Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low-Mass Star Formation Triggered by Supernovae in Primordial Clouds

The evolution of a gas shell, swept up by the supernova remnant of a massive first-generation star, is studied with H2 and HD chemistry taken into account and with the use of a semianalytical approximation to the dynamics. When a first-generation star, formed in a parent pregalactic cloud, explodes as a supernova with explosion energy in the range of 1051-1052 ergs at redshifts of z = 10-50, H2 and HD molecules are formed in the swept up gas shell at fractional abundances of ~10-3 and ~10-5, respectively, and effectively cool the gas shell to temperatures of 32-154 K. If the supernova remnant can sweep to gather the ambient gas of mass 6 × 104 to 8 × 105 M☉, the gas shell comes to be dominated by its self-gravity and, hence, is expected to fragment. The amount of swept up gas necessary for fragmentation increases with the explosion energy and decreases with the interstellar gas density (or redshift) of the host cloud, which provides a lower boundary to the mass of the host cloud in which star formation is triggered by the first-generation supernova. Also, the condition for fragmentation is very sensitive to the thermal state of interstellar gas. Our result shows that for a reasonable range of temperatures (200-1000 K) of interstellar gas, the formation of second-generation stars can be triggered by a single supernova or hypernova with explosion energy in the above range in a primordial cloud of total (dark and baryonic) mass as low as a few times 106 M☉. For higher temperatures in the interstellar gas, however, the condition for the fragmentation in the swept up gas shell demands a larger supernova explosion energy. We also follow the subsequent contraction of the fragment pieces assuming their geometry (sphere and cylinder) and demonstrate that the Jeans masses in the fragments decrease to well below 1 M☉ by the time the fragments become optically thick to the H2 and HD lines. The fragments are then expected to break up into dense cores whose masses are comparable to the Jeans masses and collapse to form low-mass stars that can survive to the present. If the material in the gas shell is mixed well with the ejecta of the supernova, the shell and low-mass stars thus formed are likely to have metals of abundance [Fe/H] ≃ -3 on average. This metallicity is consistent with those of the extremely metal-poor stars found in the Galactic halo. Stars with low metallicities of [Fe/H] < -5 such as HE 0107-5240, recently discovered in the Galactic halo, are difficult to form by this mechanism and must be produced in different situations.
Executive function predicts adaptive behavior in children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to alcohol often results in disruption to discrete cognitive and behavioral domains, including executive function (EF) and adaptive functioning. In the current study, the relation between these 2 domains was examined in children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure, nonexposed children with a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and typically developing controls. METHODS As part of a multisite study, 3 groups of children (8 to 18 years, M = 12.10) were tested: children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (ALC, n = 142), nonexposed children with ADHD (ADHD, n = 82), and typically developing controls (CON, n = 133) who did not have ADHD or a history of prenatal alcohol exposure. Children completed subtests of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), and their primary caregivers completed the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II. Data were analyzed using regression analyses. RESULTS Analyses showed that EF measures were predictive of adaptive abilities, and significant interactions between D-KEFS measures and group were present. For the ADHD group, the relation between adaptive abilities and EF was more general, with 3 of the 4 EF measures showing a significant relation with adaptive score. In contrast, for the ALC group, this relation was specific to the nonverbal EF measures. In the CON group, performance on EF tasks did not predict adaptive scores over the influence of age. CONCLUSIONS These results support prior research in ADHD, suggesting that EF deficits are predictive of poorer adaptive behavior and extend this finding to include children with heavy prenatal exposure to alcohol. However, the relation between EF and adaptive ability differed by group, suggesting unique patterns of abilities in these children. These results provide enhanced understanding of adaptive deficits in these populations, as well as demonstrate the ecological validity of laboratory measures of EF.
Decay widths of excited heavy mesons from QCD sum rules at the leading order of HQET

The widths for pionic decays of the lowest two excited doublets (0(+),1(+)) and (1(+),2(+)) of heavy mesons are studied with QCD sum rules in the leading order of heavy quark effective theory. The ambiguity due to the presence of two distinct 1(+) states is solved. The soft pion approximation is not used. [S0556-2821(98)05121-2].
Attractor Network Dynamics Enable Preplay and Rapid Path Planning in Maze-like Environments

Rodents navigating in a well-known environment can rapidly learn and revisit observed reward locations, often after a single trial. While the mechanism for rapid path planning is unknown, the CA3 region in the hippocampus plays an important role, and emerging evidence suggests that place cell activity during hippocampal "preplay" periods may trace out future goal-directed trajectories. Here, we show how a particular mapping of space allows for the immediate generation of trajectories between arbitrary start and goal locations in an environment, based only on the mapped representation of the goal. We show that this representation can be implemented in a neural attractor network model, resulting in bump-like activity profiles resembling those of the CA3 region of hippocampus. Neurons tend to locally excite neurons with similar place field centers, while inhibiting other neurons with distant place field centers, such that stable bumps of activity can form at arbitrary locations in the environment. The network is initialized to represent a point in the environment, then weakly stimulated with an input corresponding to an arbitrary goal location. We show that the resulting activity can be interpreted as a gradient ascent on the value function induced by a reward at the goal location. Indeed, in networks with large place fields, we show that the network properties cause the bump to move smoothly from its initial location to the goal, around obstacles or walls. Our results illustrate that an attractor network with hippocampal-like attributes may be important for rapid path planning.
Factors and mechanisms in L2 word stress acquisition: evidence from Chinese-English interlanguage

xii The thesis examines the learning mechanism that guides second language (L2) stress acquisition. Two general views are evaluated: (i) UG-based parameter-setting, which claims that L2 stress acquisition is a process of setting an a priori set of metrical parameters, and (ii) input-based statistical learning, which sees the development of L2 stress patterns as a process of statistical extraction based on the distribution of stress patterns in the input data. This issue is addressed through a re-examination of L2 English stress acquisition by speakers of Mandarin Chinese, a tone language. Because Chinese does not have an apparent stress system, the acquisition of L2 English stress in Chinese speakers allows us to extrapolate systematic patterns of L2 stress development independently of the influence of an LI stress system. In order to obtain primary data for examining the learning mechanisms, we examined two preliminary issues in order to address the main question: (a) can Chinese speakers assign English word stress systematically? (b) to what extent are the patterns attributable to LI transfer and phonological universals? In addition, age as a non-linguistic factor in predicting L2 phonological acquisition is also tested. The question of whether Chinese learners can assign stress to English words systematically is first examined in Chapter 3. In a perceptual preference experiment with English non-words, Chinese participants preferred initial stress for ct.CVCC words when they were presented as nouns, but preferred final stress when they were presented as verbs, paralleling the behaviour of the English subjects. In trisyllabic words, some Chinese subjects preferred penultimate stress when the penult was closed by a consonant (CVC) and antepenultimate stress when the penult only
Can Collaborative Learning Maximize the Effectiveness of Web Quest Used in Learning Educational Psychology at Al Majmaa University

he purpose of this study is to investigate whether collaborative learning can maximize the effectiveness of Web Quest used as a medium in teaching and learning in Educational Psychology. The present study also examined the perception of students of Web Quest and collaborative learning method. Students were selected from the Faculty of Education at Al Majmaa University in Zulfi, Saudi Arabia. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used in this study. The results showed that Web Quest used in teaching and learning in Educational Psychology had a positive impact on students’ learning, participants were required to complete a selfreport questionnaire about the effectiveness with or without Web Quest. Nevertheless, students were interested in the Web Quests as a creative teaching tool. The use of Web Quest strategy enables the creation of interactive and fun learning among students. Therefore, the application of Web quest in lessons is suitable and should be applied by all teachers in their learning activities to increase students’ interest and performance in educational psychology.
Deletion of Glutamate Dehydrogenase in ß-Cells Abolishes Part of the Insulin Secretory Response Not Required for Glucose Homeostasis*

Insulin exocytosis is regulated in pancreatic ß-cells by a cascade of intracellular signals translating glucose levels into corresponding secretory responses. The mitochondrial enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is regarded as a major player in this process, although its abrogation has not been tested yet in animal models. Here, we generated transgenic mice, named ßGlud1–/–, with ß-cell-specific GDH deletion. Our results show that GDH plays an essential role in the full development of the insulin secretory response. In situ pancreatic perfusion revealed that glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was reduced by 37% in ßGlud1–/–. Furthermore, isolated islets with either constitutive or acute adenovirus-mediated knock-out of GDH showed a 49 and 38% reduction in glucose-induced insulin release, respectively. Adenovirus-mediated re-expression of GDH in ßGlud1–/– islets fully restored glucose-induced insulin release. Thus, GDH appears to account for about 40% of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and to lack redundant mechanisms. In ßGlud1–/– mice, the reduced secretory capacity resulted in lower plasma insulin levels in response to both feeding and glucose load, while body weight gain was preserved. The results demonstrate that GDH is essential for the full development of the secretory response in ß-cells. However, maximal secretory capacity is not required for maintenance of glucose homeostasis in normo-caloric conditions.
Using Chinese part-of-speech patterns for sentiment phrase identification and opinion extraction in user generated reviews

Accelerated growth of the Internet has enabled users worldwide to share their feelings and experiences. User-generated content (UGC) websites are the most abundant sources of user reviews. Accurately identifying sentiment phrases is essential to understand the expressed opinions in user reviews. To achieve this, part-of-speech (POS) patterns of phrases are useful. However, previous studies for Chinese opinion extraction only translate English POS patterns directly into Chinese for this task without considering the feasibility. Therefore, this work proposes a Chinese opinion extraction method that exploits the observed Sinica Treebank POS patterns for sentiment phrase identification. Sinica Treebank is a widely representative POS corpus for Chinese. The results of preliminary experiments indicate that the proposed method is highly effective in extracting opinions from Chinese UGC reviews.
Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Ground Arthropods in Microhabitats Following a Shrub Plantation Age Sequence in Desertified Steppe

In desertified regions, shrub-dominated patches are important microhabitats for ground arthropod assemblages. As shrub age increases, soil, vegetation and microbiological properties can change remarkably and spontaneously across seasons. However, relatively few studies have analyzed how ground arthropods respond to the microhabitats created by shrubs of different plantation ages across seasons. Using 6, 15, 24 and 36 year-old plantations of re-vegetated shrubs (Caragana koushinskii) in the desert steppe of northwestern China as a model system, we sampled ground arthropod communities using a pitfall trapping method in the microhabitats under shrubs and in the open areas between shrubs, during the spring, summer and autumn. The total ground arthropod assemblage was dominated by Carabidae, Melolonthidae, Curculionidae, Tenebrionidae and Formicidae that were affected by plantation age, seasonal changes, or the interaction between these factors, with the later two groups also influenced by microhabitat. Overall, a facilitative effect was observed, with more arthropods and a greater diversity found under shrubs as compared to open areas, but this was markedly affected by seasonal changes. There was a high degree of similarity in arthropod assemblages and diversity between microhabitats in summer and autumn. Shrub plantation age significantly influenced the distribution of the most abundant groups, and also the diversity indices of the ground arthropods. However, there was not an overall positive relationship between shrub age and arthropod abundance, richness or diversity index. The influence of plantation age on arthropod communities was also affected by seasonal changes. From spring through summer to autumn, community indices of ground arthropods tended to decline, and a high degree of similarity in these indices (with fluctuation) was observed among different ages of shrub plantation in autumn. Altogether the recovery of arthropod communities was markedly affected by seasonal variability, and they demonstrated distinctive communal fingerprints in different microhabitats for each plantation age stage.
QRLoc: User-involved calibration using quick response codes for Wi-Fi based indoor localization

Constructing a radio map is one of essential steps for fingerprint-based localization. A lot of time and efforts are necessary to construct a radio map that covers a large area. Moreover the radio map should be updated when there is a severe change in Wi-Fi environments of a service area. In this paper, we develop a Wi-Fi fingerprint collecting system, QRLoc, to reduce such collection efforts. QRLoc collects Wi-Fi fingerprints with the help from smartphone users and Quick Response (QR) codes (or short-range tag identification technique) attached at fixed walls or pillars across a service area. The key idea of QRLoc is to automatically collect fingerprints when smartphone users scan QR codes attached at known and fixed locations such as signs and posters. QRLoc can address the motiveless problem of users in collecting WiFi fingerprints because the contributions are made in an unobtrusive manner from the user's ordinary activity like capturing QR codes.
Suppression of spermatogenesis to azoospermia by combined administration of GnRH antagonist and 19-nortestosterone cannot be maintained by this non-aromatizable androgen alone.

BACKGROUND For male hormonal contraception, combined administration of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists and androgens effectively suppresses spermatogenesis to azoospermia. In non-human primates this suppression can be maintained more easily by androgens alone. METHODS A clinical trial with six healthy volunteers was performed to test this approach in man. Loading doses of 10 mg/day of the GnRH antagonist cetrorelix were given subcutaneously for 5 days, followed by maintenance doses of 2 mg/day up to week 12. At 2 weeks after the first GnRH antagonist injection, androgen substitution was initiated with a loading dose of 400 mg 19-nortestosterone hexyloxyphenylpropionate (19NT-HPP) intramuscularly, followed by injections of 200 mg 19NT-HPP every 3 weeks up to week 26. RESULTS Serum concentrations of LH, FSH and testosterone were effectively suppressed by cetrorelix administration. Within 12 weeks, azoospermia was achieved in all six volunteers. After cessation of cetrorelix injections in week 12, gonadotrophins and testosterone increased significantly despite continued 19NT-HPP injections. In parallel, spermatogenesis was restimulated in five of six volunteers. CONCLUSIONS Combined administration of cetrorelix and 19NT-HPP leads to azoospermia within 3 months. However, complete azoospermia cannot be maintained by continued injections of the non-aromatizable 19NT-HPP alone.
Phylogeny of the clusioid clade (Malpighiales): evidence from the plastid and mitochondrial genomes.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY The clusioid clade includes five families (i.e., Bonnetiaceae, Calophyllaceae, Clusiaceae s.s., Hypericaceae, and Podostemaceae) represented by 94 genera and ≈1900 species. Species in this clade form a conspicuous element of tropical forests worldwide and are important in horticulture, timber production, and pharmacology. We conducted a taxon-rich multigene phylogenetic analysis of the clusioids to clarify phylogenetic relationships in this clade. METHODS We analyzed plastid (matK, ndhF, and rbcL) and mitochondrial (matR) nucleotide sequence data using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference. Our combined data set included 194 species representing all major clusioid subclades, plus numerous species spanning the taxonomic, morphological, and biogeographic breadth of the clusioid clade. KEY RESULTS Our results indicate that Tovomita (Clusiaceae s.s.), Harungana and Hypericum (Hypericaceae), and Ledermanniella s.s. and Zeylanidium (Podostemaceae) are not monophyletic. In addition, we place four genera that have not been included in any previous molecular study: Ceratolacis, Diamantina, and Griffithella (Podostemaceae), and Santomasia (Hypericaceae). Finally, our results indicate that Lianthus, Santomasia, Thornea, and Triadenum can be safely merged into Hypericum (Hypericaceae). CONCLUSIONS We present the first well-resolved, taxon-rich phylogeny of the clusioid clade. Taxon sampling and resolution within the clade are greatly improved compared to previous studies and provide a strong basis for improving the classification of the group. In addition, our phylogeny will form the foundation for our future work investigating the biogeography of tropical angiosperms that exhibit Gondwanan distributions.
The relationship of coping and social support to distress in couples where one partner has multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic and progressive disease with an estimated prevalence of 116 cases per 100,000 adults in England and Wales and 158 cases per 100,000 in Scotland (Swingler, Rothwell, Taylor, & Hall 1994). Although the psychological consequences ofMS on the individual are well established, little is known about the psychological impact of this condition on the partner's well being. Researchers have indicated that carers, particularly spouses experience significant levels of stress, when caring for a partner with a chronic illness. While it is commonplace to assess either patient or carer individually in terms of psychiatric morbidity, little research has been conducted into the psychological effects of chronic illness on couples. This was the focus of the present study. Although coping and social support have been found to be important in moderating the impact of stress in both patients and carers at the individual level of analysis, little is known about how these strategies operate in couples facing chronic illness. The present study examines the role of coping and social support and their relationship to distress in 42 couples where one partner has MS. Illness characteristics such as length of diagnosis and level of disability were also examined. Results are discussed in terms of how couples manage the impact of the illness, and what procedures can be put in place to ensure that the needs of both patient and partner-carer are met.
Diversity of Epithelial Stem Cell Types in Adult Lung

Lung is a complex organ lined with epithelial cells. In order to maintain its homeostasis and normal functions following injuries caused by varied extraneous and intraneous insults, such as inhaled environmental pollutants and overwhelming inflammatory responses, the respiratory epithelium normally undergoes regenerations by the proliferation and differentiation of region-specific epithelial stem/progenitor cells that resided in distinct niches along the airway tree. The importance of local epithelial stem cell niches in the specification of lung stem/progenitor cells has been recently identified. Studies using cell differentiating and lineage tracing assays, in vitro and/or ex vivo models, and genetically engineered mice have suggested that these local epithelial stem/progenitor cells within spatially distinct regions along the pulmonary tree contribute to the injury repair of epithelium adjacent to their respective niches. This paper reviews recent findings in the identification and isolation of region-specific epithelial stem/progenitor cells and local niches along the airway tree and the potential link of epithelial stem cells for the development of lung cancer.
Coffee Consumption and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Background: Coffee contains several bioactive compounds relevant to colon physiology. Although coffee intake is a proposed protective factor for colorectal cancer, current evidence remains inconclusive. Methods: We investigated the association between coffee consumption and risk of colorectal cancer in 5,145 cases and 4,097 controls from the Molecular Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer (MECC) study, a population-based case–control study in northern Israel. We also examined this association by type of coffee, by cancer site (colon and rectum), and by ethnic subgroup (Ashkenazi Jews, Sephardi Jews, and Arabs). Coffee data were collected by interview using a validated, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Results: Coffee consumption was associated with 26% lower odds of developing colorectal cancer [OR (drinkers vs. non-drinkers), 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.64–0.86; P < 0.001]. The inverse association was also observed for decaffeinated coffee consumption alone (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68–0.99; P = 0.04) and for boiled coffee (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71–0.94; P = 0.004). Increasing consumption of coffee was associated with lower odds of developing colorectal cancer. Compared with <1 serving/day, intake of 1 to <2 servings/day (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68–0.90; P < 0.001), 2 to 2.5 servings/day (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.51–0.68; P < 0.001), and >2.5 servings/day (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.39–0.54; P < 0.001) were associated with significantly lower odds of colorectal cancer (Ptrend < 0.001), and the dose–response trend was statistically significant for both colon and rectal cancers. Conclusions: Coffee consumption may be inversely associated with risk of colorectal cancer in a dose–response manner. Impact: Global coffee consumption patterns suggest potential health benefits of the beverage for reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(4); 634–9. ©2016 AACR.