Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Game-Based Learning with Ubiquitous Technologies

E-learning communities have recently started to emphasize the need to make e-learning systems more practical rather than more powerful. Related studies indicate that the appeal of learning content as well as participation in learning activities are primary concerns. The authors propose using advanced ubiquitous technologies to construct a location-aware, digital game-based learning environment. This framework presents the notion of a ubiquitous game-based learning model from technical and experimental viewpoints. An example of the courseware for a class on Tamsui, Taiwan's historical culture demonstrates the learning scenario's viability in the proposed environment.
The Stock Market’s Pricing of Customer Satisfaction

A numberof recent marketing studies examinethe stock market’s response tothe releaseof AmericanCustomer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) scores.The broad purposeofthese studies is to investigatethe stock market’s valuationof customer satisfaction. However, a key focus is on whethercustomer satisfaction information predicts long-run returns. We provide evidence onthe market’s pricing of ACSI information using a more comprehensive setof well-established tests fromthe accounting and finance literatures. We find that ACSI scores provide some incremental information on future operating income and thatthe market quickly responds tothe releaseof information on large increases in satisfaction. However, we find no evidence that ACSI predicts long-run returns.These results suggest thatcustomer satisfaction information is value-relevant, but are also consistent with Jacobson and Mizik’s (2009) conclusion that mispricing of ACSI information, if present at all, is limited.
The effect of adiposity on the relationship between indicators of maturity in peri-pubertal children

Background: Although the relation between body fatness and maturation has been the subject of much research, somatic maturity as assessed by sex-specific regression equations, has yet to be investigated in a population of overweight and obese children. Aim: To examine whether adiposity affects the relationship between somatic and skeletal maturity in peri-pubertal children and if increased adiposity is related to earlier maturation. Subjects and methods: A total of 172 girls and boys (12.8 ± 0.9 years of age) participated in the study. Participants were categorized as normal weight (NW, < 85th percentile) or overweight/obese (OW/OB, ≥ 85th percentile) based on body mass index and matched for chronological and skeletal age. Skeletal age was assessed across the radial and ulnar epiphyses using quantitative ultrasound. Somatic maturity was assessed as years from age of peak height velocity (aPHV), estimated using prediction equations. Peripheral adiposity was determined by the sum of two skin-folds. Results: Years from aPHV was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in OW/OB girls, but not in OW/OB boys. Skeletal age was associated with years from aPHV in NW and OW/OB boys (r = 0.87 vs 0.86, p < 0.001) and girls (r = 0.83 vs 0.72, p < 0.001). Among peri-pubertal youth of similar chronological and skeletal age, OW/OB girls were more somatically mature than their NW peers. Conclusion: It is concluded that excess peripheral adiposity in girls may affect the estimated somatic maturity, as reflected in years from aPHV.
Normal Swallowing Physiology as Viewed by Videofluoroscopy and Videoendoscopy

This study examines normal oropharyngeal swallow physiology in 8 young adult males with concurrent videofluoroscopy and videoendoscopy. Twelve swallows were examined for each subject, 3 swallows each of 1 and 5 ml of thin liquid at each of two endoscopic positions: (1) the tip of the endoscope just at or below the tip of the uvula (high position), and (2) the tip of the endoscope just below the tip of the epiglottis (low position). Results indicate that if the clinician is interested in laryngeal events occurring before and after swallow, videoendoscopy with the endoscope in the low position is the procedure of choice. To evaluate pharyngeal anatomy and/or the presence of food in the pharynx before or after swallow, either endoscopy with the endoscope in the high position or videofluoroscopy can be used. However, if the clinician is interested in pharyngeal physiology during swallow, videofluoroscopy is a better diagnostic procedure.
Use of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test to monitor treatment efficacy in active pulmonary tuberculosis.

SETTING Cohort study at a tertiary care hospital. OBJECTIVE To assess the potential use of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-G) in monitoring clinical response to anti-tuberculosis treatment. DESIGN We conducted a cohort study of 76 active pulmonary tuberculosis patients with serial testing by QFT-G at baseline and after 2 and 6 months of treatment. At these time points, we compared the performance of QFT-G with sputum culture status of the study subjects. RESULTS Compared to baseline, 59 (77.6%) cases showed a decline whereas 17 (22.4%) showed persistent or stronger interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) responses at 2 months. Using robust statistical methods, we observed that QFT-G assessment at 2 months independently and significantly predicted the likelihood of remaining sputum culture-positive at the end of the intensive phase of anti-tuberculosis treatment. A higher IFN-gamma concentration by 1 international unit (IU)/ml corresponded to a 45% (95%CI 8-97) higher likelihood of failing to convert to a negative culture, whereas a rising or persistent IFN-gamma response was associated with a 17.3 (P = 0.007) times higher likelihood of remaining culture-positive at 2 months. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that QFT-G can potentially be used as a tool to monitor the efficacy of anti-tuberculosis treatment.
PLANT PROFILE, PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY OF ARGEMONE MEXICANA LINN. A REVIEW Review Article

Argemone Mexicana is extensively used as traditional medicine for the treatment of numerous diseases. Various parts of the plant were extensively used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathic medicines. It is reported to have antimicrobial activity, wound healing property, larvicidal and chemosterilant activity, nematicidal and allelopathic potential, antimalarial, antibacterial and antifungal, molluscicidal, anticancer, hepatoprotective, anti-HIV and neuropharmacological activity. Chemical investigations of this plant have revealed the presence of alkaloids, amino acids, phenolics and fatty acids. A. mexicana has shown promise as an effective bio-control agent. The present review includes the detailed exploration of traditional uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties and actions of whole plant extract reported so far.
Symptom-detected and screen-detected celiac disease and adult height: a large cohort study

Objective Nowadays, most patients with celiac disease are diagnosed in adulthood. However, undetected disease may already have been present in childhood and may have subsequently affected growth. Earlier data on the eventual adult height of patients with celiac disease have been scant and inconsistent. We aimed to assess the final height in a large cohort of symptom-detected and screen-detected patients with celiac disease diagnosed in adulthood. Patients and methods The height of 1084 patients with celiac disease diagnosed in adulthood was determined in five separate birth cohorts between the years 1920 and 1989. Further, the patients were evaluated in three different subgroups depending on whether they were diagnosed on the basis of gastrointestinal or extraintestinal symptoms or by serological screening. The population-based control group included 112 340 patients in equal birth cohorts. Results In general, the mean adult height of patients with celiac disease was at the same level as in the population at large. In subgroup analysis, men with intestinal symptoms were shorter than the population controls in the birth cohort 1948–1961, and a similar trend was observed in the older cohorts. In women, the mean height was also reduced in the older birth cohorts, but predominantly among screen-detected patients. In the younger birth cohorts, height was reduced in neither sex compared with the population. Conclusion In general, the mean adult height of patients with celiac disease is at the same level as that of the general population. In a subgroup analysis, reduced height was observed in some of the older, but not younger, birth cohorts.
Type-A Arabidopsis Response Regulators Are Partially Redundant Negative Regulators of Cytokinin Signaling Online version contains Web-only data.

Type-A Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) response regulators (ARRs) are a family of 10 genes that are rapidly induced by cytokinin and are highly similar to bacterial two-component response regulators. We have isolated T-DNA insertions in six of the type-A ARRs and constructed multiple insertional mutants, including the arr3,4,5,6,8,9 hextuple mutant. Single arr mutants were indistinguishable from the wild type in various cytokinin assays; double and higher order arr mutants showed progressively increasing sensitivity to cytokinin, indicating functional overlap among type-A ARRs and that these genes act as negative regulators of cytokinin responses. The induction of cytokinin primary response genes was amplified in arr mutants, indicating that the primary response to cytokinin is affected. Spatial patterns of ARR gene expression were consistent with partially redundant function of these genes in cytokinin signaling. The arr mutants show altered red light sensitivity, suggesting a general involvement of type-A ARRs in light signal transduction. Further, morphological phenotypes of some arr mutants suggest complex regulatory interactions and gene-specific functions among family members.
Salsolinol Stimulates Dopamine Neurons in Slices of Posterior Ventral Tegmental Area Indirectly by Activating μ-Opioid Receptors

Previous studies in vivo have shown that salsolinol, the condensation product of acetaldehyde and dopamine, has properties that may contribute to alcohol abuse. Although opioid receptors, especially the μ-opioid receptors (MORs), may be involved, the cellular mechanisms mediating the effects of salsolinol have not been fully explored. In the current study, we used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to examine the effects of salsolinol on dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in acute brain slices from Sprague-Dawley rats. Salsolinol (0.01–1 μM) dose-dependently and reversibly increased the ongoing firing of dopamine neurons; this effect was blocked by naltrexone, an antagonist of MORs, and gabazine, an antagonist of GABAA receptors. We further showed that salsolinol reduced the frequency without altering the amplitude of spontaneous GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents in dopamine neurons. The salsolinol-induced reduction was blocked by both naltrexone and [d-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]enkephalin, an agonist of MORs. Thus, salsolinol excites VTA-dopamine neurons indirectly by activating MORs, which inhibit GABA neurons in the VTA. This form of disinhibition seems to be a novel mechanism underlying the effects of salsolinol.
Using Intelligent Agents in Military Simulation or "Using Agents Intelligently"

Modern defence systems include advanced aircraft, ships, radar, weapons, command and control systems, and most importantly human operators. The main objective of modelling and simulation tools is to allow operational analysts to rapidly specify and evaluate existing and proposed systems and procedures for operating these systems. Such tools are required to model all aspects of defence systems including physical systems and human operators and the reasoning processes that they adopt.Agent-oriented technology is a natural candidate for developing a model of reasoning processes performed by human operators. It allows the operational analyst to work at a high level, formulating cognitive processes, while keeping the detailed computer programming hidden. This premise has led to the development of the Operator-Agent. The base model was completed in June 1996. The model is fully operational and is an integral part of the tools used by operational analysts from the Australian Department of Defence. It has been successfully used for operational analysis and evaluation of multi-billion dollar acquisitions.
Kinetic control by limiting glutaredoxin amounts enables thiol oxidation in the reducing mitochondrial intermembrane space

Proteins of the mitochondrial intermembrane space are oxidatively folded by the incorporation of structural disulfide bonds. Efficient protein oxidation in this highly reducing compartment is possible only because glutaredoxins, which could translate the glutathione redox potential into that of protein thiols, are present at limiting levels.
The effect of intangible resources on innovation in service firms with the role of absorptive capacity as a moderating variable

Innovation is widely recognized as one main contributor to a firm's competitiveness. To conduct innovation, an organization must utilize its tangible and intangibles resources. The current study is aimed at examining the effect of intangible resources, namely human, organizational and relational resources on innovation in the context of service firms (i.e., tutoring agencies) in Indonesia. In addition, the role of absorptive capacity as a moderating variable is also tested. Based on the survey among tutoring agencies in Indonesia, the findings show that intangible resources have a significant impact on innovation. Moreover, the absorptive capacity plays a significant role as a moderating between the relational resources and innovation. The study provides a better understanding on the existing debate and literature on a firm's resources and innovation especially within service firms.
Education in a Multicultural Society: Our Future's Greatest Challenge

I am honored to be here with you this afternoon, particularly because we are here in the memory of such an esteemed educator as Dr. Charles H. Thompson. I have been asked to speak to you about the challenges we face educating the children of our multicultural society. First, I will talk about some of the ways that schools place culturally diverse children at risk. Then, I will detail what I view as necessary to address the problem. I must, however, begin with a precautionary note: Even though we are talking today about culture, it is important to remember that children are individuals and cannot be made to fit into any preconceived mold of how they are "supposed" to act. The question is not necessarily how to create the perfect "culturally matched" learning situation for each ethnic group, but rather how to recognize when there is a problem for a particular child and how to seek its cause in the most broadly conceived fashion. Knowledge about culture is but one tool that educators may make use of when devising solutions for a school's difficulty in educating diverse children.
Voluntary running in deer mice: speed, distance, energy costs and temperature effects

SUMMARY The energetics of terrestrial locomotion are of considerable interest to ecologists and physiologists, but nearly all of our current knowledge comes from animals undergoing forced exercise. To explore patterns of energy use and behavior during voluntary exercise, we developed methods allowing nearly continuous measurements of metabolic rates in freely behaving small mammals, with high temporal resolution over periods of several days. We used this approach to examine relationships between ambient temperature (Ta), locomotor behavior and energy costs in the deer mouse, a small mammal that routinely encounters a large range of temperatures in its natural habitat. We tested for individual consistency in running behavior and metabolic traits, and determined how locomotor costs vary with speed and Ta. Because of the importance of thermoregulatory costs in small mammals, we checked for substitution of exercise heat for thermostatic heat production at Ta below the thermal neutral zone and determined the fraction of the daily energy budget comprising exercise costs. Locomotor behavior was highly variable among individuals but had high repeatability, at least over short intervals. We found few temperature-related changes in speed or distance run, but Ta strongly affected energy costs. Partial substitution of exercise heat for thermogenic heat occurred at low Ta. This reduced energy expenditure during low-temperature running by 23–37%, but running costs comprised a fairly minor fraction of the energy budget, so the daily energy savings via substitution were much smaller. Deer mice did not adjust running speed to maximize metabolic economy, as they seldom used the high speeds that provide the lowest cost of transport. The highest voluntary speeds (4–5 km h-1) were almost always below the predicted maximal aerobic speed, and were much less than the species' maximal sprint speed. Maximum voluntarily attained rates of oxygen consumption (V̇O2) were highest at low Ta, but rarely approached maximal V̇O2 during forced treadmill exercise. Mean respiratory exchange ratios coincident with maximal voluntary V̇O2 increased slightly as Ta declined, but were always below 1.0 (another indication that metabolic rate was less than the aerobic maximum). Individuals with high running performance (cumulative distance and running time) had high resting metabolism, which suggests a cost of having high capacity or propensity for activity.
Current recording from sensory cilia of olfactory receptor cells in situ. I. The neuronal response to cyclic nucleotides

The olfactory mucosa of the frog was isolated, folded (the outer, ciliated side faced outward), and separately superfused with Ringers solution on each side. A small number of sensory cilia (one to three) were pulled into the orifice of a patch pipette and current was recorded from them. Fast bipolar current transients, indicating the generation of action potentials by the receptor cells, were transmitted to the pipette, mainly through the ciliary capacitance. Basal activity was near 1.5 spikes s-1. Exposure of apical membrane areas outside of the pipette to permeant analogues of cyclic nucleotides, to forskolin, and to phosphodiesterase inhibitors resulted in a dose-dependent acceleration of spike rate of all cells investigated. Values of 10-20 s- 1 were reached. These findings lend further support to the notion that cyclic nucleotides act as second messengers, which cause graded membrane depolarization and thereby a graded increase in spike rate. The stationary spike rate induced by forskolin was very regular, while phosphodiesterase inhibitors caused (in the same cell) an irregular pattern of bursts of spikes. The response of spike rate was phasic- tonic in the case of strong stimulation, even when elicited by inhibitors of phosphodiesterase or by analogues of cyclic nucleotides that are not broken down by the enzyme. Thus, one of the mechanisms contributing to desensitization appears to operate at the level of the nucleotide-induced ciliary conductance. However, desensitization at this level was slow and only partial, in contrast to results obtained with isolated, voltage-clamped receptor cells.
Microbial Diversity and Evidence of Novel Homoacetogens in the Gut of Both Geriatric and Adult Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Recent studies have described the bacterial community residing in the guts of giant pandas, together with the presence of lignocellulolytic enzymes. However, a more comprehensive understanding of the intestinal microbial composition and its functional capacity in giant pandas remains a major goal. Here, we conducted a comparison of bacterial, fungal and homoacetogenic microbial communities from fecal samples taken from two geriatric and two adult captive giant pandas. 16S rDNA amplicon pyrosequencing revealed that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria are the most abundant microbiota in both geriatric and adult giant pandas. However, members of phylum Actinobacteria found in adult giant pandas were absent in their geriatric counterparts. Similarly, ITS1 amplicon pyrosequencing identified developmental changes in the most abundant fungal classes from Sordariomycetes in adult pandas to Saccharomycetes in geriatric pandas. Geriatric pandas exhibited significantly higher abundance of a potential probiotic fungus (Candida tropicalis) as compared to adult pandas, indicating their importance in the normal digestive physiology of aged pandas. Our study also reported the presence of a lignocellulolytic white-rot fungus, Perenniporia medulla-panis, and the evidence of novel homoacetogens residing in the guts of giant pandas.
Reduced leukemogenicity caused by mutations in the membrane glycoprotein gene of Rauscher spleen focus-forming virus

We isolated and characterized two spontaneous, weakly leukemogenic mutants of Rauscher spleen focus-forming virus (R-SFFV) that contain mutations in nonoverlapping regions of the membrane envelope (env) glycoprotein gene. As reported previously (M. Ruta and D. Kabat, J. Virol. 35:844-853, 1980), the replication-defective R-SFFV encodes a membrane glycoprotein with an apparent Mr of 54,000 (gp54) which is structurally and immunologically related to the membrane envelope glycoproteins of dual-tropic murine leukemia viruses. Mutant R-SFFV clones 3-25 and 4-3 encode abnormally sized gp54-related glycoproteins with apparent Mrs of 52,000 (gp52) and 45,000 (gp45), respectively. Northern and Southern blot analyses of the mutant R-SFFV nucleic acids indicated that an insertion has occurred in the 3-25 env gene and that a deletion has occurred in the 4-3 env gene. Furthermore, restriction endonuclease analyses and comparisons of the fragmentation patterns of the wild-type and mutant glycoproteins generated by partial proteolysis with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease indicated that the mutations affect nonoverlapping domains of the envelope glycoprotein (amino-terminal fragment affected in 3-25 glycoprotein and carboxyl-terminal fragment affected in 4-3 glycoprotein). Glycosylation inhibition studies indicated that the reduced size of gp52 is caused at least partly by loss of an asparagine-linked oligosaccharide. In addition, these mutant viruses have dramatically reduced leukemogenicities compared with wild-type R-SFFV. We conclude that the gp54 structural gene is required for initiation or amplification of the splenic erythroblast hyperplasia which characterizes the preleukemic phase of Rauscher disease.
Gender Differences in Policing

The purpose of this article was to examine emotional labor skills and the acculturation of extreme masculine values as two pathways by which gender may influence the behavior of officers in the field. The results indicated that female officers were less likely than male officers to assimilate hypermasculine beliefs into their identity. Lower levels of hypermasculinity were related to an officer’s perceptions of less negative behavior by citizens and fewer complaints. In addition, the findings suggest that female officers are more likely to use caring strategies, such as empathy, whereas males are more likely to use cognitive behavioral strategies.