Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implicit attitudes towards homosexuality: reliability, validity, and controllability of the IAT.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the psychometric properties of an Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998) that was adapted to measure implicit attitudes towards homosexuality. In a first experiment, the validity of the Homosexuality-IAT was tested using a known group approach. Implicit and explicit attitudes were assessed in heterosexual and homosexual men and women (N = 101). The results provided compelling evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the Homosexuality-IAT as a measure of implicit attitudes. No evidence was found for two alternative explanations of IAT effects (familiarity with stimulus material and stereotype knowledge). The internal consistency of IAT scores was satisfactory (alpha s > .80), but retest correlations were lower. In a second experiment (N = 79) it was shown that uninformed participants were able to fake positive explicit but not implicit attitudes. Discrepancies between implicit and explicit attitudes towards homosexuality could be partially accounted for by individual differences in the motivation to control prejudiced behavior, thus providing independent evidence for the validity of the implicit attitude measure. Neither explicit nor implicit attitudes could be changed by persuasive messages. The results of both experiments are interpreted as evidence for a single construct account of implicit and explicit attitudes towards homosexuality.
Effect of Using Vegetarian Milk and Adding Different Sweeteners on Probiotic Activity of Rayeb Milk

Rayeb milk (stirred yogurt made using probiotic culture) is one of the most popular functional fermented milk products in Middle East regions. To create novel bio-Rayeb milk, the effects of using mixtures of cow milk with oat milk, barley milk or sesame milk (50%:50%) sweetened with 5% sucrose, 5% honey, 2.5% fructose, or 1.5% sorbitol on the activity of starter bacteria (S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium) were studied. The obtained results showed that the populations of the above mentioned bacteria were higher in Rayeb milk made from oat milk, barley milk or sesame milk than those detected in Rayeb made from cow milk. Also, the numbers of starter bacteria increased in Rayeb prepared using mixtures of cow milk with oat milk, barley milk or sesame milk. Adding the sweeteners especially fructose and honey to mixed milk led to pronounced increasing in starter bacteria populations of Rayeb milk. Utilization of vegetarian milk individually or mixed with cow milk as well as addition sweeteners lowered the loss of viability levels of S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium during the storage period of bio-Rayeb milk.
Magnetic vortex core for high resolution magnetic force microscopy

A vortex core structure is proposed for high resolution Magnetic force microscope (MFM) probes. Probes are fabricated by coating magnetically soft FeCo films in a facing targets sputtering (FTS) system. Lateral resolution about 12 nm has been achieved by the probes. Simulation results show that a magnetic vortex is formed at the probe apex. The resulting effective magnetic moment of the probes will be minimized by the formation of vortex. We show that these probes have higher lateral resolution than the standard, commercially available MFM probes.
Learning Achievements Using a PBL-Based Methodology in an Introductory Electronics Course

Teaching electronics in an introductory course is usually implemented by means of theoretical classes typically focused on the basics of analog and digital electronics. However, this approach has been shown not to be very attractive for students, especially in degrees that are not specifically focused on electronics, with students coming from different profiles and not specifically interested in electronics. For these cases, a new course approach has been developed based on a top-down learning strategy and the implementation of a problem-based learning-based experience. This course has been held since 2011 with very good results, both in terms of academic achievements and the interest shown by the students. Results obtained are presented, highlighting the success obtained with this new methodology.
Comment on the paper by Quinn and Fromme entitled subjective response to alcohol challenge: a quantitative review.

BACKGROUND This commentary discusses the recent paper by Quinn and Fromme (2011), placing their results into perspective. RESULTS Quinn and Fromme's meta-analysis is an important and useful synthesis of a complex literature. It is clear, well written, and well reasoned, with conclusions that are relevant to both the Low Level of Response Model and the Differentiator Model. CONCLUSIONS Drs. Quinn and Fromme use a thorough and thoughtful approach, and I encourage researchers to address the important questions raised by their meta-analysis.
Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Invasive Infections Due to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Demonstrating a Vancomycin MIC of 2 Micrograms per Milliliter: Lack of Effect of Heteroresistant Vancomycin-Intermediate S. aureus Phenotype

ABSTRACT We describe clinical and laboratory characteristics of invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections with vancomycin MICs of 2 μg/ml and compare heteroresistant-intermediate S. aureus (hVISA) to non-hVISA. Health care-associated community-onset infections were the most common and resulted in frequent complications and relapses. hVISA-infected patients were more likely to have been hospitalized in the year prior to MRSA culture.
The bactericidal effect of ultraviolet and visible light on Escherichia coli

The bactericidal radiation dosages at specific wavelengths in the ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectrum are not well documented. Such information is important for the development of new monochromatic bactericidal devices to be operated at different wavelengths. In this study, radiation dosages required to cause mortality of an Escherichia coli strain, ATCC 25922, at various wavelengths between 250 and 532 nm in the UV and visible spectrum were determined. Radiation at 265 nm in the UV region was most efficient in killing the E. coli cells and 100% mortality was achieved at a dose of 1.17 log mJ/cm2. In the visible spectrum, the radiation dosages required for a one‐log reduction of the E. coli cell density at 458 and 488 nm were 5.5 and 6.9 log mJ/cm2, respectively. However, at 515 and 532 nm, significant killing was not observed at radiation dosage up to 7 log mJ/cm2. Based on the cell survival data at various radiation dosages between 250 and 488 nm, a predictive equation for the survival of E. coli cells is derived, namely log(S/S0) = −(1.089 × 107 e−0.0633λ)D. The symbols, S0, S, λ, and D, represent initial cell density, cell density after irradiation, wavelength of the radiation and radiation dosage, respectively. The proportion of the surviving E. coli cells decreases exponentially with the increase in radiation dosage at a given wavelength. In addition, the radiation dose required for killing a certain fraction of the E. coli cells increases exponentially as the wavelength of radiation increases. Bioeng. 2008;99: 550–556. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Escaping the Resource Curse and the Dutch Disease? When and Why Norway Caught up with and Forged ahead of Its Neighbors

In the 1960s, Norway lagged behind its Scandinavian neighbors in the aggregate value of economic production per capita, as it had for decades. By the 1990s, Norway had caught up with and forged ahead of Denmark and Sweden. When and why did Norway catch up? The discovery and extraction of oil in the early 70s is usually suggested as the explanation. But oil alone cannot explain Norway's growth since Sachs and Warner (2001) show that resource-gifts often reverse growth, making oil a curse not a blessing. Moreover, there is the possibility of contracting the Dutch Disease, which involves a rapid and substantial contraction of the traded goods sector. This article explains how deliberate macroeconomic policy, the arrangement of political and economic institutions, a strong judicial system, and social norms contributed to let Norway escape the Resource Curse and the Dutch Disease for more than two decades. Intriguingly, it appears that Norway in the late 90s may show some symptoms. Norway experiences reversed relative growth compared to Denmark and Sweden and a contraction of industrial activity. This article explores the political economy behind this recent slow-down.
Avaliaçăo das deformaçőes de chapas finas e curvas CLC para diferentes geometrias de punçőes

Changes are often required during the tryout of drawing tools. These changes may range from adjustments in die and punch designs to the selection of a new material with enhanced formability characteristics. All these actions, however, require time and money, thus augmenting the need for improved initial evaluations of thin sheet metal. Increasing interest is therefore being evinced in the development of laboratory tests that allow stamping manufacturers to become more familiar with the stamping ability of the thin sheet metal they utilize, thereby ensuring, at least in part, that the pieces produced are stamped without major problems. The identification of regions in the piece where deformation by stretching, deep drawing and/or uniaxial plane strain will occur during the forming process can allow the process to work smoothly through optimization of the tools’ geometry. In this work, four punch models with varying geometries were prepared and used, in addition to the traditional Nakazima drawing test tool. Thus, an evaluation was made of how the different tool geometries affected the material’s Forming Limit Diagram obtained through the traditional test. The first punch model, cylinder-shaped, was dubbed P1 and the second model, having a shallow elliptical shape, was identified as P2. The tool’s traditional hemispherical punch was called P3. Punch P4 was designed in a deep elliptical shape. The last punch model designed for these tests, dubbed P5, was shaped as an extra deep ellipse. The four proposed punch models were designed according to the 100 mm diameter proposed by Nakazima for this test. An important factor in the development of the geometry of each punch fabricated here was the specification of the R1 and R2 radiuses, the first one corresponding to the tip of the punch and the second responsible for the congruence of R1 with the tool’s rectilinear portion. The congruence between these radiuses was the determining factor in establishing the aforementioned shapes for each punch. The results discussed herein demonstrate that the smaller the tool’s radius, the greater the concentration of stresses in the material, regardless of whether this reduction in the radius is at the outer edge or at the tip of the tool. It should be noted that a slight variation in the radiuses of the geometry of Nakazima’s original tool affects only the material’s
Diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis and species discrimination of parasites by PCR and hybridization

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of PCR methodology in establishing the diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in patients from areas of endemicity in Venezuela. Biopsies from 233 patients with cutaneous ulcers suggestive of leishmaniasis were analyzed by PCR, employing oligonucleotides directed against conserved regions of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), and the PCR products were then hybridized to nonradioactively labeled, species-specific, cloned kDNA fragments. The ability of PCR to detect Leishmania cells was compared with those of the conventional methodologies: skin testing with killed promastigotes (Montenegro test), examination of Giemsa-stained biopsy smears, and in vitro culture of biopsy tissue. The PCR-hybridization technique detected the presence of Leishmania cells in 98% of patients clinically diagnosed as having leishmaniasis and also positive by the Montenegro skin test. In comparison, leishmania positivity was found in only 42% of cultures and 64% of biopsy smears. By hybridizing the PCR product to new kDNA probes specific for either Leishmania mexicana or Leishmania braziliensis, we found that both species are major causes of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Venezuela, and the species identification was confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis of kDNA from biopsy cultures. This work demonstrates that PCR coupled with hybridization is useful not only for the diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis but also for the taxonomic discrimination essential for both epidemiology and therapy. This technique can be used to diagnose leishmaniasis in a country in which the disease is endemic and can perhaps be adapted for use in a rural clinic.
Novel SNP in 5' flanking region of EDG1 associated with marbling in Japanese Black beef cattle.

Marbling, defined by the amount and distribution of intramuscular fat, is an economically important trait of beef cattle in Japan. The endothelial differentiation, sphingolipid G-protein-coupled receptor, 1 (EDG1) gene has been considered as a positional functional candidate for the gene responsible for marbling. We have recently reported that 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), c. -312A>G in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) and c. *446G>A in the 3' UTR in EDG1 were associated with marbling in Japanese Black beef cattle, but this was not functional and a causal mutation for marbling. In the present study, we detected 2 novel SNPs, referred to as g.1475435G>A and g.1471620G>T, in the 5' flanking region of the EDG1 between low-marbled and high-marbled steer groups, which were previously shown to have EDG1 expression differences in musculus longissimus muscle. The g.1475435G>A SNP seemed not to segregate in Japanese Black beef cattle. The g.1471620G>T SNP was associated with the predicted breeding value for beef marbling standard number by the analyses using Japanese Black beef cattle population. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that the g.1471620G>T SNP might have an impact on EDG1 expression and also marbling.
When Do Employees Become Entrepreneurs?

This paper examines an economic theory of when employees become entrepreneurs. It jointly addresses the two fundamental questions of when employees generate innovations, and whether these innovations are developed as internal ventures or outside the firm. The model shows that if generating innovations distracts employees from their assigned tasks, firms may discourage innovation. Firms may reject profitable opportunities that fall outside of their core activities. If employees own the intellectual property (IP), they may leave to do a start-up. The allocation of IP rights also affects the generation of innovation. The external entrepreneurial environment is a complement to firm-internal innovation. If the external environment is particularly good, firms may embrace employee innovation and take advantage of it through spin-offs.
Dystrophin in adult zebrafish muscle.

Mutations in the human dystrophin gene are implicated in the fatal muscle wasting disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This gene expresses a sarcolemmal-associated protein that is evolutionarily conserved, underpinning its important role in the architecture of muscle. In terms of DMD modelling, the mouse has served as a suitable vertebrate species but the pathophysiology of the disease in the mouse does not entirely mimic human DMD. We have examined the zebrafish in order to expand the repertoire of vertebrate species for muscle disease modelling, and to dissect further the functional interactions of dystrophin. We report here the identification of an apparent zebrafish orthologue of the human dystrophin gene that expresses a 400-kDa protein that is localised to the muscle membrane surface. These data suggest that the zebrafish may prove to be a beneficial vertebrate model to examine the role and functional interactions of dystrophin in disease and development.
Analysis of neural networks with time-delays using the Lambert W function

Neural networks have been used in various areas. In the implementation of the networks, time-delays and uncertainty are present, and induce complex behaviors. In this paper, stability and robust stability of neural networks considering time-delays and parametric uncertainty is investigated. For stability analysis, the dominant characteristic roots are obtained by using an approach based on the Lambert W function. The Lambert W function has already embedded in various commercial software packages (e.g., Matlab, Maple, and Mathematica). In a way similar to non-delay systems, stability is determined with the locations of the characteristic roots in the complex plane. Conditions for oscillation and robust stability are also given in term of the Lambert W function. Numerical examples are provided and the results are compared to existing approaches (e.g., bifurcation method) and discussed.
Probing the collective vibrational dynamics of a protein in liquid water by terahertz absorption spectroscopy

Biological polymers are expected to exhibit functionally relevant, global, and subglobal collective modes in the terahertz (THz) frequency range (i.e., picosecond timescale). In an effort to monitor these collective motions, we have experimentally determined the absorption spectrum of solvated bovine serum albumin (BSA) from 0.3 to 3.72 THz (10–124 cm−1). We successfully extract the terahertz molar absorption of the solvated BSA from the much stronger attenuation of water and observe in the solvated protein a dense, overlapping spectrum of vibrational modes that increases monotonically with increasing frequency. We see no evidence of distinct, strong, spectral features, suggesting that no specific collective vibrations dominate the protein's spectrum of motions, consistent with the predictions of molecular dynamics simulations and normal mode analyses of a range of small proteins. The shape of the observed spectrum resembles the ideal quadratic spectral density expected for a disordered ionic solid, indicating that the terahertz normal mode density of the solvated BSA may be modeled, to first order, as that of a three‐dimensional elastic nanoparticle with an aperiodic charge distribution. Nevertheless, there are important detailed departures from that of a disordered inorganic solid or the normal mode densities predicted for several smaller proteins. These departures are presumably the spectral features arising from the unique molecular details of the solvated BSA. The techniques used here and measurements have the potential to experimentally confront theoretical calculations on a frequency scale that is important for macromolecular motions in a biologically relevant water environment.
Use of the Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes) and Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) in Carcinogenesis Testing Under National Toxicology Program Protocols

A need exists for whole animal toxicity, mutagenesis, and carcinogenesis models that are alternative to the traditional rodent test models and that are economical, sensitive, and scientifically acceptable. Among small fish models, the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) is preeminent for investigating effects of carcinogenic and/or toxic waterborne hazards to humans. The guppy (Poecilia reticulata ), although less widely used, is valuable as a comparison species. Both species are easy to maintain and handle in the laboratory and there is a large body of background information on their responsiveness to a range of classes of carcinogens. There are considerable data on the occurrence of background diseases and on spontaneous neoplastic lesions, both of which occur relatively rarely. With few modifications, the medaka and guppy are amenable to carcinogenicity testing under the rigid standards established by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) for rodent tests. The advantages of the small fish in carcinogenesis studies are best realized in long-term studies that involve environmentally realistic exposures. Studies to identify chronic effects can be conducted in about 12 months, near the life span of medaka in our laboratory. Practically, 9-month studies are optimal but shorter study cycles and a variety of exposure/growout and initiation/promotion scenarios are available. Studies on 3 compounds tested in medaka under NTP protocols are under review and preliminary analysis indicates that chronic carcinogenicity bioassays with medaka, guppy, and potentially with other small fish species are feasible and scientifically valid.
Spirituality and Mental Well-Being in Combat Veterans: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND Many veterans experience significant compromised spiritual and mental well-being. Despite effective and evidence-based treatments, veterans continue to experience poor completion rates and suboptimal therapeutic effects. Spirituality, whether expressed through religious or secular means, is a part of adjunctive or supplemental treatment modalities to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is particularly relevant to combat trauma. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between spirituality and mental well-being in postdeployment veterans. METHODS Electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, JSTOR) were searched from database inception to March 2016. Gray literature was identified in databases, websites, and reference lists of included studies. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool and Critical Appraising Skill Programme Qualitative Checklist. RESULTS From 6,555 abstracts, 43 studies were included. Study quality was low-moderate. Spirituality had an effect on PTSD, suicide, depression, anger and aggression, anxiety, quality of life, and other mental well-being outcomes for veterans. "Negative spiritual coping" was often associated with an increase mental health diagnoses and symptom severity; "positive spiritual coping" had an ameliorating effect. DISCUSSION Addressing veterans' spiritual well-being should be a routine and integrated component of veterans' health, with regular assessment and treatment. This requires an interdisciplinary approach, including integrating chaplains postcombat, to help address these issues and enhance the continuity of care. Further high-quality research is needed to isolate the salient components of spirituality that are most harmful and helpful in veterans' mental well-being, including the incorporating of veterans' perspectives directly.