Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exogenous granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor promotes follicular development in the newborn rat in vivo.

BACKGROUND Expression and selective cellular localization of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and its receptor in ovarian tissue imply an autocrine/paracrine role in ovarian function. Evidence indicating a functional role for GM-CSF in ovarian follicular cell function has been provided by studies with GM-CSF knockout (GM-/-) mice, which suggest that GM-CSF influences events associated with murine follicular maturation. METHODS Immature female rats were treated with GM-CSF, FSH or saline for 5 or 10 days. Ovaries were collected for histologic examination and immunostaining determination of CYP17, a theca cell marker. In addition, ovarian section slides were evaluated by immunofluorescence for CD45, an ovarian leukocyte marker. To investigate the possible mechanism of GM-CSF action on follicular development, theca-interstitial cells (T-I) were separated and cultured. Cells were treated with increasing concentrations of GM-CSF, then evaluated for CYP17 mRNA and protein expression assays. RESULTS After 10 days of treatment with GM-CSF, the number of small preantral and large preantral follicles was significantly increased compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Similarly, treatment with FSH increased the number of small preantral and large preantral follicles (P < 0.05). CD45 expression measured by immunofluorescence was not different in the three groups, indicating that the distribution of leukocytes was unchanged. In addition, CYP17 was increased in the T-I cells both in vivo and in vitro after GM-CSF treatment. CONCLUSION The present results suggest that GM-CSF may play a significant role in follicular development.
Will they stay or will they go?

The research reported here confirms and deepens our understanding of factors that affect women's confidence in their ability to complete a computer science or computer engineering (CSE) doctoral degree. Analysis of data from a longitudinal study of women participating in the Computing Research Association's Graduate Cohort for Women identifies the conditions or experiences that women perceive as influential. More importantly, we found that women who are not confident in their ability to complete their programs are about four times more likely to think about leaving CSE than those who begin confidently.
Problem Pressure and Social Policy Innovation: Lessons from Nineteenth-Century Germany

In studying how to best understand social program introduction, political scientists have built up a laundry list of contributory factors. We suggest, however, that “objective” problem pressure has been incorrectly neglected by many scholars in recent decades—and the well-known case of Germany’s nineteenth-century introduction of social insurance legislation provides a clear illustration of this point. In explaining the origins and design of German social insurance, the interplay of three factors is key: first, exceptionally high problem pressure, connected to both labor market- and state-building processes; second, a fragile institutional context dominated by Prussia; and third, the party political constellation. In making this argument, we draw on “open functional reasoning” and extract implications from the case study to further refine the underlying theory. Specifically, we find that goal-oriented action may both be more common and more prone to compromise than the theory suggests. As such, we not only present an argument for considering the potential impact of problem pressure, but also lay out and refine an approach to doing so. In contrasting this approach to the problematic functionalism that initially inclined many scholars to neglect of problem pressure, we hope to help rehabilitate the concept—and in the process strengthen the explanatory power of research in sociology and political science.
Detecting faces in pure noise images: a functional MRI study on top-down perception

To assess the nature of top-down perceptual processes without contamination from bottom-up input, this functional MRI study investigated face detection in pure noise images. Greater activation was revealed for face versus nonface responses in the fusiform face area, but not in the occipital face area. Across participants, positive correlations were found for the degree of greater face-detection activation between the fusiform face area and bilateral inferior frontal gyri, suggesting a top-down pathway generating perceptual expectations. In contrast, the medial frontal, parietal, supplementary motor, parahippocampal, and striatal areas produced negative correlations between degrees of greater face-detection activation and behavioral responses, suggesting a possible role for these areas in selecting and executing appropriate responses that are based on the top-down expectations.
The Unfair Selection: A Study on Skin-Color Bias in Arranged Indian Marriages

Underlying the growing popularity of skin-lightening or fairness cosmetics in India is one of the most baseless biases experienced and practiced. Yet, the overriding importance of skin-color especially in context of marriage has been largely unaddressed. This exploratory study examined the influence of skin-color on preference for potential marriage partner. A 2 × 2 (gender × skin-color) between-group experimental design was used. Mothers (N = 108) of individuals of marriageable age group were presented with an option of five marital profiles containing education and work information only. The participants were shown profiles of either males or females depending on whether they had a son or a daughter. Once a profile was chosen, the participant was either shown a photograph of highly attractive fair girl/boy or a highly attractive dark girl/boy. The light-skinned and dark-skinned photograph was of the same person, except their skin tones were manipulated with the use of computer software. Participants were asked to rate how strongly would they recommend the girl/boy as potential bride/groom for their children. As expected, fair-skinned highly attractive people received higher ratings than dark-skinned highly attractive people. However, contrary to our expectations, ratings received for dark-skinned woman were not significantly lower than the ratings received for dark-skinned man. This study shows that the color of skin has the potential to even overpower traits such as general competency and physical attractiveness in both men and women.
The view from K2: Questioning the traditional view of flaring on early dM stars

We use K2 short cadence data obtained over a duration of 50 days during Campaign 0 to observe two M1V dwarf stars, TYC 1330-879-1 and RXJ 0626+2349. We provide an overview of our data analysis, in particular, making a comparison between using a fixed set of pixels and an aperture which follows the position of the source. We find that this moving aperture approach can give fewer non-astrophysical features compared to a fixed aperture. Both sources shows flares as energetic as observed from several M4V stars using both Kepler and ground based telescopes. We find that the flare energy distribution of the sources shown here are very similar to the less active M3–M5 stars but are �8 times less likely to produce a flare of a comparable energy to the more active M0–M5 stars. We discuss the biases and sources of systematic errors when comparing the activity of stars derived from different instruments. We conclude that K2 observations will provide an excellent opportunity to perform a census of flare activity across the full range of M dwarf spectral class and hence the physical mechanisms which power them.
Passive smoking induces atherogenic changes in low-density lipoprotein.

BACKGROUND According to the American Heart Association, passive smoking is an important risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), but the mechanisms underlying this association are not fully understood. We studied the acute effect of passive smoking on the factors that influence the development of CHD: the antioxidant defense of human serum, the extent of lipid peroxidation, and the accumulation of LDL cholesterol in cultured human macrophages, the precursors of foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions. METHODS AND RESULTS Blood samples were collected during 2 ordinary working days from healthy, nonsmoking subjects (n=10) before and after (up to 5.5 hours) spending half an hour in a smoke-free area (day 1) or in a room for smokers (day 2). Passive smoking caused an acute decrease (1.5 hours after exposure) in serum ascorbic acid (P<.001) and in serum antioxidant defense (P<.001), a decreased capacity of LDL to resist oxidation (P<.01), and the appearance of increased amounts of lipid peroxidation end products in serum (P<.01). Finally, LDL isolated from subjects after passive smoking was taken up by cultured macrophages at an increased rate (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS Exposure of nonsmoking subjects to secondhand smoke breaks down the serum antioxidant defense, leading to accelerated lipid peroxidation, LDL modification, and accumulation of LDL cholesterol in human macrophages. These data provide the pathophysiological background for the recent epidemiological evidence about the increased CHD risk among passive smokers.
Teaching Physical Education During Ramadan Observance: Practical Recommendations

Teenage students continue to participate in physical education lessons during the month of Ramadan. The combination of intermittent fasting and physical activity may result in impairment in both physical and cognitive performances. Additionally, dietary intake, sleep and hydration status may be negatively affected. To counteract the possible negative effects of intermittent fasting upon health and athletic performance of adolescent students, some practical recommendations should be outlined including (i) nutrition and sleep education of students, (ii) reducing the intensity and increasing the recovery periods during physical education lessons and (iii) practicing physical education in indoor. Additionally, teachers should be aware of clinical signs and symptoms of dehydration and hypoglycemia.
Influence of Fuel Type on Emission Profiles of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans from Industrial Boilers

Abstract In the present study, the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) emissions from three different industrial boilers that used cashew wood, oil, and coal, respectively, as fuels before implementing Best Available Technique (BAT)/Best Environmental Practice (BEP) were carefully investigated. Although this type of study has been carried out in western countries, the results from developing countries are strictly limited. The total PCDD/PCDF contents achieved the maximum level in a wood-fired boiler, while emissions were significantly lower at a coal-fired boiler. Averages and standard deviations of TCDDs obtained from industrial boilers using coal, cashew wood, and crude oil were 0.884 ± 0.635, 1.08 ± 0.689, and 0.00733 ± 0.00592 ng Sm−3, respectively. It is interesting to note that lower adverse human health impacts related with the employment of grade C heavy oil, whereas the highest risk was connected with the wood-fired boiler. Furthermore, fuel type appears to play a minor role in the PCDD/PCDF formation mechanism. In addition, wood-fired boilers seem to be the major contributor of TCDDs, PeCDDs, HxCDDs, and HpCDDs. Overall, the major principle of this investigation is to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the chemical profiles of PCDDs/Fs from three different industrial boilers using coal, oil, and wood, before implementing any improvements.
The Effectiveness Of Parent Training A Mothers Of Children With Autism Use Of Mand Model Techniques

The present study examined the effectiveness of the parent training program that was designed for the mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in enabling them to use the mand-model procedure. The study was conducted with the participation of 3 boys with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their mothers. As part of the study, the mothers were taught the mand-model procedure, which is one of the milieu teaching techniques. As a research method, the present study employed the subject research models of between-subject and multiple probe design models. The findings of this study suggested that the parent training program designed with a view to teaching the mand-model procedure was effective and consequently the mand-model procedure used by the mothers was also effective in teaching new words to the children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and enabling them to maintain such words over time.
The meaning of teacher education in an exam-oriented education system: lessons from novice secondary teachers in Korea

ABSTRACT This study investigated four novice secondary teachers’ experience and perceptions of teacher education in relation to their current work experience in a high-stakes testing context. The novice teachers commonly indicated that their preparation, which had focused on content expertise, turned out to have little significance in schools, as they mainly executed teaching to the test. Instead, their role as homeroom teachers, which was concerned with caring and supporting students, was found to have much more significance. Accordingly, they indicated that teacher education must more strongly emphasise preparing teachers for that role, which requires them to become mature, considerate, and autonomous educators. Based on this finding, this study suggests the need for a clearer conception of and emphasis on the subjectification function of teacher education that is grounded in the consideration of the fundamental vision, purpose, and meaning of teacher education in a society.
Remarks on the complexity of cooperative work

The research area of Computer-Supp orted Cooperative Work (CSCW) aims at developing digital technologies that may support cooperating actors in coordinating and integrating their work. In this effort, it is crucial to identify and understand the very coordinative practices through which orderly inter- action is achieved. For these reasons, phenomenological sociology plays a central role in CSCW. Based on this approach, the present paper argues that in order to understand what it is like to be a member, to grasp the urgencies and constraints under which members act and interact, the analyst must identify the systemic features of the situation. Arguing that for these purposes the systemic concept of 'complexity' is indispensable, the paper discusses the concept of complexity and its relevance for CSCW and examines the implications of this suggestion. RESUME: L'objectif du champ de recherche portant sur le Travail Cooperatif Assiste par Ordinateur (TCAO) est de developper des technologies numeriques qui puissent aider des agents cooperants a coor- donner et a integrer leur travail. Dans cette perspective, il est crucial d'identifier et de comprendre la nature des pratique de coordination par lesquelles une interaction ordonnee peut etre mise en oeuvre. Pour ces raisons, la contribution de la sociologie phenomenologique est centrale dans le TCAO. Nous inscri- vant dans cette approche, nous soutiendrons dans cet article que pour comprendre le contenu experientiel d'un membre d'un collectif, pour saisir les necessites et les contraintes auxquelles les acteurs doivent faire face quand ils agissent et interagissent, l'analyste doit identifier les elements systemiques de la si- tuation consideree. A partir d'une argumentation qui pose que a cette fin le concept systemique de "com- plexite" est indispensable, l'article discute ce concept et sa pertinence pour le TCAO, et examine les implications de cette proposition.
Atomic structure of an archaeal GAN suggests its dual roles as an exonuclease in DNA repair and a CMG component in DNA replication

In eukaryotic DNA replication initiation, hexameric MCM (mini-chromosome maintenance) unwinds the template double-stranded DNA to form the replication fork. MCM is activated by two proteins, Cdc45 and GINS, which constitute the ‘CMG’ unwindosome complex together with the MCM core. The archaeal DNA replication system is quite similar to that of eukaryotes, but only limited knowledge about the DNA unwinding mechanism is available, from a structural point of view. Here, we describe the crystal structure of an archaeal GAN (GINS-associated nuclease) from Thermococcus kodakaraensis, the homolog of eukaryotic Cdc45, in both the free form and the complex with the C-terminal domain of the cognate Gins51 subunit (Gins51C). This first archaeal GAN structure exhibits a unique, ‘hybrid’ structure between the bacterial RecJ and the eukaryotic Cdc45. GAN possesses the conserved DHH and DHH1 domains responsible for the exonuclease activity, and an inserted CID (CMG interacting domain)-like domain structurally comparable to that in Cdc45, suggesting its dual roles as an exonuclease in DNA repair and a CMG component in DNA replication. A structural comparison of the GAN–Gins51C complex with the GINS tetramer suggests that GINS uses the mobile Gins51C as a hook to bind GAN for CMG formation.
Effect of an Intervention Program on Parenting Styles, Self Efficacy and Adherence among Diabetic Adolescents in Farwanyia Governorate, Kuwait

Diabetes is a source of stress for patients of all ages, but particularly during adolescence. The transition into adolescence is frequently marked by declines in adherence and metabolic control due to decreased parental responsibility for diabetes care. Many factors affect parents' ability to deliver diabetic care including: knowledge, parental self-efficacy and parental style. The aim of the study was to find the correlation of parenting style, parents' self-efficacy and adherence with glucose level among early adolescents with type I diabetes through an interview questionnaire and the impact of an intervention program on those determinants. Results showed that 40.5% of parents had authoritative style, 39.7% had authoritarian style and 19.8% had permissive style. There was a positive correlation of adherence and metabolic control with knowledge, self-efficacy and authoritative behaviors of parents. Following the intervention, there was improvement in knowledge, self-efficacy, authoritative behaviors and adherence and no significant effect on metabolic control.
Designing, Developing, and Implementing Real-Time Learning Analytics Student Dashboards

Designing, Developing, and Implementing Real-Time Learning Analytics Student Dashboards Robert Gordon Bodily Department of Instructional Psychology and Technology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy This document is a multiple-article format dissertation that discusses the iterative design, development, and evaluation processes necessary to create high quality learning analytics dashboard systems. With the growth of online and blended learning environments, the amount of data that researchers and practitioners collect from learning experiences has also grown. The field of learning analytics is concerned with using this data to improve teaching and learning. Many learning analytics systems focus on instructors or administrators, but these tools fail to involve students in the data-driven decision-making process. Providing feedback to students and involving students in this decision-making process can increase intrinsic motivation and help students succeed in online and blended environments. To support online and blended teaching and learning, the focus of this document is student-facing learning analytics dashboards. The first article in this dissertation is a literature review on student-facing learning analytics reporting systems. This includes any system that tracks learning analytics data and reports it directly to students. The second article in this dissertation is a design and development research article that used a practice-centered approach to iteratively design and develop a real-time student-facing dashboard. The third article in this dissertation is a design-based research article focused on improving student use of learning analytics dashboard tools.
Institutional Trading and Soft Dollars

Proprietary data allow us to distinguish between institutional investors' orders directed to soft-dollar brokers and those directed to other types of brokers. We find that soft-dollar brokers execute smaller orders in larger market value stocks. Allowing for differences in order characteristics, we estimate the incremental implicit cost of soft-dollar execution at 29 (24) basis points for buyer- (seller-) initiated orders. For large orders, incremental implicit costs are 41 (30) basis points for buys (sells). However, we document substantial variability in these estimates, and research services provided by soft-dollar brokers may at least partially offset these costs. Copyright The American Finance Association 2001.
The Influence of Infective Dose on the Virulence of a Generalist Pathogen in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Zebra Fish (Danio rerio)

Pathogen density and genetic diversity fluctuate in the outside-host environment during and between epidemics, affecting disease emergence and the severity and probability of infections. Although the importance of these factors for pathogen virulence and infection probability has been acknowledged, their interactive effects are not well understood. We studied how an infective dose in an environmentally transmitted opportunistic fish pathogen, Flavobacterium columnare, affects its virulence both in rainbow trout, which are frequently infected at fish farms, and in zebra fish, a host that is not naturally infected by F. columnare. We used previously isolated strains of confirmed high and low virulence in a single infection and in a co-infection. Infection success (measured as host morbidity) correlated positively with dose when the hosts were exposed to the high-virulence strain, but no response for the dose increase was found when the hosts were exposed to the low-virulence strain. Interestingly, the co-infection resulted in poorer infection success than the single infection with the high-virulence strain. The rainbow trout were more susceptible to the infection than the zebra fish but, in both species, the effects of the doses and the strains were qualitatively similar. We suggest that as an increase in dose can lead to increased host morbidity, both the interstrain interactions and differences in infectivity in different hosts may influence the severity and consequently the evolution of disease. Our results also confirm that the zebra fish is a good laboratory model to study F. columnare infection.
Dense gas in luminous infrared galaxies

Aims. Molecules that trace the high-density regions of the interstellar medium have been observed in (ultra-) luminous (far-) infrared galaxies, in order to initiate multiple-molecule multiple-transition studies to evaluate the physical and chemical environment of the nuclear medium and its response to the ongoing nuclear activity. Methods. The HCN(1-0), HNC(1-0), HCO+ (1-0), CN(1-0) and CN(2-1), CO(2-1), and CS(3-2) transitions were observed in sources covering three decades of infrared luminosity including sources with known OH megamaser activity. The data for the molecules that trace the high-density regions were augmented with data available in the literature. Results. The integrated emissions of high-density tracer molecules show a strong relation to the far-infrared luminosity. Ratios of integrated line luminosities were used for a first-order diagnosis of the integrated molecular environment of the evolving nuclear starbursts. Diagnostic diagrams display significant differentiation among the sources that relate to the initial conditions and the radiative excitation environment. Initial differentiation was introduced between the FUV radiation field in photon-dominated-regions and the X-ray field in X-ray-dominated-regions. The galaxies displaying OH megamaser activity have line ratios typical of photon-dominated regions.