Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adhesive Capabilities of Staphylococcus Aureus and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Isolated from Tears of HIV/AIDS Patients to Soft Contact Lenses

Fifty conjunctival swab samples collected from ELISA confirmed HIV/AIDS seropositive patients who were referred to the HIV/AIDS laboratories of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and Central Hospital both based in Benin City, Nigeria were aseptically cultured on appropriate media by standard methods. The resulting isolates/strains, after identification by standard methods, were tested for their ability to adhere to two hydrophobic non-ionic daily wear silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses (i.e. lotrafilcon B, WC 33% and polymacon, WC 38%) as well as to two hydrophilic ionic conventional extended wear silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses (i.e. methafilcon A, WC 55% and omafilcon A, WC 60%) by the adhesiveness/slime production modified vortex/Robin device method. Evidence of adhesiveness/slime production was indicated by presence of a visible stained film lining the surface of the contact lens which was measured and recorded as strong or weak according to the density of the adhered bacterial film. Fourteen (28.0%) Staphylococcus aureus strains and 10 (20.0%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were obtained among other organisms. Staphylococcus aureus strains adhered in decreasing order to lotrafilcon B (55.4 ± 4.7), polymacon (46.4 ± 8.4), methfilcon A (46.4 ± 8.4) and omafilcon A (25.0 ± 6.4) with no significant difference in adhesive strengths of individual strains (P > 0.05). Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains also recorded decreasing adhesive strengths to lotrafilcon B (37.5 ± 8.2), polymacon (28.6 ± 6.3), methafilcon A (26.8 ± 5.5) and omafilcon A (23.2 ± 5.5) also with no significant difference in adhesive strengths of individual strains (P > 0.05). Attachment strengths of Staph. aureus strains to all four contact lenses were higher than those of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Both organisms adhered most to hydrophobic lotrafilcon B and least to hydrophilic omafilcon A. This invitro adhesion studies revealed that daily wear silicone hydrogel low water content, non-ionic contact lenses are more prone to bacterial adhesion than the conventional extended wear hydrogel high water content, ionic contact lenses and hence, there is more risk of microbial adhesion to the former compared to the latter. Other implications are highlighted.
Unionisation and foreign direct investment: challenging conventional wisdom?

This paper investigates the effects of different degrees of wage setting centralisation on the incentive of a MNE to locate in a host country, and on the host country's welfare. Decentralised and centralised wage bargaining are considered. The nature of product market competition between the MNE and domestic firms proves crucial to results which cast doubt on some of the conventional wisdom on FDI. In particular, we show that: (i) it is not always welfare improving to attract inward FDI, and (ii) the MNE may prefer centralised to decentralised wage setting regimes.
fMRI Reveals a Common Neural Substrate of Illusory and Real Contours in V1 after Perceptual Learning

Perceptual learning involves the specific and relatively permanent modification of perception following a sensory experience. In psychophysical experiments, the specificity of the learning effects to the trained stimulus attributes (e.g., visual field position or stimulus orientation) is often attributed to assumed neural modifications at an early cortical site within the visual processing hierarchy. We directly investigated a neural correlate of perceptual learning in the primary visual cortex using fMRI. Twenty volunteers practiced a curvature discrimination on Kanizsa-type illusory contours in the MR scanner. Practice-induced changes in the BOLD response to illusory contours were compared between the pretraining and the posttraining block in those areas of the primary visual cortex (V1) that, in the same session, had been identified to represent real contours at corresponding visual field locations. A retinotopically specific BOLD signal increase to illusory contours was observed as a consequence of the training, possibly signaling the formation of a contour representation, which is necessary for performing the curvature discrimination. The effects of perceptual training were maintained over a period of about 10 months, and they were specific to the trained visual field position. The behavioral specificity of the learning effects supports an involvement of V1 in perceptual learning, and not in unspecific attentional effects.
Factorial equivalence of social cognitive theory: educational levels × time differences

The study of social cognitive theory has involved a number of inquiries, notably one of which concerns the formation and development of self-efficacy beliefs. Social cognitive theory indicates that we form our self-efficacy beliefs from four major sources of information: enactive performance accomplishments, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion and emotional and physiological states. We advance this tenet by exploring across four occasions, and the four sources of information in the context of elementary school learning. Two cohorts of participants, at level 2 (N = 352 3rd–4th grade students) and level 3 (N = 264 5th–6th grade students), answered a Likert’s-scale inventory that we developed and used in a previous study. We proposed and tested a number of a priori models using LISREL 8.80. Furthermore, factorial invariance analyses of the inventory were performed, a posteriori, to determine the stability/instability of the four sources of information.
A critical perspective: Towards a broader understanding of 'active ageing'

The current paper explains the origin of the ‘active ageing’-discourse and addresses the diverging definitions that have been used since its introduction. Generally speaking, a differentiation is made between a narrow vision on ‘active ageing’ - focusing on ‘traditional’ activities such as labour and care - and a broad perspective. The hazards of applying a narrow point of view are addressed, as such an approach is primarily concerned with the youngest old and the distinction between active and passive behaviours is ambiguous. Research and policy implications of broadening the ‘active ageing’-discourse are addressed.
Water absorption of epoxy/glass fiber/organo-montmorillonite nanocomposites

The epoxy/glass fiber/organo-montmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared by hand lay up method. In the previous work, the flexural and morphological properties of the epoxy/glass fiber/OMMT were studied. In this work, the epoxy nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and water absorption tests. The exfoliation of OMMT in epoxy/glass fiber nanocomposites was detected by XRD. DSC results showed that the glass transition temperature (Tg) of epoxy was increased slightly in the presence of OMMT. Water uptake of epoxy was reduced by the addition of glass fiber and OMMT. The decrease of water absorption in epoxy is attributed to the increasing of tortuosity path for water penetration in the epoxy composites by the hybrid of glass fiber and OMMT.
Effectiveness of MMORPG-based instruction in elementary English education in Korea

This study investigated the effectiveness of massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)-based (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) instruction in elementary English education. The effectiveness of the MMORPG program was compared with face-to-face instruction and the independent variables (gender, prior knowledge, motivation for learning, self-directed learning skills, computer skills, game skills, computer capacity, network speed, and computer accessibility) were examined to see how accurately achievement was predicted in MMORPG instruction. The results indicated that students studying English utilizing online role-playing games showed higher scores in areas of listening, reading, and writing than those who attended face-to-face instruction classes. It was also found that prior knowledge, motivation for learning, and network speed were factors affecting achievement in English learning. These findings suggest that MMORPGs can play an important role in improving English communicative skills.
Test of the Construct and Criteria Validity of a German Measure of Organizational Justice

Organizational justice is a well-known and increasingly often measured construct in work-related psychological research, for which, however, different kinds of measures are used. Colquitt (2001) developed a four-dimensional measure of organizational justice to allow for the comparison of different studies. Two studies provide evidence for the construct (Study 1) and criteria validity (Study 2) of the German version of the Colquitt measure with regard to perceived supervisor behavior as well as employees’ attitudes and intentions. In Study 1, the measure demonstrated construct validity using a German sample of employees (N = 227) from different companies: Each dimension correlated differently with work-related dimension of supervisor behavior. To demonstrate criteria validity in Study 2 (N = 315 employees), the justice measure predicted different, theoretically linked work-related employee behaviors or attitudes (i.e., intentions to leave, job satisfaction, job stress, individual organizational citizenship.
The type of surgical approach influences the risk of revision in total hip arthroplasty

Background and purpose The most common surgical approaches in total hip arthroplasty in Sweden are the posterior and the anterolateral transgluteal approach. Currently, however, there is insufficient evidence to prefer one over the other regarding risk of subsequent surgery. Patients and methods We searched the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register between the years 1992 and 2009 to compare the posterior and anterolateral transgluteal approach regarding risk of revision in the 3 most common all-cemented hip prosthesis designs in Sweden. 90,662 total hip replacements met the inclusion criteria. We used Cox regression analysis for estimation of prosthesis survival and relative risk of revision due to dislocation, infection, or aseptic loosening. Results Our results show that for the Lubinus SPII prosthesis and the Spectron EF Primary prosthesis, the anterolateral transgluteal approach gave an increased risk of revision due to aseptic loosening (relative risk (RR) = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0–1.6 and RR = 1.6, CI: 1.0–2.5) but a reduced risk of revision due to dislocation (RR = 0.7, CI: 0.5–0.8 and RR = 0.3, CI: 0.1–0.4). For the Exeter Polished prosthesis, the surgical approach did not affect the outcome for dislocation or aseptic loosening. The surgical approach had no influence on the risk of revision due to infection in any of these designs. Interpretation This observational study shows that the surgical approach affected the risk of revision due to aseptic loosening and dislocation for 2 of the most commonly used cemented implants in Sweden. Further studies are needed to determine whether these results are generalizable to other implants and to uncemented fixation.
Non-Cooperation in Dialogue

This paper presents ongoing research on computational models for non-cooperative dialogue. We start by analysing different levels of cooperation in conversation. Then, inspired by findings from an empirical study, we propose a technique for measuring non-cooperation in political interviews. Finally, we describe a research programme towards obtaining a suitable model and discuss previous accounts for conflictive dialogue, identifying the differences with our work.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids in lipid bilayers: intrinsic and environmental contributions to their unique physical properties.

Polyunsaturated lipids are an essential component of biological membranes, influencing order and dynamics of lipids, protein-lipid interaction, and membrane transport properties. To gain an atomic level picture of the impact of polyunsaturation on membrane properties, quantum mechanical (QM) and empirical force field based calculations have been undertaken. The QM calculations of the torsional energy surface for rotation about vinyl-methylene bonds reveal low barriers to rotation, indicating an intrinsic propensity toward flexibility. Based on QM and experimental data, empirical force field parameters were developed for polyunsaturated lipids and applied in a 16 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of a 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glyerco-3-phosphocholine (SDPC) lipid bilayer. The simulation results are in good agreement with experimental data, suggesting an unusually high degree of conformational flexibility of polyunsaturated hydrocarbon chains in membranes. The detailed analysis of chain conformation and dynamics by simulations is aiding the interpretation of experimental data and is useful for understanding the unique role of polyunsaturated lipids in biological membranes. The complete force field is included as Supporting Information and is available from http://www.pharmacy. umaryland.edu/faculty/amackere/research.html.
The symmetric ADMM with positive-indefinite proximal regularization and its application

Due to update the Lagrangian multiplier twice at each iteration, the symmetric alternating direction method of multipliers (S-ADMM) often performs better than other ADMM-type methods. In practice, some proximal terms with positive definite proximal matrices are often added to its subproblems, and it is commonly known that large proximal parameter of the proximal term often results in “too-small-step-size” phenomenon. In this paper, we generalize the proximal matrix from positive definite to positive-indefinite, and give a new S-ADMM with positive-indefinite proximal regularization (IPS-ADMM) for the two-block separable convex programming with linear constraints. Without any additional assumptions, we prove the global convergence of the IPS-ADMM and analyze its convergence rate under the ergodic sense by the iteration complexity. Finally, numerical results reveal that the IPS-ADMM is more efficient than some ADMM-type methods with positive definite proximal regularization.
Monte Carlo simulation of extreme traffic loading on short and medium span bridges

The accurate estimation of site-specific lifetime extreme traffic load effects is an important element in the cost-effective assessment of bridges. A common approach is to use statistical distributions derived from weigh-in-motion measurements as the basis for Monte Carlo simulation of traffic loading. However, results are highly sensitive to the assumptions made, not just with regard to vehicle weights but also to axle configurations and gaps between vehicles. This paper presents a comprehensive model for Monte Carlo simulation of bridge loading for free-flowing traffic and shows how the model matches results from measurements on five European highways. The model has been optimised to allow the simulation of many years of traffic and this greatly reduces the variance in calculating estimates for lifetime loading from the model. The approach described here does not remove the uncertainty inherent in estimating lifetime maximum loading from data collected over relatively short time periods.
A Wave-Spectrum Analysis of Urban Population Density : Entropy , Fractal , and Spatial Localization

The method of spectral analysis is employed to research the spatial dynamics of urban population distribution. First of all, the negative exponential model is derived in a new way by using an entropy-maximizing idea. Then an approximate scaling relation between wave number and spectral density is derived by Fourier transform of the negative exponential model. The theoretical results suggest the locality of urban population activities. So the principle of entropy maximization can be utilized to interpret the locality and localization of urban morphology. The wave-spectrum model is applied to the city in the real world, Hangzhou, China, and spectral exponents can give the dimension values of the fractal lines of urban population profiles. The changing trend of the fractal dimension does reflect the localization of urban population growth and diffusion. This research on spatial dynamics of urban evolvement is significant for modeling spatial complexity and simulating spatial complication of city systems by cellular automata.
On the $L_q(L_p)$-regularity and Besov smoothness of stochastic parabolic equations on bounded Lipschitz domains

We investigate the regularity of linear stochastic parabolic equations with zero Dirichlet boundary condition on bounded Lipschitz domains $\mathcal{O}\subset \mathbb{R}^d$ with both theoretical and numerical purpose. We use N.V. Krylov's framework of stochastic parabolic weighted Sobole spaces $\mathfrak{H}^{\gamma,q}_{p,\theta } (\mathcal{O},T)$ . The summability parameters $p$ and $q$ in space and time may differ. Existence and uniqueness of solutions in these spaces is established and the H o lder regularity in time is analysed. Moreover, we prove a general embedding of weighte $L_p(\mathcal{O})$ - Sobolev spaces into the scale o Besov spaces $B^\alpha_{\tau,\tau}(\mathcal{O})$ , $1/\tau=\alpha/d+1/p$ , $\alpha>0$ . This leads to a H o lder- Besov regularity result for the solution process. The regularity in this Besov scale determines the order of convergence that can be achieved by certain nonlinear approximation schemes.
USER ACCEPTANCE OF VIRTUAL WORLDS

Virtual Worlds enable new ways of communication, collaboration, and cooperation over the Internet by applying 3D environments and voice over IP technologies. This papers aims at assessing user acceptance of Virtual Worlds by applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Based on literature review, an extended TAM has been constructed. Based on empirical data from an online-survey with 249 participants, hypotheses about user acceptance and adoption of Virtual Worlds are empirically tested. Our results show that community factors such as communication, collaboration, and cooperation play a pivotal role in means of influencing user intention and acceptance of Virtual Worlds. This paper provides meaningful insights for theory building of user acceptance in the context of Virtual Worlds as it shows that traditional models have to take ‘community’ factors into account. Our findings are also helpful for practitioners to develop new business models in Virtual Worlds.
Rousseau’s Virtue Epistemology

Rousseau’s moral and political philosophy is grounded in a largely overlooked virtue epistemology. This essay reconstructs this epistemology with a particular focus on Rousseau’s conception of how our capacity for sensation might be cultivated to develop the judgment and wisdom that distinguish the developed virtuous agent. It proceeds in three sections. The first section focuses on Rousseau’s conception of the first stage of development, and especially his sensationist claim that all knowledge originates in sensory impressions. The second section examines the maturing agent’s transition from mere sensation to the cultivation of the capacity for judgment, particularly focusing on Rousseau’s account of the agent’s shift from the passive reception of sensory impressions of discrete objects to the active and synthetic processes of comparison and association that give rise to complex ideas and to moral conceptions. The third section turns to Rousseau’s conception of the developed mind, focusing on his claim that the intellectual virtues not only require cultivation but are indispensible to the proper exercise of freedom that distinguishes the fully moral human being.
Change the Analyst and Not the System: A Different Approach to Intelligence Reform

Recent intelligence failures, including first and foremost the mistaken estimate of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) prior to the war, show that a prime source of such failures is the adherence by analysts to preconceptions (or mind-sets) which entail the rejection of new information that contradicts it. The source of this kind of problem lies in well known psychological mechanisms. Yet official investigations into intelligence blunders have typically ignored this problem or have not suggested an appropriate solution thus far. Our paper suggests an original approach based on the fact that certain types of personalities are more likely than others to fall victim to these biased judgments. Existing psychological tests can help determine individual susceptibility to such tendencies. Therefore we suggest that intelligence organizations should pay far more attention to these personality characteristics, especially an analyst's level of openness, in recruitment, training, and promotion. Such attention would help create more effective reforms in intelligence than organizational models which advocate “devil's advocate” kind of solutions.
Expression of VEGF and Flk-1 and Flt-1 Receptors during Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Impairment Following Phoneutria nigriventer Spider Venom Exposure

Apart from its angiogenic and vascular permeation activity, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been also reported as a potent neuronal protector. Newborn rats with low VEGF levels develop neuron degeneration, while high levels induce protective mechanisms in several neuropathological conditions. Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom (PNV) disrupts the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and causes neuroinflammation in central neurons along with excitotoxic signals in rats and humans. All these changes are transient. Herein, we examined the expression of VEGF and its receptors, Flt-1 and Flk-1 in the hippocampal neurons following envenomation by PNV. Adult and neonatal rats were evaluated at time limits of 2, 5 and 24 h. Additionally, BBB integrity was assessed by measuring the expression of occludin, β-catenin and laminin and neuron viability was evaluated by NeuN expression. VEGF, Flt-1 and Flk-1 levels increased in PNV-administered rats, concurrently with respective mRNAs. Flt-1 and Flk-1 immunolabeling was nuclear in neurons of hippocampal regions, instead of the VEGF membrane-bound typical location. These changes occurred simultaneously with the transient decreases in BBB-associated proteins and NeuN positivity. Adult rats showed more prominent expressional increases of the VEGF/Flt-1/Flk-1 system and earlier recovery of BBB-related proteins than neonates. We conclude that the reactive expressional changes seen here suggest that VEGF and receptors could have a role in the excitotoxic mechanism of PNV and that such role would be less efficient in neonate rats.
School Environment Factors as Predictors for Teachers' Teaching Efficacy, Teacher Stress and Job Satisfaction

﻿The purpose of this study is identify how teachers’ perceptions of school environment factors, and the extent to which these predict outcome variables - teaching efficacy, job satisfaction and teacher stress. It also investigates if teaching efficacy affects job satisfaction, and teacher stress impacts teaching efficacy and job satisfaction. The sample included 387 Vietnamese junior high school teachers. Participants completed one questionnaire for four sections about school environment, teaching efficacy, teacher stress, and job satisfaction. The results obtained from statistical analyses show that teachers had highly favourable and positive perceptions of school environment, teaching efficacy, job satisfaction, and highly negative stress. The results obtained from multiple regression analyses also indicated that the factors of school environment as the predictors for teachers’ teaching efficacy, teacher stress and job satisfaction. Of the seven school environment factors investigated, teachers’ perception of principal leadership, mission consensus, professional interest, affiliation and student support had the most powerful effect on outcome variables. Among the outcome variables, sense of teaching efficacy positively related to job satisfaction, while both types of teacher stress negatively related to job satisfaction and teaching efficacy. The findings of the present study have educational implications.