Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-Esteem , Locus of Control and Academic Achievement among Adolescents

There is a large body of empirical research on self -esteem, locus of control and academic achievement and how these factors affect a student’s academic achieveme nt. Study is based on the idea that self-esteem and locus control very likely to affect the academic achievement of adoles cents. The aim of the present study was to study th e role of self-esteem and locus of control on academic achievement of ado lescents. Considering this view the data was collec ted from 120 adolescents from both the sexes. Self-esteem scale and locus of control scale were used to measure aca demic achievement. 2X2 ANOVA was used for statistical analysis of data . It was found that self-esteem and locus of contro l both have significant effect on the academic achievement of a d lescents. Key WordsSelf-Esteem, Locus of Control, Academic Achievement , Adolescents
Habermas and the public sphere

The relationship between civil society and public life is in the forefront of contemporary discussion. No single scholarly voice informs this discussion more than that of Jurgen Habermas. His contributions have shaped the nature of debates over critical theory, feminism, cultural studies, and democratic politics. In this book, scholars from a wide range of disciplines respond to Habermas's most directly relevant work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. From political theory to cultural criticism, from ethics to gender studies, from history to media studies, these essays challenge, refine, and extend our understanding of the social foundations and changing character of democracy and public discourse.
Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Child Psychosocial Development at 6 Years of Age

BACKGROUND: Both obesity and developmental disabilities have increased in recent decades. Limited studies suggest associations between maternal prepregnancy obesity and child neurodevelopment. METHODS: The Infant Feeding Practices Study II, a US nationally distributed longitudinal study of maternal health and infant health and feeding practices, was conducted from 2005 to 2007. In 2012, mothers were recontacted for information on their children’s health and development. We examined associations between maternal prepregnancy BMI and child psychosocial development in 1311 mother–child pairs included in this follow-up study. Children’s development was assessed by maternal report of child psychosocial difficulties from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, past developmental diagnoses, and receipt of special needs services. RESULTS: Adjusting for sociodemographic factors, children of obese class II/III mothers (BMI >35.0) had increased odds of emotional symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27–3.98), peer problems (aOR 2.07; 95% CI, 1.26–3.40), total psychosocial difficulties (aOR 2.17; 95% CI, 1.24–3.77), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis (aOR 4.55; 95% CI, 1.80–11.46), autism or developmental delay diagnosis (aOR 3.13; 95% CI, 1.10–8.94), receipt of speech language therapy (aOR 1.93; 95% CI, 1.18–3.15), receipt of psychological services (aOR 2.27; 95% CI, 1.09–4.73), and receipt of any special needs service (aOR 1.99; 95% CI, 1.33–2.97) compared with children of normal weight mothers (BMI 18.5–24.9). Adjustment for potential causal pathway factors including pregnancy weight gain, gestational diabetes, breastfeeding duration, postpartum depression, and child’s birth weight did not substantially affect most estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Children whose mothers were severely obese before pregnancy had increased risk for adverse developmental outcomes.
Genetic Analysis of Ecdysis Behavior in Drosophila Reveals Partially Overlapping Functions of Two Unrelated Neuropeptides

Ecdysis behavior allows insects to shed their old exoskeleton at the end of every molt. It is controlled by a suite of interacting hormones and neuropeptides, and has served as a useful behavior for understanding how bioactive peptides regulate CNS function. Previous findings suggest that crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) activates the ecdysis motor program; the hormone bursicon is believed to then act downstream of CCAP to inflate, pigment, and harden the exoskeleton of the next stage. However, the exact roles of these signaling molecules in regulating ecdysis remain unclear. Here we use a genetic approach to investigate the functions of CCAP and bursicon in Drosophila ecdysis. We show that null mutants in CCAP express no apparent defects in ecdysis and postecdysis, producing normal adults. By contrast, a substantial fraction of flies genetically null for one of the two subunits of bursicon [encoded by the partner of bursicon gene (pburs)] show severe defects in ecdysis, with escaper adults exhibiting the expected failures in wing expansion and exoskeleton pigmentation and hardening. Furthermore, flies lacking both CCAP and bursicon show much more severe defects at ecdysis than do animals null for either neuropeptide alone. Our results show that the functions thought to be subserved by CCAP are partially effected by bursicon, and that bursicon plays an important and heretofore undescribed role in ecdysis behavior itself. These findings have important implications for understanding the regulation of this vital insect behavior and the mechanisms by which hormones and neuropeptides control the physiology and behavior of animals.
Characterization of two mutations in the SPTLC1 subunit of serine palmitoyltransferase associated with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type I

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type I (HSAN‐I) is an axonal peripheral neuropathy leading to progressive distal sensory loss and severe ulcerations. Mutations in SPTLC1 and SPTLC2, encoding the two subunits of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), the enzyme catalyzing the first and rate‐limiting step in the de novo synthesis of sphingolipids, have been reported to cause HSAN‐I. Here, we demonstrate that the SPTLC1 mutations p.S331F and p.A352V result in a reduction of SPT activity in vitro and are associated with increased levels of the deoxysphingoid bases 1‐deoxy‐sphinganine and 1‐deoxymethyl‐sphinganine in patients' plasma samples. Stably expressing p.S331F‐SPTLC1 HEK293T cell lines likewise show accumulation of deoxysphingoid bases, but this accumulation is not observed in HEK293T cells overexpressing p.A352V‐SPTLC1. These results confirm that the increased formation of deoxysphingoid bases is a key feature for HSAN‐I as it is associated with all pathogenic SPTLC1 and SPTLC2 mutations reported so far, but also warrant for caution in the interpretation of in vitro data. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The growth of brown trout (Salmo trutta Linn.); the growth of two-year-old trout at a constant temperature of 11.5 degrees C.

1. Two-year-old trout were grown in environments where the following factors were controlled: temperature, amount and intensity of illumination, rate of flow, composition and aeration of the water, quality and quantity of food and amount of living space. 2. The specific growth rate of an individual depended on its size relative to that of the others in the group. It is suggested that subgroups of four or five individuals existed within the size hierarchy and were reorganized at intervals of about 3 months. 3. There was an optimum degree of crowding for rapid growth, and overcrowding led to lower appetite and efficiency of utilization of food, while under-crowded trout ate and grew erratically. 4. In spite of constant environmental conditions, all the fish had an annual growth-rate cycle, with an autumn check, a spring maximum, rapid summer growth and another autumn check, which coincided with maturation of the gonads when they became 3 years old. 5. Individual specific growth rates fluctuated over periods of 4-6 weeks, and rapid growth in length alternated with rapid growth in weight. The specific rate of growth in length was directly proportional to the condition factor. The amount of food eaten, the efficiency of utilization of food and the specific rate of growth in weight varied with the condition factor and were maximal for a factor of about 1·10. 6. The growth-rate fluctuations were exaggerated and the efficiency was greater when the food supply was restricted. At the maintenance level the change in weight was directly proportional to the amount of food eaten. The maintenance requirement decreased, relatively, with increase in body weight. 7. The mean specific growth rate was higher with less than 12 hr. per diem of the standard illumination.
Gender Differences in Attitudes toward IT among IT Majors

The decline in number of students choosing to pursue careers in computing requires a research focus on students’ attitudes toward the subject-matter. The focus on reducing gender disparity across all computing-related fields takes on greater urgency as the nation cannot afford to ignore the potential contributions of half of its population. For the purposes of this article, all computing-related science, technology, and business programs are being referred to by a common title ‒ Information Technology (IT). The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes toward IT among undergraduate IT majors, using an existing scale that comprises of five factors. In particular, the intention was to seek deeper insights into attitudes of IT majors toward female participation in IT and explore the differences by gender and class standing. The population consisted of IT-related majors at a large public institution. An analysis of data revealed crucial differences by gender and class standing for key factors that contribute to the overall attitude toward IT.
Why Do Schwann Cells Survive in the Absence of Axons?

Schwann cell precursors in embryonic nerves rely for survival on signals from the axons they associate with. A major component of this signal is β neuregulin. While it can be argued that such paracrine axonal regulation makes biological sense in embryonic nerves, such an arrangement would be problematic postnatally, since nerve damage would then lead to Schwann cell death with adverse consequences for regeneration; in fact, transection of older nerves is not accompanied by a detectable increase in Schwann cell death. Our evidence indicates that this is, at least in part, due to the ability of Schwann cells to support their own survival by autocrine circuits. These circuits are not present in Schwann cell precursors. We have identified insulin‐like growth factor, neurotrophin‐3 and platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB as components of the autocrine Schwann cell survival signal.
Diagnosis-specific CBT as a stepping stone to transdiagnostic CBT in a complex case

Abstract Comorbid anxiety and mood disorders are common but the majority of treatments tend to focus on a particular diagnosis. Previous research has found that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) targeted at a specific diagnosis can lead to improvements in comorbidities, especially in the case of CBT for panic. However, there is an emerging evidence base that transdiagnostic CBT, which addresses common underlying processes across presenting problems, may be effective at treating comorbidities simultaneously. Given the simple nature of the cognitive formulation of panic it is arguable that a panic-specific CBT intervention could help socialize patients to CBT before progressing to a transdiagnostic approach. This paper uses a single-case experimental design to illustrate an example of using diagnosis-specific CBT as a springboard to transdiagnostic CBT with a patient presenting with panic and agoraphobia, social anxiety, depression, uncontrollable worry, suicidality, self-harming behaviours and a history of bulimia. Results suggest that this was a well-received and effective intervention. Clinical implications are discussed as well as limitations and directions for future research
THE COMPARISON OF REACTION TIMES OF KARATE ATHLETES ACCORDING TO AGE, GENDER AND STATUS

Aim. Reaction time is the elapsed time between a stimulus and the first corresponding response. The purpose of this study was to compare reaction times of karate athletes according to the age categories, gender and status (competing on national or international level). Method. The groups of children (age: 10-12, n:73), cadets (age: 13-15, n: 77), juniors (age16-17, n: 34) and seniors (age 18 and over, n:43) were chosen from 3nd International Sakarya Karate Tournament. A total of 227 athletes were participated voluntarily. They were performed simple, choice and auditory reaction time tests. 1 trial and afterward 4 measurements were taken for each tests from all subjects. The best value of the 4 measurements was recorded as milliseconds. All measurements were taken from dominant hand. Results. The auditory reaction time scores were found significantly higher in 10-12-year athletes (p<0.001). There was a significant difference between children and, juniors and seniors according to both simple (p<0.001) and choice reaction time (p<0.01)tests. Athletes competing on international level showed significantly shorter reaction time in auditory test (p<0.05), and choice reaction time scores were found significantly shorter in male athletes (p<0.01).
Bulk fill composites in dentistry- A review

Resin based composite is the most accepted material for the restoration of decayed tooth. To improve the composite material in physical, clinical, as well as to facilitate manipulation technique various modifications have been done in its structure. Polymerization shrinkage stress, being its major drawback which affects the core of the filling and its bonding with tooth structure. This polymerization shrinkage would lead to numerous clinical consequences such as poor marginal adaptation, resulting into microleakage, development of secondary caries and subsequent pulpal inflammation. Another drawback being reduction in degree of conversion which affects the physical properties and increases the monomer proportion, which could lead to post operative sensitivity and early failure of composite filling. Bulk fill composite is recently introduced as an advancement in resin based restoration which claims to overcome the drawback of conventional composite. Therefore the review of this literature could be a helpful for dentists to use these new promising restorative materials with long term clinical outcome.
The Shank3 Interaction Partner ProSAPiP1 Regulates Postsynaptic SPAR Levels and the Maturation of Dendritic Spines in Hippocampal Neurons

The postsynaptic density or PSD is a submembranous compartment containing a wide array of proteins that contribute to both morphology and function of excitatory glutamatergic synapses. In this study, we have analyzed functional aspects of the Fezzin ProSAP-interacting protein 1 (ProSAPiP1), an interaction partner of the well-known PSD proteins Shank3 and SPAR. Using lentiviral-mediated overexpression and knockdown of ProSAPiP1, we found that this protein is dispensable for the formation of both pre- and postsynaptic specializations per se. We further show that ProSAPiP1 regulates SPAR levels at the PSD and the maturation of dendritic spines. In line with previous findings on the ProSAPiP1 homolog PSD-Zip70, we conclude that Fezzins essentially contribute to the maturation of excitatory spine synapses.
Preschoolers’ Incidental Learning of Novel Words During Storybook Reading

This investigation examined the ability of 44 preschool children to acquire novel words embedded in storybook contexts. Previous investigations of word learning have typically consisted of novel words for which synonyms exist. It is argued that the acquisition of unfamiliar words that refer to existing concepts that already have labels is not necessarily the same process as the acquisition of legitimately new words for novel referents. Storybook conditions were designed to provide equivalent opportunity for exposure to the target words in two different contexts. All target words consisted of single-syllable, high phonotactic probability sound sequences. This investigation was designed for several purposes: 1) to examine children’s receptive identification of novel words following brief exposure (fast mapping); 2) to identify possible differences in acquisition of nouns and verbs; and 3) to determine if the rate of acquisition of novel words significantly differs by the context of presentation. All children identified novel words following exposure through book reading, preferring nouns over verbs. Participants in one version of the story acquired a significantly greater total number of words. Verb learning did not differ significantly between the storybook conditions.
Emotion-Based Framework for Multi-Agent Coordination and Individual Performance in a Goal-Directed Environment

Through the use of a multi-agent system composed of emotionally enhanced sets of agents, we investigate how emotion plays a role in inter-agent communication, cooperation, goal achievement and perception. The behaviors of each agent are derived from its perception of the environment, its goals, knowledge gained from other agents and based on its own current emotional state, which is predicated on fuzzy sets. The state of each interacting agent is determined by its level of frustration combined with its interaction with other agents. The set of actions an agent may perform including that of its own ability to sense and understand the environment is limited by its current level of emotional context. In this work we focus on the analysis of the interaction of agents and review the grouping effect that arises from the inter-agent communications combined with the intra-agent emotional status as they perform the task required by the environment. The environment is based on previous work performed on navigational map learning by context chaining and abstraction.
Induction of intracellular signalling in human endothelial cells by the hyaluronan-binding protease involves two distinct pathways

Abstract Recently a novel plasma serine protease with high affinity to hyaluronic acid and glycosaminoglycans, such as heparin and heparan sulfate, has been described and termed hyaluronan-binding protease (HABP). HABP cleaves kininogen in vitro, releasing the vasoactive peptide bradykinin, and activates plasminogen activators, suggesting a vascular cell-directed physiological function of this novel plasma protease. Here we show that HABP stimulates human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by activating two distinct cell-surface receptors. On the one hand, HABP releases bradykinin from cell surface-bound or soluble kininogen and triggers a bradykinin B2-receptor-dependent mobilisation of intracellular Ca2+. On the other hand, HABP activates the p44/42-dependent MAPK (ERK1/2) signalling cascade independent of the B2-receptor, but involving the fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 and basic fibroblast growth factor. This signalling pathway leads to phosphorylation of the kinases Raf, MEK1/2 and ERK1/2. The extracellular activity of HABP also affects the gene expression level through phosphorylation of two transcription factors, the cAMP-responsive element binding protein CREB and the proto-oncogene c-Myc. Our results indicate a proangiogenic potential of HABP, which, in combination with a profibrinolytic activity, directs the physiological function of this plasma protease to processes in which clot lysis, cell motility and neovascularisation are pivotal processes, e.g., in wound healing, tissue repair and tumour progession.
Statistical analysis of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and sea-floor seismicity in the eastern tropical Pacific

We present statistical evidence for a temporal link between variations in the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the occurrence of earthquakes on the East Pacific Rise (EPR). We adopt a zero-inflated Poisson regression model to represent the relationship between the number of earthquakes in the Easter microplate on the EPR and ENSO (expressed using the southern oscillation index (SOI) for east Pacific sea-level pressure anomalies) from February 1973 to February 2009. We also examine the relationship between the numbers of earthquakes and sea levels, as retrieved by Topex/Poseidon from October 1992 to July 2002. We observe a significant (95% confidence level) positive influence of SOI on seismicity: positive SOI values trigger more earthquakes over the following 2 to 6 months than negative SOI values. There is a significant negative influence of absolute sea levels on seismicity (at 6 months lag). We propose that increased seismicity is associated with ENSO-driven sea-surface gradients (rising from east to west) in the equatorial Pacific, leading to a reduction in ocean-bottom pressure over the EPR by a few kilopascal. This relationship is opposite to reservoir-triggered seismicity and suggests that EPR fault activity may be triggered by plate flexure associated with the reduced pressure.
An Evaluation of the Choices and Changes Student Program: A Grade Four to Seven Sexual Health Education Program Based on the Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education

This article describes the first reported outcome evaluation of a family life/sexual health education program for elementary school students in Canada. The program called Choices and Changes was designed following concepts in the Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education (Health Canada 1994) and has been to presented to grade 4-7 students at a school in Whitehorse Yukon for the past four years (1998-2001). Parents/guardians provided input on program objectives and a parent component was added in 2000. Pooled scores for classroom evaluations of all grades in 1999-2001 showed modest increases in knowledge that remained at 3-4 month follow-up; notable increases in 3 of 5 measures of motivation and personal insight that also remained at follow-up; no change in self-assessed assertiveness skill at resisting pressure to do something they did not want to do; and slight change (but only at 3-4 month follow-up) in comfort talking with parents about puberty. The authors hope to stimulate dialogue on the appropriate outcome measures for sexual health education programs for this younger age group and to encourage further research. (authors)