Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation into the relationship between computer self-efficacy, anxiety, experience, support and usuage

Understanding an individual's use of information technology has become an important determinant of successful usage and implementation of technology. In order to help understand and improve the successful use of information technology this research aim to investigate some key factors that influence an individual's use of information technology and the relationship between those factors. This research examines the relationship between computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, computer experience, organisational/Faculty support, and computer usage. A conceptual model posits that computer usage is influenced by several factors such as computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, computer experience and organisational/Faculty support. Based on the responses of 137 Commerce students at University of Tasmania, we found that computer experience and Faculty support had a positive relationship with computer self-efficacy. While computer self-efficacy, computer experience and Faculty support had negative relationship with computer anxiety. However, Faculty support and computer experience were found to have no significant relationship with computer usage. The findings are important as they provide information on how faculties might consider assisting students in their utilising technology.
Cortactin Phosphorylated by ERK1/2 Localizes to Sites of Dynamic Actin Regulation and Is Required for Carcinoma Lamellipodia Persistence

Background Tumor cell motility and invasion is governed by dynamic regulation of the cortical actin cytoskeleton. The actin-binding protein cortactin is commonly upregulated in multiple cancer types and is associated with increased cell migration. Cortactin regulates actin nucleation through the actin related protein (Arp)2/3 complex and stabilizes the cortical actin cytoskeleton. Cortactin is regulated by multiple phosphorylation events, including phosphorylation of S405 and S418 by extracellular regulated kinases (ERK)1/2. ERK1/2 phosphorylation of cortactin has emerged as an important positive regulatory modification, enabling cortactin to bind and activate the Arp2/3 regulator neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASp), promoting actin polymerization and enhancing tumor cell movement. Methodology/Principal Findings In this report we have developed phosphorylation-specific antibodies against phosphorylated cortactin S405 and S418 to analyze the subcellular localization of this cortactin form in tumor cells and patient samples by microscopy. We evaluated the interplay between cortactin S405 and S418 phosphorylation with cortactin tyrosine phosphorylation in regulating cortactin conformational forms by Western blotting. Cortactin is simultaneously phosphorylated at S405/418 and Y421 in tumor cells, and through the use of point mutant constructs we determined that serine and tyrosine phosphorylation events lack any co-dependency. Expression of S405/418 phosphorylation-null constructs impaired carcinoma motility and adhesion, and also inhibited lamellipodia persistence monitored by live cell imaging. Conclusions/Significance Cortactin phosphorylated at S405/418 is localized to sites of dynamic actin assembly in tumor cells. Concurrent phosphorylation of cortactin by ERK1/2 and tyrosine kinases enables cells with the ability to regulate actin dynamics through N-WASp and other effector proteins by synchronizing upstream regulatory pathways, confirming cortactin as an important integration point in actin-based signal transduction. Reduced lamellipodia persistence in cells with S405/418A expression identifies an essential motility-based process reliant on ERK1/2 signaling, providing additional understanding as to how this pathway impacts tumor cell migration.
Variations inDental Anxiety amongMiddle- agedandElderly WomeninSweden: ALongitudinal Studybetween 1968and1996

Cross-sectional studies haveshownthat older indi- viduals aresignificantly less dentally anxious thanyounger ones. However, research hasnotbeenable toshowifthis isa cohort effect oraneffect offear declining withage. Ifitisa cohort effect, dental anxiety amongtheelderly mayposea greater-than-expected problem fortheproviders ofdental services. Withtheexception oflongitudinal studies inchil- drenandathree-year follow-up onadults, notruly longitudi- nalepidemiological studies concerning dental anxiety have beenperformed. Theaimofthis project wastoinvestigate howdental anxiety changes withaging. Inalongitudinal population study ofwomeninGoteborg, Sweden, starting in 1968, 1462womenaged38to54participated. A representa- tivesubsample of778womentookpartinapsychiatric examination whereaninvestigation ofdental anxiety was included. Thesamequestions werealso included whenthese womenwerere-examined in1974, 1992, and1996. Three hun- dredseventy-five womenwerestill eligible forinvestigation in1996. In1968-69, 48(12.8%) oftheparticipating women assessed themselves as"very afraid" or"terrified" whenvisi- tingthedentist, andin1996thefrequency was21(5.6%) amongthesamewomen.In1968-69, 180women(48%) reported nodental anxiety whenvisiting thedentist, and28 years later thefrequency was230(61%). Inthethree youngest agegroups, dental anxiety decreased significantly (p<0.001) overthe28-year period. Oldercompared withyounger womenreported significantly less dental anxiety, andthis wasanageeffect rather thanacohort effect. Thus, this longi- tudinal study supported thehypothesis thatdental fear, like manyother general andspecific phobias, declines withage.
Voter Control in k-Approval and k-Veto under Partial Information

In constructive control, an external agent seeks to change the outcome of an election by adding, deleting or partitioning voters or candidates. Traditionally, the manipulative agent has full information, i.e. he knows the candidate set, each voter’s votes and the voting rule. In this paper, we focus on constructive control by adding or deleting voters and examine the complexity of control under partial information for the k-Approval and k-Veto rules.
Paraquat induces apoptosis in human lymphocytes: Protective and rescue effects of glucose, cannabinoids and insulin-like growth factor-1

In order to establish causal or protective treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD), it is necessary to identify the cascade of deleterious events that lead to the dysfunction and death of dopaminergic neurons. Paraquat (PQ) is a pesticide used as xenobiotic compound to model PD. However, the mechanism(s) of PQ-induced cell death and the mechanism(s) of cytoprotection in a single cell model are still unknown. In this study, lymphocytes were treated with (0.1–1 mM) PQ. Apoptotic morphology was assessed with acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining. Further evaluation included (i) superoxide radicals, reflected by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction to formazan, (ii) the production of hydrogen peroxide, reflected by rhodamine-positive fluorescent cells, (iii) the generation of hydroxyl radicals, reflected by dimethylsulfoxide and melatonin √OH scavengers, (iv) activation and/or translocation of NF-κB, p53 and c-Jun transcription factors showed by immunocytochemical staining, and by ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, pifithrin-α and SP600125 inhibition and (V) caspase-3 activation, reflected by caspase Ac-DEVD-cho inhibition. To elucidate the mechanism of cytoprotection, lymphocytes were treated with PQ in the presence of cannabinoids, insulin-like growth factor-1 and glucose. We provide evidence that PQ induces apoptosis in lymphocytes in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion by an oxidative stress mechanism involving O2√ − , H2O2/(√OH) generation, simultaneous activation of NF-κB/p53/c-Jun transcription factors, mitochondrial depolarization and caspase-3 activation leading to morphological apoptosis. Moreover, dying lymphocytes are protected and rescued from PQ noxious stimuli by direct antioxidant effect by cannabinoids, receptor mediated signaling by IGF-1, and/or energetic protection by glucose. It is concluded that PQ-induced apoptosis in lymphocytes by a mechanism involving reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, transcriptional factors and caspase-3 activation. However, this cell death routine can be reversed by the action of cannabinoids, IGF-1 and glucose. These data may provide innovating therapeutic strategies to intervene environmentally or genetically susceptible PD population to oxidative stress.
Sample path average optimality of Markov control processes with strictly unbounded cost

We study the existence of sample path average cost (SPAC-) optimal policies for Markov control processes on Borel spaces with strictly unbounded costs, i.e., costs that grow without bound on the complement of compact subsets. Assuming only that the cost function is lower semicontinuous and that the transition law is weakly continuous, we show the existence of a relaxed policy with “minimal” expected average cost and that the optimal average cost is the limit of discounted programs. Moreover, we show that if such a policy induces a positive Harris recurrent Markov chain, then it is also sample path average (SPAC-) optimal. We apply our results to inventory systems and, in a particular case, we compute explicitly a deterministic stationary SPAC-optimal policy.
Neutralizing antibodies hamper IFNβ bioactivity and treatment effect on MRI in patients with MS

We measured neutralizing antibodies (NABs) and the in vivo biologic response to interferon-β on neopterin and β2-microglobulin blood levels. All NAB-negative patients had an in vivo biologic response (full or partial), whereas all high-level positive patients had no response. High-level NAB patients had more MRI activity than NAB-negative patients (p = 0.031). Patients with a full response had less MRI activity than patients without biologic response (p = 0.032).
Risk of upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine therapy: interaction with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and effect of acid-suppressing agents.

CONTEXT Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been reported to increase the risk of upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding. The wide use of these drugs makes such potential risk a public health concern, and identification of factors that may increase or minimize such risk is necessary. OBJECTIVES To test the association of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine hydrochloride therapy with upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding, to identify subgroups of patients at particularly increased risk, and to explore whether acid-suppressing agents may be effective in minimizing risk. DESIGN Nested case-control study. SETTING General practice database from the United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS One thousand three hundred twenty-one patients with upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding referred to a consultant or hospital and 10 000 control subjects matched for age, sex, and calendar year of the index date. Main Outcome Measure Risk of bleeding associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and effect of acid-suppressing agents. RESULTS The percentage of current users of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (5.3%) or venlafaxine (1.1%) among case subjects was significantly higher than in matched control subjects (3.0% and 0.3%; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-2.1, and OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.5-5.6, respectively). An interaction with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 2.8-8.3) was observed, in particular among those not using acid-suppressing agents (OR, 9.1; 95% CI, 4.8-17.3) compared with users of these drugs (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.5-3.3). In addition, an interaction with antiplatelet drugs in nonusers of acid-suppressing agents was suggested (OR, 4.7; 95% CI, 2.6-8.3) compared with users of these drugs (OR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.3-2.5). CONCLUSIONS Antidepressants with a relevant blockade action on the serotonin reuptake mechanism increase the risk of upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding. The increased risk may be of particular relevance when these drugs are associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Our study findings also provide evidence that use of acid-suppressing agents limits such increased risk.
Exploring Personal EFL Teaching Metaphors in Pre-Service Teacher Education.

Metaphors are significant in teacher education, because they can provide insights into complex concepts of teaching and learning and thus provide a window into the comprehension of teachers' personal experiences. This study employed metaphorical analysis to investigate how pre-service teachers view English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses at the beginning of their teacher education programmes. Forty student teachers in a teacher certificate programme in secondary education were asked to provide metaphors of how they conceptualise themselves as EFL teachers. Findings revealed that the teachers' metaphorical conceptualisations appeared to be more student-centred, reflecting beliefs about teaching practice and generally stemming from personal and school experiences. Overall, the written metaphors provided access to pre-service teachers' preconceived notions of teaching prior to entering the classroom. Metaphors thus provide a framework with which to assess teaching and a means for teachers to enhance self- awareness and professional development. This study leads to several conclusions that highlight some implications for teacher education and to ideas for further investigations.
The effects of age and sensation on the anticipatory motor patterns activated during deglutition

1 THE EFFECTS OF AGE AND SENSATION ON THE ANTICIPATORY MOTOR PATTERNS ACTIVATED DURING DEGLUTITION by Samantha Eve Shune A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Speech and Hearing Science in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa May 2014 Thesis Supervisor: Professor Jerald B. Moon
Multipath Key Establishment for Wireless Sensor Networks Using Just-Enough Redundancy Transmission

In random key predistribution techniques for wireless sensor networks, a relatively small number of keys are randomly chosen from a large key pool and are loaded on the sensors prior to deployment. After deployment, each sensor tries finding a common key shared by itself and each of its neighbors to establish a link key to protect the wireless communication between themselves. One intrinsic disadvantage of such techniques is that some neighboring sensors do not share any common key. In order to establish a link key among these neighbors, a multihop secure path may be used to deliver the secret. Unfortunately, the possibility of sensors being compromised on the path may render such an establishment process insecure. In this work, we propose and analyze the just-enough redundancy transmission (JERT) scheme that uses the powerful maximum-distance separable (MDS) codes to address the problem. In the JERT scheme, the secret link key is encoded in (n, k) MDS code and transmitted through multiple multihop paths. To reduce the total information that needs to be transmitted, the redundant symbols of the MDS codes are transmitted only if the destination fails to decode the secret. The JERT scheme is demonstrated to be efficient and resilient against node capture. One salient feature of the JERT scheme is its flexibility of trading transmission for lower information disclosure.
A Physiologically-Inspired Model of Numerical Classification Based on Graded Stimulus Coding

In most natural decision contexts, the process of selecting among competing actions takes place in the presence of informative, but potentially ambiguous, stimuli. Decisions about magnitudes – quantities like time, length, and brightness that are linearly ordered – constitute an important subclass of such decisions. It has long been known that perceptual judgments about such quantities obey Weber's Law, wherein the just-noticeable difference in a magnitude is proportional to the magnitude itself. Current physiologically inspired models of numerical classification assume discriminations are made via a labeled line code of neurons selectively tuned for numerosity, a pattern observed in the firing rates of neurons in the ventral intraparietal area (VIP) of the macaque. By contrast, neurons in the contiguous lateral intraparietal area (LIP) signal numerosity in a graded fashion, suggesting the possibility that numerical classification could be achieved in the absence of neurons tuned for number. Here, we consider the performance of a decision model based on this analog coding scheme in a paradigmatic discrimination task – numerosity bisection. We demonstrate that a basic two-neuron classifier model, derived from experimentally measured monotonic responses of LIP neurons, is sufficient to reproduce the numerosity bisection behavior of monkeys, and that the threshold of the classifier can be set by reward maximization via a simple learning rule. In addition, our model predicts deviations from Weber Law scaling of choice behavior at high numerosity. Together, these results suggest both a generic neuronal framework for magnitude-based decisions and a role for reward contingency in the classification of such stimuli.
DnaSP 6: DNA Sequence Polymorphism Analysis of Large Data Sets.

We present version 6 of the DNA Sequence Polymorphism (DnaSP) software, a new version of the popular tool for performing exhaustive population genetic analyses on multiple sequence alignments. This major upgrade incorporates novel functionalities to analyze large data sets, such as those generated by high-throughput sequencing technologies. Among other features, DnaSP 6 implements: 1) modules for reading and analyzing data from genomic partitioning methods, such as RADseq or hybrid enrichment approaches, 2) faster methods scalable for high-throughput sequencing data, and 3) summary statistics for the analysis of multi-locus population genetics data. Furthermore, DnaSP 6 includes novel modules to perform single- and multi-locus coalescent simulations under a wide range of demographic scenarios. The DnaSP 6 program, with extensive documentation, is freely available at http://www.ub. edu/dnasp.
Research Note - Information Technology, Customer Satisfaction, and Profit: Theory and Evidence

This paper studies the effect of aggregate information technology (IT) investments on customer satisfaction and profits at the firm level. Using data on 109 U.S. firms for the 1994–1996 and 1999–2006 periods, we find that aggregate IT investments have a positive association with customer satisfaction. However, the strength of the relationship varied across the 1994–1996 and 1999–2006 periods. Specifically, IT investments had a more positive influence on customer satisfaction for the 1994–1996 period than for the 1999–2006 period. Conversely, IT investments had a positive effect on profits in the 1999–2006 period, but a negative effect in the 1994–1996 period. These findings extend prior discourse in the information systems literature on the role of customer satisfaction as a mechanism that explains how IT-enabled benefits are “passed on to consumers” [Rai A, Patnayakuni R, Patnayakuni N (1997) Technology investment and business performance. Comm. ACM 40(7):90]. Our additional exploratory analyses showing .
On lossless universal compression of distributed identical sources

Slepian-Wolf theorem is a well-known framework that targets almost lossless compression of (two) data streams with symbol-by-symbol correlation between the outputs of (two) distributed sources. However, this paper considers a different scenario which does not fit in the Slepian-Wolf framework. We consider two identical but spatially separated sources. We wish to study the universal compression of a sequence of length n from one of the sources provided that the decoder has access to (i.e., memorized) a sequence of length m from the other source. Such a scenario occurs, for example, in the universal compression of data from multiple mirrors of the same server. In this setup, the correlation does not arise from symbol-by-symbol dependency of two outputs from the two sources. Instead, the sequences are correlated through the information that they contain about the unknown source parameter. We show that the finite-length nature of the compression problem at hand requires considering a notion of almost lossless source coding, where coding incurs an error probability pe(n) that vanishes with sequence length n. We obtain a lower bound on the average minimax redundancy of almost lossless codes as a function of the sequence length n and the permissible error probability pe when the decoder has a memory of length m and the encoders do not communicate. Our results demonstrate that a strict performance loss is incurred when the two encoders do not communicate even when the decoder knows the unknown parameter vector (i.e., m → ∞).
Intersubject Variability of and Genetic Effects on the Brain's Functional Connectivity during Infancy

Infancy is a period featuring a high level of intersubject variability but the brain basis for such variability and the potential genetic/environmental contributions remain largely unexplored. The assessment of the brain's functional connectivity during infancy by the resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) technique (Biswal et al., 1995) provides a unique means to probe the brain basis of intersubject variability during infancy. In this study, an unusually large typically developing human infant sample including 58 singletons, 132 dizygotic twins, and 98 monozygotic twins with rsfMRI scans during the first 2 years of life was recruited to delineate the spatial and temporal developmental patterns of both the intersubject variability of and genetic effects on the brain's functional connectivity. Through systematic voxelwise functional connectivity analyses, our results revealed that the intersubject variability at birth features lower variability in primary functional areas but higher values in association areas. Although the relative pattern remains largely consistent, the magnitude of intersubject variability undergoes an interesting U-shaped growth during the first 2 years of life. Overall, the intersubject variability patterns during infancy show both adult-like and infant-specific characteristics (Mueller et al., 2013). On the other hand, age-dependent genetic effects were observed showing significant but bidirectional relationships with intersubject variability. The temporal and spatial patterns of the intersubject variability of and genetic contributions to the brain's functional connectivity documented in this study shed light on the largely uncharted functional development of the brain during infancy.
Feeding and watering behavior of healthy and morbid steers in a commercial feedlot.

Our objective was to determine whether there were differences in feeding and watering behavior of newly received healthy and morbid feedlot steers. Two separate 32-d feeding trials were conducted in Wellton, Arizona, in July and November 1996. Radio frequency technology was used to record individual animal behaviors from 108 (average weight 139 kg) and 143 (average weight 160 kg) steers in each respective trial. Steers that were subsequently identified as morbid were present at the feed bunk in greater percentages than reported in previous studies. In Trial 1, healthy steers spent more (P < .001) time at the feed bunk and had more (P < .009) feeding bouts than morbid steers. In Trial 2, healthy steers did not spend more time at the feed bunk, but they had more (P < .02) daily feeding bouts than morbid steers. There were no differences in daily time spent at the water trough by healthy or morbid steers in either trial. The greatest proportion of feeding and watering behavior occurred during the daylight hours in response to feed delivery. The pattern of time spent at the feed bunk throughout the 32-d feeding period was similar for healthy and subsequently morbid steers, but healthy steers had more feeding bouts per day.