Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On self-directed learning

We study several issues concerning the selfdmected model of learning [G RS93, GS94). In particular, we show that the mistake bound of the self-directed learner cannot be smaller than the mistake bound of the on-line learner [L88, L89] by more than a factor of log IX], where X is the instance space. Concept classes which exhibit such a gap are known. In fact, we prove that such a gap exists even between the mistake bound of the self-directed learner and of a learner which is allowed to choose, off-line, the order in which the elements of X will be presented to it (but not adaptively as is the case in the self-directed model); hence, showing the power of adaptiveness. We also study the relations between the VCdimension of a concept class and its self-directed complexity. We show that for certain concept classes the seIf-directed comp~exity can be arbitrarily high, while their VC-dimension remains a fixed constant. This answers an open problem of [GS94]. Moreover, we show that there are “intersection-closed” concept classes for which the self-directed complexity is 3/2 times the VC-dimension. This disproves a conjecture of [GS94]. *Computer Science Department, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel. shai@cs.technion . ac.il t Computer Science Department, Tecllnion, Haifa 32000, Israel. t Computer Science Department, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel. eyalkfdcs.teclmi on.ac.il Permission to m~ke digital/hard copies of all or port of this material without fee is granted provided that the copies are not nmde or distributed for urotit or commercial advantage, the ACM copyright/server not~ce, the title of the publication and its date app-e’ar,-and notice is given that copyright is by permission of the Association for Computing Machinery> Inc. (ACM). To copy otherwise, to republish,to post on servers or to We also prove a lower bound on the product of the number of querves made by a selfdirected algorithm and the number of mistakes it makes. This lower bound indicates that lowering the mistake bound of a self-directed algorithm results in an increase of the number of queries it has to go through.
Cellular and Pharmacogenetics Foundation of Synergistic Interaction of Pemetrexed and Gemcitabine in Human Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells

Gemcitabine and pemetrexed are effective agents in the treatment of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the present study investigates cellular and genetic aspects of their interaction against A549, Calu-1, and Calu-6 cells. Cells were treated with pemetrexed and gemcitabine, and their interaction was assessed using the combination index. The role of drug metabolism in gemcitabine cytotoxicity was examined with inhibitors of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), 5′-nucleotidase, and cytidine deaminase, whereas the role of pemetrexed targets, thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT) in drug chemosensitivity was analyzed in cytotoxicity rescue studies. The effect of gemcitabine and pemetrexed on Akt phosphorylation was investigated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to study target gene-expression profiles and its modulation by each drug. Synergistic cytotoxicity was demonstrated, and pemetrexed significantly decreased the amount of phosphorylated Akt, enhanced apoptosis, and increased the expression of dCK in A549 and Calu-6 cells, as well as the expression of the human nucleoside equilibrative transporter 1 (hENT1) in all cell lines. PCR demonstrated a correlation between dCK expression and gemcitabine sensitivity, whereas expression of TS, DHFR, and GARFT was predictive of pemetrexed chemosensitivity. These data demonstrated that 1) gemcitabine and pemetrexed synergistically interact against NSCLC cells through the suppression of Akt phosphorylation and induction of apoptosis; 2) the gene expression profile of critical genes may predict for drug chemosensitivity; and 3) pemetrexed enhances dCK and hENT1 expression, thus suggesting the role of gene-expression modulation for rational development of chemotherapy combinations.
Does renin‐angiotensin system blockade have a role in preventing diabetic retinopathy? A clinical review

Diabetes management has increasingly focused on the prevention of macrovascular disease, in particular for type 2 diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy, one of the main microvascular complications of diabetes, is also an important public health problem. Much of the care invested in retinopathy relates to treatment rather than prevention of disease. Tight glycaemic and blood pressure control helps to reduce the risk of retinopathy, but this is not easy to achieve in practice and additional treatments are needed for both primary and secondary prevention of retinopathy. A renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) has been identified in the eye and found to be upregulated in retinopathy. This has led to specific interest in the role of RAS blockade in retinopathy prevention. The recent DIRECT programme assessed use of the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) candesartan in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Although the primary trial end‐points were not met, there was a clear trend to less severe retinopathy with RAS blockade. A smaller trial, RASS, reported reduced retinopathy progression in type 1 diabetes from RAS blockade with both the ARB losartan and the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril. The clinical implications of these new data are discussed.
Human lens capsule thickness as a function of age and location along the sagittal lens perimeter.

PURPOSE To investigate the variation in the thickness of the human lens capsule along the lens perimeter, as well as its changes with age. METHODS Altogether, 26 human donor lenses, aged 12 to 103 years, were histologically processed. Sagittal sections were stained for collagen with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS). Serial images of the lens border were taken with a photomicroscope and 25x objective. Capsular thickness was measured every 250 microm along the entire lens perimeter. RESULTS All studied capsules were thicker anteriorly, continuously increasing with age from 11 to 15 microm in average at the anterior lens pole. Maximum thickness was located at the anterior midperiphery, increasing with age from 13.5 to 16 microm. In most cases, there was a local thinning at a pre-equatorial zone, recovering to approximately 7 microm at the equator. The latter value, as well as the minimal thickness at the posterior pole (mean 3.5 microm), did not change with age, whereas the average thickness at the posterior periphery decreased from 9 to 4 microm. CONCLUSIONS The human lens capsule thickness is at its maximum at the anterior midperiphery, which appears to be located central to the zonular insertion. It increases with age, especially at the anterior pole, while the midperipheral zone stabilizes or slightly decreases after the seventh decade. The anterior zonular insertion is actually related to a local pre-equatorial thinning, which remains unchanged with age. There was no posterior peripheral thickening, except in a few younger patients, with a modest relative maximum roughly at the equator. From here, the posterior capsule becomes progressively thinner and also diminishes with age, except for the thinnest, but stable posterior pole.
Mouse d-Amino-Acid Oxidase: Distribution and Physiological Substrates

d-Amino-acid oxidase (DAO) catalyzes the oxidative deamination of d-amino acids. DAO is present in a wide variety of organisms and has important roles. Here, we review the distribution and physiological substrates of mouse DAO. Mouse DAO is present in the kidney, brain, and spinal cord, like DAOs in other mammals. However, in contrast to other animals, it is not present in the mouse liver. Recently, DAO has been detected in the neutrophils, retina, and small intestine in mice. To determine the physiological substrates of mouse DAO, mutant mice lacking DAO activity are helpful. As DAO has wide substrate specificity and degrades various d-amino acids, many d-amino acids accumulate in the tissues and body fluids of the mutant mice. These amino acids are d-methionine, d-alanine, d-serine, d-leucine, d-proline, d-phenylalanine, d-tyrosine, and d-citrulline. Even in wild-type mice, administration of DAO inhibitors elevates D-serine levels in the plasma and brain. Among the above d-amino acids, the main physiological substrates of mouse DAO are d-alanine and d-serine. These two d-amino acids are most abundant in the tissues and body fluids of mice. d-Alanine derives from bacteria and produces bactericidal reactive oxygen species by the action of DAO. d-Serine is synthesized by serine racemase and is present especially in the central nervous system, where it serves as a neuromodulator. DAO is responsible for the metabolism of d-serine. Since DAO has been implicated in the etiology of neuropsychiatric diseases, mouse DAO has been used as a representative model. Recent reports, however, suggest that mouse DAO is different from human DAO with respect to important properties.
Is the N170 face specific? Controversy, context, and theory

In cognitive science, there is an ongoing debate about the architecture of the mind: does it consist of a number of mental “organs” each managing a different function in isolation, or is it more of general processor, adaptable to a wide range of tasks? One corner of this debate has centered on face processing. This is because face-perception is crucial to normal human functioning and some evidence shows that faces may be processed by the brain in a privileged way compared to other types of stimuli. For example, in EEG brain recordings, the N170 is a characteristic signal that occurs after a participant is exposed to an image of a face, but it is much less pronounced when other stimuli are shown. More than 15 years of research on the “N170 face effect” have yielded the standard view that the N170 is at the very least face-sensitive, and possibly even face-specific, that is, indexing modular processes tied exclusively to facial geometries. The specificity claim is clearly stronger, and hence subject to significant controversy; while the more conservative “sensitivity” claim had been regarded (until recently) as effectively settled. Nevertheless, Thierry and colleagues, in a contentious 2007 article, sought to undermine even this “conservative” consensus: they argued that the apparent face-responsiveness of the N170 in prior research was due to systematic flaws in experimental design. Fiery debate has followed. In this review, we put the debate in its historical and philosophical context, and try to spell out some of the theoretical and logical assumptions that underlie the claims of the competing camps. We then show that the best available evidence counts, at least partially, against the Thierry et al. construal of the N170. Accordingly, it would be premature to abandon the “conservative” account of the N170, according to which it is ‐ minimally ‐ responsive to faces. We conclude by returning to the more controversial claim about face-specificity, and try to clarify what such a view would entail from a theoretical standpoint.
Enabling the strategic development of SMEs through advanced manufacturing systems: A configurational perspective

Purpose – In order to deepen knowledge and further build theory on the use of advanced manufacturing systems (AMS) in SMEs, the present research seeks to explore the following questions: are the AMS used by SMEs aligned with their network, product and market development strategies? And does the alignment of AMS contribute to the successful outcome of these strategies, that is, to the business performance of manufacturing SMEs? Design/methodology/approach – A survey of 248 Canadian manufacturers was used to collect data that were analyzed through cluster analysis and analysis of variance.Findings – Three alignment patterns of strategic development were identified and named local SMEs, transition SMEs, and world‐class SMEs. World‐class firms were found to clearly outperform local firms in terms of growth and profitability whereas transition SMEs did not perform significantly better or worse than the other two groups.Research limitations/implications – The nature of the sample imposes care in generalizing the.
Implicit stereotyping against people with disability

Focusing on the two fundamental dimensions underlying stereotype content (warmth/competence), the major aim of the present research was to test implicit stereotyping toward persons with disability. We hypothesized that persons with disability are associated with less warmth than persons without disability and with less competence, especially when a competence-relevant context is activated (work context). Three experimental studies were conducted using two different priming paradigms: conceptual priming (Study 1) and evaluative priming (Studies 2 and 3). In Study 3, context (work vs. control) was introduced as an additional factor. Our results showed that persons with disability were systematically associated with less warmth than persons without disability, and with less competence when priming a work context. These results provide a more comprehensive understanding of discriminatory behaviors toward people with disability, despite legislation promoting equal rights.
Analysis of structure and function of the giant protein Pf332 in Plasmodium falciparum

Virulence of Plasmodium falciparum, the most lethal parasitic disease in humans, results in part from adhesiveness and increased rigidity of infected erythrocytes. Pf332 is trafficked to the parasite‐infected erythrocyte via Maurer's clefts, structures for protein sorting and export in the host erythrocyte. This protein has a domain similar to the Duffy‐binding‐like (DBL) domain, which functions by binding to receptors for adherence and invasion. To address structure of the Pf332 DBL domain, we expressed this region, and validated its fold on the basis of the disulphide bond pattern, which conformed to the generic pattern for DBL domains. The modelled structure for Pf332 DBL had differences compared with the erythrocyte‐binding region of the αDBL domain of Plasmodium knowlesi Duffy‐binding protein (Pkα‐DBL). We addressed the function of Pf332 by constructing parasites that either lack expression of the protein or express an altered form. We found no evidence that Pf332 is involved in cytoadhesion or merozoite invasion. Truncation of Pf332 had a significant effect on deformability of the P. falciparum‐infected erythrocyte, while loss of the full protein deletion did not. Our data suggest that Pf332 may contribute to the overall deformability of the P. falciparum‐infected erythrocyte by anchoring and scaffolding.
A randomized clinical trial of a nurse telephone follow-up on paediatric tonsillectomy pain management and complications.

AIMS To determine the effect of a nurse telephone follow-up on paediatric post-tonsillectomy pain intensity, complications, and use of other healthcare services. BACKGROUND After tonsillectomy, children experience moderate-to-severe pain for days. Parents tend to give insufficient analgesia, with resulting increases in pain and postoperative complications. In adults, nurse telephone follow-up for ambulatory surgeries reduces postoperative pain. DESIGN The study design was a randomized clinical trial. METHODS In this trial, children aged 4-12 years undergoing elective tonsillectomy in June-October 2010 were assigned to a nurse telephone follow-up with parents on postoperative days 1, 3, 5 and 10, or standard care with no follow-up but data collection. Outcomes included pain intensity, analgesics administered, complications, and healthcare use. RESULTS Of 45 participants, the intervention group (n = 24) received more analgesics on postoperative days 1 and 3, increased their fluid intake at days 1 and 3, but had more constipation at day 3 than the control group (n = 21). There was no significant difference regarding pain intensity or use of healthcare resources. CONCLUSION Nurse telephone follow-up was beneficial for some pain management and prevention of complications, although better analgesic treatments are needed. The intervention was simple, safe, and appreciated by parents.
Explosion Hazard from a Propellant-Tank Breach in Liquid Hydrogen-Oxygen Rockets

An engineering risk assessment of the conditions for massive explosions of cryogenic liquid hydrogen-oxygen rockets during launch accidents is presented. The assessment is based on the analysis of the data of purposeful rupture experiments with liquid oxygen and hydrogen tanks and on an interpretation of these data via analytical semiquantitative estimates and numerical simulations of simplified models for the whole range of the physical phenomena governing the outcome of a propellant-tank breach. The following sequence of events is reconstructed: rupture of fuel tanks, escape of the fluids from the ruptured tanks, liquid film boiling, fragmentation of liquid flow, formation of aerosol oxygen and hydrogen clouds, mixing of the clouds, droplet evaporation, self-ignition of the aerosol clouds, and aerosol combustion. The power of the explosion is determined by a small fraction of the escaped cryogens that become well mixed within the aerosol cloud during the delay time between rupture and ignition. Several .
Extension of Corticocortical Afferents into the Anterior Bank of the Intraparietal Sulcus by Tool-use Training in Adult Monkeys

When humans use a tool, it becomes an extension of the hand physically and perceptually. Common introspection might occur in monkeys trained in tool-use, which should depend on brain operations that constantly update and automatically integrate information about the current intrinsic (somatosensory) and the extrinsic (visual) status of the body parts and the tools. The parietal cortex plays an important role in using tools. Intraparietal neurones of na¨ıve monkeys mostly respond unimodally to somatosensory stimuli; however, after training these neurones become bimodally active and respond to visual stimuli. The response properties of these neurones change to code the body images modified by assimilation of the tool to the hand holding it. In this study, we compared the projection patterns between visually related areas and the intraparietal cortex in trained and na¨ıve monkeys using tracer techniques. Light microscopy analyses revealed the emergence of novel projections from the higher visual centres in the vicinity of the temporo-parietal junction and the ventrolateral prefrontal areas to the intraparietal area in monkeys trained in tool-use, but not in na¨ıve monkeys. Functionally active synapses of intracortical afferents arising from higher visual centres to the intraparietal cortex of the trained monkeys were confirmed by electron microscopy. These results provide the first concrete evidence for the induction of novel neural connections in the adult monkey cerebral cortex, which accompanies a process of demanding behaviour in these animals.
Novice and Experienced Children’s Physical Education Teachers: Insights into Their Situational Decision Making

In recent years several studies have compared experienced and inexperienced teachers as they teach the same topics to similar groups of children or perform the same planning or observation tasks. This study compares the way 3 novice (NT) and 3 experienced (ET) teachers teach the same content (dribbling) to the same intact classes of children (Grades 3-5). Interviews, field notes, and document analyses were employed to determine how these 6 teachers varied in their planning and teaching. The NTs tended to be more subject-centered. They relied on textbooks and university courses to develop an extensive progression of tasks to present to classes. The lessons of the ETs, in contrast, were more child-centered and tailored to a particular class. The NTs, who tended to be unsure which tasks would succeed, presented more tasks. The ETs, who knew which tasks would be appropriate, devoted more time to fewer tasks and provided a higher percentage of learning cues. The results will be of particular interest to teache.
Epitope Mapping of HIV-Specific CD8+ T cells in a Cohort Dominated by Clade A1 Infection

Background CD8+ T cell responses are often detected at large magnitudes in HIV-infected subjects, and eliciting these responses is the central aim of many HIV-1 vaccine strategies. Population differences in CD8+ T cell epitope specificity will need to be understood if vaccines are to be effective in multiple geographic regions. Methodology/Principal Findings In a large Kenyan cohort, we compared responsive CD8+ T cell HIV-1 Env overlapping peptides (OLPs) to Best Defined Epitopes (BDEs), many of which have been defined in clade B infection. While the majority of BDEs (69%) were recognized in this population, nearly half of responsive OLPs (47%) did not contain described epitopes. Recognition frequencies of BDEs were inversely correlated to epitopic sequence differences between clade A1 and BDE (P = 0.019), and positively selected residues were more frequent in “new” OLPs (without BDEs). We assessed the impact of HLA and TAP binding on epitope recognition frequencies, focusing on predicted and actual epitopes in the HLA B7 supertype. Conclusions/Significance Although many previously described CD8 epitopes were recognized, several novel CD8 epitopes were defined in this population, implying that epitope mapping efforts have not been completely exhausted. Expansion of these studies will be critical to understand population differences in CD8 epitope recognition.
Book Review: The Sociology of Deviance: Differences, Tradition, and Stigma

theoretical avenues dealing with technology (Clough) and a sweeping and original treatment of the agency-structure debate (Agamben), while another from Horkheiner and Adorno is an arguably underappreciated classic with much contemporary relevance. New selections from Durkheim and Foucault do not break much new ground. In addition, with the exception of the preface to the new edition, the original content remains unchanged from the previous edition. This is disappointing, as Lemert in his other work has proven to be both an original thinker and superb distiller of what others have said about the social world. His original content in this volume supports this assertion, but I was disappointed not to learn how his thinking on the subjects contained therein has changed over the past decade and a half. The relative consistency between editions does leave all of what is commendable about this reader intact. The breadth of this reader is unmatched, and the opportunities it offers for exposing students to a great diversity of voices are remarkable. Social theory is not the domain of ‘‘dead White men,’’ as even a cursory glance at the biographical sketches in this volume will make very clear. Teachers of sociological theory courses already familiar with this book will not be surprised by this new edition. I recommend that those unfamiliar with it have a look, though, because I suspect they will be pleasantly surprised with Lemert’s excellent reader.