Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychopathic predators? Getting specific about the relation between psychopathy and violence.

OBJECTIVE The psychopathy checklist-revised (PCL-R; Hare, 1991, 2003) is often used to assess risk of violence, perhaps based on the assumption that it captures emotionally detached individuals who are driven to prey upon others. This study is designed to assess the relation between (a) core interpersonal and affective traits of psychopathy and impulsive antisociality on the one hand and (b) the risk of future violence and patterns of motivation for past violence on the other. METHOD A research team reliably assessed a sample of 158 male offenders for psychopathy, using both the interview-based PCL-R and the self-report psychopathic personality inventory (PPI: Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996). Then, a second independent research team assessed offenders' lifetime patterns of violence and their motivation. After these baseline assessments, offenders were followed in prison or the community for up to 1 year to assess their involvement in 3 different forms of violence. Baseline and follow-up assessments included both interviews and reviews of official records. RESULTS First, the PPI manifested incremental validity in predicting future violence over the PCL-R (but not vice versa)-and most of its predictive power derived solely from impulsive antisociality. Second, impulsive antisociality-not interpersonal and affective traits specific to psychopathy-were uniquely associated with instrumental lifetime patterns of past violence. The latter psychopathic traits are narrowly associated with deficits in motivation for violence (e.g., lack of fear or lack of provocation). CONCLUSIONS These findings and their consistency with some past research led us to advise against making broad generalizations about the relation between psychopathy and violence.
5′ tRNA Halves: The Next Generation of Immune Signaling Molecules

Non-coding small RNAs including tRNA, rRNA, snoRNA, and Y RNA, have been recently shown to undergo processing into smaller RNA molecules (1, 2). These derivatives of known small RNAs are not merely degradation products but are specific cleavage products that function in patho-physiological conditions (3–5). Particularly, tRNAs are processed into two types of tRNA-derived small RNAs (2): (i) The 5′ and 3′ tRNA halves are 30–40 nt long and are produced by cleavage of mature cytoplasmic tRNAs (6). Two ribonucleases have been shown to cleave mature tRNAs near or in the anticodon loop to generate tRNA halves during stress: Rny1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (7) and angiogenin in higher eukaryotes (6, 8). (ii) The shorter tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are 18–22 nt long, and are produced from both mature and pre-tRNAs by Dicer or RNase Z. Here, I will consider only the tRNA halves and argue their potential as immune signaling molecules.
Pathogenesis of street rabies virus infections in resistant and susceptible strains of mice

Seven strains of mice were examined to determine why susceptibility differences and variations in clinical central nervous system (CNS) disease occurred among these animals after intraperitoneal inoculation of street rabies virus (SRV). Trace experiments for infectious virus indicated that these differences were associated with restriction of virus replication within the CNS. Limitation of viral replication appeared to correlate with the antibody response in that prominent serum anti-SRV neutralizing antibody titers were detected in resistant strains, whereas susceptible strains produced minimal amounts of antibody until their death. The importance of the immune response was reaffirmed with cyclophosphamide studies in that all resistant SJL/J mice died after immunosuppressive treatment. In contrast, cyclophosphamide-treated SJL/J mice whose immune systems were reconstituted with either unfractionated immune spleen cells or with sera 24 h after SRV inoculation survived a lethal dose of SRV. More importantly, immunosuppressed SJL/J and immunodeficient athymic mice were protected when reconstituted with immune serum 72 h after SRV inoculation, a time in which infectious virus was detected in the spinal cords of some mice but was not present in the peritoneal cavity. Additional studies showed that antibody in the cerebrospinal fluid was unimportant in the resistance of mouse strains which remained clinically asymptomatic, but it appeared to be associated with the survival of mice which developed clinical CNS disease. Furthermore, CNS resistance to intranasal or intracerebral inoculation with challenge virus standard rabies virus developed as early as 5 days post-intraperitoneal inoculation of SRV.
The role of breeding system and inbreeding depression in the maintenance of an outcrossing mating strategy in Silene virginica (Caryophyllaceae).

The goal of this study was to understand the interaction among breeding system, mating system, and expression of inbreeding depression in the hermaphroditic, primarily hummingbird-pollinated, iteroparous, short-lived perennial Silene virginica. We performed hand-selfed and hand-outcrossed pollinations in the field, conducted detailed floral observations within individual flowers and plants, and assayed adult tissue from flowering plants for a genetic estimate of population outcrossing rate. We quantified the opportunity for geitonogamy as the proportion of days each plant exhibited simultaneous male and female function, i.e., asynchronous expression of male- and female-phased flowers. Expression of cumulative inbreeding depression based on germination rate and total flower production in the glasshouse was ∼40% and was congruent with the estimated high outcrossing rate of 0.89. Floral observations demonstrated strong temporal protandry within each flower (dichogamy) as well as complete spatial separation between male and female function within each flower (herkogamy). On average, 29% of the time there were both male- and female-phased flowers present on an individual plant. We conclude that our estimate of inbreeding depression is compatible with a largely outcrossing mating system and the amount of selfing observed, likely results from geitonogamy. This study illustrates the utility of examining both the causes and the consequences of inbreeding via selfing to provide additional insights into the evolution of plant mating systems.
Detection of adenovirus in nasopharyngeal specimens by radioactive and nonradioactive DNA probes

The presence of adenovirus DNA in clinical specimens was analyzed by nucleic acid hybridization assays by both radioactive and enzymatic detection systems. The sensitivity of the hybridization tests was in the range of 10 to 100 pg of homologous adenovirus DNA. Minimal background was noticed with unrelated viral and nonviral DNA. Twenty-four nasopharyngeal mucus aspirate specimens, collected from children with acute respiratory infection, were assayed in the hybridization tests and also by an enzyme immunoassay for adenovirus hexon antigen which was used as a reference test. Sixteen specimens positive by the enzyme immunoassay also were positive in the two nucleic acid hybridization tests, and the remaining eight specimens were negative in all of the tests. The results indicate that nucleid acid hybridization tests with both radioactive and nonradioactive probes can be used for diagnosis of microbial infections.
Pelvic floor muscle exercises utilizing trunk stabilization for treating postpartum urinary incontinence: randomized controlled pilot trial of supervised versus unsupervised training

Objective: To investigate the effect of supervised and unsupervised pelvic floor muscle exercises utilizing trunk stabilization for treating postpartum urinary incontinence and to compare the outcomes. Design: Randomized, single-blind controlled study. Setting: Outpatient rehabilitation hospital. Subjects: Eighteen subjects with postpartum urinary incontinence. Interventions: Subjects were randomized to either a supervised training group with verbal instruction from a physiotherapist, or an unsupervised training group after undergoing a supervised demonstration session. Main measures: Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptom questionnaire (urinary symptoms and quality of life) and vaginal function test (maximal vaginal squeeze pressure and holding time) using a perineometer. Results: The change values for urinary symptoms (−27.22 ± 6.20 versus −18.22 ± 5.49), quality of life (−5.33 ± 2.96 versus −1.78 ± 3.93), total score (−32.56 ± 8.17 versus −20.00 ± 6.67), maximal vaginal squeeze pressure (18.96 ± 9.08 versus 2.67 ± 3.64 mmHg), and holding time (11.32 ± 3.17 versus 5.72 ± 2.29 seconds) were more improved in the supervised group than in the unsupervised group (P < 0.05). In the supervised group, significant differences were found for all variables between pre- and post-test values (P < 0.01), whereas the unsupervised group showed significant differences for urinary symptom score, total score and holding time between the pre- and post-test results (P < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that exercising the pelvic floor muscles by utilizing trunk stabilization under physiotherapist supervision may be beneficial for the management of postpartum urinary incontinence.
Direct Detection of Soil-Bound Prions

Scrapie and chronic wasting disease are contagious prion diseases affecting sheep and cervids, respectively. Studies have indicated that horizontal transmission is important in sustaining these epidemics, and that environmental contamination plays an important role in this. In the perspective of detecting prions in soil samples from the field by more direct methods than animal-based bioassays, we have developed a novel immuno-based approach that visualises in situ the major component (PrPSc) of prions sorbed onto agricultural soil particles. Importantly, the protocol needs no extraction of the protein from soil. Using a cell-based assay of infectivity, we also report that samples of agricultural soil, or quartz sand, acquire prion infectivity after exposure to whole brain homogenates from prion-infected mice. Our data provide further support to the notion that prion-exposed soils retain infectivity, as recently determined in Syrian hamsters intracerebrally or orally challanged with contaminated soils. The cell approach of the potential infectivity of contaminated soil is faster and cheaper than classical animal-based bioassays. Although it suffers from limitations, e.g. it can currently test only a few mouse prion strains, the cell model can nevertheless be applied in its present form to understand how soil composition influences infectivity, and to test prion-inactivating procedures.
Selenium Concentrations of Common Weeds and Agricultural Crops Grown in The Seleniferous Soils of Northwestern India

The plants grown in seleniferous soils constitute a major source of toxic selenium levels in the food chain of animals and human beings. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to study selenium concentrations of weeds, forages and cereals grown on seleniferous soils located between 31.0417 degrees to 31.2175 degrees N and 76.1363 degrees to 76.4147 degrees E in northwestern India. Eleven winter season (November-April) weed plants were grown in the greenhouse in a soil treated with different levels of selenate-Se. Selenium concentrations of weed plants increased progressively with the levels of selenate-Se in soil. The highest Se concentration was recorded by Silene gallica (246 mgkg(-1)) and the lowest by Avena ludoviciana (47 mgkg(-1)) at 2.5 mg Sekg(-1) soil. A.ludoviciana and Spergula arvensis proved highly tolerant to the presence of 1.25 and 2.5 mg selenate-Sekg(-1) soil and the remaining weeds were sensitive to Se. Dry matter yield of Se-sensitive weed plants was 25 to 62% of the yield in the no-Se control at 1.25mg selenate-Sekg(-1) and 6 to 40% at 2.5mg selenate-Sekg(-1) soil. Other symptoms like change in leaf colour and size, burning of leaf tips and margins, and delayed flowering were also observed due to Se. Dry matter yield of Se-sensitive weed plants expressed as percentage of yield in the no-Se control at both the Se levels was inversely correlated with their Se content (r=-0.731, p<0.01, N=17). Among the weed plants grown in seleniferous soils under field situations, Mentha longifolia accumulated the highest Se (365 mgkg(-1)) and Phalaris minor the lowest (34 mgkg(-1)). Among agricultural crops grown on a naturally contaminated soil in the greenhouse, Se concentrations were the highest for oilseed crops (19-29 mgkg(-1)), followed by legumes (6-13 mgkg(-1)) and cereals (2-18 mgkg(-1)). Helianthus annuus among the oilseed crops, A.ludoviciana among the winter season weeds, M.longifolia among the summer season (May-October) weeds and Cirsium arvense among the perennial weeds can be used for phytoremediation of seleniferous soils as these accumulate the highest amounts of Se.
Fabrication and Measurement of Sidewall Gratings Integrated in Hybrid As2S3 -Ti:LiNbO3 Optical Waveguides

In this paper, we demonstrated the fabrication and measurement of sidewall gratings integrated in a hybrid type of optical waveguide: As<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>-Ti:LiNbO<sub>3</sub>. This hybrid waveguide is constructed by patterning arsenic tri-sulfide (As<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>) strips on the midline of titanium-diffused channel waveguide in lithium niobate (Ti:LiNbO<sub>3</sub>). Sidewall gratings are written on both sidewalls of As<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> strips by electron beam lithography (EBL) with 3% PMMA resist and a dose 350 μC/cm <sup>2</sup> at 50-kV electrons. The measured reflectance bandwidth was between 2.4 and 6.7 nm. Coupling coefficients ranging from 2.5 to 8.9 mm<sup>-1</sup> were obtained. A transmission peak with a 3-dB bandwidth of ~0.25 nm was observed in the rejection band of a 432 μm-long phase-shifted sidewall grating. Such sidewall gratings integrated in hybrid As<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>-Ti:LiNbO<sub>3</sub> waveguide can be used for numerous integrated optical devices including optical filters, switches, modulators, lasers, sensors, and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM).
3-Methylcholanthrene as an inhibitor of hepatic cancer induced by 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene in the diet of the rat: a determination of the time relationships.

Summary A basal diet containing 0.06 per cent 3′-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene was fed to albino rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain, and at intervals of 3 to 18 weeks 3-methylcholanthrene was added to the diet in a concentration of 0.0067 per cent. The animals were sacrificed at regular intervals to detect the sequential changes occurring in the livers. It was found that 3-methylcholanthrene would prevent carcinoma of the liver if it were added to the diet before the 6th week, and that there was partial inhibition if the 3-methylcholanthrene were added before the 10th week of administration of 3′-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene. After the 10th week no inhibition resulted.
Posterior Spinal Fusion in Paralytic Scoliosis and Myelomeningocele

The Shriners Hospital, Lexington, KY, experience with posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis in 50 patients with myelomeningocele was reviewed. Six patients were fused with Harrington rods and 47 of 50 patients were treated with some form of segmental fixation. The complication rate was 48% (24/50) resulting in 1.48 procedures per patient. The deep infection rate was 8% (4/50) and the pseudarthrosis rate was 16% (8/50). The use of modern segmental instrumentation systems has improved the pseudarthrosis rates for posterior spinal fusion in scoliosis associated with myelomeningocele but not to the point of displacing the current approach of an anterior and posterior spinal fusion.
Critical Incident Analysis: a strategy for developing reflective practice

Abstract This paper describes the meaning given to critical incident analysis by a teacher educator intent on building reflective practice in pre‐service teachers. Working from a belief that reflection will not necessarily enable teachers to see through the political, social and cultural ideologies embedded in their actions, it examines pre‐service teachers' responses to a critical incident analysis task. Questions of incident foci, the need to re‐conceptualise what counts as knowledge and the skills required to support reflection in a community of inquiry are linked.
Image Denoising Using a Bishrink Filter with Reduced Sensitivity

The performance of image denoising algorithms using the Double Tree Complex Wavelet Transform, DT CWT, followed by a local adaptive bishrink filter can be improved by reducing the sensitivity of that filter with the local marginal variance of the wavelet coefficients. In this paper is proposed a solution for the sensitivity reduction based on enhanced diversity. First the advantages and disadvantages of a state-of-the-art denoising solution, based on the association DT CWT -bishrink filter are highlighted. Second a blind noise-suppression method correcting the disadvantages of the bishrink filter, performing a non-linear operation on the data is obtained. Finally, some simulation examples prove the performances of the proposed denoising method.
Improved lower bounds for coded caching

Content delivery networks often employ caching to reduce transmission rates from the central server to the end users. Recently, the technique of coded caching was introduced whereby coding in the caches and coded transmission signals from the central server are considered. Prior results in this area demonstrate that (a) carefully designing placement of content in the caches and (b) designing appropriate coded delivery signals allow for a system where the delivery rates can be significantly smaller than conventional schemes. However, matching lower bounds on the transmission rates have not yet been obtained. In this work, we derive tighter lower bounds on coded caching rates than were known previously. We demonstrate that this problem can equivalently be posed as one of optimally labeling the leaves of a directed tree. Several examples that demonstrate the utility of our bounds are presented.
ICIS Paper: Methodological Issues in Experimental IS Research: Experiences and Recommendations

Within the last ten years the use of experimental methodology in information systems (IS) research has substantially increased. However, despite our experience with experimentation, studies continue to suffer from methodological problems. These problems have led to an accumulation of conflicting results in several areas of IS research. Moreover, future research studies will keep producing contradictory results unless researchers begin to answer questions of task and measurement validity before reporting their experimental findings. This article discusses common methodological problems in experimental IS studies and, through a description of a series of graphics experiments at the University of Minnesota, illustrates the particularly acute problem of low internal validity. Suggestions are offered to experimental IS researchers on how some of these common problems can be alleviated or even avoided, particularly in studies on the use of managerial graphics.
Cell-based therapy by implanted human bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells improved bone healing of large bone defects in rats.

UNLABELLED QUESTION/AIM: Cell-based therapy by cultivated stem cells (mesenchymal stem cells [MSC] and endothelial progenitor cells [EPC]) in a large-sized bone defect has already shown improved vascularization and new bone formation. However, these methods are clinically afflicted with disadvantages. Another heterogeneous bone marrow cell population, the so-called human bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMC), has nevertheless been used clinically and showed improved vascularization in ischemic limbs or in the myocardium. For clinical use, a certified process has been established; thus, BMC were isolated from bone marrow aspirate by density gradient centrifugation, washed, cleaned, and given back to patients within several hours. This investigation tested the ability of human BMC seeded on beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and placed into a large bone defect in rats to improve the bone healing process in vivo. METHODS Human EPC were isolated from buffy coat, and MSC or BMC, respectively, were isolated from bone marrow aspirate by density gradient centrifugation. 1.0×10(6) cells were loaded onto 750 μL β-TCP (0.7-1.4 mm). Large femoral defects (6 mm) in athymic rats were created surgically and stabilized with an internal fixateur. The remaining defects were filled with β-TCP granules alone (group 1), β-TCP+EPC/MSC (group 2), or β-TCP+BMC (group 3). After 8 weeks, histomorphometric analysis (new bone formation), radiological microcomputer tomography analysis (bony bridging), and biomechanical testing (three-point bending) were achieved. Moreover, a tumorigenicity study was performed to evaluate the safety of BMC implantation after 26 weeks. For statistical analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used. RESULTS Eight weeks after implantation of EPC/MSC or BMC, respectively, we detected a more significant new bone formation compared to control. In group 2 and 3, bony bridging of the defect was seen. In the control group, more chondrocytes and osteoid were detected. In the BMC and EPC/MSC group, respectively, less chondrocytes and a significantly more advanced bone formation were observed. The biomechanical stability of the bone regenerate was significantly enhanced if BMC and EPC/MSC, respectively, were implanted compared to control. Moreover, no tumor formation was detected either macroscopically or histologically after 26 weeks of BMC implantation. DISCUSSION Implanted BMC suggest that a heterogeneous cell population may provide a powerful cellular therapeutic strategy for bone healing in a large bone defect in humans.
Motivation and experience in foreign language learning

Until now, there has been relatively little research on the links between motivation and learning experiences within the domain of language learning. This volume attempts to fill that gap. It explores the developmental processes of intrinsic motivation and of autonomy in foreign language learning and investigates the links between learners' educational experiences and ways in which such learners develop certain types of motivation. The book draws on various sources in educational psychology and philosophy, including Dewey, Vygotsky, Bruner, Deci, Ryan, and Weiner. The book conceptualises language learning motivation and offers an overview of motivation research, both in educational psychology and in language learning. The author reports on research findings from studies of qualitative or interpretative and quantitative approaches, whose participants were EFL Japanese university students, and offers proposals for helping learners to motivate themselves.