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite films

Three techniques including acid hydrolysis (AH), 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation (TMO) and ultrasonication (US) were introduced to isolate nanocellulose from microcrystalline cellulose, in order to reinforce poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films. Important differences were noticed in fiber quality of nanocellulose and film properties of PVA nanocomposite films. The TMO treatment was more efficient in nanocellulose isolation with higher aspect ratio, surface charge (–47 mV) and yields (37%). While AH treatment resulted in higher crystallinity index (88.1%) and better size dispersion. The fracture surface, thermal behavior and mechanical properties of the PVA nanocomposite films were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile testing. The results showed that both the TMO-derived and AH-derived nanocellulose could be dispersed homogeneously in the PVA matrices. AH/PVA films had higher elongation at break (51.59% at 6 wt% nanocellulose loading) as compared with TMO/PVA, while TMO/PVA films shown superior tensile modulus and strength with increments of 21.5% and 10.2% at 6wt% nanocellulose loading. The thermal behavior of the PVA nanocomposite films was higher improved with TMO-derived nanofibrils addition.
Sesame Production, Challenges and Opportunities in Ethiopia

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L, 2n=26) grouped under the family Pedaliaceae; is the most ancient oil seed known and used by man [1]. It is called ‘Queen of oil seeds’ due to its high quality polyunsaturated stable fatty acid, which restrains oxidative rancidity [2-4] it is also stable due to the natural anti oxidants sesamol and sesamolinol that reduce the rate of oxidation [5]. The crop is grouped in the Pedaliaceae family and adapted to hot areas [2]. In Ethiopia, its demand for food and animal feed makes it very expensive when compared with other oil crops such as vegetable oils. The sesame oil cake is an important byproduct for animal feed; especially, for dairy production in rural and urban areas where other source of feed are limiting.
Insights into RNA-processing pathways and associated RNA-degrading enzymes in Archaea

RNA-processing pathways are at the centre of regulation of gene expression. All RNA transcripts undergo multiple maturation steps in addition to covalent chemical modifications to become functional in the cell. This includes destroying unnecessary or defective cellular RNAs. In Archaea, information on mechanisms by which RNA species reach their mature forms and associated RNA-modifying enzymes are still fragmentary. To date, most archaeal actors and pathways have been proposed in light of information gathered from Bacteria and Eukarya. In this context, this review provides a state of the art overview of archaeal endoribonucleases and exoribonucleases that cleave and trim RNA species and also of the key small archaeal proteins that bind RNAs. Furthermore, synthetic up-to-date views of processing and biogenesis pathways of archaeal transfer and ribosomal RNAs as well as of maturation of stable small non-coding RNAs such as CRISPR RNAs, small C/D and H/ACA box guide RNAs, and other emerging classes of small RNAs are described. Finally, prospective post-transcriptional mechanisms to control archaeal messenger RNA quality and quantity are discussed.
Hepatic Fibrosis Progression in HIV-Hepatitis C Virus Co-Infection – The Effect of Sex on Risk of Significant Fibrosis Measured by Aspartate-to-Platelet Ratio Index

Background In Hepatitis C virus (HCV) mono-infection, male sex is associated with faster liver fibrosis progression but the effects of sex have not been well studied in HIV-HCV co-infected patients. We examined the influence of sex on progression to significant liver fibrosis in HIV-HCV co-infected adults receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) using the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) as a surrogate biomarker of liver fibrosis. Methods We evaluated 308 HIV infected, HCV RNA positive participants of a Canadian multicentre prospective cohort receiving antiretrovirals and without significant liver fibrosis or end-stage liver disease at baseline. We used multivariate discrete-time proportional hazards models to assess the effect of sex on time to significant fibrosis (APRI≥1.5) adjusting for baseline age, alcohol use, cigarette smoking, HCV duration, and APRI and time-updated CD4 count and HIV RNA. Results Overall, 55 (18%) participants developed an APRI ≥ 1.5 over 544 person-years of at-risk follow-up time; 18 (21%) women (incidence rate (IR)=14.0/100 PY; 7.5-20.4) and 37 (17%) men (IR=8.9/100 PY; 6.0-11.8). Women had more favourable profiles with respect to traditional risk factors for liver disease progression (younger, shorter duration of HCV infection and less alcohol use). Despite this, female sex was associated with a greater than two-fold increased risk of fibrosis progression (adjusted hazard rate (HR) =2.23; 1.22-4.08). Conclusions HIV-HCV co-infected women receiving antiretroviral therapy were at significantly greater risk of progressing to liver fibrosis as measured by APRI compared with men. Enhanced efforts to engage and treat co-infected women for HCV are needed.
Intersecting membranes in AdS and Lovelock gravity

Colliding and intersecting thin membranes of matter are studied in the Lovelock higher order curvature theory of gravity. We restrict the study to constant curvature membranes in constant curvature AdS and dS background and consider their general intersections. This illustrates some key features which make the higher Lovelock theory different to the Einstein gravity. Lovelock terms couple hypersurfaces of different dimensionalities, extending the range of possible intersection configurations. An intersection allows for restricting matter in sub-manifolds, that is, allows for higher co-dimension membranes while the bulk geometry is everywhere non-singular. An implication is that if the spacetime has no boundary or its boundary is smooth, under certain conditions (no deficit angles at the intersections) one may say that the highest number of bulk dimensions which allow a 4-dimensional sub-manifold carrying matter is 7. Also, the example of colliding membranes shows the general feature of Lovelock gravity, that at the collision event (surface) general solutions can only be supported by (spacelike) matter, thus naturally violating the dominant energy condition.
The study of the Bithorax-complex genes in patterning CCAP neurons reveals a temporal control of neuronal differentiation by Abd-B

ABSTRACT During development, HOX genes play critical roles in the establishment of segmental differences. In the Drosophila central nervous system, these differences are manifested in the number and type of neurons generated by each neuroblast in each segment. HOX genes can act either in neuroblasts or in postmitotic cells, and either early or late in a lineage. Additionally, they can be continuously required during development or just at a specific stage. Moreover, these features are generally segment-specific. Lately, it has been shown that contrary to what happens in other tissues, where HOX genes define domains of expression, these genes are expressed in individual cells as part of the combinatorial codes involved in cell type specification. In this report we analyse the role of the Bithorax-complex genes – Ultrabithorax, abdominal-A and Abdominal-B – in sculpting the pattern of crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP)-expressing neurons. These neurons are widespread in invertebrates, express CCAP, Bursicon and MIP neuropeptides and play major roles in controlling ecdysis. There are two types of CCAP neuron: interneurons and efferent neurons. Our results indicate that Ultrabithorax and Abdominal-A are not necessary for specification of the CCAP-interneurons, but are absolutely required to prevent the death by apoptosis of the CCAP-efferent neurons. Furthermore, Abdominal-B controls by repression the temporal onset of neuropeptide expression in a subset of CCAP-efferent neurons, and a peak of ecdysone hormone at the end of larval life counteracts this repression. Thus, Bithorax complex genes control the developmental appearance of these neuropeptides both temporally and spatially.
Ineffective secondary prevention in survivors of cardiovascular events in the US population: report from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BACKGROUND Survivors of myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke are at high risk for subsequent cardiovascular events. There is limited assessment of the effectiveness of risk factor modification through current secondary preventive strategies in the US population. We determined the adequacy of risk factor modification in 1252 survivors of MI, stroke, or both in a nationally representative sample of US adults and identified factors related to inadequate control of risk factors. METHODS The adequacy of control for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and hypercholesterolemia was assessed by personal interview, blood pressure measurements, and serum glycosylated hemoglobin and cholesterol levels in 17 752 US adults who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 1994. We also evaluated the role of potentially related factors, including age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, and medical insurance status using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Of 738 known hypertensive persons, hypertension was uncontrolled in 388 (53%). Previously undiagnosed hypertension was detected in 138 others (11%). Of 289 diabetic persons, serum glucose control was inadequate in 141. Of 1252 survivors, 225 (18%) were currently smoking, and heavy alcohol use was observed in 56 persons. Hypercholesterolemia was poorly controlled in 185 (46%) of 405 persons with known hypercholesterolemia. Undetected hypercholesterolemia was observed in 160 persons (13%). In the multivariate analysis, high-risk profiles were more likely to be observed in persons aged 46 to 65 years, women, and African Americans. CONCLUSIONS High prevalence of inadequate secondary prevention was found in a subset of the US population at highest risk for stroke and MI. Considerable efforts are required to effectively implement risk factor modification strategies after MI or stroke, particularly in middle-aged persons, African Americans, and women.
The Heterogeneous Effects of Workforce Diversity on Productivity, Wages and Profits

We estimate the impact of workforce diversity on productivity, wages, and productivity–wage gaps (i.e., profits) using detailed Belgian linked employer–employee panel data. Findings show that educational (age) diversity is beneficial (harmful) for firm productivity and wages. While gender diversity is found to generate significant gains in high-tech/knowledge-intensive sectors, the opposite result is obtained in more traditional industries. Estimates neither vary substantially with firm size nor point to sizeable productivity–wage gaps except for age diversity.
Things fall apart? Discourses on agency and change in organizations

The history of the concept of ‘agency’ in organizational theory over the last 50 years makes dismal reading. From a position of unbounded optimism that organizational change could be managed as a rational or planned process with a transparent agenda, we now confront restructured workplaces characterized by new forms of flexibility, hypercomplexity and chaos in which the nature, sources and consequences of change interventions have become fundamentally problematic. How did this occur and what implications does it have for our understanding of agency and change in organizations? Should we assume that rationalist concepts of centred agency are no longer viable, or should we welcome the plural and promising new forms of decentred agency emerging within organizations? This article presents a selective interdisciplinary history of competing disciplinary discourses on agency and change in organizations, classified into rationalist, contextualist, dispersalist and constructionist discourses. Although the four discourses clarify the meta-theoretical terrain of agency in relation to organizational change theories, the growing plurality of discourses challenges the social scientific ambitions of the research field to be objective, cumulative or unified. It is concluded that the future for research on agency and change in organizations is characterized by new opportunities for empirical investigation and intervention, but also by mounting threats to the epistemological rationale of objective knowledge and the efficacy of practice.
Coding Together at Scale: GitHub as a Collaborative Social Network

GitHub is the most popular repository for open source code. It has more than 3.5 million users, as the company declared in April 2013, and more than 10 million repositories, as of December 2013. It has a publicly accessible API and, since March 2012, it also publishes a stream of all the events occurring on public projects. Interactions among GitHub users are of a complex nature and take place in different forms. Developers create and fork repositories, push code, approve code pushed by others, bookmark their favorite projects and follow other developers to keep track of their activities.In this paper we present a characterization of GitHub, as both a social network and a collaborative platform. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantitative study about the interactions happening on GitHub. We analyze the logs from the service over 18 months (between March 11, 2012 and September 11, 2013), describing 183.54 million events and we obtain information about 2.19 million users and 5.68 million repositories, both growing linearly in time. We show that the distributions of the number of contributors per project, watchers per project and followers per user show a power-law-like shape. We analyze social ties and repository-mediated collaboration patterns, and we observe a remarkably low level of reciprocity of the social connections. We also measure the activity of each user in terms of authored events and we observe that very active users do not necessarily have a large number of followers. Finally, we provide a geographic characterization of the centers of activity and we investigate how distance influences collaboration.
Intrapersonal and Stress Management Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence as Determinants of Mathematics Performance

Students’ success in mathematics instruction is determined by some school and personal measures and most likely, quality emotions and feelings that could also help students. The descriptive-correlational research ascertained the students’ level of emotional intelligence and its association to mathematics performance. Using Sta. Maria’s (2007) Emotional Intelligence Inventory, data were gathered from the 222 college students of Capiz State University, Philippines selected through simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using the mean, Pearson’s Product Moment of Correlation and ANOVA. The results of the study showed that college students had an average level of emotional intelligence. The students’ mathematics performance was good. The study also revealed that sibling rank shows significant relationship with emotional intelligence. Intrapersonal and stress management measures were strongly associated with students’ performance in the mathematics. Class size and time of class significantly influenced the mathematics performance of students. The need to stress management on emotional intelligence is, therefore, vital to promote classroom learning.