Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time Perception and Time-Based Prospective Memory

In this chapter, we review experimental psychology research in two domains: time perception and time-based prospective memory (ProM). Intuition suggests that these domains are connected, that they involve at least some of the same high-level cognitive processes or mechanisms. In view of this intuition, it is surprising that only a small number of empirical investigations have focused directly on the processes or mechanisms that link time perception and time-based ProM. Why? In order to answer this question, in the first part of this chapter, we summarize recent empirical and theoretical work on time perception, and on how this ability changes across the adult lifespan. In the second part, we review empirical and theoretical work on time-based ProM and on how this cognitive function changes across the adult lifespan. In addition, we examine the manner in which timeand event-based ProM tasks have been defined, in order to identify where — under what kinds of study/testing conditions — time-related processes might be recruited in support of performance on time-based tasks.
Absence of Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells during Allergen Provocation Does Not Exacerbate Murine Allergic Airway Inflammation

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a non-redundant role in maintenance of immune homeostasis. This is achieved by suppressing both, priming of naïve cells and effector cell functions. Although Tregs have been implicated in modulating allergic immune responses, their influence on distinct phases of development of allergies remains unclear. In this study, by using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-transgenic Foxp3-DTR (DEREG) mice we demonstrate that the absence of Foxp3+ Tregs during the allergen challenge surprisingly does not exacerbate allergic airway inflammation in BALB/c mice. As genetic disposition due to strain specificity may contribute significantly to development of allergies, we performed similar experiment in C57BL/6 mice, which are less susceptible to allergy in the model of sensitization used in this study. We report that the genetic background does not influence the consequence of this depletion regimen. These results signify the temporal regulation exerted by Foxp3+ Tregs in limiting allergic airway inflammation and may influence their application as potential therapeutics.
Concentration-Response Relationship between PM2.5 and Daily Respiratory Deaths in China: A Systematic Review and Metaregression Analysis of Time-Series Studies

The association between the particulate matters with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and daily respiratory deaths, particularly the concentration-response pattern, has not been fully examined and established in China. We conducted a systematic review of time-series studies to compile information on the associations between PM2.5 concentration and respiratory deaths and used metaregression to assess the concentration-response relationship. Out of 1,957 studies screened, eleven articles in English and two articles in Chinese met the eligibility criteria. For single-day lags, per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration was associated with 0.30 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.10, 0.50] percent increase in daily respiratory deaths; for multiday lags, the corresponding increase in respiratory deaths was 0.69 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.83) percent. Difference in the effects was observed between the northern cities and the south cities in China. No statistically significant concentration-response relationship between PM2.5 concentrations and their effects was found. With increasingly wider location coverage for PM2.5 data, it is crucial to further investigate the concentration-response pattern of PM2.5 effects on respiratory and other cause-specific mortality for the refinement and adaptation of global and national air quality guidelines and targets.
The comparison of different daidzein-PLGA nanoparticles in increasing its oral bioavailability

The aim of this research was to increase the oral bioavailability of daidzein by the formulations of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles loaded with daidzein. Amongst the various traditional and novel techniques of preparing daidzein-loaded PLGA nanoparticles, daidzein-loaded phospholipid complexes PLGA nanoparticles and daidzein-loaded cyclodextrin inclusion complexes PLGA nanoparticles were selected. The average drug entrapment efficiency, particle size, and zeta potential of daidzein-loaded phospholipid complexes PLGA nanoparticles and daidzein-loaded cyclodextrin inclusion complexes PLGA nanoparticles were 81.9% ± 5%, 309.2 ± 14.0 nm, −32.14 ± 2.53 mV and 83.2% ± 7.2%, 323.2 ± 4.8 nm, −18.73 ± 1.68 mV, respectively. The morphological characterization of nanoparticles was observed with scanning electron microscopy by stereological method and the physicochemical state of nanoparticles was valued by differential scanning calorimetry. The in vitro drug-release profile of both nanoparticle formulations fitted the Weibull dynamic equation. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that after oral administration of daidzein-loaded phospholipid complexes PLGA nanoparticles and daidzein-loaded cyclodextrin inclusion complexes PLGA nanoparticles to rats at a dose of 10 mg/kg, relative bioavailability was enhanced about 5.57- and 8.85-fold, respectively, compared to daidzein suspension as control. These results describe an effective strategy for oral delivery of daidzein-loaded PLGA nanoparticles and might provide a fresh approach to enhancing the bioavailability of drugs with poor lipophilic and poor hydrophilic properties.
LFA-1 Mediates Cytotoxicity and Tissue Migration of Specific CD8+ T Cells after Heterologous Prime-Boost Vaccination against Trypanosoma cruzi Infection

Integrins mediate the lymphocyte migration into an infected tissue, and these cells are essential for controlling the multiplication of many intracellular parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. Here, we explore LFA-1 and VLA-4 roles in the migration of specific CD8+ T cells generated by heterologous prime-boost immunization during experimental infection with T. cruzi. To this end, vaccinated mice were treated with monoclonal anti-LFA-1 and/or anti-VLA-4 to block these molecules. After anti-LFA-1, but not anti-VLA-4 treatment, all vaccinated mice displayed increased blood and tissue parasitemia, and quickly succumbed to infection. In addition, there was an accumulation of specific CD8+ T cells in the spleen and lymph nodes and a decrease in the number of those cells, especially in the heart, suggesting that LFA-1 is important for the output of specific CD8+ T cells from secondary lymphoid organs into infected organs such as the heart. The treatment did not alter CD8+ T cell effector functions such as the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and granzyme B, and maintained the proliferative capacity after treatment. However, the specific CD8+ T cell direct cytotoxicity was impaired after LFA-1 blockade. Also, these cells expressed higher levels of Fas/CD95 on the surface, suggesting that they are susceptible to programmed cell death by the extrinsic pathway. We conclude that LFA-1 plays an important role in the migration of specific CD8+ T cells and in the direct cytotoxicity of these cells.
Are adult mentalizing abilities associated with mind-mindedness?

The precise nature of the relation between adult mentalizing abilities and parental representations of the child as a mental agent (mind-mindedness) is under current debate. While some authors state that it is the same competence expressed in different contexts, others assert that they are different constructs. This study examined the relation between mentalizing and mind-mindedness, in mothers and fathers, while investigating their potential links to socio-demographic, parental, and child variables. Participants were 74 families comprising of mother, father, and their preschool-aged child. Controlling for educational level, psychopathological symptoms, and children’s reported temperament, the relation between mentalizing and mind-mindedness was non-significant. Moreover, mentalizing and mind-mindedness were shown to have distinct correlates, supporting the proposal that they are two distinct constructs.
PCB-integrated flow sensors — How good is state of the art technology?

Printed circuit board technology is today well established and inexpensive, but achieves also remarkably high precision. This makes this technology interesting for the fabrication of sensors, especially when cost-effectiveness is a concern. However, since PCB technology is not actually optimized for this purpose, the question arises how reliable and repeatable the production processes are when it comes to producing acceptable quality. In this paper, we investigate calorimetric flow sensors for air conditioning monitoring, implemented by state of the art PCB technology. After demonstrating that such sensors can indeed work as expected, we examine the influence of process variations on the electrical parameters of the sensor. Using data from two different fabrication runs, we find that standard processes can yield sensor devices within a 10% tolerance range, which is sufficient for the target application.
Role of P16(INK4a) expression in identifying CIN2 or more severe lesions among HPV‐positive patients referred for colposcopy after abnormal cytology

p16 is strongly overexpressed in dysplastic cervical cells because of the transforming activity of the E7 oncogene of all high‐risk human papillomavirus (HR‐HPV) types and may be easily revealed by immunochemistry: p16 may, therefore, be considered a surrogate marker for the activated oncogene expression of HR‐HPV in dysplastic cervical cells.
Long‐term survival despite low genetic diversity in the critically endangered Madagascar fish‐eagle

The critically endangered Madagascar fish‐eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides) is considered to be one of the rarest birds of prey globally and at significant risk of extinction. In the most recent census, only 222 adult individuals were recorded with an estimated total breeding population of no more than 100–120 pairs. Here, levels of Madagascar fish‐eagle population genetic diversity based on 47 microsatellite loci were compared with its sister species, the African fish‐eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer), and 16 of these loci were also characterized in the white‐tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Overall, extremely low genetic diversity was observed in the Madagascar fish‐eagle compared to other surveyed Haliaeetus species. Determining whether this low diversity is the result of a recent bottleneck or a more historic event has important implications for their conservation. Using a Bayesian coalescent‐based method, we show that Madagascar fish‐eagles have maintained a small effective population size for hundreds to thousands of years and that its low level of neutral genetic diversity is not the result of a recent bottleneck. Therefore, efforts made to prevent Madagascar fish‐eagle extinction should place high priority on maintenance of habitat requirements and reducing direct and indirect human persecution. Given the current rate of deforestation in Madagascar, we further recommend that the population be expanded to occupy a larger geographical distribution. This will help the population persist when exposed to stochastic factors (e.g. climate and disease) that may threaten a species consisting of only 200 adult individuals while inhabiting a rapidly changing landscape.
Reliability Prediction for Component-Based Software Systems with Architectural-Level Fault Tolerance Mechanisms

This paper extends the core model of a recent component-based reliability prediction approach to offer an explicit and flexible definition of reliability-relevant behavioral aspects (i.e. error detection and error handling) of software fault tolerance mechanisms, and an efficient evaluation of their reliability impact in the dependence of the whole system architecture and usage profile. Our approach is validated with the reporting service of a document exchange server, by modeling the reliability, conducting a reliability prediction and sensitivity analyses, and demonstrating its ability to support design decisions.
12 Inequality and Welfare: Is Europe Special?

This chapter reviews the literature about inequality and welfare with a particular focus on whether Europe has a special sensitivity to these matters or specific outcomes. It is argued that both statements are likely to be true, which raises the possibility of a causal link. Europe has relatively good results in terms of inequality and welfare in comparison with other continents and more specifically America, because these issues matter for European people. Still, research needs to be fostered in at least 5 areas that are detailed at the end of this review. Specific attention is devoted to the contribution of other social sciences and natural sciences (cognitive science) to the development of our knowledge for the field of inequality and welfare.
An Abnormal Nitric Oxide Metabolism Contributes to Brain Oxidative Stress in the Mouse Model for the Fragile X Syndrome, a Possible Role in Intellectual Disability

Background. Fragile X syndrome is the most common genetic cause of mental disability. Although many research has been performed, the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis is unclear and needs further investigation. Oxidative stress played major roles in the syndrome. The aim was to investigate the nitric oxide metabolism, protein nitration level, the expression of NOS isoforms, and furthermore the activation of the nuclear factor NF-κB-p65 subunit in different brain areas on the fragile X mouse model. Methods. This study involved adult male Fmr1-knockout and wild-type mice as controls. We detected nitric oxide metabolism and the activation of the nuclear factor NF-κBp65 subunit, comparing the mRNA expression and protein content of the three NOS isoforms in different brain areas. Results. Fmr1-KO mice showed an abnormal nitric oxide metabolism and increased levels of protein tyrosine nitrosylation. Besides that, nuclear factor NF-κB-p65 and inducible nitric oxide synthase appeared significantly increased in the Fmr1-knockout mice. mRNA and protein levels of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase appeared significantly decreased in the knockout mice. However, the epithelial nitric oxide synthase isoform displayed no significant changes. Conclusions. These data suggest the potential involvement of an abnormal nitric oxide metabolism in the pathogenesis of the fragile X syndrome.
Adenovirus-mediated transfer of a wild-type p53 gene and induction of apoptosis in cervical cancer.

In most cervical cancers, the function of p53 is down regulated. To explore the potential use of p53 in gene therapy for cervical cancer, we introduced wild-type p53 into cervical cancer cell lines via a recombinant adenoviral vector, Ad5CMV-p53, and analyzed its effects on cell and tumor growth. The transduction efficiencies of all cell lines were 100% at a multiplicity of infection of 100 or greater. The p53 protein was detected in Ad5CMV-p53-infected cells. Protein expression peaked at day 3 after infection and lasted 15 days. The Ad5CMV-p53-infected cells underwent apoptosis, and cell growth was greatly suppressed. The Ad5CMV-p53 treatment significantly reduced the volumes of established s.c. tumors in vivo. These results indicate that transfection of cervical cancer cells with the wild-type p53 gene via Ad5CMV-p53 is a potential novel approach to the therapy of cervical cancer.
Hip Osteonecrosis Is Associated with Increased Plasma IL-33 Level

The recently discovered IL-33 as an IL-1 cytokine family member has been proved to be specifically released from osteonecrotic bones. We aimed to investigate the potential role of IL-33 in the development of osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). Forty patients diagnosed with ONFH and forty age-, sex-, and body mass index- (BMI-) matched healthy subjects were included in this prospective study between March 2016 and September 2016. A commercially available ELISA kit was used to test the level of plasma IL-33. The IL-33 levels were compared among different ARCO stages, CJFH types, and etiology groups. Plasma IL-33 levels were significantly higher in the ONFH patients than that in the control subjects. The levels of IL-33 did not differ significantly among the ONFH patients with different ARCO stages. The IL-33 levels of patients with CJFH type L3 were significantly higher than that of patients with types L1 and L2. No significant differences were observed in IL-33 levels between steroid-induced, alcohol-induced, and idiopathic patients. Our findings seem to indicate that IL-33 effects may be detrimental during ONFH, which appeared to be associated with the prognosis of ONFH. The IL-33 deserves particular attention in the pathogenesis of ONFH.
Emotional regulation in infants of postpartum depressed mothers

A large body of evidence has accumulated which indicates that infants of postpartum depressed mothers are at risk for negative sequelae, including later psychopathology. However, methodological difficulties including discordant definitions of postpartum depression and the use of paradigms that have used the mother-infant relationship to assess infant emotional expression and regulation lead to a lack of consensus regarding the nature and transmission of that risk. This study sought to address those methodological difficulties by employing an established paradigm designed to elicit emotionality in infants, the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB; Goldsmith & Rothbart, 1999). Participants were 30 women who met DSM-IV criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), 50 women who did not meet MDD criteria, and their 8-13 month old infants. The women were recruited from five counties within Iowa, which contain both rural and urban centers. Consistent with state demographics, the sample was predominantly Caucasian. Mother-infant dyads were assessed approximately five months after the mother had completed a diagnostic interview. At that time six episodes from the Lab-TAB designed to elicit fear, anger, and positive affect were conducted. Emotional reactivity was coded used the AFFEX (Goldsmith & Rothbart, 1988) and composite scores were generated for each emotion. Infants of depressed mothers exhibited less intense pleasure to stimuli designed to elicit that emotion. There was also a slight, non-significant, trend for infants of depressed mothers to display more intense fear and to remain fearful longer. There was not a difference between the groups in anger expression. Emotional regulation was examined using a set of procedures set forth by
Increased gene expression of collagen Types I and III is inhibited by beta-receptor blockade in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

AIMS To elucidate the cellular mechanisms of cardioprotection of beta-blockers in patients with heart failure, we investigated the effects of beta-blockers on collagen synthesis in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS AND RESULTS We examined the gene expression before and 4 months after the administration of a beta-blocker in 17 DCM patients. The messenger ribonucleic acid expression of collagen Types I and III (Col I and III) and transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) of right ventricular tissues obtained by the endomyocardial biopsy were assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Cardiac sympathetic nerve activity was assessed by the washout rate (WR) of (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine from the heart. Left ventricular ejection fraction (21 +/- 7 vs. 35 +/- 9%) and WR (53+/-14 vs. 42 +/- 13%) improved significantly. Before the beta-blocker treatment, the expressions of both Col I (r = 0.560, P = 0.041) and Col III (r = 0.630, P = 0.008) genes were correlated with WR. The expression levels of both Col I (1.08 +/- 0.72 vs. 0.65 +/- 0.26, P = 0.024) and Col III (2.06 +/- 1.81 vs. 1.05 +/- 0.74, P = 0.018) were reduced by a beta-blocker. Changes in TGF-beta(1) correlated with those in WR (r = 0.606, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION beta-Blockers are considered to inhibit the expression of collagen-related genes in DCM, which seems to be mediated by TGF-beta(1).
THE TRANSITION TO POSTGRADUATE STUDY IN MATHEMATICS : A THINKING STYLES PERSPECTIVE

In this paper we focus on the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study in mathematics through the lens of the construct ‘thinking style’ as defined by Sternberg (1997). A cross-sectional study (N=54) was conducted in the Department of Mathematics of a large university in Greece. The data analysis reveals some statistically significant (though far from straightforward) stylistic differences between the undergraduate mathematics students and those who follow a taught graduate mathematics degree: the undergraduates appear to have a stronger preference for details, concreteness and conformity in their thinking than the postgraduates.
A wireless traffic smoother for soft real-time communications over IEEE 802.11 industrial networks

This paper addresses the problem of supporting soft real-time traffic over IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks in the presence of competing non-real-time traffic. The proposed solution is a wireless traffic smoother (WTS) which uses as inputs the throughput and the number of frame retransmissions at the MAC level. Combining these two inputs, the WTS is able to adapt the smoothing action to the current wireless network condition. The paper discusses the WTS, also highlighting the way it advances the current state of the art. Then, the WTS performance obtained from experiments performed on a real testbed, also in comparison to another approach recently proposed in the literature, is discussed.
Efficient and High-Performance Parallel Hardware Architectures for the AES-GCM

Since its acceptance as the adopted symmetric-key algorithm, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and its recently standardized authentication Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) have been utilized in various security-constrained applications. Many of the AES-GCM applications are power and resource constrained and require efficient hardware implementations. In this paper, different application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) architectures of building blocks of the AES-GCM algorithms are evaluated and optimized to identify the high-performance and low-power architectures for the AES-GCM. For the AES, we evaluate the performance of more than 40 S-boxes utilizing a fixed benchmark platform in 65-nm CMOS technology. To obtain the least complexity S-box, the formulations for the Galois Field (GF) subfield inversions in GF(24) are optimized. By conducting exhaustive simulations for the input transitions, we analyze the average and peak power consumptions of the AES S-boxes considering the switching activities, gate-level netlists, and parasitic information. Additionally, we present high-speed, parallel hardware architectures for reaching low-latency and high-throughput structures of the GCM. Finally, by investigating the high-performance GF(2128) multiplier architectures, we benchmark the proposed AES-GCM architectures using quadratic and subquadratic hardware complexity GF(2128) multipliers. It is shown that the performance of the presented AES-GCM architectures outperforms the previously reported ones in the utilized 65-nm CMOS technology.