Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alcohol Use and Perceptions of Alcohol Use Among Biology, Criminal Justice, Health Science, and Psychology Capstone Students at Grand Valley State University

This study brought the widely used Rutgers PRSP survey to upper level students in biology, criminal justice, health science and psychology capstone classes in the academic year of 2000/2001. The survey explores student perceptions of their own alcohol use, of their friends’ use, and that of other students. Data from 291 participants reveals gender differences in perception, differences in self-reported drinking habits among the four capstone groups, and differences between this group of participants and their expectations of other students’ drinking. These areas o f information along with other interesting findings give important insight into the upper level students of Grand Valley State University.
Self-consistent approach to neutral-current processes in supernova cores.

The problem of neutral-current processes (neutrino scattering, pair emission, pair absorption, axion emission, etc.) in a nuclear medium can be separated into an expression representing the phase space of the weakly interacting probe, and a set of dynamic structure functions of the medium. For a nonrelativistic medium we reduce the description to two structure functions {ital S}{sub {ital A}}({omega}) and {ital S}{sub {ital V}}({omega}) of the energy transfer, representing the axial-vector and vector interactions. {ital S}{sub {ital V}} is well determined by the single-nucleon approximation while {ital S}{sub {ital A}} may be dominated by multiply interacting nucleons. Unless the shape of {ital S}{sub {ital A}}({omega}) changes dramatically at high densities, scattering processes always dominate over pair processes for neutrino transport or the emission of right-handed states. Because the emission of right-handed neutrinos and axions is controlled by the same medium response functions, a consistent constraint on their properties from consideration of supernova cooling should use the same structure functions for both neutrino transport and exotic cooling mechanisms.
Focal expression of mutant huntingtin in the songbird basal ganglia disrupts cortico-basal ganglia networks and vocal sequences

Significance Genetic mutations that impair basal ganglia (BG) function affect sequential movements, but the link between genotype, BG circuit dysfunction, and altered behavior remains unclear. Here, we found that viral expression of a genetic mutation that causes Huntington’s disease (HD) in a vocalization-related region of the songbird BG leads to the selective loss of striatal medium spiny neurons, abnormal temporal patterns of cortico-BG activity during vocalization, and highly unstable vocal sequences. Moreover, silencing activity in the cortical component of this circuit stabilized vocalizations, supporting the idea that the genetic mutation that causes HD affects complex motor sequences by altering temporal patterns of cortico-BG activity. The basal ganglia (BG) promote complex sequential movements by helping to select elementary motor gestures appropriate to a given behavioral context. Indeed, Huntington’s disease (HD), which causes striatal atrophy in the BG, is characterized by hyperkinesia and chorea. How striatal cell loss alters activity in the BG and downstream motor cortical regions to cause these disorganized movements remains unknown. Here, we show that expressing the genetic mutation that causes HD in a song-related region of the songbird BG destabilizes syllable sequences and increases overall vocal activity, but leave the structure of individual syllables intact. These behavioral changes are paralleled by the selective loss of striatal neurons and reduction of inhibitory synapses on pallidal neurons that serve as the BG output. Chronic recordings in singing birds revealed disrupted temporal patterns of activity in pallidal neurons and downstream cortical neurons. Moreover, reversible inactivation of the cortical neurons rescued the disorganized vocal sequences in transfected birds. These findings shed light on a key role of temporal patterns of cortico-BG activity in the regulation of complex motor sequences and show how a genetic mutation alters cortico-BG networks to cause disorganized movements.
Crossing the threshold: Detecting network malfeasance via sequential hypothesis testing

The domain name system plays a vital role in the dependability and security of modern network. Unfortunately, it has also been widely misused for nefarious activities. Recently, attackers have turned their attention to the use of algorithmically generated domain names (AGDs) in an effort to circumvent network defenses. However, because such domain names are increasingly being used in benign applications, this transition has significant implications for techniques that classify AGDs based solely on the format of a domain name. To highlight the challenges they face, we examine contemporary approaches and demonstrate their limitations. We address these shortcomings by proposing an online form of sequential hypothesis testing that classifies clients based solely on the non-existent (NX) responses they elicit. Our evaluations on real-world data show that we outperform existing approaches, and for the vast majority of cases, we detect malware before they are able to successfully rendezvous with their command and control centers.
The Correlation Between Serum Adipokines and Liver Cell Damage in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common cause of chronic hepatitis, which can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between serum adipocytokines and the histologic findings of the liver in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Patients and Methods This case-control study was performed on those with persistent elevated liver enzymes and with evidence of fatty liver in ultrasonography. After exclusion of patients with other etiologies causing abnormal liver function tests, the resulting patients underwent liver biopsies. NAFLD was diagnosed based on liver histology according to the Brunt scoring system. Results Waist circumferences and levels of blood glucose (after fasting), insulin, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferases (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferases (AST) were higher in patients with NAFLD than in those in the control group. ALT, AST, and gamma glutamine transferase (GGT) levels were lower in patients with liver steatosis of a grade of less than 33% than those with higher degrees of steatosis. Serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol, and hepcidin levels were significantly higher in those with lobular inflammation of grade 0 - 1 than in those with inflammation of grade 2 - 3 (Brunt score). Meanwhile, AST was significantly lower in those with lobular inflammation of grade 1 than in those with grade 2-3. Hepcidin and resistin levels were significantly higher in patients with moderate to severe fibrosis than in those with mild fibrosis. Conclusions It seems that surrogate liver function tests and adipocytokine levels were correlated with the histologic findings of the liver.
Persistent Gammaherpesvirus Replication and Dynamic Interaction with the Host In Vivo

ABSTRACT Gammaherpesviruses establish life-long persistency inside the host and cause various diseases during their persistent infection. However, the systemic interaction between the virus and host in vivo has not been studied in individual hosts continuously, although such information can be crucial to control the persistent infection of the gammaherpesviruses. For the noninvasive and continuous monitoring of the interaction between gammaherpesvirus and the host, a recombinant murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68, a gammaherpesvirus 68) was constructed to express a firefly luciferase gene driven by the viral M3 promoter (M3FL). Real-time monitoring of M3FL infection revealed novel sites of viral replication, such as salivary glands, as well as acute replication in the nose and the lung and progression to the spleen. Continuous monitoring of M3FL infection in individual mice demonstrated the various kinetics of transition to different organs and local clearance, rather than systemically synchronized clearance. Moreover, in vivo spontaneous reactivation of M3FL from latency was detected after the initial clearance of acute infection and can be induced upon treatment with either a proteasome inhibitor Velcade or an immunosuppressant cyclosporine A. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the in vivo replication and reactivation of gammaherpesvirus are dynamically controlled by the locally defined interaction between the virus and the host immune system and that bioluminescence imaging can be successfully used for the real-time monitoring of this dynamic interaction of MHV-68 with its host in vivo.
Are homosexuals discriminated against in the hiring process

This paper presents the first field experiment on sexual orientation discrimination in the hiring process in the Swedish labor market. Job applications were sent to about 4,000 employers in 10 different occupations in Sweden. Gender and sexual orientation were randomly assigned to applications. The results show that sexual orientation discrimi-nation exists in the Swedish labor market. The discrimination against gays and lesbian varies across different occupations and appears only in the private sector. The results also seem to suggest a new dimension of traditional gender roles; the gay applicant was discriminated against in typical male-dominated occupations whereas the lesbian applicant was discriminated against in typical female-dominated occupations. Thus, the results suggest that gays to some extent face the same obstacles on the labor market as heterosexual women.
The dental treatment of patients with joint replacements: a position paper from the American Academy of Oral Medicine.

BACKGROUND In February 2009, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) published an information statement in which the organization "recommends that clinicians consider antibiotic prophylaxis [AP] for all total joint replacement patients prior to any invasive procedure that may cause bacteremia. " The leadership of the American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM) thought that there was a need to respond to this new statement. METHODS The authors reviewed the literature on this subject as it relates to the AAOS's February 2009 information statement. The draft of the resulting report was reviewed and approved by the leadership of the AAOM and several dentists in North America who have expertise on this subject. RESULTS The risk of patients' experiencing drug reactions or drug-resistant bacterial infections and the cost of antibiotic medications alone do not justify the practice of using AP in patients with prosthetic joints. CONCLUSIONS The authors identified the major points of concern for a future multidisciplinary, systematic review of AP use in patients with prosthetic joints. In the meantime, they conclude that the new AAOS statement should not replace the 2003 joint consensus statement. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Until this issue is resolved, dentists have three options: inform their patients with prosthetic joints about the risks associated with AP use and let them decide; continue to follow the 2003 guidelines; or suggest to the orthopedic surgeon that they both follow the 2003 guidelines.
Physiological responses of preterm newborn infants submitted to classical music therapy.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the physiological effects of music therapy on hospitalized preterm newborns. METHODS A noncontrolled clinical trial including 12 newborn infants with gestational age <36 weeks, spontaneously breathing. The preterm infants were submitted to 15-minute sessions of classical music therapy twice a day (morning and afternoon) for three consecutive days. The variables: heart and respiratory rates, oxygen saturation, diastolic and systolic arterial pressures, and body temperature were analyzed before and immediately after each music therapy session. RESULTS There was a decrease in the heart rate after the second session of music therapy (paired t-test; p=0.002), and an increase at the end of the third session (paired t-test; p=0.005). Respiratory rate decreased during the fourth and fifth sessions (paired t-test; p=0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Regarding oxygen saturation, there was an increase after the fifth session (p=0.008). Comparison of physiological parameters among sessions, for the six studied sessions, showed only that the gain in oxygen saturation during the fifth session was significantly higher than during the sixth one (Tukey's test after variance analysis; p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS Music therapy may modify short-term physiological responses of hospitalized preterm newborn infants.
Neuronal Gap Junction Coupling Is Regulated by Glutamate and Plays Critical Role in Cell Death during Neuronal Injury

In the mammalian CNS, excessive release of glutamate and overactivation of glutamate receptors are responsible for the secondary (delayed) neuronal death following neuronal injury, including ischemia, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and epilepsy. The coupling of neurons by gap junctions (electrical synapses) increases during neuronal injury. We report here that the ischemic increase in neuronal gap junction coupling is regulated by glutamate via group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Specifically, using electrotonic coupling, Western blots, and siRNA in the mouse somatosensory cortex in vivo and in vitro, we demonstrate that activation of group II mGluRs increases background levels of neuronal gap junction coupling and expression of connexin 36 (Cx36) (neuronal gap junction protein), and inactivation of group II mGluRs prevents the ischemia-mediated increases in the coupling and Cx36 expression. We also show that the regulation is via cAMP/PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase)-dependent signaling and posttranscriptional control of Cx36 expression and that other glutamate receptors are not involved in these regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, using the analysis of neuronal death, we show that inactivation of group II mGluRs or genetic elimination of Cx36 both dramatically reduce ischemia-mediated neuronal death in vitro and in vivo. Similar results are obtained using in vitro models of TBI and epilepsy. Our results indicate that neuronal gap junction coupling is a critical component of glutamate-dependent neuronal death. They also suggest that causal link among group II mGluR function, neuronal gap junction coupling, and neuronal death has a universal character and operates in different types of neuronal injuries.
Factors Affecting Teachers’ Evaluation from the Viewpoint of the Students’ at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Evaluation of teachers is considered among top priorities in an educational institution. Most of the universities around the world including universities in Iran have considered feedback from students as the only or main source of assessment of the quality of teaching process for many years. Regarding the existing disagreements in evaluation, the purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting teachers’ evaluation from the viewpoint Methods: This descriptive analytical study was performed with the participation of 848 students studying at second semester or above in 91-92 academic year. Self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect data. Content validity of the questionnaire was determined by the respective experts, and its reliability was calculated 0.73 through Chronbach’s alpha test. The results were analyzed by SPSS-16 using descriptive statistics, Kolmogrov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests. Results: Results showed that from the students’ viewpoint, the areas of teaching skills (74.93±17.06), teacher’s personal characteristics (71.23±15.43), physical features and time of course presentation (68.41±25.10), student’s personal characteristics and attitude (63.79±20.83), and the quality of evaluation process in the university were important, respectively. In addition, there was a significant difference between two genders in the areas of teaching skills (P=0.007) and teacher’s personal characteristics (P=0.015). Conclusion: In scope of teaching skills, the most important effective factors on teachers’ evaluation based on the students’ viewpoint were teachers’ knowledge and scientific proficiency in the course subject, teachers’ efforts to convey the course materials, and teacher’s manner of expression, respectively.
The Physical, Chemical and Physiological Limits of Life

Life on Earth displays an incredible diversity in form and function, which allows it to survive not only physical extremes, but also periods of time when it is exposed to non-habitable conditions. Extreme physiological adaptations to bridge non-habitable conditions include various dormant states, such as spores or tuns. Here, we advance the hypothesis that if the environmental conditions are different on some other planetary body, a deviating biochemistry would evolve with types of adaptations that would manifest themselves with different physical and chemical limits of life. In this paper, we discuss two specific examples: putative life on a Mars-type planet with a hydrogen peroxide-water solvent and putative life on a Titan-type planetary body with liquid hydrocarbons as a solvent. Both examples would have the result of extending the habitable envelope of life in the universe.
Organizing in the informal economy: a case study of the municipal waste management industry in South Africa

Examines features of the municipal waste management sector in South Africa, including the legal and policy context, and describes conditions of work and collective barraging arrangements. Provides an overview of worker and employer organizations and sets out a strategy for organizing waste management workers affected by externalization and informalization and for improving conditions of work in the sector.
Structural characterization of Fe–C coatings prepared by reactive triode-magnetron sputtering

Fe_1– x C_x coatings were synthesized by triode magnetron sputtering of an iron target in a methane/argon atmosphere with a large range of composition ( x = 0.3 to 0.6 ± 0.06). Film surfaces were characterized by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, and electron energy loss spectroscopy, to study effects of the variation of the methane gas flow rate on their structural properties. The coatings were constituted of the ε-Fe_3C carbide ( x = 0.3 and 0.36), in which carbon atoms are in octahedral sites, and of nanocomposite structure constituted of disordered and crystalline carbide nanograins embedded in a carbon matrix made of an amorphous and poorly crystallized graphenelike material ( x = 0.55 and 0.60). In situ annealing of the nanocomposite Fe_0. 45C_0.55 coating led to the formation of carbides θ-Fe_3C and Fe_7C_3 (with carbon atoms in prismatic sites) and C-rich cubic carbide possibly related to the τ_2-Fe_2C_7 compound.
Effect of a single dose of salmeterol on the increase in airway eosinophils induced by allergen challenge in asthmatic subjects

BACKGROUND The long acting β2 agonist salmeterol is very effective in preventing asthmatic responses to specific stimuli, and this effect could theoretically be due to some anti-inflammatory property in addition to bronchodilator property. METHODS The protective effect of a single dose of salmeterol (50 μg) on allergen induced early and late responses and on the associated airway inflammation was investigated in a double blind, placebo controlled, crossover study in 11 atopic asthmatic subjects. Eosinophil percentages and concentrations of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in peripheral blood and in hypertonic saline induced sputum were measured 24 hours after allergen inhalation. RESULTS Salmeterol effectively inhibited both early and late asthmatic responses in comparison with placebo. Salmeterol also inhibited the increase in the percentage of eosinophils in the sputum 24 hours after allergen inhalation (median (range) baseline 6% (1–36), after placebo 31% (5–75), after salmeterol 12% (1–63)). However, the increase in both sputum and serum ECP concentrations 24 hours after allergen challenge was not affected by pretreatment with salmeterol. CONCLUSIONS A single dose of salmeterol inhibits the allergen induced airway responses and the increase in sputum eosinophils after allergen challenge.
Intelligible models for classification and regression

Complex models for regression and classification have high accuracy, but are unfortunately no longer interpretable by users. We study the performance of generalized additive models (GAMs), which combine single-feature models called shape functions through a linear function. Since the shape functions can be arbitrarily complex, GAMs are more accurate than simple linear models. But since they do not contain any interactions between features, they can be easily interpreted by users. We present the first large-scale empirical comparison of existing methods for learning GAMs. Our study includes existing spline and tree-based methods for shape functions and penalized least squares, gradient boosting, and backfitting for learning GAMs. We also present a new method based on tree ensembles with an adaptive number of leaves that consistently outperforms previous work. We complement our experimental results with a bias-variance analysis that explains how different shape models influence the additive model. Our experiments show that shallow bagged trees with gradient boosting distinguish itself as the best method on low- to medium-dimensional datasets.
Effect of flat insoles with different Shore A values on posture stability in diabetic neuropathy

The objective of the study was to determine whether insoles with a low Shore A value (15°) as prescribed for patients with a diabetic neuropathy have a negative effect on posture stability because these insoles may reduce somatosensory input under the feet. It was conducted in the Center for Rehabilitation, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands The study was observational and conducted on 30 diabetic patients (aged 37 – 82 years) with a neuropathy. Posture stability (body sway) was assessed in a shoe without insole, on a flat insole with a low Shore A value (15°) and on a flat insole with a higher Shore A value (30°). These assessments were done under four different conditions: (1) eyes open, no dual-task, (2) eyes closed, no dual-task, (3) eyes open, dual-task (mental arithmetic) and (4) eyes closed, dual-task. Additionally 10 healthy controls (aged 27 – 51 years) were assessed similarly. A significantly higher root-mean-square (rms) value of the anterior-posterior velocity, Vy , was found in patients compared with controls (3.4 cm/s vs. 1.2 cm/s, p < 0.05). Also a significant difference in rms value of the anterior-posterior velocity, Vy , was found between eyes open and eyes closed (1.9 cm/s vs. 2.7 cm/s, p < 0.05). No significant effects were found for insoles or dual tasks for the total group. In diabetic patients no significant effect was found of insoles on posture stability. The effect of closed eyes on posture stability was significantly larger for diabetic patients compared to controls. It was found that prescribing insoles with a low Shore A value (15°), compared to insoles with a higher Shore A value (30°) has no significant negative effect on posture stability in patients with a diabetic neuropathy.