Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of the perfect state, mating type and elastase activity in clinical isolates of the Microsporum gypseum complex.

Of 58 clinical isolates of Microsporum gypseum characterized with respect to perfect state and mating type, 50 were identified as Nannizzia gypesa (26 of matting type (A) and 24 of types (a)) and 8 as N. incurvata (5 of (A) and 3 of (a)). In the 11 year span covered by this investigation, none of the cultures recovered from patients was identifiable as N. fulva or M. fulvum. All clinical isolates of N. gypsea and N. incurrata tested and all available strains of N. fulva of both (+) and (-) mating types showed elastase activity when screened with the elastin agar plate technique. These results differ those of earlier reports which indicated an association between elastase activity and mating types of N. fulva.
Molecular Modeling-Based Inclusion Mechanism and Stability Studies of Doxycycline and Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Complex for Ophthalmic Delivery

The aim of the present study was to prepare a stable complex of doxycycline (Doxy) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) for ophthalmic delivery and investigate the inclusion mechanism and the inclusion effects on the stability of Doxy. The Doxy/HPβCD complex was prepared by solution stirring and then characterized by scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet spectroscopy. Based on results of nuclear magnetic resonance, molecular model of Doxy/HPβCD complex was established using computational simulation of PM3 method implemented in Gaussian 03. Stabilities of Doxy/HPβCD complex in both aqueous solution and solid state at 25°C were evaluated by HPLC. Finally, in vitro antibacterial activity of the Doxy/HPβCD complex was evaluated by disk diffusion test. It was found that the stabilities of Doxy/HPβCD complex in both aqueous solution and solid state were improved obviously as compared with Doxy alone. This stability enhancement is consistent with the inclusion mechanism between HPβCD and Doxy, which showed that the unstable site of Doxy molecule at 6-CH3 was protected in the hydrophobic cavity of HPβCD, additionally, the chelation of Mg2+ provided a synergetic protection of the other unstable site of Doxy at 4-N(CH3)2. The antibacterial activity results indicated that Doxy/HPβCD complex might have potential for clinical applications.
Power to Detect Trends in Marbled Murrelet Breeding Populations Using Audiovisual and Radar Surveys

Abstract Weused pilot data collected in 2001–2004 to compare the power of radar and audiovisual survey approaches to detect trends in breeding population size and differences in trends between populations of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in northwestern California. Radar counts of murrelets were almost triple in inland Reserves than in Conservation Areas, and audiovisual counts were 7 times greater. Variation in counts was statistically significant among survey sites but not among years. Although annual variation in radar counts was not statistically significant (P = 0.13), mean radar counts more than tripled from 2001 to 2002, a difference that we considered to be biologically significant, and the radar counts reflected a large increase in the proportion of breeders between these 2 years as determined by radiotelemetry in another study (Acord et al. 2004). Audiovisual counts were much more variable than radar counts overall (CV = 1.10 versus 0.41) and within survey sites (CV = 0.94 versus 0.23). As a result, approximately twice the audiovisual survey effort was needed to detect trends with reasonable power (80%). Power to detect trends in murrelet breeding populations was most sensitive to the duration of the monitoring program and the magnitude of the trend; only relatively modest gains in power were realized by increasing the number of surveys or sites. A monitoring program designed to detect differences in trends between breeding murrelet populations required greater survey effort than a program designed to detect overall trends. Despite the fact that gains in power to detect trends from using radar were offset by the cost of purchasing radar equipment, we advocate the use of radar over audiovisual surveys for monitoring murrelet breeding populations because radar reflected changes in breeding effort whereas audiovisual surveys did not. We also advocate the use of radar because it may provide an estimate of the number of breeding individuals in certain situations, it can be used under poor viewing conditions, it samples larger areas, and it detects a higher proportion of inland-flying murrelets.
Learning to Love Reading: Interviews With Older Children and Teens

Students in sixth and ninth grades were surveyed to determine attitudes toward reading and identify factors in the lives of older children and teens associated with the development of a love of reading. A group of 14 students who love to read, as well as an equal number of students who prefer not to read, were then interviewed about their reading habits and preferences. Findings show that family culture predominates as an influence in developing a love of reading. In particular, students who choose reading as a form of recreation see themselves as members of a community of readers who interact socially around books and share a love of reading with at least one family member. The report concludes with a discussion of implications for educators and parents who hope to encourage reading as a significant activity in the lives of children. Demonstrating the pleasure reading affords, making age- and interest-appropriate books easily available, providing a model for children to emulate, scheduling time for family reading, and encouraging interest through conversations about the books family members read are cited as factors that foster a love of reading. The need for parents or other family members to be actively invested in the process is stressed.
Retrospective characterization of Newcastle Disease Virus Antrim '73 in relation to other epidemics, past and present

In November 1973 Newcastle disease suddenly appeared in Northern Ireland, where the viscerotropic disease had not been seen in 3½ years and the two Irelands had been regarded as largely disease free for 30 years. It was successfully controlled with only 36 confirmed affected layer flocks, plus 10 more slaughtered as ‘dangerous contacts’. Contemporary investigations failed to reveal the source of the Irish epidemic. Using archival virus samples from most of the affected flocks, RT–PCR was conducted with primers selected for all six NDV genes. Phylogenetic analyses of three genes, HN, M and F, confirmed vaccine as the cause of one of the outbreaks. The other six samples were identical and closely related to previous outbreaks in the United States and western Europe initiated by infected imported Latin American parrots. The probable cause of the epidemic followed from the importation from The Netherlands of bulk feed grains contaminated with infected pigeon faeces.
Social Stress: Theory and Research

This chapter differentiates the stressful consequences of social organization from the stressful antecedents of psychological disorder. The pivotal distinction concerns whether the occurrence of stressors is viewed as socially determined, or as independent of social placement. Recent research is evaluated concerning both the social distribution of stress and social variation in response to stress. Two particularly productive areas of inquiry are also reviewed: self-efficacy as a mediator between social position and stress; and the intersection of macro- and micro-stress processes in economic and occupational spheres, with emphasis upon gender stratification. This review concludes that the occurrence of systemic stressors is not necessarily an indication of a social system run amok but may reflect instead the system functioning precisely as it is supposed to function.
Transmission of attachment across three generations

A low-risk Finnish sample (N total = 135) of parents expecting their first child and maternal grandmothers was followed from pregnancy until the child was 3 years old. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was used to assess attachment in mothers during the last trimester of pregnancy, and maternal grandmothers. The Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) was used to assess attachment in infants at 12 months, and the Preschool Assessment of Attachment (PAA) at 3 years. Mothers' AAI classifications (3-category) during pregnancy predicted infants' SSP classifications (3-category) in 76% of cases, and the 3-year-old children's PAA classifications (3-category) in 58% of cases. Grandmothers' AAI classifications predicted infants' SSP classifications in 48% of cases, but the 3-year-old children's PAA classifications in 72% of cases. Using log-linear analysis, it was shown that a simple model accounted for transmission of attachment across three generations when the children were 3 years. Even though the results indicated continuity across generations, the correspondences were slightly weaker than those obtained by Benoit and Parker in their 3-generational study. The results are discussed in terms of the prototype view, the rapid contextual changes seen across 3 generations in Finland, the size of the sample, and the comparability of the DMM to other assessment methods of attachment.
Perceptions of Classroom Working Alliance and Student Performance

Positive teacher-student relationship has been established as an important contributor to students' social, behavioral, and academic adjustment. Nevertheless, current research has not employed relationship measures that examine both teachers' and students' perceptions. Furthermore, the measures currently being used lack breadth in the definition of the teacher-student relationship. Using the construct of "working alliance" from counseling psychology, this study investigated teachers' (n=14) and elementary school students' (n=53) perceptions of their working alliance and explored how this construct relates to student performance. Teachers' and students' ratings on subscales of the Classroom Working Alliance Inventory (CWAI) were found to be significantly related to one another. In addition, regression analyses demonstrated that both teachers' and students' ratings of working alliance contributed significantly to ratings on the Student Performance Questionnaire (SPQ). Un rapport positif entre l'enseignant et l'eleve s'est avere etre un facteur important qui contribue a l'adaptation sociale, comportementale et academique des eleves. Neanmoins, la recherche actuelle n'a pas employe de mesures des rapports qui examinent a la fois les perceptions des enseignants et celles des eleves. De plus, les mesures actuelles manquent d'envergure quant a leur definition du rapport enseignant-eleve. Empruntant de la psychologie therapeutique la construction de l'alliance de travail, nous avons etudie les perceptions qu'ont les enseignants (n=14) et les eleves de l'elementaire (n=53) de leur alliance de travail et avons examine dans quelle mesure cette construction joue un role dans le rendement des eleves. Nous avons trouve une relation significative entre les cotes des enseignants et celles des eleves aux sous-echelles de l'inventaire de l'alliance de travail en salle de classe (Classroom Working Alliance Inventory). De plus, les analyses de regression ont demontre que ces cotes, tant celles des enseignants que celles des eleves, ont contribue de facon significative aux cotes du questionnaire sur le rendement des eleves.
The Social Dilemma Perspective on Psychological Contract Fulfilment and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour

Recent research suggests that employees perceive organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) as costly while OCB in the aggregate benefits organizations. Employees thus face an OCB dilemma. This study adopts the social dilemma perspective, proposing that employee OCB varies with the three types of psychological contracts (e.g., relational, balanced, and transactional) due to different degrees of perceived social dilemma and explains why employees engage in OCB in the context of varying levels of social dilemmas. We used moderated structural equation modelling to test the mediating and moderating hypotheses using data from 485 supervisor-subordinate dyads from 58 companies in a variety of industries in Taiwan. As predicted, results suggest that employee OCB has the strongest relationship with balanced psychological contract. Results also confirm the mediating role of felt obligations in both relational and balanced psychological contracts and the moderating role of empathie concerns in transactional psychological contract. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results.
Transcranial direct current stimulation does not modulate motor cortex excitability in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. The etiology of ALS is unclear, but there is evidence that loss of cortical inhibition could be related to motor neuron degeneration. We sought to determine whether cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can reduce cortical excitability in patients with ALS.
A new learning and skills landscape? The central role of the Learning and Skills Council

This is the first paper from a project which is part of the Economic and Social Research Council's programme of research into ‘Teaching and learning’. The project, entitled ‘The impact of policy on learning and inclusion in the new learning and skills sector’, explores what impact the efforts to create a single learning and skills system are having on teaching, learning, assessment and inclusion for three marginalized groups of post‐16 learners. Drawing primarily on policy documents and 62 in‐depth interviews with national, regional and local policy‐makers in England, the paper points to a complex, confusing and constantly changing landscape. In particular, it deals with the formation, early years and recent reorganization of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), its roles, relations with government, its rather limited power, its partnerships and likely futures. While the formation of a more unified learning and skills system is broadly seen as a necessary step in overcoming the fragmentation and inequalities of the previous post‐16 sector, interviewees also highlighted problems, some of which may not simply abate with the passing of time. Political expectations of change are high, but the LSC and its partners are expected to carry through ‘transformational’ strategies without the necessary ‘tools for the job’. In addition, some features of the learning and skills sector policy landscape still remain unreformed or need to be reorganized. The LSC and its partners are at the receiving end of a series of policy drivers (e.g. planning, funding, targets, inspection and initiatives) that may have partial or even perverse effects on the groups of marginalized learners we are studying.
Epidemiological differences between back pain of sudden and gradual onset.

OBJECTIVE To explore possible differences in risk factors for low back pain according to its speed of onset. METHODS We analyzed longitudinal data from 1366 hospital nurses in England who initially had been free from low back pain for at least one month. Risk factors were ascertained from a self-administered baseline questionnaire, and outcomes from serial followup questionnaires. Hazard ratios (HR) for developing a first new episode of low back pain during followup were derived by Cox regression. RESULTS Low back pain with gradual onset was significantly associated with psychological symptoms measured at baseline [HR 1.7 (95% CI 1.2, 2.4) and higher], but no such association was seen for sudden pain. Low back pain with sudden onset while at work was associated with exposure to specific patient-handling tasks [HR 1.8 (95% CI 1.1, 3.0) to 2.8 (95% CI 1.4, 5.5)]. However, symptoms that came on suddenly elsewhere were not related to occupational activity, and low back pain of gradual onset showed little relation to patient-handling. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that a useful distinction can be made according to the speed and circumstances of onset of low back pain. If confirmed, they have important implications for the evaluation of ergonomic interventions aimed at reducing back pain.
Upper Secondary Bruneian Science Students’ Perceptions of Assessment

The aims of this study were to evaluate reliability and validity of the Students’ Perception of Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), to evaluate students’ perception on assessment, and to evaluate gender‐based, grade‐based, and ethnicity‐based differences in students’ perceptions. The validity and reliability coefficients revealed that the SPAQ was suitable for assessing students’ perceptions on five assessment dimensions. The average scale‐item mean values for all the scales were less than 3.0, which indicates a need to address these dimensions of assessment at classroom level. The mean value for Student Consultation scale was 1.96 out of 4, indicating a need for special attention in this area. The perceptions of students grouped on the basis of gender and of grade level groups were comparable, but on the basis of ethnic groups were statistically significantly different. Assuming these differences to be real, does it mean that teaching approaches will need to be addressed? Future research in this area is warranted.
B Vitamins and Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations in an Urban and Rural Area of Costa Rica

Objective: We studied the association between total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations and folate, B12, and B6 status in the urban and rural areas of Costa Rica. Subjects and Methods: We determined plasma tHcy concentrations and assessed dietary folate, B12 and B6 intake by a food frequency questionnaire in 462 subjects selected by stratified random sampling in the urban and rural areas of Puriscal, Costa Rica. Plasma folate and vitamin B12 concentrations were measured in women. Results: THcy concentrations were higher (p < 0.01) in the rural compared with the urban area: 12.0 μmol/L vs. 8.9 μmol/L in men, and women 7.3 μmol/L vs. 5.5 μmol/L in women, respectively. The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (greater than 15.0 μmol/L) was twice as high in rural compared with urban men (19.8% vs. 10.8%, p = 0.06) and women (6.6% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.26). Most study subjects (98%) had folate intakes that were less than the recommended 400 μg/day. In women, 31% of those living in the urban area and 40% of those in the rural area had plasma folate concentrations of less than 6.8 nmol/L, an indicator of folate deficiency. In women, age-adjusted mean tHcy concentrations (μmol/L) were higher in the lowest compared with highest quintiles for dietary vitamin B6 (9.9 vs. 5.4, p < 0.05), B12 (9.2 vs. 4.9, p < 0.01), and folate (7.0 vs. 5.7, p = 0.87). Similar results were found for plasma B12 (9.9 vs. 5.4, p < 0.01) and folate (10.5 vs. 5.0, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Residents of the rural area in Puriscal, Costa Rica have higher plasma concentrations of tHcy and lower intake of B vitamins, particularly in women. Because these characteristics are associated with high risk of cardiovascular disease, the efficacy of food fortification program in rural areas should be carefully addressed.
Anxiety and Performance: The Processing Efficiency Theory

Abstract Anxiety often impairs performance of “difficult” tasks (especially under test conditions), but there are numerous exceptions. Theories of anxiety and performance need to address at least two major issues: (1) the complexity and apparent inconsistency of the findings; and (2) the conceptual definition of task difficulty. Some theorists (e.g. Humphreys & Revelle, 1984; Sarason, 1988) argue that anxiety causes worry, and worry always impairs performance on tasks with high attentional or short-term memory demands. According to the processing efficiency theory, worry has two main effects: (1) a reduction in the storage and processing capacity of the working memory system available for a concurrent task; and (2) an increment in on-task effort and activities designed to improve performance. There is a crucial distinction within the theory between performance effectiveness (= quality of performance) and processing efficiency (= performance effectiveness divided by effort). Anxiety characteristically impa.
A descriptive study of emotion concepts using dimensional models of core affect / Un estudio descriptivo de los conceptos emocionales desde los modelos dimensionales de los estados afectivos

Abstract The study of emotions from a dimensional perspective has allowed for important steps towards the understanding of human emotional experiences. However, there are still many questions to be addressed. One, of special relevance, refers to which emotion concepts we use to refer to different emotional experiences. Thus, the primary purpose of this research was to identify which emotion concepts we use in our daily life to refer to eight specific core affects identified by the combination of valance (positive and negative), arousal (activated and deactivated) and time perspective (anticipatory and retrospective). Further, we focused on the degree of specificity of those emotion concepts and whether the levels of specificity vary among different core affects. Our results evidenced that the specificity and breadth of our emotional vocabulary varies between different core affects.
Analysis of compressive sensing based through the wall imaging

Compressive sensing (CS) has been shown to be a useful tool for subsurface or through the wall imaging (TWI) using ground penetrating radar (GPR). It has been used to decrease both time/frequency or spatial measurements or to generate high resolution images. Although current works apply CS to TWI, they lack analysis for CS about the required number of measurements for sparsity levels, imaging performance in varying noise levels or performance of different measurement strategies. In addition proposed CS based imaging methods are based on two basic assumptions; targets are point like positioned at only discrete spatial or grid locations and wall thickness and its dielectric constant are perfectly known. However these assumptions are not usually valid in most TWI applications. This work details the theory for CS based TWI, analyzes the performance of the proposed imaging for the above mentioned cases. The effect of errors in unknown parameters on the imaging performance is analyzed and possible solutions are discussed.