Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teaching Electric Drives Control Course: Incorporation of Active Learning Into the Classroom

This paper describes an attempt to improve the educational methods of an electrical drives control lecture course by incorporating active learning strategies into the classroom. The proposed active learning strategy is based on the combined use of both sample-guided and student-oriented learning approaches and student learning assessments. The main objective of this initiative is to rapidly and easily equip undergraduate engineering students with more practical knowledge of advanced adjustable speed drives control strategies through the use of a minimal number of flexible DSP-based setups. The course organization, including the educational prerequisites and strategies, is described, and several intuitive examples devoted to modeling, simulation, and implementation of ac induction motor (IM) drive control are provided. The proposed educational method gives students an intuitive way of grasping the main concepts and offers them the opportunity to apply their knowledge and explore their problem-solving capabilities. A questionnaire elicited student feedback on the development of their knowledge and practical skills as well as their achievement of learning goals; the results of this evaluation are summarized.
Staging gender online: gender plays in Swiss internet relay chats

The relationship between chat and gender is a topic that has been discussed for more than 20 years now. Feminist theorists have claimed that virtual reality effaces gender. Others have pointed to the fact that gender matters online as well as offline; linguists in particular have shown that `real-life' gender leaves traces online in the form of discourse styles and patterns. This article has a somewhat different focus. It analyzes blatant plays with gender in Swiss internet relay chats (IRCs). In these games, chatters make use of gender, and put it on stage. These plays are possible because the construction of the gender in IRCs is achieved almost exclusively by communicative means. They might also be possible because the IRC releases the pressures of social constraints with regard to gender. And they have an effect, which could be described in gender theoretic terms as `queering. ' But it has to be observed that these plays are made visible as plays, marked, and temporally limited; afterwards, gender constraints are effective again.
Facilitating access to the renal transplant waiting list does not increase the number of transplantations: comparative study of two French regions

Background In France, there are important regional disparities of access to the renal transplant waiting list and transplantation. Our objectives were to compare the characteristics of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) of two French regions (Ile-de-France and Bretagne) and to identify determinants of access to the waiting list and subsequent transplantation, with a focus on temporary inactive status (TIS) periods. Methods All 18–80-year-old incident patients who started dialysis in Ile-de-France or Bretagne between 2006 and 2009 were included (n = 6160). Associations between patients' characteristics and placement on the waiting list or transplantation were assessed using a Fine and Gray model to take into account the competing risk of death and living donor transplantation. Results At the end of the follow-up (31 December 2013), more patients had undergone transplantation in Bretagne than in Ile-de-France (30 versus 27%), although the percentage of waitlisted patients was higher in Ile-de-France than in Bretagne (47 versus 33%). More patients were on TIS and with a longer median TIS duration in Ile-de-France. Independent of age and clinical characteristics, patients in Bretagne were less likely to be waitlisted than those in Ile-de-France [subdistribution hazard ratio 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.7–0.9)]. After waitlisting, patients in Bretagne were four times more likely to be transplanted. Conclusions Our study highlights clinical practice differences in Bretagne and Ile-de-France and shows that facilitating access to the waiting list is not sufficient to improve access to renal transplantation, which also depends on organ availability.
Activin Regulates Estrogen Receptor Gene Expression in the Mouse Ovary*

Activin, a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, is an important modulator of follicle-stimulating hormone synthesis and secretion in the pituitary and plays autocrine/paracrine roles in the regulation of ovarian follicle development. From a microarray study on mouse ovarian granulosa cells, we discovered that the estrogen receptor β (ERβ) is inducible by activin. We previously demonstrated that estrogen suppresses activin gene expression, suggesting a feedback relationship between these two follicle-regulating hormones. The purpose of this study was to investigate fully activin A regulation of ER expression. Real time reverse transcription-PCR assays on cultured granulosa cells showed that both ERα and ERβ mRNAs were induced by activin A at 4, 12, and 24 h in a dose-responsive manner. Western blots confirmed an increase in their protein levels. Consistent with increased ERα and ERβ expression, activin A stimulated estradiol-induced estrogen response element promoter activity. Activin A stimulation of ER expression was a direct effect at the level of gene transcription, as it was not abolished by cycloheximide but was abolished by actinomycin D, and in transfected granulosa cells activin A stimulated ERα promoter activity. To investigate the effect of activin in vivo and, thus, its biological significance, we examined ER expression in inhibin transgenic mice that have decreased activin expression and discovered that these mice had decreased ERα and ERβ expression in the ovary. We also found that ER mRNA levels were decreased in Müllerian inhibiting substance promoter (MIS)-Smad2 dominant negative mice that have impaired activin signaling through Smad2, and small interfering RNAs targeting Smad2 or Smad3 suppressed ERα promoter activation, suggesting that Smad2 and Smad3 are involved in regulating ER levels. Therefore, this study reveals an important role for activin in inducing the expression of ERs in the mouse ovary and suggests important interplay between activin and estrogen signaling.
Land Use Changes and Human–Wildlife Conflicts in the Amboseli Area, Kenya

In most of the Maasai lands in Kenya, increasing human–wildlife conflicts threaten wildlife resources and conservation. This article presents data from interviews of Kuku Group Ranch residents, which were conducted to understand residents’ relationships with, and opinions of, wildlife and land use. Respondents supported agriculture expansion, which is regarded as more profitable than pastoralism or conservation. They also supported land subdivision into individually owned property, as opposed to communal ownership. Although a majority of residents still favors wildlife conservation, they are opposed to free wildlife use of their land. Support for wildlife conservation was dependent on benefits received. Losses from problem animals, lack of compensation for these losses, and lack of community involvement in wildlife conservation were major sources of local resentment. Without an urgent redress, wildlife may be excluded from Maasai lands either by direct persecution or incompatible land use changes. The School for Field Studies (SFS) and Center for Wildlife Management Studies (CWMS) in Kenya is thanked for their support. Kuku Group Ranch members allowed this study to be done on their land. The author also thanks Tanner, Roy, Maantoi, Mpaa, Godana, Kasaine, and all SFS students for participating in this research and providing field assistance. Finally, the author thanks the editorial staff of Human Dimensions of Wildlife for their assistance with earlier drafts.
Heartburn and globus in apparently healthy people.

Most clinicians would agree that heartburn is associated with the reflux of gastric or duodenal contents into a dysfunctioning lower esophagus. In the absence of demonstrable hiatus hernia or esophagitis"', it may be considered a functional disorder. Globus has also been characterized as reflecting a functional disorder of the esophagus.3 This feeling of having a "lump in the throat", when unrelated to dyspepsia, is believed to be due to dysfunction of the upper esophageal sphincter.4', It is also said to be a physical manifestation of suppressed emotion specifically, holding back tears.6 Although much money and effort are spent in managing the symptoms of these two disorders of the esophagus, there is little in the literature on their incidence, or on their relation to each other or to other functional gastrointestinal disorders. We decided to address these questions as part of a study of bowel symptoms in 301 subjects, the results of which have, already been published.7
Moving Into and Through the Public World: Children's Perspectives on their Encounters with Adults

As children's mobilities increase so does their engagement with the social worlds beyond the home and school. This paper examines the contacts that children aged 10/11 years had with adults as they moved beyond their local neighbourhoods to visit swimming pools, cinemas and the city centre. Their reports contain accounts of problems with individual adults and with adult‐imposed, or supposed, restrictions such as those relating to age and ‘stranger danger’. The findings suggest that the children's initial feelings of anticipation and excitement in moving into and through the public world were replaced by a greater awareness of divisions between childhood and adulthood. Setting these findings within the context of discussions on the purpose of travel and the nature of movement this paper draws children more fully into debates about connection and disconnection and mobility.
ADOPTION OF E-GOVERNMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: THE CASE OF THE STATE OF KUWAIT

Although there is a great body of literature that discuss e-Government in developed countries, e-government literature in developing countries, in general, and Arab countries, in particular, is scarce. Using an extended version of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study examined the factors that influence the adoption of e-government services in developing countries by using the State of Kuwait as an exemplar. A survey collected data from 534 students at a private American University in relation to Kuwait’s e-government services. Using partial least squares (PLS) of structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis technique, the results demonstrated that e-Government services adoption can be explained in terms of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, subjective norm, perceived credibility, attitude and behavioural intension. Additionally, the results of this study show that the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of e-government services are impacted by computer self-efficacy, perceived credibility and subjective norm. However, perceived usefulness was the major factor in determining Kuwaiti citizens’ attitude towards the adoption of e-Government services. The research limitations, implications for research and practice are discussed.
Sex differences in soluble markers vary before and after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in chronically HIV-infected individuals

Objective: To evaluate differences in soluble inflammatory markers between chronically HIV-infected men and women, with or without cognitive impairment, and in response to treatment. Design: Soluble biomarkers were measured in cryopreserved plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 60 treatment-naïve individuals (25 men and 35 women) with chronic HIV infection and 18 HIV-uninfected controls (9 men and 9 women) from Thailand. Following enrollment, participants began combination antiretroviral therapy and were evaluated for expression of these markers after 48 weeks. Methods: Plasma and CSF levels of 19 soluble biomarkers (IFN-&ggr;, TNF&agr;, TNF-RII, IL-1&agr;, IL-1&bgr;, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-15, MCP-1, t-Tau, IP-10, neopterin, IFN&agr;, I-FABP, and sCD14) were measured using either a multiparameter or standard ELISA assay. Results: Prior to combination antiretroviral therapy, women with impaired cognition had elevated levels of neopterin and TNF-RII compared with women with normal cognition in both the plasma and CSF; however, levels did not differ between cognitively impaired or normal men. In a secondary outcome-hypothesis generating analysis, sex differences were also pronounced in plasma levels of MCP-1, IL-10, I-FABP, and sCD14 in response to treatment. Neopterin, IP-10, TNF&agr;, TNF-RII, IFN&agr;, MCP-1, IL-8, I-FABP, and sCD14 plasma levels remained elevated following 48 weeks of therapy in both sexes compared with uninfected controls. Conclusion: We provide evidence of sustained immune activation after 48 weeks of treatment and identify possible sex differences in biomarkers previously linked to cognitive impairment, chronic inflammation, and gut integrity that may contribute to immunological differences between sexes in relationship to disease progression and response to therapy.
The importance of accurate measurement of aortic stiffness in patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease

Abstract Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of death in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). A key driver in this pathology is increased aortic stiffness, which is a strong, independent predictor of CV mortality in this population. Aortic stiffening is a potentially modifiable biomarker of CV dysfunction and in risk stratification for patients with CKD and ESRD. Previous work has suggested that therapeutic modification of aortic stiffness may ameliorate CV mortality. Nevertheless, future clinical implementation relies on the ability to accurately and reliably quantify stiffness in renal disease. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an indirect measure of stiffness and is the accepted standard for non-invasive assessment of aortic stiffness. It has typically been measured using techniques such as applanation tonometry, which is easy to use but hindered by issues such as the inability to visualize the aorta. Advances in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging now allow direct measurement of stiffness, using aortic distensibility, in addition to PWV. These techniques allow measurement of aortic stiffness locally and are obtainable as part of a comprehensive, multiparametric CV assessment. The evidence cannot yet provide a definitive answer regarding which technique or parameter can be considered superior. This review discusses the advantages and limitations of non-invasive methods that have been used to assess aortic stiffness, the key studies that have assessed aortic stiffness in patients with renal disease and why these tools should be standardized for use in clinical trial work.
Hippocampal synaptic enhancement and spatial learning in the morris swim task

The authors attempted to replicate the study of Castro, Silbert, McNaughton, and Barnes (1989) in which it was concluded that bilateral saturation of hippocampal synaptic enhancement produced a deficit in acquisition of a spatial navigation problem in the Morris swim task. The original protocol was followed as closely as possible, but no effect of long‐term enhancement (LTE) saturation on spatial performance in this task was found. This negative result suggests either that the previous finding using the swim task reflected statistical error or that some as yet undetermined variable is of critical importance in this phenomenon. The present negative finding also raises a question concerning the reproducibility of the earlier results of McNaughton, Barnes, Rao, Baldwin, and Rasmussen (1986) in which LTE saturation apparently led to a prolonged deficit on a different spatial task. Although negative results in such experiments do not constitute grounds for rejecting the underlying hypothesis, the present lack of a positive effect renders uncertain, for the time being, one of the lines of experimental support for the theory that LTE at hippocampal synapses reflects a mechanism for the associative, distributed storage of new spatial information.
Effect of preexercise soup ingestion on water intake and fluid balance during exercise in the heat.

PURPOSE To determine whether chicken noodle soup before exercise increases ad libitum water intake, fluid balance, and physical and cognitive performance compared with water. METHODS Nine trained men (age 25 ± 3 yr, VO2peak 54.2 ± 5.1 ml · kg-1 · min-1; M ± SD) performed cycle exercise in the heat (wet bulb globe temperature = 25.9 ± 0.4 °C) for 90 min at 50% VO2peak, 45 min after ingesting 355 ml of either commercially available bottled water (WATER) or chicken noodle soup (SOUP). The same bottled water was allowed ad libitum throughout both trials. Participants then completed a time trial to finish a given amount of work (10 min at 90% VO2peak; n = 8). Cognitive performance was evaluated by the Stroop color-word task before, every 30 min during, and immediately after the time trial. RESULTS Ad libitum water intake throughout steady-state exercise was greater in SOUP than with WATER (1,435 ± 593 vs. 1,163 ± 427 g, respectively; p < .03). Total urine volume was similar in both trials (p = .13), resulting in a trend for greater water retention in SOUP than in WATER (87.7% ± 7.6% vs. 74.9% ± 21.7%, respectively; p = .09), possibly due to a change in free water clearance (-0.32 ± 1.22 vs. 0.51 ± 1.06 ml/min, respectively; p = .07). Fluid balance tended to be improved with SOUP (-106 ± 603 vs. -478 ± 594 g, p = .05). Likewise, change in plasma volume tended to be reduced in SOUP compared with WATER (p = .06). Only mild dehydration was achieved (<1%), and physical performance was not different between treatments (p = .77). The number of errors in the Stroop color-word task was lower in SOUP throughout the entire trial (treatment effect; p = .04). CONCLUSION SOUP before exercise increased ad libitum water intake and may alter kidney function.
ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channel Blockage Attenuates Cisplatin-Induced Renal Damage

Background: Cisplatin-induced renal damage was associated with an inflammatory process. ATP-sensitive potassium channels can be involved in neutrophil migration. This study evaluated the effects of glibenclamide, an ATP-sensitive potassium channel blocker, on cisplatin-induced renal damage. Methods: A total of 48 Wistar rats received glibenclamide (20 mg/kg/day, s.c.) and 24 h later, these animals, and an additional group of 45 rats, were injected with cisplatin (5 mg/kg, i.p.). In addition, 38 control rats were injected with saline, i.p. Twenty-four hours and 5 days after saline or cisplatin injections blood and urine samples were collected to evaluate renal function and the kidneys were removed for analysis of neutrophil accumulation, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β and histological and immunohistochemical studies. Results: Cisplatin injection induced neutrophil recruitment and increased tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β contents in renal cortices and outer medullae tissues. Cisplatin-treated rats also presented reduction in the glomerular filtration rate, as well as greater immunostaining for ED1 (macrophages/monocytes) and acute tubular necrosis. All of these alterations were reduced by treatment with glibenclamide. These effects seem to be related, at least in part, to the restriction of neutrophil recruitment and inflammatory process observed in the kidneys from glibenclamide+cisplatin-treated rats.
Organisational value of healthcare quality awards in Andalusia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and describe the symbolic value of quality awards as a key indicator of recognition that public organizations have reached in the scope of quality management and continuous improvement.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a description of the evolution of the three series of healthcare quality awards that have been held to‐date in one of the biggest regions of Europe: Andalusia.Findings – Theoretical analysis of an instrument conceived as an institutionalised way of recognizing quality assurance initiatives in the Andalusian Public Health System. At the same time, the article focuses on the importance of using a reference model to ensure that the process of assessing the projects is systematic and rigorous and therefore stands as a guarantee of transparency within a public administration.Research limitations/implications – The ultimate outcome is dependent of the geographical context and the behaviours and perceptions of people that have partic.
Distribution of Virulence Factors and Molecular Fingerprinting of Aeromonas Species Isolates from Water and Clinical Samples: Suggestive Evidence of Water-to-Human Transmission

ABSTRACT A total of 227 isolates of Aeromonas obtained from different geographical locations in the United States and different parts of the world, including 28 reference strains, were analyzed to determine the presence of various virulence factors. These isolates were also fingerprinted using biochemical identification and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Of these 227 isolates, 199 that were collected from water and clinical samples belonged to three major groups or complexes, namely, the A. hydrophila group, the A. caviae-A. media group, and the A. veronii-A. sobria group, based on biochemical profiles, and they had various pulsotypes. When virulence factor activities were examined, Aeromonas isolates obtained from clinical sources had higher cytotoxic activities than isolates obtained from water sources for all three Aeromonas species groups. Likewise, the production of quorum-sensing signaling molecules, such as N-acyl homoserine lactone, was greater in clinical isolates than in isolates from water for the A. caviae-A. media and A. hydrophila groups. Based on colony blot DNA hybridization, the heat-labile cytotonic enterotoxin gene and the DNA adenosine methyltransferase gene were more prevalent in clinical isolates than in water isolates for all three Aeromonas groups. Using colony blot DNA hybridization and PFGE, we obtained three sets of water and clinical isolates that had the same virulence signature and had indistinguishable PFGE patterns. In addition, all of these isolates belonged to the A. caviae-A. media group. The findings of the present study provide the first suggestive evidence of successful colonization and infection by particular strains of certain Aeromonas species after transmission from water to humans.
46 Encounter complexes and dimensionality reduction in protein-protein association

An outstanding challenge has been to understand the mechanism whereby proteins associate. We report here the results of exhaustively sampling the conformational space in protein–protein association using a physics-based energy function. The agreement between experimental intermolecular paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) data and the PRE profiles calculated from the docked structures shows that the method captures both specific and non-specific encounter complexes. To explore the energy landscape in the vicinity of the native structure, the nonlinear manifold describing the relative orientation of two solid bodies is projected onto a Euclidean space in which the shape of low energy regions is studied by principal component analysis. Results show that the energy surface is canyon-like, with a smooth funnel within a two dimensional subspace capturing over 75% of the total motion. Thus, proteins tend to associate along preferred pathways, similar to sliding of a protein along DNA in the process of protein-DNA recognition. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.01370. 001