Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adult Learners and Mathematics Learning Support

The provision of some level of Mathematics Learning Support (MLS) is now standard in the majority of Higher Education Institutions in Ireland, the UK, and in many other countries. This provision is, in part, a response to the large numbers of students entering Higher Education who do not have the mathematical skills required and this cohort includes a significant number of adult learners. Research indicates that these students have different motivations and approaches to learning than traditional age learners. This paper considers the analysis of a large scale student evaluation of Mathematics Learning Support in Ireland. In particular, it presents the responses and engagement levels of adult learners and compares these to those of traditional students. The findings are key to ensuring best practice in the provision of MLS for the wide variety of students who engage with it.
Post-traumatic stress reactions among Rwandan children and adolescents in the early aftermath of genocide.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological investigations of post-traumatic stress reactions in Sub-Saharan Africa, where atrocious violence against civilians is endemic, are rare. This article is the first complete report of the key community-based findings of a 1995 psychiatric epidemiological survey of young survivors of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. METHODS The National Trauma Survey (NTS) of Rwandans aged 8-19 measured traumatic exposures using an inventory of possible war time experiences and post-traumatic stress reactions with a checklist of symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals meeting assessed PTSD diagnostic criteria are classified as cases of 'probable PTSD'. The NTS interviewed youth residing in the community and others institutionalized in unaccompanied children's centres; the former (n = 1547) are the subject of the present report. Instrument change midway into the study divides respondents into two samples. RESULTS Among respondents, over 90% witnessed killings and had their lives threatened; 35% lost immediate family members; 30% witnessed rape or sexual mutilation; 15% hid under corpses. In Sample 1, 95% of respondents reported one or more re-experiencing symptom, 95% reported three or more avoidance/blunting symptoms and 63% reported two or more arousal symptoms; in Sample 2, these figures were 96%, 95% and 56%, respectively. The overall rate of 'probable PTSD' was 62% and 54% in Samples 1 and 2, respectively, and exhibited a dose-response relationship with exposure. Among the most heavily exposed individuals the rate was 100%. Rates of 'probable PTSD' were higher among females than among males. Results for age were inconsistent. CONCLUSION In industrialized societies, most survivors of traumatizing violence experience symptoms only transiently. In the Rwanda survey, symptom levels and rates of 'probable PTSD' were exceptionally elevated, suggesting that at the limits of catastrophic man-made violence, psychological resilience among youth is all but extinguished.
The Xenopus proglucagon gene encodes novel GLP-1-like peptides with insulinotropic properties.

The proglucagon gene encodes several hormones that have key roles in the regulation of metabolism. In particular, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), a potent stimulus of insulin secretion, is being developed as a therapy for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. To define structural moieties of the molecule that convey its insulinotropic activity, we have cloned and characterized the proglucagon gene from the amphibian, Xenopus laevis. Unexpectedly, these cDNAs were found to encode three unique glucagon-like-1 peptides, termed xenGLP-1A, xenGLP-1B, and xenGLP-1C in addition to the typical proglucagon-derived hormones glucagon and GLP-2. xenGLP-1A, -1B, and -1C were synthesized and tested for their ability to bind and activate the human GLP-1 receptor (hGLP-1R), and to stimulate insulin release from rat pancreas. All three Xenopus GLP-1-like peptides bind effectively to the hGLP-1R and stimulate cAMP production. Surprisingly, xenGLP-1B(1-30) demonstrated higher affinity for the hGLP-1R than hGLP-1 (IC50 of 1.1 +/- 0.4 nM vs. 4.4 +/- 1.0 nM, respectively, P < 0.02) and was equipotent to hGLP-1 in stimulating cAMP production (EC50 of 0.17 +/- 0.02 nM vs. 0.6 +/- 0. 2 nM, respectively, P > 0.05). Further studies demonstrated that hGLP-1, xenGLP-1A, -1B, and -1C stimulate comparable insulin release from the pancreas. These results demonstrate that despite an average of nine amino acid differences between the predicted Xenopus GLPs and hGLP-1, all act as hGLP-1R agonists.
Longitudinal Analysis of CD8+ T Cells Specific for Structural and Nonstructural Hepatitis B Virus Proteins in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B: Implications for Immunotherapy

ABSTRACT The cytotoxic T-cell response in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been described as weak and mono- or oligospecific in comparison to the more robust virus-specific T-cell response present in resolved infection. However, chronic hepatitis B is a heterogeneous disease with markedly variable levels of virus replication and liver disease activity. Here we analyzed (both directly ex vivo and after in vitro stimulation) the HBV-specific CD8 T-cell responses against structural and nonstructural HBV proteins longitudinally in patients with different patterns of chronic infections. We found that the profiles of virus-specific CD8+-T-cell responses during chronic infections are highly heterogeneous and influenced more by the level of HBV replication than by the activity of liver disease. An HBV DNA load of <107 copies/ml appears to be the threshold below which circulating multispecific HBV-specific CD8+ T cells are consistently detected. Furthermore, CD8+ T cells with different specificities are differentially regulated during chronic infections. HBV core-specific CD8+ T cells are associated with viral control, while CD8+ T cells specific for envelope and polymerase epitopes can occasionally be found in the setting of high levels (>107 copies) of HBV replication. These findings have implications for the design of immunotherapy for chronic HBV infections.
Soluble PD‐1 rescues the proliferative response of simian immunodeficiency virus‐specific CD4 and CD8 T cells during chronic infection

Phenotypic and functional studies of the programmed death‐1 (PD‐1) molecule on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from uninfected and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)‐infected rhesus macaques. These data demonstrated a rapid upregulation of PD‐1 expression on tetramer‐positive CD8+ T cells from MamuA.01+ SIV‐infected macaques upon infection. Upregulation of PD‐1 on total CD8+ T cells was not detectable. In contrast, CD4+ T‐cell PD‐1 expression was markedly higher in total CD4+ T cells during chronic, but not acute, infection and there was a correlation between the level of PD‐1 expression on naive and central memory CD4+ T cells and the levels of viral loads. Such association was emphasized further by a marked decrease of PD‐1 expression on tetramer‐positive CD8 T cells as well as on CD4+ T cells on longitudinal samples collected before and after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy and downregulation of viral replication in vivo. Cloning of PD‐1 and its two ligands from several non‐human primate species demonstrated > 95% conservation for PD‐1 and PD‐L2 and only about 91% homology for PD‐L1. Functional studies using soluble recombinant PD‐1 protein or PD‐1–immunoglobulin G fusion proteins induced marked increases in the SIV‐specific proliferative responses of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from rhesus macaques. The results of these studies serve as a foundation for future in vivo trials of the use of rMamu‐PD‐1 to potentially enhance and/or restore antiviral immune responses in vivo.
Biodistribution and Radiation Dosimetry of the Synthetic Nonmetabolized Amino Acid Analogue Anti-18F-FACBC in Humans

The synthetic leucine amino acid analog anti-1-amino-3-18F-fluorocyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (anti-18F-FACBC) is a recently developed ligand that permits the evaluation of the L-amino acid transport system. This study evaluated the whole-body radiation burden of anti-18F-FACBC in humans. Methods: Serial whole-body PET/CT scans of 6 healthy volunteers (3 male and 3 female) were acquired for 2 h after a bolus injection of anti-18F-FACBC (366 ± 51 MBq). Organ-specific time–activity curves were extracted from the reconstructed data and integrated to evaluate the individual organ residence times. A uniform activity distribution was assumed in the body organs with urine collection after the study. Estimates of radiation burden to the human body were calculated on the basis of the recommendations of the MIRD committee. The updated dynamic bladder model was used to calculate dose to the bladder wall. Results: All volunteers showed initially high uptake in the pancreas and liver, followed by rapid clearance. Skeletal muscle and bone marrow showed lower and prolonged uptake, with clearance dominated by the tracer half-life. The liver was the critical organ, with a mean absorbed dose of 52.2 μGy/MBq. The estimated effective dose was 14.1 μSv/MBq, representing less than 20% of the dose limit recommended by the Radioactive Drug Research Committee for a 370-MBq injection. Bladder excretion was low and initially observed 6 min after injection, well after peak tracer uptake in the body organs. Conclusion: The PET whole-body dosimetry estimates indicate that an approximately 370-MBq injection of anti-18F-FACBC yields good imaging and acceptable dosimetry. The nonmetabolized nature of this tracer is favorable for extraction of relevant physiologic parameters from kinetic models.
Post-surgical follow-up (by ELISA and immunoblotting) of cured versus non-cured cystic echinococcosis in young patients

SUMMARY The study was designed to determine comparatively the prognostic value of immunoblotting and ELISA in the serological follow-up of young cystic echinococcosis (CE) patients exhibiting either a cured or a progredient (non-cured) course of disease after treatment. A total of 54 patients (mean age 9 years, range from 3 to 15 years) with surgically, radiologically and/or histologically proven CE were studied for a period up to 60 months after surgery. Additionally, some of the patients underwent chemotherapy. Based on the clinical course and outcome, as well as on imaging findings, patients were clustered into 2 groups of either cured (CCE), or non-cured (NCCE) CE patients. ELISA showed a high rate of seropositivity 4 to 5 years post-surgery for both CCE (57·1%) and NCCE (100%) patients, the difference found between the two groups was statistically not significant. Immunoblotting based upon recognition of AgB subcomponents (8 and 16 kDa bands) showed a decrease of respective antibody reactivities after 4 years post-surgery. Only sera from 14·3% of CCE patients recognized the subcomponents of AgB after 4 years, while none (0%) of these sera was still reactive at 5 years post-surgery. At variance, immunoblotting remained positive for AgB subcomponents in 100% of the NCCE cases as tested between 4 and 5 years after surgical treatment. Immunoblotting therefore proved to be a useful approach for monitoring post-surgical follow-ups of human CCE and NCCE in young patients when based upon the recognition of AgB subcomponents.
Efficient Market Hypothesis and Fundamental Analysis: An Empirical Test in the European Securities Market

This paper is to make a contribution to the empirical analysis of the efficient market hypothesis, specifically to appraise the potential of fundamental analysis as a predictor of abnormal returns following dividend announcements in European financial markets. The authors use a sample of 1,708 manufacturing and service businesses. The findings obtained are evidence that fundamental analysis does help predict abnormal returns, that the prediction model is barely influenced by the overall economic cycle and that the efficiency level of the European financial market is not of the semi-strong type. The misalignment observed between the market prices and fundamental values of securities may either be traced to the inability of investors to correctly interpret and use the information that is made available or, and even more probably, to the fact that economic agents adopt principles and procedures other than those recommended by traditional theorists. The findings have led to the emergence of behavioural finance, a discipline which emphasises the irrational conduct of many investors in financial markets, as well as their tendency to underrate the risks associated with given investments on the wrong assumption that events held to be associated with disclosed information will ultimately be averted.
Nevirapine in African surface waters induces liver histopathology in Oreochromis mossambicus: A laboratory exposure study

Nevirapine (NVP) is one of the HIV antiretrovirals detected recurrently in African surface waters. Liver side effects in humans were reported. Because the effects on fish are unknown, this study investigated the potential effects of NVP on selected biometric indices and liver histology of Oreochromis mossambicus (Mozambique tilapia) in a chronic exposure. Adult fish were exposed to two concentrations of NVP (1.48 and 3.74 µg l−1) in a static renewal system under controlled conditions for 30 days. At the end of the exposure, each fish was weighed, the total length recorded, and blood collected from the caudal vein. A standard necropsy was done, selected organs were sampled and weighed, and biometric indices calculated. Liver tissue was processed for histological assessment. Results showed significant differences (p < 0.001) in hepatosomatic indices between the exposed fish and the control, as well as in spleen indices of the fish exposed to the higher NVP concentration (p = 0.008). Liver tissue of exposed fish showed significant histological changes (p < 0.001), including hepatocyte apoptosis, vacuolation, and a mild fibrosis around some of the veins and bile ducts. Nevirapine in African surface waters could have long-term negative effects on the health of fish.
Early Responses to Dynamic Strain Change and Prostaglandins in Bone‐Derived Cells in Culture

Mechanical loading of bone explants stimulates prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) release and increases glucose 6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity. This response is blocked by indomethacin and imitated by exogenous PGs. In the experiments reported here, primary cultures of rat long bone–derived osteoblast‐like cells were exposed to a dynamic strain and exogenous PGs in the culture dish. Strain (3400 με, 600 cycles, 1 Hz) caused an immediate release of PGI2 into the culture medium but had no effect on PGE2. Strain also caused an increase in G6PD activity per cell and an increase in the smallest transcript of insulin‐like growth factor II (IGF‐II) (IGF‐II T3) but had no effect on the expression of transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1). Indomethacin inhibited strain‐induced release of PGI2 and suppressed strain‐induced stimulation of IGF‐II T3 transcript. PGI2 (1 μM) increased G6PD activity and mRNA levels of all three transcripts of IGF‐II but had no effect on the mRNA levels of IGF‐I or TGF‐β1. PGE2 (1 μM) stimulated G6PD activity and caused a marked increase in IGF‐I and the largest transcript of IGF‐II (IGF‐II T1) but had no effect on the IGF‐II transcripts T2 and T3 or on TGF‐β1 mRNA levels. These findings show similarities in response between osteoblast‐like cells strained in monolayer culture and bone cells in loaded bone explants in situ. They provide support for a role for IGF‐II and PGI2 in the early strain‐related response of osteoblasts in loading‐related bone modeling/remodeling.
MR diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: significance of high signal intensity of the basal ganglia.

OBJECTIVE Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare dementing illness that usually affects older adults. Currently, neuroradiologic examinations play a minor role in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Several single case reports have noted a distinctive finding of hyperintense signal abnormalities in the basal ganglia on T2-weighted MR images of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In order to assess the diagnostic utility of this finding, we studied the imaging features of four patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in whom this MR finding was present. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two neuroradiologists retrospectively reviewed the MR images of four patients who had pathologically proved Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and signal abnormalities in the basal ganglia on T2-weighted MR images. The patients' clinical findings were also analyzed. RESULTS The four patients had MR examinations between 6 months and 1 year after the onset of symptoms. In all four cases, the hyperintense signal abnormalities in the basal ganglia on T2-weighted images were diffuse and bilaterally symmetric. The T1-weighted images were normal. A CT scan was obtained on a single patient and was normal. CONCLUSION Although a lack of signal abnormality in the basal ganglia on MR imaging cannot be used to rule out a diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, our experience and review of published reports suggest that in the proper clinical setting, bilaterally symmetric, diffuse hyperintense abnormalities in the basal ganglia on T2-weighted images may be a specific sign of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Indicators of socioeconomic position (part 1)

This glossary presents a comprehensive list of indicators of socioeconomic position used in health research. A description of what they intend to measure is given together with how data are elicited and the advantages and limitation of the indicators. The glossary is divided into two parts for journal publication but the intention is that it should be used as one piece. The second part highlights a life course approach and will be published in the next issue of the journal.
Longitudinal volumetric MRI change and rate of cognitive decline

Objective: To examine how baseline and change of volumetric MRI relate to cognitive decline in older individuals. Background: Memory is associated with hippocampal integrity, whereas executive function has been linked to impaired frontal lobe function. Previous studies have shown that hippocampal and cortical atrophy are more strongly related to cognition than are measures of subcortical cerebrovascular disease (CVD). The authors hypothesized that memory (MEM) decline would be related to change in hippocampal volume (HC), whereas decline in executive function (EXEC) would be related to change of cortical gray matter volume (CGM) and measures of subcortical CVD. Methods: Subjects from a multicenter study (n = 103) included cognitively normal, mildly impaired, and demented cases with and without subcortical lacunes. All had longitudinal cognitive evaluation (mean = 4.8 years) and two or more MRI scans at least one year apart (mean = 3.4 years). MRI measures included HC, CGM, total lacune volume (LAC), and white matter hyperintensity volume (WMH). Random effects modeling of longitudinal data assessed effects of MRI baseline and MRI change on baseline and change of psychometrically matched measures of MEM and EXEC. Results: Change in MEM was related to HC baseline and HC change. Change in EXEC was related to baseline CGM and to change in CGM, HC, and LAC. Results were unchanged when demented cases were excluded. WMH was not associated with change in MEM or EXEC independent of HC, CGM, and LAC. Conclusion: Hippocampal volume was the primary determinant of memory decline, whereas executive function (EXEC) decline was related to multiple brain components. Results support a hypothesis that MEM decline is strongly influenced by Alzheimer disease (AD), whereas EXEC decline may be complexly determined by cerebrovascular disease and AD.
Histological and immunocytochemical localization of serotonin‐like immunoreactivity in the brain and optic ganglia of the Indian white shrimp, Fenneropenaeus indicus

Serotonin is one of the important neurotransmitter and neuromodulator so far studied in crustacean models. With its secretory sites well‐studied in higher crustaceans, its function in controlling the release of metabolic hormones from their storage and release sites has been well proved. The present study attempts to localize serotonin‐like immunoreactivity in Fenneropenaeus indicus, a commercially important shrimp species and a natural inhabitant of the Indian oceans. Histological studies were employed to visualize the different types of neurosecretory cells and their regions of occurrence in brain and optic ganglia on the basis of their size, shape, and tinctorial properties. Immunocytochemical studies were performed in the brain and optic ganglia with specific antisera against serotonin in combination with peroxidase anti‐peroxidase to map the serotonin‐like immunoreactive cells. Variations in the immunoreactivity were observed on comparing the cells of brain and optic ganglia. Medulla terminalis region had intense serotonin immunoreactivity suggesting it to be the primary source of the neurotransmitter. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Observation of Skyrmions in a Multiferroic Material

Harnessing the Magnetoelectric Effect Some multiferroic materials exhibit the so-called magnetoelectric effect, in which an external magnetic field can cause electric polarization and an electric field can cause magnetic order. This is important because the manipulation of magnetic structures by electric means is technologically highly desirable. Seki et al. (p. 198) discovered spin whirlpools called skyrmions in the multiferroic material Cu2OSeO3 and observed a magnetoelectric coupling exerted by the skyrmions. The existence of skyrmions in an insulating magnetoelectric material holds promise for their future manipulation. Whirlpools of spin are observed in an insulating material exhibiting both magnetic and ferroelectric order. A magnetic skyrmion is a topologically stable particle-like object that appears as a vortex-like spin texture at the nanometer scale in a chiral-lattice magnet. Skyrmions have been observed in metallic materials, where they are controllable by electric currents. Here, we report the experimental discovery of magnetoelectric skyrmions in an insulating chiral-lattice magnet Cu2OSeO3 through Lorentz transmission electron microscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements. We find that the skyrmion can magnetically induce electric polarization. The observed magnetoelectric coupling may potentially enable the manipulation of the skyrmion by an external electric field without losses due to joule heating.