Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of a Blended Learning Course on Khartoum University Students` Achievement and Motivation to Learn Scientific English

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of a proposed blended learning strategy for teaching Scientific English among Khartoum University, therapeutic & health nutrition students’ achievement and motivation to learn scientific English. The sample consisted of (137) college students who are studying in faculty of education, home science department. The experimental group was composed of 48 students who enrolled in the English for Science, University required courses during the first semester of the academic year 2012/2013. The control group composed of the previous home science first year students who were enrolled in the same course in the first semester of the academic years 2010/2011(33 students) and 2005/2006 (56 students) respectively. The experimental group taught the course contents by using the proposed blended learning strategy, while the two control groups (2011/2012 & 2005/2006 academic year groups) taught the course contents through the conventional (traditional face–to-face) approach of teaching. Learners' motivation toward course learning materials was measured using the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) instrument, which consisted of four motivation categories based on Keller’s model: Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction. Data analysis revealed that there was a significant effect of the proposed blended learning strategy on subjects` achievement in the English for Science; University required course as well as their motivation to learn Scientific English. Moreover, results indicated that experimental groups’ candidates reported a high degree of satisfaction with blended learning experience in Scientific English. Based on the study results some recommendations and suggestions for further research were driven.
Cauchois and Sénémaud Tables of wavelengths of X-ray emission lines and absorption edges†

We present the Cauchois and Senemaud Tables of X-ray emission lines and absorption edges. They are written both in French and English. They were published in 1978 by Pergamon Press and are insufficiently known. However they are of large interest because of their completeness. They comprise the energies of all the K, L, M, N and O emission lines of natural elements from lithium up to uranium as well as the energies of satellite emissions and absorption discontinuities. The more intense lines of radio-elements up to fermium (Z = 100) are also given. The Tables range from the hard X-rays (122 keV, 0.01 nm) to the extreme ultra-violet (12 eV, 102 nm). For each transition, the wavelength (A and uX) and energy (eV and Ry) are given and references are indicated. The transitions are grouped by increasing wavelength (decreasing photon energy) and also by element and spectral series. We present, as an example, the use of the Tables to identify the emissions of the molybdenum L spectrum. We decided to scan the Cauchois and Se ne maud Tables and make them available for the scientific community. They are now available at the Website of our laboratory, http://www.lcpmr. upmc.fr/.
Breaking bad news-what patients want and what they get: evaluating the SPIKES protocol in Germany.

BACKGROUND Evaluation of the SPIKES protocol, a recommended guideline for breaking bad news, is sparse, and information about patients' preferences for bad-news delivery in Germany is lacking. Being the first actual-theoretical comparison of a 'breaking bad news' guideline, the present study evaluates the recommended steps of the SPIKES protocol. Moreover, emotional consequences and quality of bad-news delivery are investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 350 cancer patients answered the MABBAN (Marburg Breaking Bad News Scale), a questionnaire representing the six SPIKES subscales, asking for the procedure, perception and satisfaction of the first cancer disclosure and patient's assign to these items. RESULTS Only 46.2% of the asked cancer patients are completely satisfied with how bad news had been broken to them. The overall quality is significantly related to the emotional state after receiving bad news (r = -0.261, P < 0.001). Patients' preferences differ highly significantly from the way bad news were delivered, and the resulting rang list of patients' preferences indicates that the SPIKES protocol do not fully meet the priorities of cancer patients in Germany. CONCLUSIONS It could be postulated that the low satisfaction of patients observed in this study reflects the highly significant difference between patients' preferences and bad-news delivery. Therefore, some adjunctions to the SPIKES protocol should be considered, including a frequent reassurance of listeners' understanding, the perpetual possibility to ask question, respect for prearrangement needs and the conception of bad-news delivery in a two-step procedure.
Population dynamics of goby Paragobiodon echmocephalus and host coral Stytophora pistillata

The goby Paragobiodon echinocephalus is an obligate associate of the branching coral Stylophora p~stl l lata Population fluctuations of both specles were observed over 3 yr on the reef flat of Sesoko Island, Olunawa Japan Coral growth was negatively corlelated with size because partial death or destruction often occurred in large corals The number and maximum slze of gobies in a coral were positively correlated with coral size Small corals ( l 5 cm) were almost always inhabited by 2 or more fish The goby spawned from Aplil to November, and juveniles (7 to 15 mm] increased in summer The number of gobies and the corals occupied by gobies increased with the influx of juveniles The goby population declined durlng winter and spnng except in a year when corals > 5 cm became abundant When the number of large corals decreased large gobies (30 to 40 mm) decreased in number and the occupation rate of smaller corals increased Mortality of marked fish (> 15 mm) was correlated with that of corals Thus the population fluctuation of the goby was affected by both the availab~lity of host coral and the goby s seasonal reproductive cycle
Face Processing as a Brain Adaptation at Multiple Timescales

I consider face processing as the brain's adaptive response to phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and task-specific factors. Focusing on wide-ranging evidence from both my own laboratory and others, evidence for a primitive “quick and dirty” route for face processing that exists prior to postnatal experience is reviewed. Next, I trace the emergence of cortical specialization for face processing influenced by individual developmental experience (ontogenetic adaptation) and suggest that this ontogenetic adaptation is also heavily constrained by the phylogenetic system. Finally, I turn to recent evidence on task-specific modulation of activity in the core face network that illustrates brain adaptation at a finer timescale than that for the other systems. Current evidence indicates that task-specific modulation of the cortical face network does not emerge until the teenage years. As previously proposed for other components of cognition, I propose that these systems are complementary to each other, each compensating for the others' weaknesses. Different face-related systems are adapted to respond to survival pressures at different timescales, from millennia, to months, to microseconds.
Creative linguistic impoliteness as aggression in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket

Abstract Stanley Kubrick’s anti-war film Full Metal Jacket (1987) dramatically represents US Marine Corps basic training during the Vietnam War as both gruelling and brutalising. The brutal, linguistically aggressive and physically intimidating scenes purport to detail the dehumanising process that Marine Corps recruits were put through in preparation for combat during that period. In the film, the recruits are trained by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, played by the actor R. Lee Ermey, who is himself an ex-Marine Corps drill instructor (1965–1967) and who also served in Vietnam in 1968. As a result of his experience as an instructor, Ermey was given free rein by Kubrick to write his own dialogue for the abusive barrack room and field training scenes in order to lend the drama an air of authenticity (see Ermey 2017). Within the fictional world of the film, the intense training and disciplinary regime ultimately causes one recruit, Private Leonard Lawrence, to crack psychologically. Private Lawrence is nicknamed ‘Gomer Pyle’ by Hartman upon their first meeting, this name being a direct allusion to the hapless character of the same name who was a US Marine recruit in the sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. , which ran from 1964–1969 – contemporaneously with the time period in which Full Metal Jacket is set. This insulting allusion is merely the start of a long line of linguistically impolite/aggressive and ultimately physically aggressive interactions which Lawrence/Pyle suffers at the hands of Hartman, both directly and, later in the film as a result of Hartman’s orchestrations, from the other recruits. Under this unrelenting barrage of impoliteness, aggression, and abuse, Lawrence/Pyle eventually shoots Hartman dead before turning his rifle on himself and committing suicide. Thus, the film argues that the dehumanising effect of the basic training, which was ostensibly carried out to toughen up and mentally prepare conscripted recruits for combat in Vietnam, had a profound, brutalising and (potentially) utterly destructive effect on those subjected to it. In this article, we explore the creative linguistic aggression displayed by the character of Hartman. We focus particularly on the reasons underlying the creativity of Hartman’s impoliteness and aggression, and argue that these are essentially to foreground the seriousness of the training regime which the recruits must follow.
The role of matrix effects on the quantification of abscisic acid and its metabolites in the leaves of Bauhinia variegata L. using liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry

Phytohormone analysis using liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry is a very important tool for studies involving plant metabolism; however, this analysis can be affected by matrix composition. Although it is necessary to understand this effect to produce reliable results, it has been widely neglected in analyses of plant hormones. Leaf extracts from Bauhinia variegata were obtained by solvent extraction followed by solid-phase cleanup. The extract was analyzed with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) in negative ionization mode, using the multiple reaction monitoring mode with two or three transitions to enhance analytical quality control. Although deuterated standards were used as surrogates, pronounced matrix effects were detected for phaseic acid (PA), abscisic acid (ABA) -glycosyl ester (ABA-GE) and dihydrophaseic acid (DPA), whereas ABA, neoPA and 7'-hydroxy-ABA (7'OHABA) showed negligible matrix effects. The method was validated using spiked samples and was applied to monitor ABA, PA, DPA, neoPA, 7Â´OHABA and ABA-GE on a daily basis. Analyte recoveries from spiked samples ranged from 67% to 87%. The highest leaf concentration of phytohormones was found at 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm, which represent typical day times related to the decrease of stomatal conductance. Despite the use of deuterated phytohormones as internal standards, we showed that the use of a calibration curve constructed with a matrix extract is mandatory for the reliable quantification of ABA and its metabolites, especially PA, ABA-GE and DPA. Daily variations in endogenous ABA leaf concentration were discussed.
Neuropathology and Cellular Pathogenesis of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 12

SCA12 is a progressive autosomal‐dominant disorder, caused by a CAG/CTG repeat expansion in PPP2R2B on chromosome 5q32, and characterized by tremor, gait ataxia, hyperreflexia, dysmetria, abnormal eye movements, anxiety, depression, and sometimes cognitive impairment. Neuroimaging has demonstrated cerebellar and cortical atrophy. We now present the neuropathology of the first autopsied SCA12 brain and utilize cell models to characterize potential mechanisms of SCA12 neurodegeneration.
Unequal-Error-Correcting-Capability-Aware Iterative Receiver for (Parallel) Turbo-Coded Communications

An iterative detection and decoding (IDD) technique has recently received much attention due to its capacity approaching performance and manageable complexity for (parallel) turbo-coded systems. The existing IDD receivers process indiscriminately the a priori information of the systematic bits and the parity bits generated by the turbo decoder in the front-end detection. In this paper, we first show that the parity bits of the parallel turbo codes are inherently less protected than the systematic bits, which leads to suboptimality for the IDD receivers. Based on this observation, we then propose an unequal-error-correcting-capability-aware technique to mitigate the associated performance loss. As an illustrative example, the minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE) filtering and soft interference cancelation (MMSE-SIC)-aided iterative receiver for parallel-turbo-coded multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems is employed in this paper. Numerical results manifest that the MMSE-SIC-aided iterative receiver based on the proposed paradigm achieves noticeable performance gains over the conventional unequal-error-correcting-capability-agnostic one even with reduced computational complexity. The extension of the proposed principle to other iterative algorithms for parallel-turbo-coded data transmission is straightforward.
Germinal-cell loss in normal metazoan spermatogenesis.

Summary. A comprehensive review of the literature, of which a representative selection is given, reveals that a loss of developing germinal cells is a feature of spermatogenesis in general. The loss may be mani-fested by morphological, degenerative changes in single cells or in clones of cells at various stages of development, or in atypical spermatozoa ('polymorphism of spermatozoa') usually incapable of fertilizing an egg. The degree and the modes of the cell loss are species-specific, but in general the abnormalities appear to originate during gametic mitosis and meiosis. They are associated with abnormalities in the division apparatus and the chromosomes. The hypothesis is suggested that the deviant and abortive gametes represent evidence of a mechanism of negative selection by which cells with certain undesirable characteristics are removed from the population. The nature of these characteristics is unknown at present.
Abutment height influences the effect of platform switching on peri-implant marginal bone loss.

PURPOSE The purpose was to radiographically analyze and compare the marginal bone loss (MBL) between implants with different mismatching distance and to study the influence of the prosthetic abutment height on the MBL in association with the related mismatching distances. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study included 108 patients in whom 228 implants were placed, 180 with diameter of 4.5 mm and 48 with diameter of 5 mm. All patients received OsseoSpeed™ implants with internal tapered conical connection (Denstply Implants). Different mismatching distances were obtained, given that all implants were loaded with the same uni-abutment type (Lilac; Denstply Implants). Data were gathered on age, gender, bone substratum, smoking habits, previous history of periodontitis, and prosthetic features. MBL was analyzed radiographically at 6 and 18 months post-loading. RESULTS Mixed linear analysis of mesial and distal MBL values yielded significant effects of abutment, implant diameter, follow-up period, bone substratum, smoking, and abutment × time interaction. MBL was greater at 18 vs. 6 months, for short vs. long abutments, for grafted vs. pristine bone, for a heavier smoking habit, and for implants with a diameter of 5.0 vs. 4.5 mm. CONCLUSION Greater mismatching does not minimize the MBL; abutment height, smoking habit, and bone substratum may play a role in the MBL over the short- and medium term.
High Serum Levels of Follistatin in Patients with Ovarian Cancer

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the potential use of serum follistatin (FST) as a marker for ovarian cancer alongside serum cancer antigen-125 (CA-125). METHODS: Serum samples were collected from patients with ovarian cancer (n = 45), benign ovarian cysts (n = 40) or other cancers (n = 100) and from healthy subjects (n = 60) for the determination of FST and CA-125 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Expression of FST in ovarian tissue was investigated using immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Compared with healthy subjects and patients with benign ovarian cysts, serum FST and CA-125 levels were significantly increased in patients with ovarian cancer. Using the 95% confidence interval for the healthy subjects group as the cut-off value, tumour marker sensitivity and specificity in ovarian cancer were 53.3% and 97% for FST and 77.8% and 84% for CA-125, respectively. Tissue expression of FST protein was more pronounced in ovarian cancer than in normal ovary. CONCLUSIONS: The serum FST level was elevated in the peripheral blood of patients with ovarian cancer and has potential as a tumour marker for ovarian cancer diagnosis. It may be particularly useful when combined with CA-125 detection to reduce the number of false-positive results.
Convection-diffusion-reaction problems, SDFEM/SUPG and a priori meshes

First, a brief description of linear convection-diffusion-reaction problems is given. Then the Streamline Diffusion Finite Element Method (SDFEM, also known as SUPG) is introduced. Since its inception in 1979, this method has been the subject of a huge number of theoretical analyses and numerical investigations. The body of this survey paper is a comprehensive overview of what is known about the method where its strengths and weaknesses are discussed and recent theoretical results are included; in particular, Shishkin meshes are introduced and the behaviour of the SDFEM on these meshes is discussed.
Prevalence and Predictors of Hepatic Steatosis in Adults With Newly Diagnosed Chronic Liver Disease due to Hepatitis C

Obesity appears to be a risk factor for hepatic steatosis, which has been implicated in the development of hepatic fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C virus infection. We conducted the current study to examine whether obesity is associated with hepatic steatosis among patients with chronic hepatitis C identified from a population-based cohort. Study participants were persons with chronic hepatitis C who had had a liver biopsy, identified from a population-based study of persons with newly identified chronic liver disease conducted in gastroenterology practices. Data were collected through patient interviews, medical record abstraction, and review of previously performed liver biopsies. The outcome variable of interest was significant steatosis, defined as steatosis grade ≥2 determined from liver biopsy samples. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression techniques. The analysis included 450 patients with chronic hepatitis C with available liver biopsy slides. Overall, only 15.8% of subjects had significant hepatic steatosis (grade ≥2), while 35.9% of obese subjects had significant steatosis. In multivariate analysis, significant fibrosis (defined as ≥ grade 2) (odds ratio [OR], 3.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-7.37), obesity (OR, 3.32; 95% CI, 1.84-5.98), genotype 3 (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.09-5.75), and the presence of multiple metabolic comorbidities (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 0.88-4.11) were independently associated with steatosis. In this unique United States cohort of patients with newly diagnosed chronic liver disease due to hepatitis C, obesity was independently associated with hepatic steatosis. The results of this study provide additional evidence that obesity worsens liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis C, and suggest a role for weight loss as a treatment modality in these patients.
Community perceptions of genomic research: implications for addressing health disparities.

BACKGROUND Increasing the engagement of racial and ethnic minorities in genomic research may help alleviate health disparities. This paper examines community perceptions of the relationships between race, genes, environment, and health disparities, and it discusses how such perceptions may influence participation in genomic research. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews with 91 African American, Latino, and white lay community members and community leaders in North Carolina. Using constant comparison methods, we identified, compared, and developed linkages between conceptual categories and respondent groups. RESULTS Participants described gene-environment interactions as contributing to group differences in health outcomes, expressed the belief that genetic predisposition to disease differs across groups, and said that social conditions trigger group-level genetic differences and create poorer health outcomes among African Americans. LIMITATIONS Given the regional presence of major research institutions and the relatively high education level of many participants, this sample may not reflect the perspectives of those most disparately affected by health disparities. CONCLUSIONS Members from multiple community sectors share perceptions and may respond to similar approaches when attempts are made to increase participation in genomic research. Researchers may inadvertently fuel the perception that health disparities experienced by minorities are rooted in the shared genomes of a particular group as distinct from those of other groups. The way researchers use race and ethnicity in recruitment, analysis, and communication of research findings inaccurately implies that there are genetic differences between races, when categories of social experience or ancestry may more accurately characterize health differences. Understanding these issues is crucial to designing effective community engagement strategies, recruitment plans, and messages about genomic research, which could ultimately help to lessen health disparities.
Investigation of the Association Between Dopamine D1 Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Essential Hypertension in a Group of Turkish Subjects

Dopamine has been shown to influence blood pressure by regulating renal sodium excretion through direct interaction with the dopamine receptors, especially with the Dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1). To better understand the role of polymorphisms in those effects, we investigated the association between two polymorphic sites in the DRD1 promoter region (A–48G, G–94A) and essential hypertension in the Turkish population. The DRD1 variants were genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. A total of 205 unrelated individuals were enrolled in the study. We found that genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the control and hypertensive subjects were very similar and did not show any significant difference with respect to blood pressure (BP) and hypertension. Contribution of the gene variances in BP or hypertension by sex differences and dependence on body mass index (BMI) were also evaluated. Distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies were found to be in line with previous reports. However, increments detected in hypertensive subjects were far from being statistically significant.