Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pengetahuan dan pengaplikasian kemahiran berfikir aras tinggi dalam kalangan guru teknik dan vokasional

Kemahiran berfikir merupakan salah satu aspirasi murid yang sangat penting untuk melahirkan modal insan yang cerdas, kreatif dan inovatif bagi memenuhi cabaran abad ke-21 agar negara mampu bersaing di persada dunia. Guru sebagai pelaksana kurikulum memainkan peranan penting dalam mendidik anak-anak murid supaya mereka dapat menguasai kemahiran berfikir aras tinggi (KBAT). Namun begitu, penguasaan KBAT masih berada pada tahap yang lemah. Lantaran itu, kajian ini dijalankan adalah untuk menentukan persepsi guru teknik dan vokasional terhadap pengetahuan dan pengaplikasian KBAT daripada aspek kurikulum, pedagogi dan pentaksiran. Kajian tinjauan dengan pendekatan kuantitatif ini melibatkan seramai 130 orang guru teknik dan vokasional di daerah Muar. Instrumen soal selidik daripada kajian lepas diambil dan diubahsuaikan mengikut keperluan kajian penyelidik. Kaedah statistik yang digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah statistik deskriptif iaitu min dan statistik inferensi melalui korelasi Pearson untuk mengkaji hubungan antara pengetahuan dan pengaplikasian KBAT dalam kalangan guru. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan persepsi guru terhadap pengetahuan dan pengaplikasian KBAT daripada aspek kurikulum, pedagogi dan pentaksiran adalah tinggi. Hasil analisis menunjukkan terdapat hubungan yang positif kuat dan signifikan antara pengetahuan dan pengaplikasian KBAT dalam kalangan guru (r=.642, p<.01). Kesimpulannya, kajian ini diharapkan dapat membantu guru, pihak sekolah dan kementerian pendidikan dalam usaha untuk meningkatkan kejayaan pelaksanaan KBAT dalam sistem persekolahan. Sokongan dan perkembangan profesional yang berterusan daripada semua pihak adalah amat diperlukan. Guru perlu melengkapkan diri dengan pengetahuan KBAT dan mengamalkan KBAT dalam proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran.
Cost-Effectiveness of an Intervention to Improve Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Patients

Summary:Adherence to antiretroviral medications has been shown to be an important factor in predicting viral suppression and clinical outcomes. The objective of this analysis was to assess the cost-effectiveness of a nursing intervention on antiretroviral adherence using data from a randomized controlled clinical trial as input to a computer-based simulation model of HIV disease. For a cohort of HIV-infected patients similar to those in the clinical trial (mean initial CD4 count of 319 cells/mm3), implementing the nursing intervention in addition to standard care yielded a 63% increase in virologic suppression at 48 weeks. This produced increases in expected survival (from 94.5 to 100.9 quality-adjusted life months) and estimated discounted direct lifetime medical costs ($253,800 to $261,300). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the intervention was $14,100 per quality-adjusted life year gained compared with standard care. Adherence interventions with modest effectiveness are likely to provide long-term survival benefit to patients and to be cost-effective compared with other uses of HIV care funds.
Cell numbers and cell sizes in organs of mice selected for large and small body size.

Cell numbers in four organs of large, control and small mice were estimated by nuclear counts. Average cell mass was estimated from the cell number and the organ weight. The mice were from the selected Q-strain with six replicate lines in each size-group. The organs were lung, liver, spleen and kidney. At 6 weeks of age the large mice had more cells and larger cells than the controls in all organs; the small mice had fewer and smaller cells than the controls. The regression of log cell-number on log-organ weight provides a measure of how much, proportionately, cell number contributes to the differences in organ weight. In the lung and spleen, cell number contributed about 70% of the strain differences in organ weight, cell mass contributing about 30%; in the liver and kidney the relative contributions were about equal, at 50%. Cell counts at different ages from 3 to 15 weeks showed that cell number and cell mass contributed to the increases of organ weights during growth in roughly the same proportions as stated above. From this it is concluded that the main effect of selection for body weight has been to speed up or slow down the normal processes of cellular growth.
Clinically significant prognostic factors for differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Different scoring systems currently are being used to stratify patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) into risk groups. DTC is usually subdivided into papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). The objective of the current study was to identify those factors that predict long‐term unfavorable prognosis and to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the TNM staging system.
Robust Face Recognition using AAM and Gabor Features

— In this paper, we propose a face recognition algorithm using AAM and Gabor features. Gabor feature vectors which are well known to be robust with respect to small variations of shape, scaling, rotation, distortion, illumination and poses in images are popularly employed for feature vectors for many object detection and recognition algorithms. EBGM, which is prominent among face recognition algorithms employing Gabor feature vectors, requires localization of facial feature points where Gabor feature vectors are extracted. However, localization method employed in EBGM is based on Gabor jet similarity and is sensitive to initial values. Wrong localization of facial feature points affects face recognition rate. AAM is known to be successfully applied to localization of facial feature points. In this paper, we devise a facial feature point localization method which first roughly estimate facial feature points using AAM and refine facial feature points using Gabor jet similarity-based facial feature localization method with initial points set by the rough facial feature points obtained from AAM, and propose a face recognition algorithm using the devised localization method for facial feature localization and Gabor feature vectors. It is observed through experiments that such a cascaded localization method based on both AAM and Gabor jet similarity is more robust than the localization method based on only Gabor jet similarity. Also, it is shown that the proposed face recognition algorithm using this devised localization method and Gabor feature vectors performs better than the conventional face recognition algorithm using Gabor jet similarity-based localization method and Gabor feature vectors like EBGM.
Walk ratio (step length/cadence) as a summary index of neuromotor control of gait: application to multiple sclerosis

In healthy adults, the step length/cadence ratio [walk ratio (WR) in mm/(steps/min) and normalized for height] is known to be constant around 6.5 mm/(step/min). It is a speed-independent index of the overall neuromotor gait control, in as much as it reflects energy expenditure, balance, between-step variability, and attentional demand. The speed independence of the WR in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and its capacity to discriminate (a) across patients with MS and controls and (b) among disability levels in MS were tested. The WR was computed in 30 outpatients with MS [20 women, 10 men; Extended Disability Status Scale (potential range: 0–10, observed median 3.5, range 2.5–5.0)] walking at free speed (range: 0.43–1.67 ms−1), and in 30 healthy controls (20 women, 10 men) at free and slow speed (range: 0.55–1.67 ms−1). The WR was 6.38±0.66 in controls versus 5.36±0.86 in patients with MS (P<0.000), independent of age, sex, and walking speed. The WR was 5.95±0.69 and 4.90±0.70 in patients with an Extended Disability Status Scale score (P<0.001) below or above the median, respectively, independent of the disease duration (P<0.000). In patients with MS, the WR is a disability-sensitive index of neuromotor control of gait, and thus a promising outcome measure for treatments aimed at improving motor coordination.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Risk: Theory and Empirical Evidence

This paper presents an industry equilibrium model where firms can choose to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. We model CSR activities as an investment in customer loyalty and show that CSR decreases systematic risk and increases firm value. These effects are stronger for firms producing differentiated goods and when consumers' expenditure share on CSR goods is small. We find supporting evidence for our predictions. In our empirical tests, we address a potential endogeneity problem by instrumenting CSR using data on the political affiliation of the firm's home state, and data on environmental and engineering disasters and product recalls.
Secure device association for ad hoc and ubiquitous computing environments

Secure Device Association (also known as security initialization, first-connect or simply pairing in the literature) can be referred as the process of establishing a secure channel between a pair of devices in close proximity. There have been many recent proposals to provide secure pairing of devices in close proximity. All vary in their security against different attacks, the needed hardware capabilities and the necessary level of user attention. In a world of heterogeneous devices and requirements, we need mechanisms to allow automated selection of the best device association protocols without requiring the user to have an in-depth knowledge of the minutiae of the underlying technologies. Further, these mechanisms should facilitate unobtrusive device identification, matching of pairing techniques to requirements, chains of communication to bridge between devices of different capability and improved security by combining techniques where possible. In this paper, we present research trends and issues in the area of secure device association for ad hoc and ubiquitous computing environments followed by a short survey of the existing methods.
Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for improvement in stresses tolerance

ABSTRACT Lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive low-cost feedstock for bioethanol production. During bioethanol production, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the common used starter, faces several environmental stresses such as aldehydes, glucose, ethanol, high temperature, acid, alkaline and osmotic pressure. The aim of this study was to construct a genetic recombinant S. cerevisiae starter with high tolerance against various environmental stresses. Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase gene (tps1) and aldehyde reductase gene (ari1) were co-overexpressed in nth1 (coded for neutral trehalase gene, trehalose degrading enzyme) deleted S. cerevisiae. The engineered strain exhibited ethanol tolerance up to 14% of ethanol, while the growth of wild strain was inhibited by 6% of ethanol. Compared with the wild strain, the engineered strain showed greater ethanol yield under high stress condition induced by combining 30% glucose, 30 mM furfural and 30 mM 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF).
Efficacy and Safety of Short-Term Genistein Intervention in Patients with Localized Prostate Cancer Prior to Radical Prostatectomy: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Phase 2 Clinical Trial

We conducted a placebo-controlled, block-randomized double-blind Phase 2 study to examine the effect of 30 mg synthetic genistein daily on serum and tissue biomarkers in patients with localized prostate cancer (CaP). Fifty-four study subjects were recruited and randomized to treatment with genistein (n = 23) or placebo (n = 24) for 3 to 6 wk prior to prostatectomy. Seven study subjects were noncompliant to the study protocol. Adverse events were few and mild. Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) decreased by 7.8% in the genistein arm and increased by 4.4% in the placebo arm (P = 0.051). The PSA level was reduced in tumor tissue compared to normal tissue in the placebo arm. In the genistein arm, the PSA level in tumor and normal tissue was comparable. Total cholesterol was significantly lower in the genistein arm (P = 0.013). There were no significant effects on thyroid or sex hormones. Plasma concentrations of total genistein were on average 100-fold higher in the genistein arm after treatment (P < 0.001). Genistein at a dose that can be easily obtained from a diet rich in soy reduced the level of serum PSA in patients with localized CaP, without any effects on hormones. It was well tolerated and had a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol.
AMPK&agr;2 Deletion Causes Aberrant Expression and Activation of NAD(P)H Oxidase and Consequent Endothelial Dysfunction In Vivo: Role of 26S Proteasomes

Rational: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor and ubiquitously expressed in vascular cells. Recent studies suggest that AMPK activation improves endothelial function by counteracting oxidative stress in endothelial cells. How AMPK suppresses oxidative stress remains to be established. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of AMPK in regulating NAD(P)H oxidase, oxidative stress, and endothelial function. Methods and Results: The markers of oxidative stress, NAD(P)H oxidase subunit expression (gp91phox, p47phox, p67phox, NOX1 to -4), NAD(P)H oxidase–mediated superoxide production, 26S proteasome activity, I&kgr;B&agr; degradation, and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-&kgr;B (p50 and p65) were examined in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells and mouse aortas isolated from AMPK&agr;2 deficient mice. Compared to the wild type, acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was significantly impaired in parallel with increased production of oxidants in AMPK&agr;2−/− mice. Further, pretreatment of aorta with either superoxide dismutase (SOD) or tempol or apocynin significantly improved acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation in AMPK&agr;2−/− mice. Analysis of aortic endothelial cells from AMPK&agr;2−/− mice and human umbilical vein endothelial cells expressing dominant negative AMPK or AMPK&agr;2-specific siRNA revealed that loss of AMPK activity increased NAD(P)H oxidase subunit expression (gp91phox, p47phox, p67phox, NOX1 and -4), NAD(P)H oxidase–mediated superoxide production, 26S proteasome activity, I&kgr;B&agr; degradation, and nuclear translocation of NF-&kgr;B (p50 and p65), whereas AMPK activation by AICAR or overexpression of constitutively active AMPK had the opposite effect. Consistently, we found that genetic deletion of AMPK&agr;2 in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDLr−/−) strain markedly increased 26S proteasome activity, I&kgr;B degradation, NF-&kgr;B transactivation, NAD(P)H oxidase subunit overexpression, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction, all of which were largely suppressed by chronic administration of MG132, a potent cell permeable proteasome inhibitor. Conclusions: We conclude that AMPK&agr;2 functions as a physiological suppressor of NAD(P)H oxidase and ROS production in endothelial cells. In this way, AMPK maintains the nonatherogenic and noninflammatory phenotype of endothelial cells.
Fusions of the Escherichia coli gyrA and gyrB control regions to the galactokinase gene are inducible by coumermycin treatment

We have previously shown that the genes encoding the two subunits of Escherichia coli DNA gyrase are regulated in a manner which is dependent on DNA conformation. When the DNA encoding the gyrA and gyrB genes is relaxed, both genes are expressed at a high level; in negatively supercoiled DNA they are expressed at a low level. In this paper we describe fusions of both the gyrA and gyrB 5' sequences to the E. coli galactokinase gene. In such fusions we found that galactokinase can be induced by treating the cells with coumermycin A1, an inhibitor of DNA gyrase. Our results suggest that the regulation occurs at the transcriptional level and that only a small region of DNA is necessary for coumermycin-induced gene expression.
A theoretical analysis of the visual accommodation system in humans. NASA CR-606.

This study has attempted to model the human visual-accommodation system, starting directly with the retinal image. The models that are developed are reasonably consistent with existing data and offer a certain degree ot understanding of certain features of the data. The modeling is in three stages. Starting at the retina we ask: (1) What portion of the retinal picture is involved in accommodation control, (2) How that portion of the picture is processed to derive a measure of defocus, and (3) How that signal in turn is used to control the ciliary muscles. We tentatively conclude that the relevant portion of the retina is a central region of the fovea, having a diameter of some 30 minutes of arc, or 6 mils-the diameter of a coarse human hair. As for processing of the retinal image, it is shown how neural circuits based on lateral inhibition can yield a measure of defocus that is consistent with experimental data over several orders of magnitude of object size and illumination. It is also shown how interaction between three such overlapping receptor regions could account for certain chromatic effects in accommodation control. As for the control system, we tentatively propose an intermittent control model in which accommodation correction cycles may be initiated by relatively abrupt changes in the retinal pattern, caused for example by involuntary eye-movement saccads or certain target movements. The case is argued for a control cycle involving a sampling of the accommodation error followed by a ballistic corrective movement. In terms of thiscontrol model the elusive lens “vibrations” appear to be no more than normal accommodation correction cycles, what we have termed “accommodation saccads. ” Apart from its role in accommodation control it is also noted how these lens vibrations could possibly increase the depth of field for strong accommodation. The models predict significant interaction between accommodation control and eye-movements. A number of experiments are proposed which would help elucidate the nature of this interaction.
TEDDY–The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young

Abstract: The aim of the TEDDY study is to identify infectious agents, dietary factors, or other environmental agents, including psychosocial factors, which may either trigger islet autoimmunity, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), or both. The study has two end points: (a) appearance of islet autoantibodies and (b) clinical diagnosis of T1DM. Six clinical centers screen newborns for high‐risk HLA genotypes. As of December 2005 a total of 54,470 newborns have been screened. High‐risk HLA genotypes among 53,560 general population (GP) infants were 2576 (4.8%) and among 910 newborns with a first‐degree relative (FDR) were 194 (21%). A total of 1061 children have been enrolled. The initial enrollment results demonstrate the feasibility of this complex and demanding a prospective study.
Absence of CCR2 results in an inflammaging environment in young mice with age‐independent impairments in muscle regeneration

Skeletal muscle regeneration requires coordination between dynamic cellular populations and tissue microenvironments. Macrophages, recruited via CCR2, are essential for regeneration; however, the contribution of macrophages and the role of CCR2 on nonhematopoietic cells has not been defined. In addition, aging and sex interactions in regeneration and sarcopenia are unclear. Muscle regeneration was measured in young (3–6 mo), middle (11–15 mo), old (24–32 mo) male and female CCR2−/− mice. Whereas age‐related muscle atrophy/sarcopenia was present, regenerated myofiber cross‐sectional area (CSA) in CCR2−/− mice was comparably impaired across all ages and sexes, with increased adipocyte area compared with wild‐type (WT) mice. CCR2−/− mice myofibers achieved approximately one third of baseline CSA even 84 d after injury. Regenerated CSA and clearance of necrotic tissue were dependent on bone marrow–derived cellular expression of CCR2. Myogenic progenitor cells isolated from WT and CCR2−/− mice exhibited comparable proliferation and differentiation capacity. The most striking cellular anomaly in injured muscle of CCR2−/− mice was markedly decreased macrophages, with a predominance of Ly6C− anti‐inflammatory monocytes/macrophages. Ablation of proinflammatory TLR signaling did not affect muscle regeneration or resolution of necrosis. Of interest, many proinflammatory, proangiogenic, and chemotactic cytokines were markedly elevated in injured muscle of CCR2−/− relative to WT mice despite impairments in macrophage recruitment. Collectively, these results suggest that CCR2 on bone marrow–derived cells, likely macrophages, were essential to muscle regeneration independent of TLR signaling, aging, and sex. Decreased proinflammatory monocytes/macrophages actually promoted a proinflammatory microenvironment, which suggests that inflammaging was present in young CCR2−/− mice.
[Sociodemographic properties and pain prevalence of patients applying to the Algology Department polyclinic of Adnan Menderes University Medical Faculty].

OBJECTIVES To investigate the differences and similarities of sociodemographic properties and pain conditions of patients seen at our institution compared to other studies conducted throughout the world. METHODS Our study included the results of 772 patients who applied to our polyclinic between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2007. In our polyclinic, all patients are queried with respect to the items contained on the "Pain Assessment Form" before the diagnosis and their answers are recorded. Their demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, occupation, marital status, education, and economic status, are also recorded on the forms. For the detailed pain anamnesis, the following factors are questioned and recorded on the pain assessment form: the location, quantity and starting time of pain, its period, the factors that increase and decrease the pain, duration of pain, and prior medication. RESULTS The most frequent complaints were in the low back, shoulder and head. The three most frequent diagnoses were low back pain, musculoskeletal pain and headache. Visual analogue scale (VAS) value was found to be 7.3. Seventy-three percent of patients suffered from chronic pain. Pain was mostly accompanied by weakness, muscle weakness, insomnia, nausea, and vomiting. The most frequent treatments were medical treatments along with invasive pain therapy. CONCLUSION Knowledge of sociodemographic characteristics and close investigation of patients' responses to the treatments are important. When medical treatment is insufficient, invasive pain treatment should be administered by an experienced pain therapy practitioner. Informing patients and their relatives about the applied treatment may increase treatment success.
Heterobiography: A Bakhtinian Perspective on Autobiographical Writing

ABSTRACT The contribution offers a synthesis of a Bakhtinian philosophical approach to autobiography, conceived as both a text and a lifeproject, through the theoretical construct of ‘heterobiography. ’ Drawing on Bakhtin’s philosophical rather than philological work, the discussion focuses for the most part on some of Bakhtin’s lesser-known, fragmented and often obscure writings: Toward a Philosophy of the Act, written ca 1919–1921; the long essay ‘Author and Hero in Aesthetic Activity,’ written ca1922–1924; and several fragments from Bakhtin’s wartime notebooks, written in 1940–1946 and published in English translation only recently. Building on the author’s previous work on Bakhtin and ‘the question of the subject,’ the discussion highlights some of the ‘dotted lines’ that link these relatively obscure and fragmented texts, and suggests that they add up to a coherent, albeit complex, philosophical position on the dynamics of autobiography. The construct of ‘heterobiography’ is used in this context to account for the immanent ambivalence of the Bakhtinian position and to denote an element of alterity which operates both ‘centripetally’ and ‘centrifugally’ in the dynamics of narrative identity and its autobiographical inscription.