Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multielement Determination and Speciation of Major-to-Trace Elements in Black Tea Leaves by ICP-AES and ICP-MS with the Aid of Size Exclusion Chromatography

A multielement determination of major-to-trace elements in black tea leaves and their tea infusions was carried out by ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry) and ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). Tea infusions were prepared as usual tea beverage by brewing black tea leaves in boiling water for 5 min. About 40 elements in tea leaves and tea infusions could be determined over the wide concentration range in 8 orders of magnitude. The extraction efficiency of each element was estimated as the ratio of its concentration in tea infusions to that in tea leaves. From the experimental results for the extraction efficiencies, the elements in black tea leaves were classified into three characteristic groups: (i) highly-extractable elements (>55%): Na, K, Co, Ni, Rb, Cs and Tl, (ii) moderately-extractable elements (20–55%): Mg, Al, P, Mn and Zn, and (iii) poorly-extractable elements (<20%): Ca, Fe, Cu, Sr, Y, Zr, Mo, Sn, Ba and lanthanoid elements. Furthermore, speciation of major-to-trace elements in tea infusions was performed by using a combined system of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ICP-MS (or ICP-AES). As a result, many diverse elements were found to be present as complexes associated with large organic molecules in tea infusions.
Activation of p38α/β MAPK in myogenesis via binding of the scaffold protein JLP to the cell surface protein Cdo

The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway plays an important role in cell differentiation, but the signaling mechanisms by which it is activated during this process are largely unknown. Cdo is an immunoglobulin superfamily member that functions as a component of multiprotein cell surface complexes to promote myogenesis. In this study, we report that the Cdo intracellular region interacts with JLP, a scaffold protein for the p38α/β MAPK pathway. Cdo, JLP, and p38α/β form complexes in differentiating myoblasts, and Cdo and JLP cooperate to enhance levels of active p38α/β in transfectants. Primary myoblasts from Cdo −/− mice, which display a defective differentiation program, are deficient in p38α/β activity, and the expression of an activated form of MKK6 (an immediate upstream activator of p38) rescues the ability of Cdo −/− cells to differentiate. These results document a novel mechanism of signaling during cell differentiation: the interaction of a MAPK scaffold protein with a cell surface receptor.
Inhibiting bladder tumor growth with a cell penetrating R11 peptide derived from the p53 C-terminus

Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is the most common malignancy of the urinary tract, nearly half of which contains a mutation in TP53 gene. Hence, therapeutic approach by restoring functional p53 protein in cancer cells will be beneficial. Recent studies have demonstrated the inhibition of cancer cell growth by p53 reactivation using a peptide derived from the p53 C-terminus (p53C). However, the outcome of reactivating p53 in controlling bladder cancer development is limited by its efficiency and specificity of peptide delivery, especially in metastatic animal models. Herein, we report that the cell penetrating peptide (polyarginine, R11)-conjugated p53C can exhibit a preferential uptake and growth inhibit of UCB cells expressing either mutant or wild-type TP53 by the activation of p53-dependent pathway. R11-p53C peptide treatment of preclinical orthotopic and metastatic bladder cancer models significantly decreased the tumor burden and increased the lifespan without a significant cytotoxicity. Based on these results, we believe that R11-p53C peptide has therapeutic potential for primary and metastatic bladder cancer, and R11-mediated transduction may be a useful strategy for the therapeutic delivery of large tumor suppressor molecules to tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.
Placental malaria and the risk of malaria in infants in a high malaria transmission area in ghana: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND Whether the risk of malaria is increased in infants born to mothers who experience malaria during pregnancy is uncertain. METHODS We investigated malaria incidence among an infant cohort born to 355 primigravidae and 1500 multigravidae with or without placental malaria (PM) in a high malaria transmission area of Ghana. PM was assessed using placental histology. RESULTS The incidence of all episodes of malaria parasitemia or clinical malaria was very similar among 3 groups of infants: those born to multigravidae without PM, multigravidae with PM, and primigravidae with PM. Infants born to primigravidae without PM experienced a lower incidence of malaria parasitemia or clinical malaria than the other 3 groups: adjusted hazard ratio, 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], .48-.86, P < .01) and 0.60 (95% CI, .43-.84, P < .01), respectively. The incidence of malaria parasitemia or clinical malaria was about 2 times higher in most poor infants compared to least poor infants. CONCLUSIONS There was no suggestion that exposure to PM directly increased incidence of malaria among infants of multigravidae. In our study area, absence of placental malaria in primigravidae is a marker of low exposure, and this probably explains the lower incidence of malaria-related outcomes among infants of PM-negative primigravidae.
Genome-Wide Pattern of TCF7L2/TCF4 Chromatin Occupancy in Colorectal Cancer Cells

ABSTRACT Wnt signaling activates gene expression through the induced formation of complexes between DNA-binding T-cell factors (TCFs) and the transcriptional coactivator β-catenin. In colorectal cancer, activating Wnt pathway mutations transform epithelial cells through the inappropriate activation of a TCF7L2/TCF4 target gene program. Through a DNA array-based genome-wide analysis of TCF4 chromatin occupancy, we have identified 6,868 high-confidence TCF4-binding sites in the LS174T colorectal cancer cell line. Most TCF4-binding sites are located at large distances from transcription start sites, while target genes are frequently “decorated” by multiple binding sites. Motif discovery algorithms define the in vivo-occupied TCF4-binding site as evolutionarily conserved A-C/G-A/T-T-C-A-A-A-G motifs. The TCF4-binding regions significantly correlate with Wnt-responsive gene expression profiles derived from primary human adenomas and often behave as β-catenin/TCF4-dependent enhancers in transient reporter assays.
Constructing ‘the Psychopath’: A Discourse Analysis of Psychologists’ Understandings of Psychopathy

Background: Psychopathy is a controversial psychological construct used within forensic settings to understand the psychology of forensic service users. Contemporary research into psychopathy indicates ontological confusion, limitations with assessment practices and the presence of a negative bias towards individuals identified as psychopathic. Aims: A moderate social constructionist epistemology underpins this study. Its purpose was to widen the clinical frame of psychopathy via sociological inquiry through an examination of how ‘the psychopath’ is constructed discursively by a particular group of specialists working directly with individuals with a psychopathy label. Methods: Subjects were eight clinical psychologists currently working throughout the UK in forensic mental health settings (low, medium and high-secure hospitals). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the data were analysed qualitatively, using Discourse Analysis methods. Findings: Analysis demonstrated that persons with psychopathy are constructed as problematised individuals, located within four overarching, recurrent discursive sites: dangerous, challenging, manipulative, and psychologically deficient. Participants utilised ‘at risk’ and ‘trauma’ discourses to explain the aetiology of psychopathy and ‘intuition’ talk was employed as a marker of the presence of psychopathy. The findings of the study and their clinical implications are discussed.
Racial/Ethnic Parity in Disciplinary Consequences Using Student Threat Assessment

Abstract School psychologists are frequently called upon to assess students who have made verbal or behavioral threats of violence against others, a practice commonly known as threat assessment. One critical issue is whether the outcomes of a threat assessment generate the kind of racial disparities widely observed in school disciplinary practices. In 2013, Virginia became the first state to mandate threat assessment teams in all public schools. This study examined the disciplinary consequences for 1,836 students who received a threat assessment in 779 Virginia elementary, middle, and high schools during the 2014–2015 school year. Multilevel logistic regression models found no disparities among Black, Hispanic, and White students in out-of-school suspensions, school transfers, or legal actions. The most consistent predictors of disciplinary consequences were the student's possession of a weapon and the team classification of the threat as serious. We discuss possible explanations for the absence of racial/ethnic disparities in threat assessment outcomes and cautiously suggest that the threat assessment process may reflect a generalizable pathway for achieving parity in school discipline.
Inclusive education in Luxembourg: implicit and explicit attitudes toward inclusion and students with special educational needs

ABSTRACT The aim of the current study was to investigate attitudes of Luxemburgish adults toward students with special educational needs (SEN) and their inclusion into mainstream schools. Positive attitudes can facilitate inclusion, furthering the acceptance of students with SEN. Implicit and explicit attitudes may have differential impact on behaviour toward students with SEN, however, to date, there is little research combining explicit and implicit attitudes measurement tools. Participants (N = 161) completed an evaluative priming task, the Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education in the Population questionnaire as well as the German version of the Attitudes toward Inclusive Education Scale. Results show that participants expressed positive attitudes toward inclusive education in general. Participantś implicit attitudes toward students with differing types of SEN varied, with neutral attitudes toward students with learning difficulties and negative attitudes toward students with challenging behaviour. In addition, participantś explicit attitudes toward the inclusion of students with learning difficulties or challenging behaviour in mainstream classrooms were negative. In sum, although people may support the general idea of inclusion, when asked about their attitudes toward students with specific types of SEN, and the inclusion of these students in mainstream schools, participantś attitudes were rather negative. The implications of these findings for the inclusion and acceptance of students with SEN in education and society are discussed.
Automated phenotyping of mouse social behavior

Inspired by the connections between social behavior and intelligence, I have developed a trainable system to phenotype mouse social behavior. This system is of immediate interest to researchers studying mouse models of social disorders such as depression or autism. Mice studies provide a controlled environment to begin exploring the questions of how to best quantify social behavior. For the purposes of evaluating this system and to encourage further research, I introduce a new video dataset annotated with five social behaviors: nose-to-nose sniffing, nose-to-head sniffing, nose-to-anogenital sniffing, crawl under / crawl over, and upright head contact. These four behaviors are of particular importance to researchers characterizing mouse social avoidance [9]. To effectively phenotype mouse social behavior, the system incorporates a novel mice tracker, and modules to represent and to classify social behavior. The mice tracker addresses the challenging computer vision problem of tracking two identical, highly deformable mice through complex occlusions. The tracker maintains an ellipse model of both mice and leverages motion cues and shape priors to maintain tracks during occlusions. Using these tracks, the classification system represents behavior with 14 spatial features characterizing relative position, relative motion, and shape. A regularized least squares (RLS) classifier, trained over representative instances of each behavior, classifies the behavior present in each frame. This system demonstrates the enormous potential for building automated systems to quantitatively study mouse social behavior.
Investigation into the personal epistemology of computer science students

In this paper, we investigate the personal epistemology of computing students, that is, their conceptions of knowledge and learning. We review some models of personal epistemological development and describe one of the questionnaire tools that have been used to assess the epistemological beliefs of students studying in other disciplines. We describe an experiment that uses one of these tools, together with exploratory factor analysis, to determine the dimensions of epistemological beliefs of a cohort of computing students and compare the results with that reported in other contexts. The results, while not reproducing the details of previous work, do seem to suggest that there are indeed multiple dimensions to personal epistemology, and that these can be identified, to a large extent, with those recognised by other researchers. Finally, we make some observations about the importance of personal epistemology for learning in Computer Science and outline further work in this area.
ENGLISH AND KOREAN SPEAKERS' CATEGORIZATION OF SPATIAL ACTIONS: A TEST OF THE WHORF HYPOTHESIS

In this study, I carried out a quasi-experimental task that attempted to examine some aspects of the Sapir/Whorf hypothesis; namely, the extent to which the grammar of one’s language affects one’s way of thinking about the experienced world. A task was designed to evaluate the influence that language operates on the mind of native English and Korean speakers in the categorization of spatial actions. Population of the study consisted of 40 participants: 20 NSs of English (10 males and 10 females) and 20 NSs of Korean (10 males and 10 females). Participants were asked to choose between two pictures (A or B), the one that best matches a third one (C). Although most of the results obtained were not in the predicted direction and do not support the Whorf hypothesis in this particular context, the study raises questions about the psychological effects of a language on the identity of its speakers in times of widespread English learning. The study also calls for more controlled research that takes into consideration some of the issues that this study has brought to surface.
Integrated treatment of matching and measurement errors for robust model-based motion tracking

A system is described for real-time motion tracking of 3-D objects, including those with variable internal parameters. Unlike most previous work on model-based motion tracking, this system provides for the integrated treatment of matching and measurement errors during motion tracking. These two sources of error have very different distributions and must be handled by separate computational mechanisms. These errors can be treated in an integrated way by using the computation of variance in predicted feature measurements to greatly decrease the amount of search required for subsequent matching. In return, the search process is used to eliminate the need to treat outliers during the analysis of measurement errors. The resulting system can robustly track models with many degrees of freedom while running on relatively inexpensive hardware. These same techniques can be used to speed verification during model-based recognition, and they point the way to merging of systems for recognition and motion tracking. <<ETX>>
Learning Image Descriptors with the Boosting-Trick

In this paper we apply boosting to learn complex non-linear local visual feature representations, drawing inspiration from its successful application to visual object detection. The main goal of local feature descriptors is to distinctively represent a salient image region while remaining invariant to viewpoint and illumination changes. This representation can be improved using machine learning, however, past approaches have been mostly limited to learning linear feature mappings in either the original input or a kernelized input feature space. While kernelized methods have proven somewhat effective for learning non-linear local feature descriptors, they rely heavily on the choice of an appropriate kernel function whose selection is often difficult and non-intuitive. We propose to use the boosting-trick to obtain a non-linear mapping of the input to a high-dimensional feature space. The non-linear feature mapping obtained with the boosting-trick is highly intuitive. We employ gradient-based weak learners resulting in a learned descriptor that closely resembles the well-known SIFT. As demonstrated in our experiments, the resulting descriptor can be learned directly from intensity patches achieving state-of-the-art performance.
Development of Hard Bainite

It is demonstrated that in a high-carbon steel where carbide precipitation is suppressed, bainite can be obtained by isothermal transformation at temperatures as low as 200°C. The time taken for nucleation at this temperature can be many days, but the transformation results in the growth of extremely thin platelets of bainite, so thin that the hardness of the resulting steel can be greater than 600 HV.
Triple junction motion for Allen-Cahn/Cahn-Hilliard systems

Long time asymptotics are developed here for an Allen-Cahn/Cahn-Hilliard system derived recently by Cahn & Novick-Cohen [11] as a di use interface model for simultaneous orderdisorder and phase separation. Proximity to a deep quench limit is assumed, and spatial scales are chosen to model Krzanowski instabilities in which droplets of a minor disordered phase bounded by interphase boundaries (IPB) of high curvature coagulate along a slowly curved antiphase boundaries (APB) separating two ordered variants. The limiting motion couples motion by mean curvature of the APBs with motion by minus the surface Laplacian of the IPBs on the same time scale. Quasi-static surface di usion of the chemical potential occurs along APBs. The framework outlined here should also be suitable for describing sintering of small grains and thermal grain boundary grooving in polycrystalline lms.
Organizational Justice and Workplace Bullying: The Experience of Nurses

Background: Maintaining highly motivated nurses - who are committed to health care organizations - is one of the greatest challenges today. Organizational justice is a crucial indicator of successful organizations. Nurses of health care organizations that are fair in their procedures, policies, and distribution systems provide better reactions to their organizations in terms of positive behaviors and better quality of patients' outcomes. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between organizational justice and workplace bullying among nurses. Methods: A quantitative descriptive correlational research design was used to examine the relationship between organizational justice and workplace bullying among nurses. A sample of 163 nurses was recruited from different departments at one of the university hospitals in Demiatte Governorate, Egypt. Colquitt's Organizational Justice Scale was used to measure perception of organizational justice, and Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) to measure workplace bullying among nurses. Results: Nurses had moderate level of perceived organizational justice and mild level of bullying at workplace during the last six months (61.98, 39.88) respectively. A significant relationship between organizational justice and: gender (.008), marital status (.045), educational level (.002), and years of experience (.008) were found. Only educational level (0.54) was significantly correlated to workplace bullying. A statistically significant negative correlation between workplace bullying and organizational justice (-.119) was identified too. Conclusion: Nurse managers should create a healthy and cooperative work environment that is characterized by shared decision making and justice in all daily activities.
Linear-time subtransitive control flow analysis

We present a linear-time algorithm for bounded-type programs that builds a directed graph whose transitive closure gives exactly the results of the standard (cubic-time) Control-Flow Analysis (CFA) algorithm. Our algorithm can be used to list all functions calls from all call sites in (optimal) quadratic time. More importantly, it can be used to give linear-time algorithms for CFA-consuming applications such as:&bull; effects analysis: find the side-effecting expressions in a program. &bull; k-limited CFA: for each call-site, list the functions if there are only a few of them (&le; k) and otherwise output "many". &bull; called-once analysis: identify all functions called from only one call-site.
Endogenous Growth and Stochastic Trends

This paper shows that in a cross section of countries there exists a strong positive correlation between long-term growth rates and the persistence of output fluctuations. We argue that the traditional explanation of persistence, an RBC model with exogenous productivity shocks, cannot account for this correlation. What is required is a model where the stochastic nature of the trend is endogenous and growth dynamics is an important component of the transmission of business cycles. We present a stylized endogenous growth model with exogenous cyclical shocks where, despite the cyclical nature of the shocks, output fluctuations are persistent and the degree of persistence is an increasing function of long-term growth rates.
ISLA: How implicit or how explicit should it be? Theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical/curricular issues

Instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) research has recently attracted more focal attention due to the publications of three books and as the theme of the 2016 Second Language Research Forum (SLRF) conference that celebrated its 35th anniversary in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). Recent definitions (e.g. Loewen, 2015) have underscored the context (instructed vs. naturalistic setting), the ‘mechanisms of learning’ (cognitive processes), and the potential manipulation of these processes or the conditions under which such processes take place by instructional intervention. This article goes a step further to consider the curricular aspect of the ISLA context that exists within the language curriculum, the type of learning that does take place in an instructed environment and should be promoted in the instructed setting, and the pedagogical implications for the instructed L2 environment, given its curricular status (Leow & Cerezo, 2016). To this end, this article (1) provides a critical discussion of the context of ISLA, (2) presents a succinct overview of cognitive processes reported to play a role in the L2 learning process, (3) reports the findings of empirical research on implicit/incidental and explicit/intentional learning, and (4) reports on one recent study that purports to acknowledge these variables. Recommendations for future ISLA research are provided.