Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioral and Academic Progress of Children Displaying Substantive ADHD Behaviors in Special Education

Objective: Exploring differences in behavioral and academic progress between children displaying substantive ADHD behaviors (M age of 9.4 years) in special schools (n = 38) and in inclusive education (n = 26). The contribution of pedagogical strategies to positive outcomes was also examined. Method: Measurements used were the Teachers’ Report Form, the Social Emotional Questionnaire, assessments of academic achievement, and the Pedagogical Methods Questionnaire. Mixed-model ANOVAs and Pearson’s correlations were used to analyze the data. Results: Significant progress was found regarding disorder-specific problem behavior and in all academic areas, but no interaction effect was found between time and setting. Correlations indicated that positive behavior reinforcement and emotional support are the pedagogical strategies that contributed most to behavioral adaptation. Conclusion: Children displaying substantive ADHD behaviors in both groups develop equally well in the areas of behavioral and academic functioning where significant progress was found.
Limitations imposed by RHP zeros/poles in multivariable systems

This paper examines the limitations imposed by Right Half Plane (Rhp) zeros and poles in multivariable feedback systems. The main result is to provide lower bounds on || WXV(s) ||∞ where X is S, SI, T or TI (sensitivity and complementary sensitivity). Previously derived lower bounds on the H∞-norm of S and T are thus generalized to the case with matrix-valued weights, including bounds for reference tracking and disturbance rejection. Furthermore, new bounds which quantify the minimum input usage for stabilization in the presence of measurement noise and disturbances are derived.
Association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism C677T and risk of chronic myeloid leukemia in Serbian population

Abstract Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme regulating the intracellular folate metabolism which plays an important role in carcinogenesis through DNA methylation and nucleotide synthesis. The common MTHFR single nucleotide polymorphism C677T has been reported to be associated with reduced enzymatic activity. In order to investigate the influence of this polymorphism on the risk of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), we performed a case–control study in a Serbian population of 52 patients with CML and 53 healthy control subjects. MTHFR C677T polymorphism genotyping was assessed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The results demonstrated no statistical difference in MTHFR 677 frequency distribution between patient and control groups. Our findings suggest that MTHFR 677 gene variants have no significant influence on the susceptibility to CML in a Serbian population.
Thermal efficiency and environmental performances of a biogas‐diesel stationary engine

Abstract Municipal and agricultural waste, and sludge from wastewater treatment represent a large source of pollution. Gaseous fuels can be produced from waste decomposition and then used to run internal combustion engines for power and heat generation. The present paper focuses on thermal efficiency and environmental performances of dual‐fuel engines fuelled with biogas. Experiments have been carried out on a Lister‐Petter single cylinder diesel engine, modified for dual‐fuel operation. Natural gas was first used as the primary fuel. An empirical correlation was determined to predict the engine load for a given mass flow rate for the pilot fuel (diesel) and for the primary fuel (natural gas). That correlation has then been tested for three synthesized biogas compositions. Computations were performed and the error was estimated to be less than 10%. Additionally, NOx and CO2 contents were measured from exhaust gases. Based on exhausts gas temperature, the activation energy and the pre‐exponential factor of an Arrhenius law were then proposed, resulting in a simpler mean to predict NOx.
Pilot clinical study for quantitative spectral diagnosis of non‐melanoma skin cancer

Several research groups have demonstrated the non‐invasive diagnostic potential of diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) and laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques for early cancer detection. By combining both modalities, one can simultaneously measure quantitative parameters related to the morphology, function and biochemical composition of tissue and use them to diagnose malignancy. The objective of this study was to use a quantitative reflectance/fluorescence spectroscopic technique to determine the optical properties of normal skin and non‐melanoma skin cancers and the ability to accurately classify them. An additional goal was to determine the ability of the technique to differentiate non‐melanoma skin cancers from normal skin.
Lack of the Transcriptional Coactivator OBF-1 Prevents the Development of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus-Like Phenotypes in Aiolos Mutant Mice 1

Here we show that mice lacking the zinc finger transcription factor Aiolos develop the symptoms of human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which is characterized by the production of anti-dsDNA Ab and immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis. This finding indicates that normal Aiolos function is necessary to maintain immune homeostasis and suppress the development of systemic autoimmune disease and implicates Aiolos as a possible candidate gene for SLE. Interestingly, Aiolos-null mice can no longer mount autoimmune reactions and completely fail to develop SLE when they are deficient for the B cell-specific transcription coactivator OBF-1. The lack of OBF-1 reverses several Aiolos mutant mouse phenotypes, such as B cell hyperproliferation, high expression of activation marker on B cells, and spontaneous germinal center formation. Unexpectedly, B cell development at the immature B cell stage is severely impaired in the bone marrow of Aiolos/OBF-1 double-deficient mice, demonstrating the key role of these factors in the transition from pre-B to immature B cells. Our results indicate that B cells play a crucial role in the development of SLE in Aiolos mutant mice and might be useful for the strategy of SLE treatment.
Lipid Composition in Synaptic and Nonsynaptic Mitochondria from Rat Brains and Effect of Aging

Abstract: The cholesterol, phospholipid, and fatty acid compositions in synaptic and nonsynaptic mitochondria from rat brains and the effect of aging were studied. Both cholesterol and phospholipid contents were found to be significantly different in synaptic compared to nonsynaptic mitochondria. In both types of brain mitochondria, aging decreases the cholesterol content by 27% and the phospholipid content by approximately 12%. The difference between these decreases observed in the organelles causes decreases in the cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratios for synaptic and nonsynaptic mitochondria of 17 and 19%, respectively. Also, the phospholipid composition is significantly different in synaptic compared to nonsynaptic mitochondria. Among phospholipids, only the cardiolipin fraction showed a significant decrease (26%) in nonsynaptic mitochondria from the brains of aged rats. Instead, the fatty acid composition was not significantly different in synaptic compared to nonsynaptic mitochondria. The 21 % aging decrease in linoleic acid (18:2), observed only in nonsynaptic mitochondria, may be related to a decrease in cardiolipin, which contains a large amount of this fatty acid.
Pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and excretion of linezolid following an oral dose of [(14)C]linezolid to healthy human subjects.

Linezolid (Zyvox), the first of a new class of antibiotics, the oxazolidinones, is approved for treatment of Gram-positive bacterial infections, including resistant strains. The disposition of linezolid in human volunteers was determined, after a 500-mg (100-microCi) oral dose of [(14)C]linezolid. Radioactive linezolid was administered as a single dose, or at steady-state on day 4 of a 10-day, 500-mg b.i. d. regimen of unlabeled linezolid (n = 4/sex/regimen). Mean recovery of radioactivity in excreta was 93.8 +/- 1.1% (range 91.2-95.2%, n = 15), of which 83.9 +/- 3.3% (range 76.7-88.4%) was in urine and 9.9 +/- 3.4% (range 5.3-16.9%) was in feces. There was no major difference in rate or route of excretion of radioactivity by dose regimen. Linezolid was excreted primarily intact, and as two inactive, morpholine ring-oxidized metabolites, PNU-142586 and PNU-142300. Other minor metabolites were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry and (19)F NMR spectroscopy. After the single radioactive dose, linezolid was the major circulating drug-related material accounting for about 78% (male) and 93% (female) of the radioactivity area under the curve (AUC). PNU-142586 (T(max) of 3-5 h) accounted for about 26% (male) and 9% (female) of the radioactivity AUC. PNU-142300 (T(max) of 2-3 h) accounted for about 7% (male) and 4% (female) of the radioactivity AUC. Overall, mean linezolid and PNU-142586 exposures at steady-state were similar across sex. In conclusion, linezolid circulates in plasma mainly as parent drug. Linezolid and two major, inactive metabolites account for the major portion of linezolid disposition, with urinary excretion representing the major elimination route. Formation of PNU-142586 was the rate-limiting step in the clearance of linezolid.
Response of broiler chickens to different levels of calcium, non-phytate phosphorus and phytase

ABSTRACT 1. Five hundred and seventy six-d old Ross 308 broiler chicks (6 cages per diet, 8 birds per cage in 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement) were fed on maize–soybean meal-based diets containing three concentrations of Ca (6, 8 or 10 g/kg), two concentrations of non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) (3 or 4 g/kg) and two levels of exogenous microbial phytase (0 or 500 FTU/kg) from d 0 to 35. 2. Body weight (BW), feed intake (FI) and mortality records were collected. Two birds per replicate were killed at 24 d of age to obtain tibia samples. 3. Increasing Ca level significantly reduced the FI and body weight gain (BWG) between hatch and 10 and 24 d, especially with the phytase-supplemented diets. However, phytase supplementation of the diet containing 4 g NPP/kg improved the FI and BWG at d 10 and 24. At d 24, phytase supplementation improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) of birds that consumed diets containing high NPP. The overall FCR was better in birds offered the phytase-supplemented, medium-Ca diet. 4. There was a significant reduction in length, width and breaking strength of the tibia bone in birds fed on a diet with high Ca and low NPP. Phytase supplementation improved the tibia ash content and bone breaking strength of chicks fed on the diet containing 8 and 4 g/kg Ca and NPP, respectively. The Ca content of the tibia bone was low in birds fed on diets with 6 and 4 g/kg Ca and NPP, respectively, but this was counteracted by phytase supplementation. 5. Birds fed on diets with 4 g/kg NPP had the best carcass percentage and parts yield. Phytase supplementation to high-Ca diets significantly reduced the carcass yield of birds. 6. These results confirmed the detrimental effect of high dietary Ca on phytase activity and subsequent growth and bone development of birds, especially when NPP is in short supply.
Lattice Dislocations Enhancing Thermoelectric PbTe in Addition to Band Convergence

Phonon scattering by nanostructures and point defects has become the primary strategy for minimizing the lattice thermal conductivity (κL) in thermoelectric materials. However, these scatterers are only effective at the extremes of the phonon spectrum. Recently, it has been demonstrated that dislocations are effective at scattering the remaining mid‐frequency phonons as well. In this work, by varying the concentration of Na in Pb0.97Eu0. 03Te, it has been determined that the dominant microstructural features are point defects, lattice dislocations, and nanostructure interfaces. This study reveals that dense lattice dislocations (≈4 × 1012 cm−2) are particularly effective at reducing κL. When the dislocation concentration is maximized, one of the lowest κL values reported for PbTe is achieved. Furthermore, due to the band convergence of the alloyed 3% mol. EuTe the electronic performance is enhanced, and a high thermoelectric figure of merit, zT, of ≈2.2 is achieved. This work not only demonstrates the effectiveness of dense lattice dislocations as a means of lowering κL, but also the importance of engineering both thermal and electronic transport simultaneously when designing high‐performance thermoelectrics.
Occupational factors in the epidemiology of leukemia in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

A total of 492 patients with leukemia with onset during 1945 to 1967 in Hiroshima or Nagasaki was selected from the ABCC Leukemia Registry, and an equal number of controls was selected. During 1966 to 1969 the patients and controls were interviewed. In 303 pairs of patients and controls the risk was 2.5 times higher among those with a history of probable occupational exposure to benzene and medical x rays. The change in relative risk of leukemia due to a combination of the two factors was also examined. (HLW)
All-trans-Retinoic Acid Inhibits Jun N-Terminal Kinase by Increasing Dual-Specificity Phosphatase Activity

ABSTRACT Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) are serine-threonine kinases that play a critical role in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. We previously observed that JNK activity is suppressed by all-trans-retinoic acid (t-RA), a ligand for retinoic acid nuclear receptors (RARs), in normal human bronchial epithelial cells, which are growth inhibited by t-RA. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which t-RA inhibits JNK and the possibility that this signaling event is blocked in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Virtually all NSCLC cell lines are resistant to the growth-inhibitory effects of t-RA, and a subset of them have a transcriptional defect specific to retinoid nuclear receptors. We found that in NSCLC cells expressing functional retinoid receptors, serum-induced JNK phosphorylation and activity were inhibited by t-RA in a bimodal pattern, transiently within 30 min and in a sustained fashion beginning at 12 h. Retinoid receptor transcriptional activation was required for the late, but not the early, suppression of JNK activity. t-RA inhibited serum-induced JNK activity by blocking mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase 4-induced signaling events. This effect of t-RA was phosphatase dependent and involved an increase in the expression of the dual-specificity MAP kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP-1). t-RA did not activate MKP-1 expression or inhibit JNK activity in a NSCLC cell line with retinoid receptors that are refractory to ligand-induced transcriptional activation. These findings provide the first evidence that t-RA suppresses JNK activity by inhibiting JNK phosphorylation. Retinoid receptor transcriptional activation was necessary for the sustained inhibition of JNK activity by t-RA, and this signaling event was disrupted in NSCLC cells with retinoid receptors that are refractory to ligand-induced transcriptional activation.
Predictive Direct Angle Control of Induction Motor

Finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) has been accepted as an effective and feasible method in variable-speed drive applications. Considering the discrete nature of the converters and using a cost function for state selection reduce the computational burden despite of having a precise control. In this paper, FCS-MPC has been used to develop a novel method for induction motor control. Contrarily to conventional direct torque and flux control, in the proposed method, the torque and the angle between stator current and rotor flux are controlled. The fluxes are not directly controlled. This method increases the efficiency of the motor in light loads without using online optimum flux calculation. The angle control has become feasible by using FCS-MPC without imposing time-consuming calculations. Closed-loop prediction model is used to increase the precision of the angle prediction. A novel and simple gain calculation is also proposed. The proposed method has been evaluated by both simulations and experiments.
The effects of practice on the functional anatomy of task performance.

The effects of practice on the functional anatomy observed in two different tasks, a verbal and a motor task, are reviewed in this paper. In the first, people practiced a verbal production task, generating an appropriate verb in response to a visually presented noun. Both practiced and unpracticed conditions utilized common regions such as visual and motor cortex. However, there was a set of regions that was affected by practice. Practice produced a shift in activity from left frontal, anterior cingulate, and right cerebellar hemisphere to activity in Sylvian-insular cortex. Similar changes were also observed in the second task, a task in a very different domain, namely the tracing of a maze. Some areas were significantly more activated during initial unskilled performance (right premotor and parietal cortex and left cerebellar hemisphere); a different region (medial frontal cortex, "supplementary motor area") showed greater activity during skilled performance conditions. Activations were also found in regions that most likely control movement execution irrespective of skill level (e.g., primary motor cortex was related to velocity of movement). One way of interpreting these results is in a "scaffolding-storage" framework. For unskilled, effortful performance, a scaffolding set of regions is used to cope with novel task demands. Following practice, a different set of regions is used, possibly representing storage of particular associations or capabilities that allow for skilled performance. The specific regions used for scaffolding and storage appear to be task dependent.
Advanced neonatal medicine in China: a quantitative analysis of research productivity and impact factors

Abstract Objectives: To summarize academic productivity of neonatal medicine in China and explore its relationship with health care workforce and activities. Methods: We retrospectively extracted data from national key clinical subspecialty proposals, and used accessible databases as Science Citation Index (SCI), PubMed, and National Natural Science Foundation of China. Results: Between 2008 and 2010, 61 newborn units at the most advanced level in 31 cities from 28 of 31 provincial districts in mainland China were included. Fifty-two national or international projects and 111 provincial projects were conducted. A total of 171 articles were listed in the SCI database; 23 patents were registered. There were 83 oral presentations in international conferences abroad. One national and 40 provincial government awards were received. Health workforce indexes, such as physicians with MD&PhD degrees, were significantly related to academic productivity. National or international projects (β = .285, p <.001; 95% CI = 0.179, 0.391) and the number of newborn beds (β = .005, p = .016; 95% CI = 0.001, 0.008) were two underlying factors to determine government awards (adjusted R2 = .426). The 10 main cities for neonatal medicine research were also listed. Conclusion: In this study, we established the baseline information on neonatal medicine research in China, which could provide information for further practice.
Fate of Dermally Applied Miticides Fluvalinate and Amitraz Within Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Bodies

ABSTRACT Varroa mites, Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman, are economically important pests of honey bees. Varroa mites are principally controlled within honey bee colonies using miticides. However, despite their importance in managing mite populations for apiculture, potential effects of miticides on honey bees are poorly understood. Using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection, we investigated concentrations, over variable time frames and within different body regions, of two commonly used miticides, tau-fluvalinate and amitraz, after dermal exposure to honey bees. We also quantified mortality of honey bees exposed to each miticide at both a low and high dose. Significant differences were observed in distributions of miticides among body regions. Within honey bee body parts, tau-fluvalinate was more readily absorbed and decreased in concentration more rapidly than amitraz. Mortality increased with higher dosages of miticides, and at higher dosages mortality was greater from fluvalinate than from amitraz. For individual honeybees, our results for rate of breakdown suggest that fluvalinate may be the preferred miticide for apiculturists, whereas our mortality results suggest that amitraz may be preferable. Either choice must be weighed against geographic variation in varroa resistance to each pesticide and attendant costs of parasitism.
The impact of persuasive SMS on students' self-regulated learning

This paper presents the outcome of an experimental design to investigate the impact of persuasive short messaging service (SMS) on students' self-regulated learning strategies while attending an introductory information systems course over a 12-week trimester. The participants were undergraduate students enrolled in INFO 101 at a tertiary institution in New Zealand. The instrument used in this study was the original motivated strategies for learning questionnaires (MSLQ) developed by Pintrich. MSLQ measures three general types of strategies: cognitive, meta-cognitive and resource management. The findings of the research identified that several aspects of students' learning strategies had been improved for the experiment group while the Time and Study Environment Management dimension of MSLQ had been significantly lowered for the control group who received no SMS intervention. The study demonstrates a positive impact of persuasive SMS on students' learning and suggests that the intervention is able to improve students' self-regulated learning effort compared to the control group. Moreover the study shows that students who received SMS intervention performed better than students who did not receive SMS intervention. Most importantly, the study shows that SMS intervention enables Māori and Pacific students, who historically have a lower performance than the main cohort, to perform better than the main cohort and to a significant level higher than those Māori and Pacific students who did not receive any SMS intervention. This study suggests that practitioners should consider the adoption of the persuasive SMS intervention by using the principles of persuasive technology for sending SMS messages especially for the high risk students. Practitioner Notes What is already known about this topic Persuasive technology is the adoption of computing technology in an attempt to change attitudes and behaviour. , This technology is widely used in the preventive health care industry and social organizations for their and social marketing campaigns. , What this paper adds The study shows that students who received persuasive short messaging service (SMS) intervention performed better than students who did not receive any SMS intervention. , The study demonstrates a positive impact of persuasive SMS on students' learning and suggests that the intervention is able to improve students' self-regulated learning effort. , Implications for practice and/or policy Practitioners should consider the adoption of the persuasive SMS intervention. , Practitioners should adopt the seven principles of persuasive technology for sending SMS messages. , Practitioners should also target the persuasive SMS intervention to high risk students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]