Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure of the Creative Achievement Questionnaire

The Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ) is a new self-report measure of creative achievement that assesses achievement across 10 domains of creativity. It was designed to be objective, empirically valid, and easy to administer and score. Study 1 established test-retest reliability (r = .81, p < .0001) and internal consistency reliability (a = .96) in a sample of 117 undergraduate students. Study 2 established predictive validity of the CAQ against artist ratings of a creative product, a collage (r = .59, p < .0001, n = 39). Study 3 (n = 86) established convergent validity with other measures of creative potential, including divergent thinking tests (r = .47, p < .0001), the Creative Personality Scale (Gough, 1979; r = .33, p = .004), Intellect (Goldberg, 1992; r = .51, p < .0001), and Openness to Experience (Costa & McCrae, 1992; r = .33, p = .002). Study 4 established discriminant validity between the CAQ and both IQ and self-serving bias. Study 5 examined the factor structure of the CAQ. A three-factor solution identified Expressive, Scientific, and Performance factors of creative achievement. A two-factor solution identified an Arts factor and a Science factor.
Au-Sn Solid-Liquid Interdiffusion (SLID) bonding for piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers

This paper presents a bonding technique based on gold-tin (Au-Sn) intermetallics to bond an active layer to a backing material in a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer stack. The bonding process was performed at 310°C. The temperature ramping rate was found to play an important role to the bond quality. Three different bonding temperature profiles P1, P2 and P3 corresponding to a ramping rate 120°C/min., 45°C/min. and 20°C/min., respectively, were investigated. The bonded samples were characterized by electrical impedance measurements in air and cross-sectional microscopy inspection. The most reproducible bondlines were found to be with the heating rate 120°C/min. The resulted bondlines show a layered structure of Au/Au-Sn intermetallic/Au with a corresponding average thickness of 5 μm/17 μm/5 μm, respectively. Based upon energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, the obtained Au-Sn intermetallic compounds are found in good agreement with those from literature. A 64-element one dimensional array formed by Au-Sn SLID method was fabricated and electrical impedance across elements was measured. The results show a good uniformity across elements in the array, and good accordance to Finite Element simulations from COMSOL. This shows the feasibility of using SLID bonding technology to assembly stacks of piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers.
Evolution of Skin Temperature after the Application of Compressive Forces on Tendon, Muscle and Myofascial Trigger Point

Some assessment and diagnosis methods require palpation or the application of certain forces on the skin, which affects the structures beneath, we highlight the importance of defining possible influences on skin temperature as a result of this physical contact. Thus, the aim of the present study is to determine the ideal time for performing thermographic examination after palpation based on the assessment of skin temperature evolution. Randomized and crossover study carried out with 15 computer-user volunteers of both genders, between 18 and 45 years of age, who were submitted to compressive forces of 0, 1, 2 and 3 kg/cm2 for 30 seconds with a washout period of 48 hours using a portable digital dynamometer. Compressive forces were applied on the following spots on the dominant upper limb: myofascial trigger point in the levator scapulae, biceps brachii muscle and palmaris longus tendon. Volunteers were examined by means of infrared thermography before and after the application of compressive forces (15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes). In most comparisons made over time, a significant decrease was observed 30, 45 and 60 minutes after the application of compressive forces (p < 0.05) on the palmaris longus tendon and biceps brachii muscle. However, no difference was observed when comparing the different compressive forces (p > 0.05). In conclusion, infrared thermography can be used after assessment or diagnosis methods focused on the application of forces on tendons and muscles, provided the procedure is performed 15 minutes after contact with the skin. Regarding to the myofascial trigger point, the thermographic examination can be performed within 60 minutes after the contact with the skin.
A nation 'living in different places': Notes on the impossible work of purification in postcolonial Sri Lanka

The article explores the relationship between migration and the nation-state in Sri Lanka. In particular, it investigates the shifting political and moral responses to the movement of human populations in the colonial and postcolonial periods. From at least the mid- 19th century, migration was seen as something requiring active 'management' by colonial officials; with the emergence of mass politics in the 1930s, new rhetorics of national purity are invoked. Theoretically, the article makes two points. The first is to treat all kinds of movement-internal and external—as potentially a single phenomenon. The other is to treat the disparity between the ideal of a bounded and static national popu lation, and the inevitably messier reality of movement, as a necessary and inevitable feature of political modernity.
Inverse Regulation of Early and Late Chondrogenic Differentiation by Oxygen Tension Provides Cues for Stem Cell-Based Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Background/Aims: Multipotent stem/stromal cells (MSC) are considered promising for cartilage tissue engineering. However, chondrogenic differentiation of MSC can ultimately lead to the formation of hypertrophic chondrocytes responsible for the calcification of cartilage. To prevent the production of this calcified matrix at the articular site, the late hypertrophic differentiation of MSCs must be carefully controlled. Given that articular cartilage is avascular, we hypothesized that in addition to its stimulatory role in the early differentiation of chondrogenic cells, hypoxia may prevent their late hypertrophic conversion. Methods: Early and late chondrogenic differentiation were evaluated using human adipose MSC and murine ATDC5 cells cultured under either normoxic (21%O2) or hypoxic (5%O2) conditions. To investigate the effect of hypoxia on late chondrogenic differentiation, the transcriptional activity of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) and HIF-2α were evaluated using the NoShift DNA-binding assay and through modulation of their activity (chemical inhibitor, RNA interference). Results: Our data demonstrate that low oxygen tension not only stimulates the early chondrogenic commitment of two complementary models of chondrogenic cells, but also inhibits their hypertrophic differentiation. Conclusion: These results suggest that hypoxia can be used as an instrumental tool to prevent the formation of a calcified matrix in MSC-based cartilage tissue engineering.
Fascin, an actin-bundling protein expression in cervical neoplasms.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION Our objectives were (1) to examine expression of fascin in cervical tissues with chronic inflammation, intraepithelial neoplasms and invasive carcinomas, and (2) to investigate the role of fascin on endothelial migration and angiogenesis in cervical neoplasms. METHODS In this study we investigated by means of immunohistochemistry fascin expression in 92 cervical biopsy samples representative of chronic inflammation (n=13), squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs, n = 33) and invasive carcinomas (n = 46). RESULTS Various degrees of fascin expression were observed in 94% of the samples of SILs, in 67% of the samples of invasive cervical carcinoma and in 69% of the samples of chronic inflammation. Total epithelial fascin scores of samples were significantly higher in high-grade (H)SILs compared to low-grade (L)SILs, invasive carcinoma and chronic inflammation of the cervix (p < 0.05). Mean microvessel count was 55.00 +/- 5.17 in HSILs, 40.76 +/- 3.57 in LSILs, 37.11 +/- 2.91 in carcinoma and 25.69 +/- 3.98 in chronic inflammation. We found a significantly higher microvessel count in HSILs compared to invasive carcinoma and chronic inflammation (respectively, p = .004, p = .000). CONCLUSION Epithelial fascin expression up-regulated when the malignant tumor cell phenotype had occurred in the cervix. Similarly, microvessel count increased with the beginning of cervical tumorigenesis.
Relationship building in empowering leadership processes: A test of mediation and moderationa

Abstract The direct positive relationship between empowering leadership and subordinate empowerment is well established. However, leader–member exchange (LMX) research, which concerns a leader’s relationship-building with subordinates in a work unit, suggests that the direct leader empowering–subordinate empowerment association may be more complex than understood in the current literature. Accordingly, this study examined LMX theory-based mediation and moderation processes occurring between empowering leadership and subordinate empowerment. In a field study employing 132 administrative workers in 26 work groups, as expected, an individual subordinate’s perceived LMX mediated the positive effects of empowering leadership on the subordinate’s psychological empowerment. In addition, LMX differentiation cross-level moderated the linkage between empowering leadership and perceived LMX. Together, study findings suggest that subordinates’ perceived LMX in a dyadic relationship with a leader and in a work group needs to be carefully considered in empowering leadership processes.
Heterogeneous gene expression signatures correspond to distinct lung pathologies and biomarkers of disease severity in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background There is microscopic spatial and temporal heterogeneity of pathological changes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) lung tissue, which may relate to heterogeneity in pathophysiological mediators of disease and clinical progression. We assessed relationships between gene expression patterns, pathological features, and systemic biomarkers to identify biomarkers that reflect the aggregate disease burden in patients with IPF. Methods Gene expression microarrays (N=40 IPF; 8 controls) and immunohistochemical analyses (N=22 IPF; 8 controls) of lung biopsies. Clinical characterisation and blood biomarker levels of MMP3 and CXCL13 in a separate cohort of patients with IPF (N=80). Results 2940 genes were significantly differentially expressed between IPF and control samples (|fold change| >1.5, p<0.05). Two clusters of co-regulated genes related to bronchiolar epithelium or lymphoid aggregates exhibited substantial heterogeneity within the IPF population. Gene expression in bronchiolar and lymphoid clusters corresponded to the extent of bronchiolisation and lymphoid aggregates determined by immunohistochemistry in adjacent tissue sections. Elevated serum levels of MMP3, encoded in the bronchiolar cluster, and CXCL13, encoded in the lymphoid cluster, corresponded to disease severity and shortened survival time (p<10−7 for MMP3 and p<10−5 for CXCL13; Cox proportional hazards model). Conclusions Microscopic pathological heterogeneity in IPF lung tissue corresponds to specific gene expression patterns related to bronchiolisation and lymphoid aggregates. MMP3 and CXCL13 are systemic biomarkers that reflect the aggregate burden of these pathological features across total lung tissue. These biomarkers may have clinical utility as prognostic and/or surrogate biomarkers of disease activity in interventional studies in IPF.
An overview of environmental risk factors in systemic sclerosis

ABSTRACT Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease with a complex and multifactorial pathogenesis, characterized by excessive collagen deposition and vasculopathy, leading to skin fibrosis and involvement of internal organs. Regarding the aetiology of SSc, our current knowledge is still limited; however, as for other autoimmune syndromes, the disease is probably caused by both endogenous and exogenous factors. Among the exogenous factors, in the past decades, several environmental exposures, including occupational exposure to pollutants, chemicals and hand-arm vibrations as well as infections, silicone and use of drugs, have been suggested to play a role in the development of SSc. The following review analyzes the most recent literature to examine the relationship between environmental exposures and SSc.
Motion-Aware KNN Laplacian for Video Matting

This paper demonstrates how the nonlocal principle benefits video matting via the KNN Laplacian, which comes with a straightforward implementation using motion-aware K nearest neighbors. In hindsight, the fundamental problem to solve in video matting is to produce spatio-temporally coherent clusters of moving foreground pixels. When used as described, the motion-aware KNN Laplacian is effective in addressing this fundamental problem, as demonstrated by sparse user markups typically on only one frame in a variety of challenging examples featuring ambiguous foreground and background colors, changing topologies with disocclusion, significant illumination changes, fast motion, and motion blur. When working with existing Laplacian-based systems, we expect our Laplacian can benefit them immediately with an improved clustering of moving foreground pixels.
Contribution of Central Nervous System Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase to Neurohumoral Activation in Heart Failure Rats

Neurohumoral activation, a hallmark in heart failure (HF), is linked to the progression and mortality of HF patients. Thus, elucidating its precise underlying mechanisms is of critical importance. Other than its classic peripheral vasodilatory actions, the gas NO is a pivotal neurotransmitter in the central nervous system control of the circulation. While accumulating evidence supports a contribution of blunted NO function to neurohumoral activation in HF, the precise cellular sources, and NO synthase (NOS) isoforms involved, remain unknown. Here, we used a multidisciplinary approach to study the expression, cellular distribution, and functional relevance of the endothelial NOS isoform within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in sham and HF rats. Our results show high expression of endothelial NOS in the paraventricular nucleus (mostly confined to astroglial cells), which contributes to constitutive NO bioavailability, as well as tonic inhibition of presympathetic neuronal activity and sympathoexcitatory outflow from the paraventricular nucleus. A diminished endothelial NOS expression and endothelial NOS-derived NO availability were found in the paraventricular nucleus of HF rats, resulting, in turn, in blunted NO inhibitory actions on neuronal activity and sympathoexcitatory outflow. Taken together, our study supports blunted central nervous system endothelial NOS-derived NO as a pathophysiological mechanism underlying neurohumoral activation in HF.
Influence of age on practice effects in longitudinal neurocognitive change.

OBJECTIVE Longitudinal comparisons of neurocognitive functioning often reveal stability or age-related increases in performance among adults under about 60 years of age. Because nearly monotonic declines with increasing age are typically evident in cross-sectional comparisons, there is a discrepancy in the inferred age trends based on the two types of comparisons. The current research investigated the role of practice effects in longitudinal comparisons on the discrepancy. METHOD Longitudinal data over an average interval of 2.5 years were available on five abilities (i.e., reasoning, spatial visualization, episodic memory, perceptual speed, vocabulary) in a sample of 1,616 adults ranging from 18 to over 80 years of age. Practice effects were estimated from comparisons of the performance of people of the same age tested for either the first or second time, after adjusting for the possibility of selective attrition. RESULTS Increased age was associated with significantly more negative longitudinal changes with each ability. All of the estimated practice effects were positive, but they varied in magnitude across neurocognitive abilities and as a function of age. After adjusting for practice effects the longitudinal changes were less positive at younger ages and slightly less negative at older ages. CONCLUSIONS It was concluded that some, but not all, of the discrepancy between cross-sectional and longitudinal age trends in neurocognitive functioning is attributable to practice effects positively biasing the longitudinal trends. These results suggest that the neurobiological substrates of neurocognitive functioning may change across different periods in adulthood.
Identification of Proteins Targeted by the Thioredoxin Superfamily in Plasmodium falciparum

The malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum possesses a functional thioredoxin and glutathione system comprising the dithiol-containing redox proteins thioredoxin (Trx) and glutaredoxin (Grx), as well as plasmoredoxin (Plrx), which is exclusively found in Plasmodium species. All three proteins belong to the thioredoxin superfamily and share a conserved Cys-X-X-Cys motif at the active site. Only a few of their target proteins, which are likely to be involved in redox reactions, are currently known. The aim of the present study was to extend our knowledge of the Trx-, Grx-, and Plrx-interactome in Plasmodium. Based on the reaction mechanism, we generated active site mutants of Trx and Grx lacking the resolving cysteine residue. These mutants were bound to affinity columns to trap target proteins from P. falciparum cell extracts after formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds. Covalently linked proteins were eluted with dithiothreitol and analyzed by mass spectrometry. For Trx and Grx, we were able to isolate 17 putatively redox-regulated proteins each. Furthermore, the approach was successfully established for Plrx, leading to the identification of 21 potential target proteins. In addition to confirming known interaction partners, we captured potential target proteins involved in various processes including protein biosynthesis, energy metabolism, and signal transduction. The identification of three enzymes involved in S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) metabolism furthermore suggests that redox control is required to balance the metabolic fluxes of SAM between methyl-group transfer reactions and polyamine synthesis. To substantiate our data, the binding of the redoxins to S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase and ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) were verified using BIAcore surface plasmon resonance. In enzymatic assays, Trx was furthermore shown to enhance the activity of OAT. Our approach led to the discovery of several putatively redox-regulated proteins, thereby contributing to our understanding of the redox interactome in malarial parasites.
Inflated reward value in early opiate withdrawal

Through incentive learning, the emotional experience of a reward in a relevant need state (e.g. hunger for food) sets the incentive value that guides the performance of actions that earn that reward when the need state is encountered again. Opiate withdrawal has been proposed as a need state in which, through experience, opiate value can be increased, resulting in escalated opiate self‐administration. Endogenous opioid transmission plays anatomically dissociable roles in the positive emotional experience of reward consumption and incentive learning. We, therefore, sought to determine if chronic opiate exposure and withdrawal produces a disruption in the fundamental incentive learning process such that reward seeking, even for non‐opiate rewards, can become maladaptive, inconsistent with the emotional experience of reward consumption and irrespective of need. Rats trained to earn sucrose or water on a reward‐seeking chain were treated with morphine (10–30 mg/kg, s.c.) daily for 11 days prior to testing in withdrawal. Opiate‐withdrawn rats showed elevated reward‐seeking actions, but only after they experienced the reward in withdrawal, an effect that was strongest in early (1–3 days), as opposed to late (14–16 days), withdrawal. This was sufficient to overcome a negative reward value change induced by sucrose experience in satiety and, in certain circumstances, was inconsistent with the emotional experience of reward consumption. Lastly, we found that early opiate withdrawal‐induced inflation of reward value was blocked by inactivation of basolateral amygdala mu opioid receptors. These data suggest that in early opiate withdrawal, the incentive learning process is disrupted, resulting in maladaptive reward seeking.
Reviewing 4-to-2 Adders for Multi-Operand Addition

Recently there has been quite a number of papers discussing the use of redundant 4-to-2 adders for the accumulation of partial products in multipliers, claiming one type to be superior to other types. This paper analyses a recent proposal of various 3- and 4-element redundant digit sets for radix 2, signed and unsigned, and compare their implementations using various encodings of the digits and carries. It is shown that theoretically they are equivalent, and differences in their implementations need only be very marginal. Another recent proposal for the use of the digit-set {0,1,2,3}, with a special 3-bit encoding of digits, is analyzed and some optimizations are shown, including the possibility of using a 2-bit encoding, with a quite significant saving in the wiring of a multiplier tree. All these proposed designs are shown to be equivalent to a standard 4-to-2, carry-save adder, except possibly for a few signal inversions.
The Role of miR-103 and miR-107 in Regulation of CDK5R1 Expression and in Cellular Migration

CDK5R1 encodes p35, a specific activator of the serine/threonine kinase CDK5, which plays crucial roles in CNS development and maintenance. CDK5 activity strongly depends on p35 levels and p35/CDK5 misregulation is deleterious for correct CNS function, suggesting that a tightly controlled regulation of CDK5R1 expression is needed for proper CDK5 activity. Accordingly, CDK5R1 expression was demonstrated to be controlled at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, but a possible regulation through microRNAs (miRNAs) has never been investigated. We predicted, within the large CDK5R1 3′UTR several miRNA target sites. Among them, we selected for functional studies miR-103 and miR-107, whose expression has shown a strong inverse correlation with p35 levels in different cell lines. A significant reduction of CDK5R1 mRNA and p35 levels was observed after transfection of SK-N-BE neuroblastoma cells with the miR-103 or miR-107 precursor (pre-miR-103 or pre-miR-107). Conversely, p35 levels significantly increased following transfection of the corresponding antagonists (anti-miR-103 or anti-miR-107). Moreover, the level of CDK5R1 transcript shifts from the polysomal to the subpolysomal mRNA fraction after transfection with pre-miR-107 and, conversely, from the subpolysomal to the polysolmal mRNA fraction after transfection with anti-miR-107, suggesting a direct action on translation efficiency. We demonstrate, by means of luciferase assays, that miR-103 and miR-107 are able to directly interact with the CDK5R1 3′-UTR, in correspondence of a specific target site. Finally, miR-103 and miR-107 overexpression, as well as CDK5R1 silencing, caused a reduction in SK-N-BE migration ability, indicating that these miRNAs affect neuronal migration by modulating CDK5R1 expression. These findings indicate that miR-103 and miR-107 regulate CDK5R1 expression, allowing us to hypothesize that a miRNA-mediated mechanism may influence CDK5 activity and the associated molecular pathways.