Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Language Endangerment: Issues of Igbo Proverbs

In the past two decades or so, much attention has been drawn to the issue of language endangerment, especially African languages. Most of these researches have tried to ascertain the endangerment status of various languages in whole by considering mostly the number of speakers. This paper however takes a different approach on this subject of language endangerment. Rather than looking at the language as a whole, this paper examines the gradual loss of an important aspect of the Igbo language; proverbs. The central claim of this paper is that language endangerment is gradual. It starts with the loss of some vital aspects of the language thereby losing its communicative relevance in certain domain. If this trend continues, and more domains lose their communicative relevance, if unchecked, might lead to an eventual total loss of the language. By observing the language use of two different age groups (Elder and Youth groups), this paper was able to highlight a generational gap in the use and interpretation of proverbs by the younger generation.The particular Igbo community that this study is based on is the Ogwashi-uku community in Delta state. Data were gathered from communal meetings of two separate groups; made up of the youths and the elders. Using the linguistic vitality and endangerment (LVE) framework, this paper examines the competence level in the use of proverbs between the older generation of Igbo speakers and the younger generation. Findings show that most youth speakers lack competence in the use and interpretation of proverbs.
Stratifications of Newton polygon strata and Traverso's conjectures for p-divisible groups

The isomorphism number (resp. isogeny cutoff) of a p -divisible group D over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p is the least positive integer m such that D[p m ] determines D up to isomorphism (resp. up to isogeny). We show that these invariants are lower semicontinuous in families of p -divisible groups of constant Newton polygon. Thus they allow refinements of Newton polygon strata. In each isogeny class of p -divisible groups, we determine the maximal value of isogeny cutoffs and give an upper bound for isomorphism numbers, which is shown to be optimal in the isoclinic case. In particular, the latter disproves a conjecture of Traverso. As an application, we answer a question of Zink on the liftability of an endomorphism of D[p m ] to D .
Persistence of mild, early inflammatory arthritis: the importance of disease duration, rheumatoid factor, and the shared epitope.

OBJECTIVE To determine the factors that predict clinical outcome at 6 months for patients with mild, early inflammatory arthritis. METHODS Sixty-three patients with mild, untreated, early arthritis were given a single dose of corticosteroids at presentation. Administration was intramuscular if disease was polyarticular (n = 53) or intraarticular if patients had <5 synovitic joints (n = 10). The primary outcome measure was clinical disease remission or persistence of arthritis at 6 months following injection. RESULTS At 6 months following injection, 49 of the 63 patients (78%) had persistent inflammatory joint disease. The other 14 (22%) had clinical disease remission. Regression analysis showed that only disease duration was significantly associated with persistent arthritis (P < 0.05). The other significant factor (by chi-square test) was the presence of the shared epitope (SE). Of the patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria at presentation (51% of the total), 53% with disease duration of < or = 12 weeks at presentation had persistent disease 6 months later, compared with 94% of those who presented with disease duration of >12 weeks. CONCLUSION The strongest predictor of persistent disease was a disease duration of >12 weeks. Rheumatoid factor and SE were also predictors to a lesser extent. Patients who both fulfilled the ACR classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and had a short disease duration included some with an excellent prognosis. Therefore, 12 weeks may be a more appropriate disease duration to use for the RA classification criteria. Administering a bolus of corticosteroids may be a useful diagnostic/therapeutic approach.
New technologies for nanobiosensing and their applications to real-time monitoring

Amperometric biosensors are complex systems and they require a combination of technologies for their development. The aim of the present work is to exploit existing technologies for new purposes in order to develop nanostructured biosensors for the real-time detection of multiple metabolites in cell culture flasks. The fabrication of five Au working electrodes onto silicon substrate is achieved with CMOS compatible microtechnology. Each working electrode presents an area of 0.25 mm2, so structuration with carbon nanotubes and specific functionalization are carried out by using spotting technology, originally developed for microarrays and DNA printing. The electrodes are characterized by cyclic voltammetry and compared with commercially available screen-printed electrodes. Finally, they are functionalized with different enzymes and calibrated for real-time detection of glutamate, glucose and lactate under flow conditions. The developed biosensor for real-time and online detection of multiple metabolites shows very promising results towards its application in cell culture monitoring.
Contingent self-esteem and vulnerability to depression: academic contingent self-esteem predicts depressive symptoms in students

Low self-esteem has been established as a vulnerability factor for depression. In line with recent research, we suggest that a full understanding of the role of self-esteem in depression requires consideration of contingent self-esteem as well. For most people, competence is an important source of self-esteem. Students in particular link their self-esteem to academic competence. To test the hypothesis that academic contingent self-esteem (aCSE) predicts depressive symptoms (DS), two studies were conducted. Preceding the investigation of our hypothesis, the first purpose of Study 1 was to describe the development of aCSE, self-esteem (SE) level, and DS in adolescence in a sample of German students aged 10–16 (N = 1888) in order to provide a foundation for further analyses. Then, to address the main question, age and gender differences in aCSE, SE level, and DS as well as their relations were investigated. The results show that (1) gender differences emerged after the age of 10/11. Girls scored higher on aCSE and DS and lower on SE level than did boys, and aCSE and DS decreased and SE level increased over time in boys, while the rather disadvantageous pattern in girls remained stable. (2) After controlling for SE level and aCSE, the effects of gender and age × gender interaction on DS disappeared, suggesting an influence of aCSE on DS. (3) aCSE predicted DS over and above SE level. Since the results of Study 1 did not allow for causal conclusions, a longitudinal study (N = 160) was conducted to further investigate the causal role of aCSE. According to the diathesis-stress model, aCSE was expected to serve as a diathesis for developing DS in the face of academic stress (daily hassles) during an academic semester at university. The results of Study 2 revealed that aCSE interacted with corresponding hassles to predict increases in DS. High levels of academic stress led to increases in DS only among students who strongly based their SE on academic competence. Implications for prevention and intervention of depression are discussed.
Gaining customer knowledge in low cost airlines through text mining

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the consumer opinion towards the low-cost airlines or low-cost carriers (LCCs) (these two terms are used interchangeably) industry in Malaysia to better understand consumers’ needs and to provide better services. Sentiment analysis is undertaken in revealing current customers’ satisfaction level towards low-cost airlines. Design/methodology/approach – About 10,895 tweets (data collected for two and a half months) are analysed. Text mining techniques are used during data pre-processing and a mixture of statistical techniques are used to segment the customers’ opinion. Findings – The results with two different sentiment algorithms show that there is more positive than negative polarity across the different algorithms. Clustering results show that both K-Means and spherical K-Means algorithms delivered similar results and the four main topics that are discussed by the consumers on Twitter are customer service, LCCs tickets promotions, flight cancellations and d.
Apoptosis-associated Speck-like Protein (ASC) Controls Legionella pneumophila Infection in Human Monocytes*

The ability of Legionella pneumophila to cause pneumonia is determined by its capability to evade the immune system and grow within human monocytes and their derived macrophages. Human monocytes efficiently activate caspase-1 in response to Salmonella but not to L. pneumophila. The molecular mechanism for the lack of inflammasome activation during L. pneumophila infection is unknown. Evaluation of the expression of several inflammasome components in human monocytes during L. pneumophila infection revealed that the expression of the apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) and the NOD-like receptor NLRC4 are significantly down-regulated in human monocytes. Exogenous expression of ASC maintained the protein level constant during L. pneumophila infection and conveyed caspase-1 activation and restricted the growth of the pathogen. Further depletion of ASC with siRNA was accompanied with improved NF-κB activation and enhanced L. pneumophila growth. Therefore, our data demonstrate that L. pneumophila manipulates ASC levels to evade inflammasome activation and grow in human monocytes. By targeting ASC, L. pneumophila modulates the inflammasome, the apoptosome, and NF-κB pathway simultaneously.
Deleuze and Guattari: A Psychoanalytic Itinerary

Preface 1. Nietzsche: By Way of an Introduction 2. Winnicott: The Psychoanalytic Family 3. Anti-Oedipus: Reading, Listening, Analysing 4. Process Notes: Productions and Syntheses 5. Sophocles: Under the Sign of Nemesis 6. Cixous: The Unseen Seen 7. Desirand: The Transitional Subject Bibliography.
Experimental induction and three-dimensional two-photon imaging of conjunctiva-associated lymphoid tissue.

PURPOSE Conjunctiva-associated lymphoid tissue (CALT) is assumed to be a key location for the generation of adaptive immune mechanisms of the ocular surface, but functional studies of CALT are still lacking. The purpose of this study was to establish an animal model that enables functional analysis of immune mechanisms going on within CALT. In addition, the use of two-photon microscopy, a new optical method, was evaluated for examining complex immunologic interactions of CALT by volume (three-dimensional [3-D]) and time-dependence (four-dimensional [4-D]) in vivo. METHODS The conjunctiva of female BALB/c mice was repeatedly challenged with topical Chlamydia trachomatis serovar C or a solution of ovalbumin and cholera toxin B. Two-photon microscopy was conducted on explanted, unfixed, and unstained eyes with adjacent nictitating membranes. RESULTS After three to five stimulations, CALT was detected exclusively in the nictitating membrane of 73% (C. trachomatis) or 70% (ovalbumin/ cholera toxin) of the animals. CALT mainly consisted of CD45R/B220+ B cells and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Electron microscopy showed intraepithelial lymphocytes and follicles consisting of lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and macrophages. Two-photon microscopy based on tissue autofluorescence allowed all components of CALT to be detected three dimensionally. High-resolution images were generated in tissue depths of 65 microm below the mucosal surface. CONCLUSIONS This study introduces a novel mouse model for functional investigations of CALT. Topical stimulation with C. trachomatis or ovalbumin/cholera toxin B reliably leads to CALT generation at the nictitating membrane. The use of two-photon microscopy enables groundbreaking 3-D and, in the future, intravital 4-D investigations of immunologic processes initiated in CALT.
Movers, Shakers, and Those Who Stand Still: Visual Atten-Tion-Grabbing Techniques in Robot Teleoperation

We designed and evaluated a series of teleoperation interface techniques that aim to draw operator attention while mitigating negative effects of interruption. Monitoring live teleoperation video feeds, for example to search for survivors in search and rescue, can be cognitively taxing, particularly for operators driving multiple robots or monitoring multiple cameras. To reduce workload, emerging computer vision techniques can automatically identify and indicate (cue) salient points of potential interest for the operator. However, it is not clear how to cue such points to a preoccupied operator - whether cues would be distracting and a hindrance to operators-and how the design of the cue may impact operator cognitive load, attention drawn, and primary task performance. In this paper, we detail our iterative design process for creating a range of visual attention-grabbing cues that are grounded in psychological literature on human attention, and two formal evaluations that measure attention-grabbing capability and impact on operator performance. Our results show that visually cueing on-screen points of interest does not distract operators, that operators perform poorly without the cues, and detail how particular cue design parameters impact operator cognitive load and task performance. Specifically, full-screen cues can lower cognitive load, but can increase response time; animated cues may improve accuracy, but increase cognitive load. Finally, from this design process we provide tested, and theoretically grounded cues for attention drawing in teleoperation.
Optimal control of switching time in switched stochastic systems with multi-switching times and different costs

ABSTRACT In this paper, we solve an optimal control problem for a class of time-invariant switched stochastic systems with multi-switching times, where the objective is to minimise a cost functional with different costs defined on the states. In particular, we focus on problems in which a pre-specified sequence of active subsystems is given and the switching times are the only control variables. Based on the calculus of variation, we derive the gradient of the cost functional with respect to the switching times on an especially simple form, which can be directly used in gradient descent algorithms to locate the optimal switching instants. Finally, a numerical example is given, highlighting the validity of the proposed methodology.
Sulindac Prevents Esophageal Adenocarcinomas Induced by Gastroduodenal Reflux in Rats

Purpose It is known that cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression is increased in Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinomas. We studied COX-2 expression and the effect sulindac has on the genesis of Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma in rats undergoing esophagogastroduodenal anastomosis (EGDA). Materials and Methods Fifty-one rats were divided into a control group (n = 27), a 500 ppm sulindac-treated group (n = 15) and 1000 ppm sulindac-treated group (n = 9). Randomly selected rats were killed by diethyl ether inhalation at 20 and 40 weeks after surgery. Results At 40 weeks, rats treated with 1000 ppm sulindac showed narrower esophageal diameter and milder inflammation than the control rats. At 40 weeks, the incidence of Barrett's esophagus was similar between control and sulindac-treated groups, but the incidence of adenocarcinoma was significantly lower in the 1000 ppm sulindac-treated group than either the control or 500 ppm sulindac-treated groups. COX-2 was significantly increased in the lower esophagus of control rats killed at 40 weeks. Cyclin D1 expression was negligible in the sulindac-treated group compared with the control group. Conclusion We suggest that the chemopreventive effect of sulindac is related to decreased COX-2 and cyclin D1 expression, which may be influenced by reduced inflammation.
An optimal planning of falling motions of a humanoid robot

This paper studies an optimal planning of falling motions of a human-sized humanoid robot to reduce the damage of the robot. We developed a human-sized robot HRP-2FX which has a simplified humanoid robot shape with seven d.o. f. and can emulate motions in the sagittal plane of a humanoid robot. An optimal control is applied to generate the falling motion of HRP-2FX to minimize a performance index, and the optimality has been verified by the experiments on HRP-2FX.
Reported Early Separation Anxiety Symptoms in Patients with Panic and Generalised Anxiety Disorders

Attachment theory has proposed that early separation anxiety is a risk factor for adult anxiety disorder, with the recent focus being particularly on panic disorder. The results of empirical studies examining this link are, however, contradictory, possibly because of inconsistencies across studies in measuring memories of early separation anxiety. In the present study, a psychometrically sound measure, the Separation Anxiety Symptom Inventory (SASI) was used to compare memories of such early symptoms in panic disorder (including those with mild phobic-avoidance), generalised anxiety disorder and control subjects. Anxiety patients as a group returned higher SASI scores (p<0.001) with a non-significant trend for panic disorder patients to score higher than those with generalised anxiety. These results suggest that early separation anxiety may be a harbinger of adult anxiety and that risk of panic disorder may be higher in the most severely affected youngsters. As a risk factor, early separation anxiety does not however appear to be uniquely related to adult panic disorder.
Treatment of emphysema using bronchoscopic lung volume reduction coil technology: an update on efficacy and safety

In the last decade several promising bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) treatments were developed and investigated. One of these treatments is BLVR treatment with coils. The advantage of this specific treatment is that it works independently of collateral flow, and also shows promise for patients with a more homogeneous emphysema disease distribution. Seven years ago, the very first patients were treated with BLVR coil treatment and currently large randomized, controlled trials are underway. The aim of this article is to review the available literature and provide an update on the current knowledge on the efficacy and safety of BLVR treatment with coils.
Identification of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I 21-base-pair repeat-specific and glial cell-specific DNA-protein complexes

The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-encoded protein, Tax, is capable of trans-activating HTLV-I transcription by interacting with specific sequences in the HTLV-I long terminal repeat (LTR) which comprise an inducible enhancer containing three imperfect tandem repeats of a 21-bp sequence. There is no evidence that purified Tax can bind to DNA in the absence of cellular factors, suggesting that Tax most likely regulates transcription via interaction with cellular factors. Since HTLV-I is a documented agent of adult T-cell leukemia and tropical spastic paraparesis, disorders of the immune and nervous systems, respectively, characterization of cellular factors of lymphoid and neuroglial origin which interact with the 21-bp repeat elements is essential to understanding of the mechanisms involved in basal and Tax-mediated transcription in cells of immune and nervous system origin. Utilizing electrophoretic mobility shift (EMS) analyses, we have detected both 21-bp repeat-specific and glial cell-specific DNA-protein complexes. Several 21-bp repeat-specific DNA-protein complexes were detected when nuclear extracts derived from cells of lymphoid (Jurkat, SupT1, and H9), neuronal (IMR-32 and SK-N-MC), and glial (U-373 MG, Hs683, and U-118) origin were used in reactions with each of the three 21-bp repeat elements. In addition, a glial cell-specific DNA-protein complex was detected when nuclear extracts derived from U-373 MG, Hs683, and U-118 glial cell lines reacted with the promoter-distal and central 21-bp repeat elements. Furthermore, EMS analyses performed with nuclear extracts derived from lymphocytic and glial cell origin and a 223-bp fragment of the HTLV-I long terminal repeat encompassing the three 21-bp repeat elements (designated Tax-responsive elements 1 and 2, TRE-1/-2) have also resulted in the detection of glial cell type-specific DNA-protein complexes. Competition EMS analyses with oligonucleotides containing transcription factor binding site sequences indicate the involvement of a cyclic AMP response element binding protein in the formation of DNA-protein complexes which form with all three 21-bp repeat elements and the glial cell-specific DNA-protein complex as well as the involvement of Sp1 or an Sp1-related factor in the formation of the 21-bp repeat III-specific DNA-protein complexes.
Antibiotic resistance rates in causative agents of infections in diabetic patients: rising concerns

The vicious cycle is that hyperglycemia (≥11.1 mmol/l) or other diabetes-associated factors facilitate or worsen the development of infections and vice versa, the infections deteriorate the glycemic control of the patients. Diabetic patients are prone to some infections, infection recurrences and poor outcomes. Immunocompromised state and frequent antibiotic use are associated with antibiotic resistance of the bacterial pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (in some studies), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, bacteria in diabetic foot infections and different opportunistic and rare pathogens or multidrug-resistant strains. Prompt diagnostics and susceptibility testing, early and aggressive surgical and/or antibiotic therapy, and, importantly, good glycemic control are of utmost importance for treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections in diabetic patients.
A laboratory guide for generating DNA barcodes in grasses: a case study of Leptochloa s.l. (Poaceae: Chloridoideae)

There is no easy way to identify to species, a small, vegetative leaf or culm sample of a grass and there are more than 12,000 species in this large, important family. The long-range aim of our study is to produce a standard DNA barcode library available to the public for all grasses (±1960 species) in North America (includes all Canada, Mexico and USA) that will facilitate the easy identification of these morphologically cryptic species. We provide a detailed protocol of the laboratory procedures for DNA extraction in grasses and the DNA-specific primers used for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enabling the laboratory work to be performed in any well-supplied molecular laboratory. In this paper we present a test of four barcodes [matK, rbcL, rpl32-trnL and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)] to discriminate among 50 taxa of grasses (55 samples), predominately in the subfamily Chloridoideae, and we used a tree-based method to identify relationships among species of Leptochloa sensu lato. The sequence divergence or discriminatory power based on uncorrected p-value, among the four DNA sequence markers was greatest in ITS (96%), followed by rpl32-trnL (25.6%), matK (3.0%) and rbcL (0.0%). matK was twice as effective in discriminating among the species compared with rbcL; rpl32-trnL was nearly 3.4 times better than rbcL; and nuclear rDNA ITS was 14 times better than rbcL. There are significant threshold levels of 0.0682 for ITS and 0.0732 for ITS + rpl32-trnL between intrageneric and intergeneric sequence divergences within the 16 species of Dinebra and between Dinebra and Diplachne, Disakisperma and Leptochloa sensu stricto. In our tree-based analyses of Leptochloa s.l. the following number of nodes with strong support (PP = 0.95−1.00) were successfully recovered (in descending order): combined ITS + rpl32-trnL, 43; ITS, 34; rp32-trnL, 27; matK, 19; and rbcL, 3.