Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interaction Between Persistent Organic Pollutants and C-reactive Protein in Estimating Insulin Resistance Among Non-diabetic Adults

Objectives Chronic inflammation is now thought to play a key pathogenetic role in the associations of obesity with insulin resistance and diabetes. Based on our recent findings on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including the lack of an association between obesity and either insulin resistance or diabetes prevalence among subjects with very low concentrations of POPs, we hypothesized that POP concentrations may be associated with inflammation and modify the associations between inflammation and insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects. Methods Cross-sectional associations among serum POPs, C-reactive protein (CRP), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were investigated in 748 non-diabetic participants aged ≥20 years. Nineteen types of POPs in 5 subclasses were selected because the POPs were detectable in ≥60% of the participants. Results Among the five subclasses of POPs, only organochlorine (OC) pesticides showed positive associations with CRP concentrations, while polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) showed inverse associations with CRP concentrations. There were statistically significant interactions between CRP and OC pesticides and between CRP and PCBs, in estimating HOMA-IR (P for interaction <0.01 and <0.01, respectively). CRP was not associated with HOMA-IR among subjects with low concentrations of OC pesticides or PCBs, while CRP was strongly associated with HOMA-IR among subjects with high concentrations of these POPs. Conclusions In the current study, OC pesticides were associated with increased levels of CRP, a marker of inflammation, and both OC pesticides and PCBs may also modify the associations between CRP and insulin resistance.
Use of vegetative furrows to mitigate copper loads and soil loss in runoff from polyethylene (plastic) mulch vegetable production systems

The transport of runoff with high copper concentrations and sediment loads into adjacent surface waters can have adverse effects on nontarget organisms as a result of increased turbidity and degraded water quality. Runoff from vegetable production utilizing polyethylene mulch can contain up to 35% of applied copper, a widely used fungicide/bactericide that has adverse effects on aquatic organisms. Copper is primarily transported in runoff with suspended particulates; therefore, implementation of management practices that minimize soil erosion will reduce copper loads. Replacing bare‐soil furrows with furrows planted in rye (Secale cereale) significantly improved the sustainability of vegetable production with polyethylene mulch and reduced the potential environmental impact of this management practice. Vegetative furrows decreased runoff volume by >40% and soil erosion by >80%. Copper loads with runoff were reduced by 72% in 2001, primarily as a result of reduced soil erosion since more than 88% of the total copper loads were transported in runoff with suspended soil particulates. Tomato yields in both years were similar between the polyethylene mulch plots containing either bare‐soil or vegetative furrows. Replacing bare‐soil furrows with vegetative furrows greatly reduces the effects of sediments and agrochemicals on sensitive ecosystems while maintaining crop yields.
The Impact of Work Ethics on Performance Using Job Satisfaction and Affective Commitment as Mediating Variables: Evidences from Lecturers in Central Java

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of work ethics on performance using job satisfaction and affective commitment as mediating variables. The variables used include the dimensions of multidimensional work ethic profile (independent variable), job satisfaction and affective commitment (mediating variables), and performance (dependent variable). The survey research design was applied to meet the objective of this study, with 400 questionnaires had been sent to the lecturers in Central Java. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) was adopted to test some hypotheses developed in this study. The findings, based on the response rate of 76% (304 of the 400) of the questionnaires successfully collected and ready for analysis, are that not all dimensions of multidimensional work ethic profile directly influence the task performance, of the dimensions of multidimensional work ethic profile, only the dimension of hard work directly and significantly influence the task performance, job satisfaction mediates some of the dimensions of multidimensional work ethic profile on the task performance, and affective commitment do not mediate the influence of all dimensions of multidimensional work ethic profile on the task performance.
Elements of a Realistic Virtual Laboratory Experience in Materials Science: Development and Evaluation*

The development and evaluation of a realistic virtual materials science laboratory experiment on metallography is reported in this paper. This virtual laboratory is highly interactive and has been designed considering a number of learning styles. All standard laboratory functions such as stating the objectives of the experiment, background, procedure, analysis, and establishing conclusions are performed in a virtual environment. A novel `decision tree' structure is devised that allows the user to make decisions from an available menu of options (both correct and incorrect options are given) and view the results of the decision. The students can view the outcome of an incorrect decision using the decision tree concept. The objectives of this tool are to 1) emphasize and verify the learning objectives, 2) prepare the students for an actual in-class laboratory experiment, and 3) serve as a replacement experience for universities and colleges that do not have a materials science laboratory. Preliminary evaluation of the software by students has shown that the software can be effective in achieving the learning objectives and in serving as a preparation tool for laboratory students. An interactive version of this paper is available on the IJEE website (www.ijee.dit.ie).
Rigid 3D geometry matching for grasping of known objects in cluttered scenes

In this paper, we present an efficient 3D object recognition and pose estimation approach for grasping procedures in cluttered and occluded environments. In contrast to common appearance-based approaches, we rely solely on 3D geometry information. Our method is based on a robust geometric descriptor, a hashing technique and an efficient, localized RANSAC-like sampling strategy. We assume that each object is represented by a model consisting of a set of points with corresponding surface normals. Our method simultaneously recognizes multiple model instances and estimates their pose in the scene. A variety of tests shows that the proposed method performs well on noisy, cluttered and unsegmented range scans in which only small parts of the objects are visible. The main procedure of the algorithm has a linear time complexity resulting in a high recognition speed which allows a direct integration of the method into a continuous manipulation task. The experimental validation with a seven-degree-of-freedom Cartesian impedance controlled robot shows how the method can be used for grasping objects from a complex random stack. This application demonstrates how the integration of computer vision and soft-robotics leads to a robotic system capable of acting in unstructured and occluded environments.
Argument-Based Extended Logic Programming with Defeasible Priorities

ABSTRACT Inspired by legal reasoning, this paper presents a semantics and proof theory of a system for defeasible argumentation. Arguments are expressed in a logic-programming language with both weak and strong negation, conflicts between arguments are decided with the help of priorities on the rules. An important feature of the system is that these priorities are not fixed, but are themselves defeasibly derived as conclusions within the system. Thus debates on the choice between conflicting arguments can also be modelled. The semantics of the system is given with a fixpoint definition, while its proof theory is stated in dialectical style, where a proof takes the form of a dialogue between a proponent and an opponent of an argument: an argument is shown to be justified if the proponent can make the opponent run out of moves in whatever way the opponent attacks.
cMyc/miR-125b-5p Signalling Determines Sensitivity to Bortezomib in Preclinical Model of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas

Successful/effective cancer therapy in low grade lymphoma is often hampered by cell resistance to anti-neoplastic agents. The crucial mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are poorly understood. Overcoming resistance of tumor cells to anticancer agents, such as proteasome inhibitors, could improve their clinical efficacy. Using cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) as a model of the chemotherapy-resistant peripheral lymphoid malignancy, we demonstrated that resistance to proteasome inhibition involved a signaling between the oncogene cMyc and miR-125b-5p. Bortezomib repressed cMyc and simultaneously induced miR-125b-5p that exerted a cytoprotective effect through the downmodulation of MAD4. Overexpression of cMyc repressed miR-125b-5p transcription and sensitized lymphoma cells to bortezomib. The central role of miR-125b-5p was further confirmed in a mouse model of T-cell lymphoma, where xenotransplantation of human CTCL cells overexpressing miR-125b-5p resulted in enhanced tumor growth and a shorter median survival. Our findings describe a novel mechanism through which miR-125b-5p not only regulates tumor growth in vivo, but also increases cellular resistance to proteasome inhibitors via modulation of MAD4.
Using Semantic Web Technologies for Policy Management on the Web

With policy management becoming popular as a means of providing flexible Web security, the number of policy languages being proposed for the Web is constantly increasing. We recognize the importance of policies for securing the Web and believe that the future will only bring more policy languages. We do not, however, believe that users should be forced to conform the description of their policy relationships to a single standard policy language. Instead there should be a way of encompassing different policy languages and supporting heterogeneous policy systems. As a step in this direction, we propose Rein, a policy framework grounded in Semantic Web technologies, which leverages the distributed nature and linkability of the Web to provide Web-based policy management. Rein provides ontologies for describing policy domains in a decentralized manner and provides an engine for reasoning over these descriptions, both of which can be used to develop domain and policy language specific security systems. We describe the Rein policy framework and discuss how a Rein policy management systems can be developed for access control in an online photo sharing application.
TetraMabs: simultaneous targeting of four oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases for tumor growth inhibition in heterogeneous tumor cell populations

Monoclonal antibody-based targeted tumor therapy has greatly improved treatment options for patients. Antibodies against oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), especially the ErbB receptor family, are prominent examples. However, long-term efficacy of such antibodies is limited by resistance mechanisms. Tumor evasion by a priori or acquired activation of other kinases is often causative for this phenomenon. These findings led to an increasing number of combination approaches either within a protein family, e.g. the ErbB family or by targeting RTKs of different phylogenetic origin like HER1 and cMet or HER1 and IGF1R. Progress in antibody engineering technology enabled generation of clinical grade bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) to design drugs inherently addressing such resistance mechanisms. Limited data are available on multi-specific antibodies targeting three or more RTKs. In the present study, we have evaluated the cloning, eukaryotic expression and purification of tetraspecific, tetravalent Fc-containing antibodies targeting HER3, cMet, HER1 and IGF1R. The antibodies are based on the combination of single-chain Fab and Fv fragments in an IgG1 antibody format enhanced by the knob-into-hole technology. They are non-agonistic and inhibit tumor cell growth comparable to the combination of four parental antibodies. Importantly, TetraMabs show improved apoptosis induction and tumor growth inhibition over individual monospecific or BsAbs in cellular assays. In addition, a mimicry assay to reflect heterogeneous expression of antigens in a tumor mass was established. With this novel in vitro assay, we can demonstrate the superiority of a tetraspecific antibody to bispecific tumor antigen-binding antibodies in early pre-clinical development.
Work, retirement and working out: the construction of exercise and the social world of retired women

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to determine how retired women interpreted their exercise with respect to defining physical activity versus activity in general, identifying why they began and continued exercise, and knowing how much was ‘enough’ exercise. The results suggested four main themes. First, social support and socializing were important aspects of exercise that helped women complete any given session and ‘stick with it’. Second, women said that they felt better after they exercised and worse if they missed a class. Third, several women reported a ‘work-like’ sense of accomplishment after completing exercise classes; some described using exercise class as an organizing element in the day, something structured, scheduled and predictable, much in the way work imparts order to the day while employed. Lastly, some of the women indicated that they were busy, especially when asked about staying active, leading us to conclude that staying active may comingle with exercise.
Labour in the Academic Borderlands: Unveiling the Tyranny of Neoliberal Policies

The article examines the current conditions of labour within the neoliberal university, particularly with respect to the labour of borderland academics. Borderland is used in this instance to refer to the political space embodied by radical intellectuals across disciplines engaged in examining questions of class, race, gender and other social formations of inequality, through materialist perspectives. This work sets out an appeal for an emancipatory pedagogy and praxis by politically engaged academics, based on well-established foundations of revolutionary pedagogy, including Paulo Freire’s notion of social consciousness as an imperative of educational practice in higher education. Toward this end, a concrete use value of academic labour is discussed, promoting such commitments in our practice with students and colleagues to support possibilities for the emancipatory reshaping of academic work, institutions, and society.
Enlarging the Societal Pie Through Wise Legislation: A Psychological Perspective

We offer a psychological perspective to explain the failure of governments to create near-Pareto improvements. Our tools for analyzing these failures reflect the difficulties people have trading small losses for large gains: the fixed-pie approach to negotiations, the omission bias and status quo bias, parochialism and dysfunctional competition, and the neglect of secondary effects. We examine the role of human judgment in the failure to find wise trade-offs by discussing diverse applications of citizen and government decision making, including AIDS treatment, organ-donation systems, endangered-species protection, subsidies, and free trade. Our overall goal is to offer a psychological approach for understanding suboptimality in government decision making.
Predicting Abandonment of School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

This study examines predictors of abandonment of evidence-based practices through descriptive analyses of extant state-level training data, fidelity of implementation data, and nationally reported school demographic data across 915 schools in three states implementing school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS). Schools included in this study were tracked for a 5-year period after initial training, yet some elected to abandon SWPBIS at various times during implementation. Results showed that a small proportion of schools in the sample abandoned SWPBIS (7%). Logistic regression analysis identified school locale as the only statistically significant predictor of SWPBIS abandonment with schools located in cities being more likely to abandon. Results are discussed in terms of addressing types of schools at greater risk for abandonment and the importance of state-level training and coaching support.
State‐dependent sampling bias in insects: implications for monitoring western tarnished plant bugs

Insect populations vary in the proportion of individuals exhibiting a particular ‘state’ (e.g., developmental stage, sex, egg load, or nutritional status). Because an insect's developmental state often determines both its size and its behavior, it is likely that this will also affect the probability of being sampled. We propose that a comprehensive approach to pest management must consider the interaction between the structure of a pest population (i.e., the relative number of individuals in each state) and any state‐dependent sampling bias. To illustrate the usefulness of this method we sampled populations of the western tarnished pest bug, Lygus hesperus Knight (Heteroptera: Miridae), in cotton fields. Our sampling technique utilized large cages to measure the absolute densities of each L. hesperus stage and adult sex within a population. This technique allowed us to document a wide range of absolute stage structures and sex ratios across 10 L. hesperus populations in California. Using a combination of cage samples and sweep net samples, we quantified the state‐dependent sampling bias by calculating the efficiency of sweep sampling as a function of L. hesperus developmental stage and sex. We found that the efficiency of sweep nets increased steadily with each successive developmental stage (i.e., nymphal instar) of L. hesperus. We also found that sweep nets are slightly more efficient in capturing male vs. female L. hesperus adults. Since other studies have documented that the stage and sex of L. hesperus can affect feeding impact on cotton flower buds, our results suggest that accurate predictions of Lygus damage will need to incorporate stage and sex‐dependent sampling biases.
Nutritional therapy for epilepsy

*Corresponding author E mail: sadhanasathaye@hotmail.com J. Pharm. BioSci. 4(2013) 149-156 Abstract Extensive studies have been done to understand the patho-phyisology of epilepsy. Inspite of large number of antiepileptic drugs being available in the market, 30% of patients still suffer from epilepsy. Various experiments have been done to explore the association of dietary supplements in relieving symptoms of epilepsy and it suggests that dietary therapy shows important adjunct to the available antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Therefore, this review discusses current status of various dietary supplements (amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, vitamins, ketogenic diet, Atkin diet and herbal therapy) and the probable mechanisms of their efficacies. This would be helpful in their development as future nutritional therapy for the treatment of intractable epileptic disorders.
Reassessing Accuracy Rates for Median Decision Procedures

We re-examine the procedure of median decision making in the context of radiological determination of asbestosis by three B-readers. Our assessment addresses the specificity, sensitivity and predictive values from this procedure compared to merely an individual radiologist’s diagnosis. Conditional exchangeability of the radiologists’ classifications is recognised as more appropriate than independence which is often presumed. The framework of de Finetti’s fundamental theorem of probability makes the analysis tractable when it is formulated in terms of a linear programming problem, yielding coherent bounds on probabilities of interest even when a complete distribution is not specified. Further natural assertions motivate a partial ordering of conditional probabilities. In this context the computation of bounds develops into a quadratic programming problem. Using sensible assertions, the median decision procedure is found to be relatively weaker than has been thought based on the presumption of independence of radiologists’ assessments. However that presumption is also shown to overstate the predictive qualities of individual diagnoses. We re-evaluate substantive claims about the use of median X-ray decisions as an indicator of cancer.
Semi-Supervised Detection of Extreme Weather Events in Large Climate Datasets

The detection and identification of extreme weather events in large scale climate simulations is an important problem for risk management, informing governmental policy decisions and advancing our basic understanding of the climate system. Recent work has shown that fully supervised convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can yield acceptable accuracy for classifying well-known types of extreme weather events when large amounts of labeled data are available. However, there are many different types of spatially localized climate patterns of interest (including hurricanes, extra-tropical cyclones, weather fronts, blocking events, etc.) found in simulation data for which labeled data is not available at large scale for all simulations of interest. We present a multichannel spatiotemporal encoder-decoder CNN architecture for semi-supervised bounding box prediction and exploratory data analysis. This architecture is designed to fully model multi-channel simulation data, temporal dynamics and unlabelled data within a reconstruction and prediction framework so as to improve the detection of a wide range of extreme weather events. Our architecture can be viewed as a 3D convolutional autoencoder with an additional modified one-pass bounding box regression loss. We demonstrate that our approach is able to leverage temporal information and unlabelled data to improve localization of extreme weather events. Further, we explore the representations learned by our model in order to better understand this important data, and facilitate further work in understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change.
What do we need to know about humans? A view into the DanNet database

The first version of the Danish WordNet, DanNet, was released in March 2009 under an open source license similar to the Princeton Licence (cf. www.wordnet.dk). In order to present and discuss the set of encoded semantic information in a focused form and with some empirical data, we dive into a specific ontological type in the WordNet, namely humans. We present and discuss the information types in the lexical semantic resource for this ontological type, and we focus on the information types where DanNet constitutes an extension of the general WordNet framework, namely regarding taxonomical status of a hyponym, qualia structure and connotative information.