Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal Stimulus Shapes for Neuronal Excitation

An important problem in neuronal computation is to discern how features of stimuli control the timing of action potentials. One aspect of this problem is to determine how an action potential, or spike, can be elicited with the least energy cost, e.g., a minimal amount of applied current. Here we show in the Hodgkin & Huxley model of the action potential and in experiments on squid giant axons that: 1) spike generation in a neuron can be highly discriminatory for stimulus shape and 2) the optimal stimulus shape is dependent upon inputs to the neuron. We show how polarity and time course of post-synaptic currents determine which of these optimal stimulus shapes best excites the neuron. These results are obtained mathematically using the calculus of variations and experimentally using a stochastic search methodology. Our findings reveal a surprising complexity of computation at the single cell level that may be relevant for understanding optimization of signaling in neurons and neuronal networks.
Students' Perceptions of a Highly Controversial yet Keystone Species, the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog: A Case Study

The authors used a case-study methodology to explore the perceptions of 30 9th-grade biology students relative to black-tailed prairie dogs. The case study, which involved classroom- and field-based experiences that focused on black-tailed prairie dogs, revealed 3 major themes: apathy, egocentrism, and naive conceptions. The authors had hoped that these experiences would promote a change in attitude and understanding among the participants relative to black-tailed prairie dogs. Given the findings of this study and the current literature, the authors provide suggestions for educators attempting to promote change in attitude toward target species of wildlife.
Bedtime procrastination: introducing a new area of procrastination

Background: Procrastination is a prevalent and problematic phenomenon that has mostly been studied in the domain of academic behavior. The current study shows that procrastination may also lead to harmful outcomes in the area of health behavior, introducing bedtime procrastination as an important factor related to getting insufficient sleep and consequently affecting individual well-being. Bedtime procrastination is defined as failing to go to bed at the intended time, while no external circumstances prevent a person from doing so. Methods: To empirically support the conceptual introduction of bedtime procrastination, an online survey study was conducted among a community sample (N = 177). The relationship between bedtime procrastination and individual difference variables related to self-regulation and general procrastination was assessed. Moreover, it was investigated whether bedtime procrastination was a predictor of self-reported sleep outcomes (experienced insufficient sleep, hours of sleep, fatigue during the day). Results: Bedtime procrastination was negatively associated with self-regulation: people who scored lower on self-regulation variables reported more bedtime procrastination. Moreover, self-reported bedtime procrastination was related to general reports of insufficient sleep above and beyond demographics and self-regulation. Conclusions: Introducing a novel domain in which procrastinators experience problems, bedtime procrastination appears to be a prevalent and relevant issue that is associated with getting insufficient sleep.
Variability in deaf children’s spelling : The effect of language experience

French-speaking hearing and deaf children, ranging in age from 6 years 10 months to 14 years 7 months were required to spell words including phoneme-to-grapheme correspondences that were either statistically dominant or nondominant. Of interest was whether the nature of linguistic experience (cued speech vs. sign language) and the precocity of such experience (early vs. late exposure) determines accuracy in the use of phoneme-to-grapheme knowledge. Cued speech is a system delivering phonemically augmented speechreading through the visual modality. Hearing and deaf children exposed to cued speech early at home relied on accurate phoneme-to-grapheme correspondences, whereas children exposed to cued speech later and at school only, and children exposed to sign language, did not. A critical factor in the development of the phonological route for spelling seems to be early and intensive exposure to a system making all phonological distinctions easily perceivable.
Adhesion mechanisms involved in C5a‐induced eosinophil homotypic aggregation

During the process of migration into tissues, leukocytes interact primarily with vascular endothelial cells but they have also been shown to interact with each other. In this study we investigated the adhesion mechanisms involved in guinea pig eosinophil homotypic aggregation as assessed by changes in light transmission. The anti‐CD18 monoclonal antibody (mAb) 6.5E, at concentrations in excess of those previously shown to abrogate CD18‐dependent eosinophil adherence to serum‐coated plastic, inhibited C5a‐induced eosinophil aggregation to a maximum of 49–68%. In contrast, the anti‐intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) mAb RR1/1, which binds to guinea pig eosinophils and has been shown to block guinea pig ICAM‐1 function, had no effect on C5a‐induced responses. Similarly, two functionally active anti‐very late antigen‐4 (VLA‐4) mAbs had no effect on eosinophil aggregation and did not affect the CD18‐independent component of the aggregation response. The role of L‐selectin in eosinophil aggregation was investigated by using heparin, the selectin‐binding polysaccharide fucoidin, and the anti‐L‐selectin mAb MEL‐14. Heparin concentration‐dependently inhibited C5a‐ and platelet‐ activating factor‐ (PAF) induced aggregation but C5a‐induced responses were inhibited more potently. Fucoidin, but not the carbohydrate dermatan sulphate, effectively inhibited C5a‐induced eosinophil aggregation. PMA‐ and PAF‐induced responses were also inhibited by fucoidin. Moreover, fucoidin and 6.5E were additive in their ability to inhibit C5a‐induced aggregation. Similarly, MEL‐14 effectively inhibited C5a‐induced eosinophil aggregation. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that guinea pig eosinophil homotypic aggregation is mostly dependent on CD11/CD18 and L‐selectin present on the eosinophil surface. In addition, VLA‐4 plays no role in mediating this aggregation response.
Switches under real Internet traffic

We propose a novel methodology to generate realistic traffic traces to be used for the performance evaluation of switches. Indeed, real Internet traffic shows long and short range dependency characteristics, difficult to capture by flexible, yet simple, synthetic models. One option is to use real traffic traces, which, however, are difficult to obtain, as it requires traffic to be captured in different places, with synchronization and management problems. We therefore present a methodology to generate several synthetic traffic traces from a single real trace of packets, by carefully grouping packets belonging to the same flow in order to guarantee keeping the statistical properties of the original trace. After formalizing the problem, we solve it and apply the results to assess the performance of scheduling algorithms in high performance switches, comparing the results to other simpler traffic models traditionally adopted in the switching community. Our results show that realistic traffic degrades the performance of the switch by more than one order of magnitude with respect to traditional traffic models.
Exploring Safe Sleep and SIDS Risk Perception in an African-American Community: Focused Ethnography.

OBJECTIVES Explore the cultural influences of safe sleep practices by African-American caregivers of children under 2 years old. Explore the role of health care professionals in promoting safe sleep. DESIGN AND SAMPLE A focused ethnography was used to understand the contextual cultural meaning and experiences of safe sleep practices of African-American caregivers of children under 2 years. Nineteen African-Americans participated in this study. MEASURES Demographic data were collected and semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals and small groups. Saturation of the data occurred after 17 interviews. Data were analyzed using Leininger's four Phases of qualitative data analysis. RESULTS (Themes): (1) The informants expressed both accurate and inaccurate knowledge of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and safe sleep practices influenced by personal experiences, hospital education, family, extended family and television; (2) Sleeping with infants and children was viewed as a cultural caring behavior promoting comfort, closeness and protection for infants, children, parents and caregivers; (3) The informants want and are seeking collaboration with nurses and health care professionals who are viewed as important in promoting accurate information about SIDS and safe sleep practices. CONCLUSION The role of the nurse can impact accurate outcomes about SIDS and safe sleep practices.
Results of arthroscopic treatment of chondral delamination in femoroacetabular impingement with bone marrow stimulation and BST-CarGel®

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to show the preliminary results of using chitosan-based scaffold (BST-CarGel®) with microfracture for treatment of acetabular chondral delamination associated with femoroacetabular impingement. Methods: A prospective study was performed on 13 hips. Patients were selected in the age group between 18 and 50 years. Patients with delamination of acetabular cartilage associated with femoroacetabular impingement received arthroscopic debridement and microfracture technique. Then cases with defect > 2 cm2 were considered for the application of BST-CarGel® and included in the study. Also, reattachment of the torn labrum and resection of the cam deformity were performed according to the case. For evaluation of the functional outcome, the patients had completed the hip outcome score (HOS) pre- and post-operatively. For evaluation of the regeneration of the cartilage, delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) was used and the percentage of defect filling and type of cartilage studied. Results: Patients had a mean age of 41 years, with moderate to high level of activity (mean Tegner scale 7). The mean size of the chondral defect after debridement was 3.7 cm2. The mean HOS for daily live activities has been improved from 64.4 to 87.4 and for sports subscale from 35.2 to 75.2, which is statistically highly significant. All patients had > 90% of filling of chondral defect. Conclusion: The use of BST-CarGel® with microfracture for treatment of acetabular chondral delamination associated with femoroacetabular impingement can improve the functional outcome at two years, with a complete restoration of the cartilage defect in magnetic resonance images (MRI) with specific cartilage sequences.
Toward terminological, conceptual, and statistical clarity in the study of mediators and moderators: examples from the child-clinical and pediatric psychology literatures.

Numerous recent attempts to identify mediated and moderated effects in child-clinical and pediatric research on child adjustment have been characterized by terminological, conceptual, and statistical inconsistencies. To promote greater clarity, the terms mediating and moderating are defined and differentiated. Recommended statistical strategies that can be used to test for these effects are reviewed (i.e., multiple regression and structural equation modeling techniques). The distinction between mediated and indirect effects is also discussed. Examples of troublesome and appropriate uses of these terms in the child-clinical and pediatric psychology literatures are highlighted.
Transcript Analysis of Multiple Copies ofamo (Encoding Ammonia Monooxygenase) and hao(Encoding Hydroxylamine Oxidoreductase) in Nitrosomonas europaea

ABSTRACT The genes encoding ammonia monooxygenase (amoCAB), hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (hao), and thec-type cytochrome c-554 (hcy) are present in multiple copies in the genome of Nitrosomonas europaea. The upstream regions of the two copies ofamoC, the three copies of hao, and one copy ofhcy were cloned and sequenced. Primer extension reactions were done to identify transcription start sites for these genes, as well as for amoA. Putative ς70 promoter sequences were found associated with all but one of the mapped transcription start sites. Primer extensions were done withamoC primers using RNA harvested from cells incubated with and without ammonium. The experiments suggested that N. europaea cells may be able to use different promoters in the presence and absence of ammonium.
Combining Narration‐Based Interviews with Topical Interviews: Methodological Reflections on Research Practices

While qualitative interviewing methods based on story telling are powerful in eliciting narrations that are structured according to interviewees’ relevance systems, topical interviewing can build upon existing knowledge resulting from prior (interpretational) work. The problem‐centred interview (PCI) is an attempt to integrate both styles of qualitative interviewing and is presently in wide use in the German‐language social scientific community. It is especially helpful for research endeavours that focus on biographical experiences and orientations from individuals’ perspective. Within one interview session, the PCI combines an open narrative beginning with a more structured thematic interview. This article discusses the advantages and limitations of such a combination by introducing an example of its potential use within a research project on biographical orientations in migration processes. The PCI is also placed within the existing canon of qualitative interview methods and methodologies, highlighting its merits as well as its crucial problems.
Influence of Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching and Learning on the Implementation of Assessment for Learning in Inquiry Study.

Assessment for learning is a worldwide initiative. With the aim of learning about the influence of teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of assessment for learning on daily teaching practices, this study investigated the implementation of assessment for learning using rubrics as a tool for inquiry study. Nineteen secondary school teachers using rubrics were interviewed. The findings show that a narrow perspective of rubrics as a tool for current teaching practice limits teachers’ creativity in extending the possibilities of assessment for learning to improve the teaching and learning of inquiry study. The paper draws attention to the influence of teachers’ prior perceptions, and provides suggestions for expanding teachers’ perspectives of assessment for learning and utilising rubrics as an integral element of the teaching and learning of inquiry study.
Time Perspective and Career Decision-Making Difficulties in Adults

Decision making is not only contingent upon what takes place in the present but also on how one feels about the past and one’s hopes for the future. However, when it comes to time perspective and career decision making, vocational psychology has focused exclusively on future time perspective. The present study examines the relations among past, present, and future time perspectives and career decision-making difficulties in a sample of 195 adults seeking career counseling services. Participants completed the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) and the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ). Results from canonical correlation analysis produced three significant canonical variates. The results indicate that different patterns in time perspective are associated with different types of career decision-making difficulties. Areas for future research regarding time perspective and career decision making are discussed.
Particle hydrodynamics with tessellation techniques

Um Galaxien, Galaxienhaufen oder noch grosere Strukturen im Universum detailliert zu simulieren, benotigt man eine korrekte Simulation des in diesen Objekten vorhandenen Gases. Eine Moglichkeit zur Simulation dieses Gases bietet das etablierte Verfahren ``Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH)''. Diese Methode empfiehlt sich besonders wegen ihrer intrinsischen geometrischen Flexibilitat und ihrer adaptiven Auflosung. Neuere Untersuchungen zeigten aber, dass SPH in Situationen, in denen grose Dichtesprunge auftreten, ungenau wird. Hier kann es zu einem unphysikalisch verlangsamten Wachstum von hydrodynamischen Instabilitaten kommen. Diese Probleme von SPH konnen vor allem auf systematisch bedingte Ungenauigkeiten in der Dichtebestimmung dieser Methode zuruckgefuhrt werden. Um diese Probleme zu vermeiden, haben wir eine neue ``Voronoi Particle Hydrodynamics'' (VPH) genannte Methode enwickelt, um die Hydrodynamik zu simulieren. Dabei wird die Dichte der Simulationsteilchen mit Hilfe eines zusatzlichen Gitters bestimmt. Dieses Gitter ist eine Voronoi Pflasterung, die auf auf den Positionen der Teilchen basiert. Mit Hilfe dieses Prinzips konnen hydrodynamische Instabilitaten korrekt simuliert werden. Situationen, in denen Scherstromungen entlang groser Dichtesprunge auftreten und zu hydrodynamische Instabilitaten fuhren, sind besonders ungunstig fur SPH, da es hier zu grosen Ungenauigkeiten kommen kann. Eine Anwendung, in der solche Situationen zu erwarten sind, ist der Einfall einer Galaxie in einen Galaxienhaufen. Dabei verliert die Galaxie aufgrund des anstromenden Galaxienhaufen-Gases zunehmend Gas an den Galaxienhaufen. Da SPH aufgrund seiner Dichtebestimmung diesen Prozess nicht korrekt simuliert, ermittelt SPH einen zu geringen Verlust von Gas. Wir konnten dies mit Hilfe unserer Simulationen belegen. Wir haben diese Resultate sowohl mit Simulationen von Galaxien, die in einen Galaxienhaufen fallen, als auch mit kosmologischen Simulationen von sich bildenden Galaxienhaufen uberpruft. Dort bestatigte sich, dass in SPH der Gasverlust der einfallenen Galaxien zu gering ist. Desweiteren ist der Gasverlust in den AREPO Simulationen stets am hochsten, wahrend VPH eine mittlere Stellung einnimmt. Wir konnten ingesamt zeigen, dass VPH in Situationen mit grosem Dichtekontrast eine Verbesserung zu SPH darstellt. Auch wenn unsere Resultate keine vollstandige Ubereinstimmung mit dem Gitter-basierten AREPO Code zeigen, stellen sie doch eine wichtige Annahrung zwischen Teilchen- und Gitter-basierten hydrodynamischen Verfahren dar. VPH empfiehlt sich vor allem als eine gegenuber SPH verbesserte Methode zur Simulation von hydrodynamischen Prozesssen in kosmologischen Problemen.
Teachers' Interpretations of Second Language Teaching Curricula

A view of the curricular/teaching/learning process held either implicitly or explicitly in many education systems and second language teaching situations, is what Hutchinson (1988) calls the &dquo;input model&dquo;, where the implementation of the program is assumed to move in a linear fashion from top to bottom: overall educational objectives are set by a ministry or planning body, a syllabus is designed to carry out these objectives, materials are developed to instantiate the syllabus, the teaching is carried out to teach the content presented in the materials, and, finally, the learners are evaluated on the degree to which they have learned this content. A version of this model is presented in Figure 1.
Free vibration of microscaled Timoshenko beams

In this paper, a comprehensive model is presented to investigate the influence of surface elasticity and residual surface tension on the natural frequency of flexural vibrations of microbeams in the presence of rotary inertia and shear deformation effects. An explicit solution is derived for the natural oscillations of microscaled Timoshenko beams considering surface effects. The analytical results are illustrated with numerical examples in which two types of microbeams are configured based on Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theory considering surface elasticity and residual surface tension. The natural frequencies of vibration are calculated for selected beam length on the order of nanometer to microns and the results are compared with those corresponding to the classical beam models, emphasizing the differences occurring when the surface effects are significant. It is found that the nondimensional natural frequency of the vibration of micro and nanoscaled beams is size dependent and for limiting cas.
Vitamin A status of children in the urban slums of Karachi, Pakistan, assessed by clinical, dietary, and biochemical methods.

We assessed the vitamin A status of 532 children with an age range of 6-60 months who were living in slum areas of Karachi, Pakistan, using three methodologies: clinical eye examination, dietary vitamin A intake, and serum retinol level. No definite clinical signs of xerophthalmia were observed in any of these children. The mean +/- SD vitamin A intake estimated from a food frequency questionnaire for the group with inadequate (low and deficient) serum retinol levels (< 20 micrograms/dl) was 362 +/- 332 retinol equivalents (RE) compared with 431 +/- 332) RE in the group with adequate serum levels (P < 0.005). Deficient serum retinol levels (< 10 micrograms/dl) were present in 12 children (2%); two of these had a healed corneal scar. Low serum retinol levels (10-19 micrograms/dl) were present in 46%, while 51% children had adequate levels (> or = 20 micrograms/dl). The mean +/- SD serum retinol level for the inadequate (< 20 micrograms/dl) and adequate groups were 15.3 +/- 2.8 and 26.6 +/- 6.7 micrograms/dl, respectively. These results suggest that a significant number of children in these communities have low vitamin A levels and thus may constitute an at risk group. These results also suggest that the dietary intake method may be a simple and inexpensive screening tool for assessment of vitamin A status in communities.
Flow-Gradient Patterns in Severe Aortic Stenosis With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Clinical Characteristics and Predictors of Survival

Background— Among patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and preserved ejection fraction, those with low gradient (LG) and reduced stroke volume may have an adverse prognosis. We investigated the prognostic impact of stroke volume using the recently proposed flow-gradient classification. Methods and Results— We examined 1704 consecutive patients with severe AS (aortic valve area <1.0 cm2) and preserved ejection fraction (≥50%) using 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. Patients were stratified by stroke volume index (<35 mL/m2 [low flow, LF] versus ≥35 mL/m2 [normal flow, NF]) and aortic gradient (<40 mm Hg [LG] versus ≥40 mm Hg [high gradient, HG]) into 4 groups: NF/HG, NF/LG, LF/HG, and LF/LG. NF/LG (n=352, 21%), was associated with favorable survival with medical management (2-year estimate, 82% versus 67% in NF/HG; P<0.0001). LF/LG severe AS (n=53, 3%) was characterized by lower ejection fraction, more prevalent atrial fibrillation and heart failure, reduced arterial compliance, and reduced survival (2-year estimate, 60% versus 82% in NF/HG; P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, the LF/LG pattern was the strongest predictor of mortality (hazard ratio, 3.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.71–6.22; P<0.001 versus NF/LG). Aortic valve replacement was associated with a 69% mortality reduction (hazard ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.25–0.39; P<0.0001) in LF/LG and NF/HG, with no survival benefit associated with aortic valve replacement in NF/LG and LF/HG. Conclusions— NF/LG severe AS with preserved ejection fraction exhibits favorable survival with medical management, and the impact of aortic valve replacement on survival was neutral. LF/LG severe AS is characterized by a high prevalence of atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and reduced survival, and aortic valve replacement was associated with improved survival. These findings have implications for the evaluation and subsequent management of AS severity.