Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Doing E-Learning/Doing Gender?Examining the Relationship between Students' Gender Concepts and E-learning Technology

This paper is an interim report on our research project “The Arduous Gender”. In our project we examine the social construction of gender in relationship to ICT and e-learning in particular. While there have been studies examining the existence of quantitative gender differences in e-learning, the construction of gender in this field has remained empirically unexamined. Therefore, our basic research question is, whether students use e-learning to do gender and if so, which gender concepts are prevalent. With the help of quantitative and qualitative interviews we have examined various aspects of students' e-learning and ICT usage, their attitudes and their personal positioning toward these media. Our results so far are twofold. In our sample we could not recognize significant gender differences concerning the use and the acceptance of e-learning. For both female and male students e-learning and ICT have become an integral part of their everyday lives. Yet stereotypical gender concepts and dichotomies are an important factor when talking about personal competences and skills. Apparently, students' gender concepts have only minor effects on their actual engagement with e-learning and ICT but significant ones on the self-assessment of their skills and their competences with respect to e-learning and ICT. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Germany License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-ncnd/3.0/de.
What Users Do Besides Problem-Focused Coping When Facing IT Security Threats: An Emotion-Focused Coping Perspective

This paper investigates how individuals cope with IT security threats by taking into account both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. While problem-focused coping (PFC) has been extensively studied in the IT security literature, little is known about emotion-focused coping (EFC). We propose that individuals employ both PFC and EFC to volitionally cope with IT security threats, and conceptually classify EFC into two categories: inward and outward. Our research model is tested by two studies: an experiment with 140 individuals and a survey of 934 respondents. Our results indicate that both inward EFC and outward EFC are stimulated by perceived threat, but that only inward EFC is reduced by perceived avoidability. Interestingly, inward EFC and outward EFC are found to have opposite effects on PFC. While inward EFC impedes PFC, outward EFC facilitates PFC. By integrating both EFC and PFC in a single model, we provide a more complete understanding of individual behavior under IT security threats. Moreover, by theorizing two categories of EFC and showing their opposing effects on users’ security behaviors, we further examine the paradoxical relationship between EFC and PFC, thus making an important contribution to IT security research and practice.
Functional Analysis of Picornavirus 2B Proteins: Effects on Calcium Homeostasis and Intracellular Protein Trafficking

ABSTRACT The family Picornaviridae consists of a large group of plus-strand RNA viruses that share a similar genome organization. The nomenclature of the picornavirus proteins is based on their position in the viral RNA genome but does not necessarily imply a conserved function of proteins of different genera. The enterovirus 2B protein is a small hydrophobic protein that, upon individual expression, is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi complex, reduces ER and Golgi complex Ca2+ levels, most likely by forming transmembrane pores, and inhibits protein trafficking through the Golgi complex. At present, little is known about the function of the other picornavirus 2B proteins. Here we show that rhinovirus 2B, which is phylogenetically closely related to enterovirus 2B, shows a similar subcellular localization and function to those of enterovirus 2B. In contrast, 2B proteins of hepatitis A virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus, and encephalomyocarditis virus, all of which are more distantly related to enteroviruses, show a different localization and have little, if any, effects on Ca2+ homeostasis and intracellular protein trafficking. Our data suggest that the 2B proteins of enterovirus and rhinovirus share the same function in virus replication, while the other picornavirus 2B proteins support the viral life cycle in a different manner. Moreover, we show that an enterovirus 2B protein that is retained in the ER is unable to modify Ca2+ homeostasis and inhibit protein trafficking, demonstrating the importance of Golgi complex localization for its functioning.
Urinary excretion of aspirin.

Six human volunteers were each given single oral doses of aspirin (ASA) ranging from 300-1,500 mg. The unchanged ASA excreted in the urine was proportional to dose and urinary pH. The mean percent (+/- s.d.) of dose excreted was 1.9 +/- 0.67. The clearance for ASA was 1.42 +/- 0.28 1/h. The rate of in vitro hydrolysis of ASA to salicylic acid in urine at 37 degrees C was 4 micrograms/min for an initial ASA concentration of 7.5 mg in 100 ml human urine.
Adaptive and interactive climate futures: systematic review of ‘serious games’ for engagement and decision-making

Climate change is already having adverse impacts on ecosystems, communities and economic activities through higher temperatures, prolonged droughts, and more frequent extremes. However, a gap remains between public understanding, scientific knowledge about climate change, and changes in behaviour to effect adaptation. ‘Serious games’—games used for purposes other than entertainment—are one way to reduce this adaptation deficit by enhancing opportunities for social learning and enabling positive action. Games can provide communities with the opportunity to interactively explore different climate futures, build capability and capacity for dealing with complex challenges, and socialise adaptation priorities with diverse publics. Using systematic review methods, this paper identifies, reviews, synthesises and assesses the literature on serious games for climate change adaptation. To determine where and how impact is achieved, we draw on an evaluation framework grounded in social learning, to assess which combinations of cognitive (knowledge and thinking), normative (norms and approaches) and relational (how people connect and network building) learning are achieved. Results show that factors influencing the overall success in influencing behaviour and catalysing learning for adaptation include generating high levels of inter- and intra- level trust between researchers, practitioners and community participants; strong debriefing and evaluation practices; and the use of experienced and knowledgeable facilitators. These results can help inform future game design, and research methodologies to develop robust ways for engaging with stakeholders and end users, and enhance learning effects for resilient climate futures.
Eulerian bias and the galaxy density field

We investigate the effects on cosmological clustering statistics of empirical biasing, where the galaxy distribution is a local transformation of the present-day Eulerian density field. The effects of the suppression of galaxy numbers in voids, and their enhancement in regions of high density, are considered, independently and in combination. We compare results from numerical simulations with the predictions of simple analytic models. We find that the bias is generally scale-dependent, so that the shape of the galaxy power spectrum differs from that of the underlying mass distribution. The degree of bias is always a monotonic function of scale, tending to an asymptotic value on scales where the density fluctuations are linear. The scale dependence is often rather weak, with many reasonable prescriptions giving a bias which is nearly independent of scale. We have investigated whether such an Eulerian bias can reconcile a range of theoretical power spectra with the twin requirements of fitting the galaxy power spectrum and reproducing the observed mass-to-light ratios in clusters. It is not possible to satisfy these constraints for any member of the family of CDM-like power spectra in an Einstein - de Sitter universe when normalised to match COBE on large scales and galaxy cluster abundances on intermediate scales. We discuss what modifications of the mass power spectrum might produce agreement with the observational data.
Involvement of intramuscular interstitial cells in nitrergic inhibition in the mouse gastric antrum

Intracellular recordings were made from isolated bundles of the circular muscle layer of mouse gastric antrum and the responses evoked by stimulating intrinsic nerve fibres were examined. Transmural nerve stimulation evoked a fast inhibitory junction potential (fast‐IJP) which was followed initially by a smaller amplitude long lasting inhibitory junction potential (slow‐IJP) and a period of excitation. The excitatory component of the response was abolished by atropine, suggesting that it resulted from the release of acetylcholine and activation of muscarinic receptors. Fast‐IJPs were selectively reduced in amplitude by apamin and slow‐IJPs were abolished by Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine. Slow‐IJPs were associated with a drop in membrane noise, suggesting that inhibition resulted from a reduced discharge of unitary potentials by intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCIM). The chloride channel blocker, anthracene‐9‐carboxylic acid, reduced the discharge of membrane noise in a manner similar to that detected during the slow‐IJP. When recordings were made from the antrum of W/WV mice, which lack ICCIM, the cholinergic and nitrergic components were absent, with only fast‐IJPs being detected. The observations suggest that neurally released nitric oxide selectively targets ICCIM causing a hyperpolarization by suppressing the discharge of unitary potentials.
Impact of Transformational Leadership in Attainment of Project Success : The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

Even though transformational leadership effect on project success is experimentally supported but less is identified regarding the method which explain this outcome. To address this gap, this study recommends the mediating role of job satisfaction as a probable explanation of the association between transformational leadership and project success. Based on survey of 152 employees in the banking sector at Rawalpindi, the findings of this study indicate that job satisfaction partially mediates the effect of transformational leadership on project success. Practical implications of the results are discussed in this paper.
Effects of stage of lactation, month, age, origin and heart girth on lameness in dairy cattle

Lameness in herds during one year was commonest in the first month of lactation (15 per cent of all cases). Leg lesions were particularly common at this time (24 per cent of all cases of leg lesions) but white line abscess and sole ulcer were more common a month later. Foul-in-the-foot was one of the two most common lesions at all stages of pregnancy and lactation, and white line abscess the most common (20 per cent of all lesions) in late lactation. Both sole ulcer and underrun heel had lower incidence in the second half of the year than the first. White line abscess was particularly common in March and November although there were significant interactions between month and veterinary practice; foul-in-the-foot was most common in October. Susceptibility to lameness increased with age; 10-year-old cows were over four times more likely to develop lameness than three-year-old cows. This was due particularly to increased incidence with age of white line abscess and sole ulcer and, to a lesser extent, underrun heel. In contrast, foul-in-the-foot and leg lesions showed little change with age. Whereas these lesions accounted for 68 per cent of the total in cows up to two years old, they accounted for only 15 per cent of all lesions in cows over 10 years old. White line abscess was slightly commoner in cows with large heart girths.
Soil Amendments with Sugarcane Bagasse and its Effect on Soil Humic Acid Contents and Chinese Cabbage Growth Components

The population increase and industrial development produce an enormous amount of organic residues creating great environmental problems now a day. The appropriate agriculture use of these residues can become advantageous for the mankind because it allows nutrients recycling, improve crop production, less pollution problems and as well the improvement of the physical, chemical and biotic conditions of the soil [1]. Organic matter applied to the soil favors the development and growth of plants because it prevents nutrients loss by leaching [2-4]. The sugarcane is a grassy crop that produces, in a short period, a high income of biomass, energy and fibres, being considered one of the plants with larger photosynthetic efficiency [1]. Its plantation in a wide scale is traditional in several countries of the tropical and subtropical regions to produce sugar, alcohol and other bioproducts. Several tons of sugarcane residues are produced and need to be conditioned. Experiments have been conducted to study the viability of those residues on fish feeds, as nematicide on mandarin culture as horticulture substrate mixes or wheat production [5-8]. Sugarcane bagasse is a source of vegetal fiber that has potential use on the industry of polymeric composites [9]. Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) produce humic acid (HA) after decomposition which have colloidal character and huge active surface which provide fine adsorptive properties [10]. Adsorptive features of HA allow to supply necessary micro-and macronutrients to plants and eliminating from the ground ionic and molecular impurities in the form of heavy metals [10,11]. All these potential uses have the major goal of resolving the disposal problems of sugarcane residues. The main objective of this study is to quantify the amount of HA produced after amending the soil with SCB with respect to the entire life span of growing plant Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa, subsp. pekinensis). Abstract
Broad-Band Tissue Mimicking Phantoms and a Patch Resonator for Evaluating Non-Invasive Monitoring of Blood Glucose Levels

Wide-band tissue mimicking phantoms (TMPs) are presented that replicate the dielectric properties of wet skin, fat, blood, and muscle tissues for the 0.3 GHz to 20 GHz frequency range. The TMPs reflect the dielectric properties with maximum deviations of 7.7 units and 3.9 S/m for relative dielectric constant and conductivity, respectively, for the whole band. The dielectric properties of the blood mimicking material are further investigated by adding realistic glucose amounts and a Cole-Cole model used to compare the behavior with respect to changing glucose levels. In addition, a patch resonator was fabricated and tested with the four-layered physical phantom developed in house. It was observed that the input impedance of the resonator is sensitive to the changes in the dielectric properties and, hence, to the realistic glucose level changes in the blood layer.
Interactions of Blockade of Nitric Oxide Synthase and Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme on Renal Function in Conscious Rabbits

We tested the effects and interactions of blockade of nitric oxide (NO) synthase and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) on renal function. Six rabbits were studied four times, each at 14-day intervals. The treatments were intravenous (i.v.) vehicle, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) 5 mg/kg, captopril 500 micrograms plus 3.3 micrograms/kg/min, or L-NNA plus captopril. The studies were performed in random order. Arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and clearance of H2O, Na+, Li+, [3H]inulin [glomerular filtration rate (GRF)], and paraaminohippuric acid (PAH, renal plasma flow) were measured for the hour before treatment and for 3 h after treatment. Renal blood flow (RBF), renal vascular conductance, and GFR were reduced by 36 +/- 4, 41 +/- 4, and 17 +/- 5%, respectively, after L-NNA treatment. Although captopril did not affect these variables significantly when given alone, it completely abolished the effects of L-NNA. After L-NNA administration, sodium excretion decreased by 41 +/- 11%, chiefly attributable to reduced GFR, although increased reabsorption of sodium also contributed. The site of this increased reabsorption was probably the proximal nephron, since Li+ reabsorption (a marker of proximal tubular sodium reabsorption) tended to increase by 8.4 +/- 4.8%. Captopril had a natriuretic effect chiefly attributable to reduced sodium reabsorption in the proximal nephron. When these agents were coadministered, proximal tubular sodium reabsorption did not change significantly. Our data suggest the existence of a functional interaction between ACE and NO synthase in control of RBF and GFR. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Learning benefits of structural example-based adaptive tutoring systems

This paper illustrates and evaluates a generic adaptive tutoring environment, structural example-based adaptive tutoring system (SEATS), based on the theory of cognitive knowledge acquisition. The system teaches by presenting side-by-side examples and highlighting their common structural components. This technique assists the process of generalization and reduces mapping by surface features, allowing students to apply their newly gained knowledge to different sets of problems. SEATS also implements adaptive presentation based on a straightforward model of student/user performance. SEATS was evaluated with a recursion tutorial used by 117 students in a 1-hour tutorial session. Results indicate that using adaptation in combination with the structural example-based feature produces an effect on rate and extent of learning significantly greater than when the features are used alone, or when both are absent. The study further points out that future evaluations will have to take students' curiosity into account, since many of them are likely to give at least some incorrect answers on purpose, to test the response of the system. The results indicate that building SEATS with simple adaptive mechanisms is an efficient way of teaching electronically.
Oral QS-21 Requires Early IL-4 Help for Induction of Mucosal and Systemic Immunity1

The highly purified saponin derivative, QS-21, from the Quillaja saponaria Molina tree has been proved to be safe for parenteral administration and represents a potential alternative to bacterial enterotoxin derivatives as a mucosal adjuvant. Here we report that p.o. administration of QS-21 with the vaccine protein tetanus toxoid elicited strong serum IgM and IgG Ab responses, which were only slightly enhanced by further oral immunization. The IgG Ab subclass responses were predominantly IgG1 followed by IgG2b for the 50-μg p.o. dose of QS-21, whereas the 250-μg p.o. dose also induced IgG2a and IgG3 Abs. Low oral QS-21 doses induced transient IgE Ab responses 7 days after the primary immunization, whereas no IgE Ab responses were seen in mice given the higher QS-21 dose. Further, low but not high p.o. QS-21 doses triggered Ag-specific secretory IgA (S-IgA) Ab responses. Th cell responses showed higher IFN-γ (Th1-type) and lower IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10 (Th2-type) secretion after the high QS-21 p.o. dose than after low doses. Interestingly, the mucosal adjuvant activity of low oral QS-21 doses was diminished in IL-4−/− mice, suggesting a role for this cytokine in the initiation of mucosal immunity by oral QS-21. In summary, our results show that oral QS-21 enhances immunity to coadministered Ag and that different doses of QS-21 lead to distinct patterns of cytokine and serum Ab responses. We also show that an early IL-4 response is required for the induction of mucosal immunity by oral QS-21 as adjuvant.
Associations of physical activity and diet with the onset of menopause in Japanese women

ObjectiveProspective studies on physical activity and diet and the onset of natural menopause are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the association of physical activity and dietary factors potentially related to endogenous estrogen levels such as fats, dietary fiber, soy isoflavones, and alcohol with the onset of menopause in a cohort of premenopausal women. MethodsStudy participants were 3,115 premenopausal Japanese women aged 35 to 56 years derived from the participants in the Takayama Study. Physical activity was assessed by a validated questionnaire at baseline, and the metabolic equivalent score was calculated. The dietary intakes were estimated by a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline and adjusted for total energy. Menopause status was defined as the absence of menstruation for 12 months or more. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of the occurrence of menopause after controlling for age, parity, body mass index, smoking status, years of education, and lifelong irregular menstrual cycle. ResultsDuring the 10-year follow-up, 1,790 women experienced natural menopause. A high physical activity level and a high intake of polyunsaturated fat were moderately but significantly associated with the earlier onset of menopause; the hazard ratios for the highest versus lowest quartile were 1.17 (95% CI, 1.02-1.34) for physical activity and 1.15 (95% CI, 1.01-1.31) for polyunsaturated fat intake. Total fat, other types of fat, dietary fiber, soy isoflavones, and alcohol were not associated with the onset of menopause. ConclusionsThese data suggest that high levels of physical activity and polyunsaturated fat intake are associated with earlier onset of menopause.
The Impact of Stock Prices on Capital Structures: A Study on the German Stock Market

This thesis analyzes the corporate rebalancing behavior of German publicly listed firms subsequent to equity price shocks. The examined period (1990-2012) includes a total sample of 2,154 firm-years. It is found that German firms do not counteract stock induced changes in market-based capital ratios in the short run; whereas managerial rebalancing activity gradually gains importance in the long-term perspective. This behavior is largely in accordance with referential studies on the U.S. and the European stock markets. Further, a life-cycle extension of the applied research model has identified diverging rebalancing intensities across dissimilar corporate maturity classes. It was found, that those differences may be partly explained by respective adjustment cost levels. (Less)
Aldosterone increases cardiac vagal tone via G protein‐coupled oestrogen receptor activation

• Faster cellular effects of aldosterone incompatible with the genomic effects mediated by mineralocorticoid receptors have been proposed for 40 years but the receptors remained elusive. • Recently, aldosterone has been shown to activate the G protein‐coupled oestrogen receptor (GPER) in the vasculature. • Our results indicate that aldosterone activates the GPER in cardiac vagal neurons of nucleus ambiguus leading to an increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and depolarization; in addition, in vivo studies indicate that microinjection of aldosterone in nucleus ambiguus produces bradycardia in conscious rats. • In summary, our results identified a new role for aldosterone in the modulation of cardiac vagal tone via GPER activation in nucleus ambiguus.