Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A preliminary study on influence of negative air ions generated from pajamas on core body temperature and salivary IgA during night sleep.

OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to examine whether negative air ions generated from pajamas would influence the rectal temperature and the immune system during night sleep. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nine females (aged 18-23 years) served as participants. They slept during the night in their homes, wearing the pajamas with generation of negative air ions (1260 ions/cm3) and with normal standard (520 ions/cm3). The sequence of wearing the pajamas was: first, standard pajamas; second, pajamas with negative air ions; and third, standard pajamas again, each being worn for three consecutive days. RESULTS Rectal temperature in the pajamas with negative air ions tended to fall more significantly during the night-time (p = 0.068). Salivary IgA tended to be higher on waking when wearing pajamas with negative air ions (p = 0.094) and its effect continued even after standard pajamas were worn again during last three days. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the rectal temperature could possibly be more reduced and the elevation of salivary IgA more marked if the pajamas with negative air ions are worn during nocturnal sleep.
Using Smart Phone Sensors to Detect Transportation Modes

The proliferation of mobile smart devices has led to a rapid increase of location-based services, many of which are amassing large datasets of user trajectory information. Unfortunately, current trajectory information is not yet sufficiently rich to support classification of user transportation modes. In this paper, we propose a method that employs both the Global Positioning System and accelerometer data from smart devices to classify user outdoor transportation modes. The classified modes include walking, bicycling, and motorized transport, in addition to the motionless (stationary) state, for which we provide new depth analysis. In our classification, stationary mode has two sub-modes: stay (remaining in the same place for a prolonged time period; e.g., in a parked vehicle) and wait (remaining at a location for a short period; e.g., waiting at a red traffic light). These two sub-modes present different semantics for data mining applications. We use support vector machines with parameters that are optimized for pattern recognition. In addition, we employ ant colony optimization to reduce the dimension of features and analyze their relative importance. The resulting classification system achieves an accuracy rate of 96.31% when applied to a dataset obtained from 18 mobile users.
A climate of uncertainty: accounting for error in climate variables for species distribution models

Spatial climate variables are routinely used in species distribution models (SDMs) without accounting for the fact that they have been predicted with uncertainty, which can lead to biased estimates, erroneous inference and poor performances when predicting to new settings – for example under climate change scenarios. We show how information on uncertainty associated with spatial climate variables can be obtained from climate data models. We then explain different types of uncertainty (i.e. classical and Berkson error) and use two statistical methods that incorporate uncertainty in climate variables into SDMs by means of (i) hierarchical modelling and (ii) simulation–extrapolation. We used simulation to study the consequences of failure to account for measurement error. When uncertainty in explanatory variables was not accounted for, we found that coefficient estimates were biased and the SDM had a loss of statistical power. Further, this bias led to biased predictions when projecting change in distribution under climate change scenarios. The proposed errors‐in‐variables methods were less sensitive to these issues. We also fit the proposed models to real data (presence/absence data on the Carolina wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus), as a function of temperature variables. The proposed framework allows for many possible extensions and improvements to SDMs. If information on the uncertainty of spatial climate variables is available to researchers, we recommend the following: (i) first identify the type of uncertainty; (ii) consider whether any spatial autocorrelation or independence assumptions are required; and (iii) attempt to incorporate the uncertainty into the SDM through established statistical methods and their extensions.
Challenging ableism and supporting students with exceptionalities within the mainstream classroom

This Master of Teaching Research Project is a qualitative study that addresses the topic of challenging ableism within a mainstream classroom environment. The existing literature on challenging ableism within this educational setting suggests that learning in this inclusive classroom is successful in fostering positive peer relationships, educating students on the different needs of their peers and different abilities, as well as accepting and appreciating diversity. With this in mind, this study aims to explore how educators achieve these results and foster success for all students. This study is guided by the following question: How do a small sample of elementary teachers working in inclusive classrooms challenge ableism through their everyday teaching practices, and what outcomes do they observe in terms of relationships between exceptional students and their peers? Themes within this study include the Inclusive Classroom, teaching and learning about diverse exceptionalities, and empathy and acceptance towards all individuals. As a beginning teacher, I hope to recognize the strategies used in an inclusive classroom which challenges ableism, so that I can instill equity and opportunities for success for all of my students.
High School Youth Group Seniors Transitioning to College: Risk Behavior, Social Support, Religiosity, and Attitude toward Youth Group

Youth workers devote a great deal of energy to creating and maintaining vibrant high school ministries in local congregations. But what happens to these youth when they graduate and move away to college? What can high school youth workers do to help students navigate this transition more effectively? The College Transition Project is an ongoing quantitative and qualitative study of this transition. The present article focuses on the first wave of a 3-year longitudinal study of 222 high school seniors who were graduates of youth groups across the United States with the intention of following them as they make their transition to college. This article examines seniors’ attitudes regarding youth group, engagement in risk behaviors, sources of support, and levels of religiosity. Potential philosophical and programmatic implications for youth and college workers and church leaders working with youth and college students are also discussed.
Understanding Plant-Microbe Interactions for Phytoremediation of Petroleum-Polluted Soil

Plant-microbe interactions are considered to be important processes determining the efficiency of phytoremediation of petroleum pollution, however relatively little is known about how these interactions are influenced by petroleum pollution. In this experimental study using a microcosm approach, we examined how plant ecophysiological traits, soil nutrients and microbial activities were influenced by petroleum pollution in Phragmites australis, a phytoremediating species. Generally, petroleum pollution reduced plant performance, especially at early stages of plant growth. Petroleum had negative effects on the net accumulation of inorganic nitrogen from its organic forms (net nitrogen mineralization (NNM)) most likely by decreasing the inorganic nitrogen available to the plants in petroleum-polluted soils. However, abundant dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was found in petroleum-polluted soil. In order to overcome initial deficiency of inorganic nitrogen, plants by dint of high colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi might absorb some DON for their growth in petroleum-polluted soils. In addition, through using a real-time polymerase chain reaction method, we quantified hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial traits based on their catabolic genes (i.e. alkB (alkane monooxygenase), nah (naphthalene dioxygenase) and tol (xylene monooxygenase) genes). This enumeration of target genes suggests that different hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria experienced different dynamic changes during phytoremediation and a greater abundance of alkB was detected during vegetative growth stages. Because phytoremediation of different components of petroleum is performed by different hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, plants’ ability of phytoremediating different components might therefore vary during the plant life cycle. Phytoremediation might be most effective during the vegetative growth stages as greater abundances of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria containing alkB and tol genes were observed at these stages. The information provided by this study enhances our understanding of the effects of petroleum pollution on plant-microbe interactions and the roles of these interactions in the phytoremediation of petroleum-polluted soil.
The Durban Holocaust Centre Educators and the Origins of their Historical and Pedagogical Knowledge

ABSTRACT Education at Holocaust museums worldwide often falls to volunteer museum educators. The Durban Holocaust Centre in South Africa is no different. We set out to understand who the educators at the Durban Holocaust Centre were, where their historical and pedagogical knowledge came from, and to examine the connection between the two. The study revealed the diverse nature of the museum educators’ biographies as well as their motivations for guiding. Their knowledge acquisition was generally a blend of formal objectivist and informal constructivist methods. It emerged that the self-learning model was successful as the educators were highly professional and sufficiently motivated.
Treatment Strategy of Intracranial Hemangiopericytoma

Background Recent studies suggest aggressive management combining a grossly total resection (GTR) with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) as a treatment of choice for intracranial hemangiopericytoma (HPC). However, in these papers, the definitions of complete or GTR are equivocal. In the present study, we reviewed the relevant cases from our experience focused on the clinical efficacy of surgical grading of resection, and analyzed the optimal treatment strategies as well. Methods From January 1995 through December 2014, 17 patients treated for intracranial HPC were included in this study. We analyzed clinical presentation, radiologic appearance, pathologic diagnosis, extent of resection, and follow-up outcomes. Results A total of 26 operations were performed including 9 recurrent intracranial HPCs. Every tumor was single and had no evidence of metastasis. Most common area of tumor was parasagittal (8 patients, 47.1%), which is adjoined to superior sagittal sinus. For the initial operation, GTR was performed in 16 cases (61.5%), partial resection (PR) in 8 cases (30.8%), and an endoscopic biopsy in 2 patients (7.7%). In Simpson grading system, grade 1 was done in 2 patients (7.7%), grade 2 in 11 patients (42.3%) and grade 3 in 3 patients (11.5%). Postoperative RT was delivered in 16 patients (94.1%) regardless of the extent of resection. The median 57.57 Gy (range, 50-60 Gy) was delivered in median 33 fractions (range, 30-40). The extent of resection (conventional classification and Simpson grading system) and adjuvant RT were significantly associated with recurrence-free survival. Conclusion Surgical resection of intracranial HPC, in an attempt to reach Simpson grade 1 removal, is necessary for better outcome. Adjuvant RT should be done as recommended before, to prevent recurrence, regardless of surgical resection and pathological diagnosis.
RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY: DUMPING DUALISM

Neurobiology and experimental psychology are discovering the faults in the analytical model of therapy for emotional distress, and increasingly recognize a monistic model of brain/body synergy, the effect of the body—and hence emotion—on cognition, and the effect of preconscious triggers on physiology. Psychology services within the NHS use a formulaic dualistic Cartesian logico-rational approach to recovery, despite the implicit contradiction of accepting mindfulness-based treatments. We explore the research base of mind/body medicine to elucidate a new therapeutic understanding.
Molecular identification and functional role of voltage‐gated sodium channels in rat carotid body chemoreceptor cells. Regulation of expression by chronic hypoxia in vivo

We have assessed the expression, molecular identification and functional role of Na+ channels (Nav) in carotid bodies (CB) obtained from normoxic and chronically hypoxic adult rats. Veratridine evoked release of catecholamines (CA) from an in vitro preparation of intact CBs obtained from normoxic animals, the response being Ca2+ and Na+‐dependent and sensitive to tetrodotoxin (TTX). TTX inhibited by 25–50% the CA release response evoked by graded hypoxia. Immunoblot assays demonstrated the presence of Navα‐subunit (c. 220 kDa) in crude homogenates from rat CBs, being evident an up‐regulation (60%) of this protein in the CBs obtained from chronically hypoxic rats (10% O2; 7 days). This up‐regulation was accompanied by an enhanced TTX‐sensitive release response to veratridine, and by an enhanced ventilatory response to acute hypoxic stimuli. RT‐PCR studies demonstrated the expression of mRNA for Nav1.1, Nav1.2, Nav1.3, Nav1.6 and Nav1.7 isoforms. At least three isoforms, Nav1.1, Nav1.3 and Nav1.6 co‐localized with tyrosine hydroxylase in all chemoreceptor cells. RT‐PCR and immunocytochemistry indicated that Nav1.1 isoform was up‐regulated by chronic hypoxia in chemoreceptor cells. We conclude that Nav up‐regulation represents an adaptive mechanism to increase chemoreceptor sensitivity during acclimatization to sustained hypoxia as evidenced by enhanced ventilatory responses to acute hypoxic tests.
Intra-arterial reteplase compared to urokinase for thrombolytic recanalization in acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Reteplase (RP) and urokinase (UK) are being used "off-label" to treat acute ischemic stroke. The safety and efficacy of intra-arterial RP or UK in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, however, has yet to be proved. We aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RP compared with UK in acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion. METHODS Retrospective analysis was conducted of cases from a prospectively collected stroke data base on consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion by digital subtraction angiography treated with intra-arterial RP or UK. Thrombolytic dosage, recanalization rate, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), mortality, and outcome were determined. RESULTS Thirty-three patients received RP and 22 received UK (mean doses, 2.5 +/- 1.4 mg and 690,000 +/- 562,000 U, respectively). Vascular occlusions included 9 basilar arteries (BAs), 7 internal carotid arteries (ICAs), and 17 middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) with RP and 9 BAs, 4 ICAs, and 9 MCAs with UK. Median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scales were as follows: 16 (range, 5-25; 81% > or = 10) with RP and 17 (range, 6-38; 85% > or =10) with UK. Mean time from symptom onset to thrombolytic initiation: 333 +/- 230 minutes with RP and 343 +/- 169 minutes with UK. Recanalization rates were as follows: 82% with RP and 64% with UK (P = .13). Symptomatic ICH rates were as follows: 12% with RP and 4.5% with UK (P = .50). The mortality rate was 24% with RP and 27% with UK (P = .8). CONCLUSION Although limited in statistical power, our study suggests that, although IA thrombolysis with RP shows a trend for higher recanalization rates and hemorrhage rates, IA thrombolysis with RP is not significantly different in recanalization, outcome, mortality, and ICH compared with that of UK or rates reported with IA pro-UK.
A Low-Power and Portable Spread Spectrum Clock Generator for SoC Applications

In this paper, a novel portable and all-digital spread spectrum clock generator (ADSSCG) suitable for system-on-chip (SoC) applications with low-power consumption is presented. The proposed ADSSCG can provide flexible spreading ratios by the proposed rescheduling division triangular modulation (RDTM). Thus it can provide different EMI attenuation performance for various system applications. Furthermore, the proposed ADSSCG employs a low-power digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) to save overall power consumption significantly. Measurement results show that power consumption of the proposed ADSSCG is 1.2 mW (@54 MHz), and it provides 9.5 dB EMI reductions with 1% spreading ratio. Besides, the proposed ADSSCG has very small chip area as compared with conventional SSCGs which often required large on-chip loop filter capacitors. In addition, the proposed ADSSCG is implemented only with standard cells, making it easily portable to different processes and very suitable for SoC applications.
Comparing paired comparison-based interactive DE and tournament interactive GA on stained glass design

Tournament Interactive Genetic Algorithm (T-IGA) and Paired Comparison-based Interactive Differential Evolution (PC-IDE) are applied to the design of stained glass windows and the two algorithms with variable length genotype are compared in a context of interactive evolutionary computation. For both methods, stained glass windows are represented by colored 2D Voronoi diagrams, and a specific phenotypic crossover operator allows offspring to inherit visual features from both parents. The two algorithms have been evaluated by two professional stained-glass artists whom use them to create original designs in a controlled experimental setting. The results indicate superiority of PC-IDE, thus confirming previous theoretical results.
A 0.8-mW 55-GHz Dual-Injection-Locked CMOS Frequency Divider

This paper presents the dual-injection-locking technique to enhance the locking range of resonator-based frequency dividers. By fully utilizing the voltage and current injection of the input signal, the divider locking range is extended significantly. The 0.8-mW dual-injection-locked frequency divider was developed in 90-nm digital CMOS technology. The total chip size is 0.77 mm times 0.5 mm. Without any varactor or inductor tuning, the input signal frequency coverage of the divider is from 35.7 to 54.9 GHz. Combined with the excellent locking range and sub-milliwatt power consumption, the figure-of-merit of this work surpasses those of the previous resonator-based dividers by more than one order.
Global rigidity for totally nonsymplectic Anosov Z^k actions

We consider a totally nonsymplectic Anosov action of Z^k which is either uniformly quasiconformal or pinched on each coarse Lyapunov distribution. We show that such an action on a torus is C^\infty--conjugate to an action by affine automorphisms. We also obtain similar global rigidity results for actions on an arbitrary compact manifold assuming that the coarse Lyapunov foliations are jointly integrable.
ALMOST STABLE ITERATION SCHEMES FOR LOCAL STRONGLY PSEUDOCONTRACTIVE AND LOCAL STRONGLY ACCRETIVE OPERATORS IN REAL UNIFORMLY SMOOTH BANACH SPACES

In this paper we establish the strong convergence and almost stability of the Ishikawa iteration methods with errors for the iterative approximations of either fixed points of local strongly pseudocontractive operators or solutions of nonlinear operator equations with local strongly accretive type in real uniformly smooth Banach spaces. Our convergence results extend some known results in the literature.
Processing the spatial configuration of complex actions involves right posterior parietal cortex: An fMRI study with clinical implications

The left hemispheric dominance for complex motor behavior is undisputed. Clinical observations of complex motor deficits in patients with right hemispheric lesions, however, suggest an additional contribution of the right hemisphere to higher motor control. We assessed, using functional MRI (fMRI), which brain regions are implicated in processing the spatial aspects of complex, object‐related actions. Using a blocked, factorial design, 17 healthy volunteers were asked to detect either spatial or sequential errors (factor ERROR) in complex activities of daily living, presented as video sequences with the appropriate object(s) or as pantomimes (factor STIMULUS). Observing complex actions (irrespective of stimulus type) activated a bilateral frontoparietal network. Observing actions with objects (relative to pantomimes) differentially increased neural activity in the fusiform gyrus and inferior occipital cortex bilaterally. Observing pantomimes, i.e., the same actions but without any object, differentially activated right prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, the precuneus, and left cerebellum. The left cingulate cortex was differentially activated when subjects assessed the sequencing of actions. By contrast, assessing the spatial configuration of complex actions differentially increased neural activity in right posterior parietal cortex. A significant interaction of ERROR and STIMULUS was revealed for the right inferior parietal cortex only. These findings suggest a specific role of the right hemisphere, especially of right posterior parietal cortex, in processing spatial aspects of complex actions and thus provide a physiological basis for the observed apraxic motor deficits in patients with right hemispheric damage. Hum Brain Mapp, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A note on S(t) and the zeros of the Riemann zeta‐function

Let π S(t) denote the argument of the Riemann zeta‐function at the point 1/2 + it. Assuming the Riemann hypothesis, we sharpen the constant in the best currently known bounds for S(t) and for the change of S(t) in intervals. We then deduce estimates for the largest multiplicity of a zero of the zeta‐function, and for the largest gap between the zeros.
A coupled modeling study of the seasonal cycle of the Pacific cold tongue

A coupled tropical ocean‐atmosphere model that fills the gap between anomalous coupled models and fully coupled general circulation models is described. Both the atmosphere and ocean are represented by two and one-half layer primitive equation models, which accentuate the physical processes in the oceanic mixed layer and atmospheric boundary layer. The two media are coupled through both momentum and heat flux exchanges without explicit flux correction. The coupled model, driven by solar radiation, reproduces realistic seasonal cycles of the mixed layer temperature, currents, and depth, and the surface winds and rainfall in the tropical Pacific. The model results indicate that the equatorial westward phase propagation of the annual warming is primarily caused by zonal temperature advection and downward solar radiation modified by clouds, whereas the windevaporation-SST feedback plays a minor role. The meridional wind component appears to have a stronger impact than the zonal wind component on the seasonal cycle of the eastern Pacific cold tongue, because the cross equatorial winds have stronger annual variation, which is more effective in regulation of SST through changing surface evaporation and mixed layer entrainment. The annual variation of the solar forcing is shown to have a significant impact on the long-term mean state. Without the seasonal cycle forcing, the western Pacific warm pool would shift eastward and the latitudinal climate asymmetry in the eastern Pacific would be stronger.