Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of specific cellular and humoral immune responses in children immunized with live rubella virus vaccine.

The development of cell-mediated immunity by 51Cr lymphocytotoxicity was measured over a 42-day period in 12 children immunized with live rubella virus vaccine (HPV-77-DE5) and was compared with the development in serum of hemagglutination inhibition antibody response to rubella. Cell-mediated immunity was detected as early as three days after immunization, reached a maximum between seven and 14 days, and declined slowly thereafter. Serum antibody was not detected until more than 14 days after immunization, and then it gradually increased. Two control children remained negative for both tests. An additional six children within the same age group, who presumably had been immunized or infected with rubella previously, had appreciable titers for cell-mediated immunity and hemagglutination inhibition. In comparing the immune responses according to birthweights, cell-mediated immunity was detected earlier in infants who were born at full term (> 2,500 g) than in those of low birthweight. A similar, but less striking, difference was the earlier development of humoral antibody in the full-term infants. The measurement of specific cell-mediated immunity to rubella virus by lymphocytotoxicity may provide a valuable in vitro marker of effectiveness of vaccine and of protective immunity to viral infection.
Non-routine mathematical problems among in-service and pre-service mathematics teachers

In an effort to inculcate higher order thinking skills (HOTS) among students, the form of mathematical problems given to them should be changed from routine to nonroutine problems. To achieve this, teachers need to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills related to non-routine problems. This study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge of in-service and pre-service mathematics teachers at secondary schools in which their abilities to solve and pose non-routine problems were examined. This study involved two groups of teachers: 91 in-service mathematics teachers from Johor and 50 final year students in Mathematics Education (i.e., pre-service mathematics teachers). The instruments used consisted of (1) a survey on the knowledge of mathematics teachers on non-routine problems and (2) a test containing non-routine problems to be solved and also routine problems to be changed into non-routine problems. A MANOVA test was performed to test the hypotheses stipulated. The findings showed a significant difference in posing non-routine problems among different teacher groups. The study also found that both teacher groups obtained low mean scores in solving and posing non-routine mathematical problems. In conclusion, the knowledge and skills on non-routine problems among in-service and pre-service mathematics teachers must be in alignment so that the objective of national curriculum to produce students with HOTS can be achieved.
Do Behavioral Biases Vary across Individuals? Evidence from Individual Level 401(k) Data

Abstract This paper investigates whether some individuals are prone to behavioral biases in their 401(k) investments. Using demographic data and allocation information for over 73,000 employees, I examine two allocation biases and a participation bias. The findings suggest that higher salaried employees tend to make significantly better choices. Participants who earn $100, 000 hold 12. 7% less in company stock, are 3% less likely to follow the framing 1/n heuristic, and are 37.7% more likely to participate than those earning $46, 000. Women make better choices in two of the three cases and I find evidence of mental accounting.
China’s life satisfaction, 1990–2010

Despite its unprecedented growth in output per capita in the last two decades, China has essentially followed the life satisfaction trajectory of the central and eastern European transition countries—a U-shaped swing and a nil or declining trend. There is no evidence of an increase in life satisfaction of the magnitude that might have been expected to result from the fourfold improvement in the level of per capita consumption that has occurred. As in the European countries, in China the trend and U-shaped pattern appear to be related to a pronounced rise in unemployment followed by a mild decline, and an accompanying dissolution of the social safety net along with growing income inequality. The burden of worsening life satisfaction in China has fallen chiefly on the lowest socioeconomic groups. An initially highly egalitarian distribution of life satisfaction has been replaced by an increasingly unequal one, with decreasing life satisfaction in persons in the bottom third of the income distribution and increasing life satisfaction in those in the top third.
Cisplatin, epirubicin, leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil (PELF) is more active than 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin and methotrexate (FAMTX) in advanced gastric carcinoma.

BACKGROUND 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), doxorubicin and methotrexate (FAMTX) and cisplatin, epirubicin, leucovorin and 5-FU (PELF) have both been reported to be superior to the combination 5-FU, doxorubicin and mitomycin C (FAM) in advanced gastric carcinoma. On the basis of the presence and dose intensity of the included agents, we hypothesised that PELF would be superior to FAMTX. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two hundred patients with untreated advanced gastric carcinoma were randomised to receive PELF or FAMTX for a maximum of six cycles or until disease progression. RESULTS The complete response (CR) rates to PELF and FAMTX were, respectively, 13% [95% confidence intervals (CI) 6% to 20%] and 2% (95% CI 0% to 5%; P = 0.003), and the objective response rates [CR plus partial response (PR) rates] 39% (95% CI 29% to 49%) and 22% (95% CI 13% to 30%; P = 0.009), thus significantly favouring the PELF combination. The survival rates after 12 months (30.8% versus 22.4%) and 24 months (15.7% versus 9.5%) were also higher among patients receiving PELF, but these differences were not statistically significant. The toxicities were qualitatively different but quantitatively similar. Both regimens seem to be feasible provided that careful patient monitoring is assured. CONCLUSIONS PELF is significantly more active than FAMTX and deserves further research in the adjuvant setting.
Overlapping Roles of Pocket Proteins in the Myocardium Are Unmasked by Germ Line Deletion of p130 plus Heart-Specific Deletion of Rb

ABSTRACT The pocket protein family of tumor suppressors, and Rb specifically, have been implicated as controlling terminal differentiation in many tissues, including the heart. To establish the biological functions of Rb in the heart and overcome the early lethality caused by germ line deletion of Rb, we used a Cre/loxP system to create conditional, heart-specific Rb-deficient mice. Mice that are deficient in Rb exclusively in cardiac myocytes (CRbL/L) are born with the expected Mendelian distribution, and the adult mice displayed no change in heart size, myocyte cell cycle distribution, myocyte apoptosis, or mechanical function. Since both Rb and p130 are expressed in the adult myocardium, we created double-knockout mice (CRbL/L p130−/−) to determine it these proteins have a shared role in regulating cardiac myocyte cell cycle progression. Adult CRbL/L p130−/− mice demonstrated a threefold increase in the heart weight-to-body weight ratio and showed increased numbers of bromodeoxyuridine- and phosphorylated histone H3-positive nuclei, consistent with persistent myocyte cycling. Likewise, the combined deletion of Rb plus p130 up-regulated myocardial expression of Myc, E2F-1, and G1 cyclin-dependent kinase activities, synergistically. Thus, Rb and p130 have overlapping functional roles in vivo to suppress cell cycle activators, including Myc, and maintain quiescence in postnatal cardiac muscle.
Effect of electroless Ni-P thickness on EFTECH 64-Ni, EFTECH 64-Cu and C194-Ni bump

Long-term reliability of board level solder joint is significantly affected by the properties of surface finish. Recently, Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) was offered as alternative surface finish with high solder joint strength to reduce cost. However, the use of electroless Ni-P deposition produces intermetallic compound (IMC) that exists between solder Ni-P alloy boundaries after thermal aging process. In this study, the effect of various Ni-P deposit thickness and different substrate on its failure mode is studied by measuring its shear strength and observing shear morphology after thermal aging. The Ni-P alloy deposit thickness is set to 0.5, 2.5 and 4.5 μm. The substrate used EFTECH 64-Ni, EFTECH 64-Cu and C194-Ni bumps. From the results, the use of EFTECH 64-Cu substrate produce fracture failure at both Ni-P - Substrate and Ni-P - IMC compare to other substrates. Aside that, C194-Ni alloy produces consistence shear strength but unable to produce consistence standard deviation. As a conclusion, the EFTECH 64-Ni bump is consider as suitable substrate material due no fracture was observed between the substrate boundaries and the IMC boundaries.
Fecundity and larval development of Monochamus galloprovincialis (Coleoptera Cerambycidae) in experimental breeding

Abstract•The study aimed at clarifying basic life traits (fecundity, mortality and development) of Monochamus galloprovincialis, the vector of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causative agent of the Pine Wilt Disease, in Portugal. • Mating and oviposition experiments were conducted on P. sylvestris logs under laboratory conditions during two years. Larval development was followed outdoors. • Fecundity was high, with 138.2 eggs per female. • For the first time, the number of larval instars (4) in M. galloprovincialis was recognized and instars were described. • Informations are provided on the shape and size of the larval galleries. Boring of galleries in sapwood and heartwood started at the third instar. All instars could overwinter but adults emerged simultaneously resulting in a univoltine life cycle for the majority of the individuals. • An obligatory diapause in the forth instar was assumed. However, 8.1% of the insects had a two year development. • Important differences in mortality were noted between the two experimental years, which could be explained by differences on the size of the breeding logs. • There is a high biological proximity between M. galloprovincialis populations in France and those in Portugal and Northern Europe. However, a higher fecundity and longevity was observed in France, as well as a higher percentage of insects with a two year development, compared with portuguese populations. Résumé• L’objectif de l’étude était de clarifier certaines caractéristique de base —fécondité, mortalité, développement) de Monochamus galloprovincialis, le vecteur de Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, agent du dépérissement des pins au Portugal. • Durant deux ans, des expériences d’accouplement et de ponte ont été conduites sur rondins de P. sylvestris au laboratoire. Le développement larvaire a été suivi en extérieur. • La fécondité a été élevée, avec 138.2 œufs par femelle. • Pour la première fois chez M. galloprovincialis, le nombre de stades larvaires (4) de M. galloprovincialis a été défini et ceux-ci ont été décrits. • Des informations sont fournies sur la forme et la taille des galleries larvaires. Le forage des galeries dans l’aubier et le bois de cœur commence au troisième stade. Tous les stades peuvent hiverner mais les adultes émergent simultanément, ce qui conduit à un cycle annuel pour la plupart des individus. • Une diapause obligatoire intervient au quatrième stade. Cependant, 8.1 % des insectes ont un développement sur deux ans. • Des différences importantes ont été notes entre les deux années d’étude. Elles pourraient s’expliquer par la taille différente des rondins d’élevage. • Il existe une proximité biologique élevée entre les populations françaises de M. galloprovincialis et celles du Portugal et d’Europe de Nord. Cependant, une fécondité et une longévité plus élevées, ainsi qu’une proportion plus haute d’insectes ayant un développement sur deux ans, ont été observées en France par rapport aux populations portugaises.
The role of anthropometric and nutritional factors on breast cancer risk in African-American women

Abstract Objective While the role of nutrition, physical activity and body size on breast cancer risk has been extensively investigated, most of these studies were conducted in Caucasian populations. However, there are well-known differences in tumour biology and the prevalence of these factors between African-American and Caucasian women. The objective of the present paper was to conduct a review of the role of dietary factors, anthropometry and physical activity on breast cancer risk in African-American women. Design Twenty-six research articles that presented risk estimates on these factors in African-American women and five articles involving non-US black women were included in the current review. Setting Racial disparities in the impact of anthropometric and nutritional factors on breast cancer risk. Subjects African-American and non-US black women. Results Based on the few studies that presented findings in African-American women, an inverse association with physical activity was found for pre- and postmenopausal African-American women, while the association for anthropometric and other dietary factors, such as alcohol, was unclear. Studies assessing the effect by molecular subtypes in African-American women were too few and based on sample sizes too small to provide definitive conclusions. Conclusions The effect of certain nutrition and lifestyle factors on breast cancer in African-American women is not starkly distinct from those observed in white women. However, there is an enormous need for further research on this minority group to obtain more confirmatory findings.
Avulsion of the pubovisceral muscle associated with large vaginal tear after normal vaginal delivery at term

Trauma to the levator ani muscle commonly occurs during vaginal childbirth and is associated with female pelvic organ prolapse in later life. To date, such trauma was thought to be occult. We present a case of intrapartum diagnosis of levator avulsion in a patient who suffered a large vaginal tear at the time of a normal vaginal delivery at term.
Medicinal herb, Thonningia sanguinea protects against aflatoxin B1 acute hepatotoxicity in Fischer 344 rats

1. Thonningia sanguinea, a plant used prophylactically against bronchial asthma in Ghana was recently found to have antioxidative and hepatoprotective actions in our laboratory. 2. In this study, the effect of T. sanguinea extract on certain biochemical indices in serum and liver of Fischer 344 rats given a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose (1 mg/kg) of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was investigated. 3. Administration of AFB1 resulted in significant increases in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) levels and a signifi-cant decrease in aniline hydroxylase activity in liver microsomes. When T. sanguinea (5 ml/kg) was intraperitoneally administered to rats 12 h and 1 h before AFB1, liver injury was significantly reduced as seen in the decreased levels of serum ALT and serum GST. However, the decrease in aniline hydroxylase activity by AFB1 was not recovered but enhanced by T. sanguinea pre-treatment. 4. Kinetic analysis of cytochrome P450 activity of rat liver microsomes in vitro demonstrated that T. sanguinea inhibited aniline hydroxylase non-competitively suggesting depression of biotransformation of AFB1 to toxic metabolites. 5. The data indicate a hepatoprotective action of T. sanguinea against AFB1-induced liver injury.
Validation of a New Method to Measure Contact and Flight Times During Treadmill Running

Abstract Ogueta-Alday, A, Morante, JC, Rodríguez-Marroyo, JA, and García-López, J. Validation of a new method to measure contact and flight times during treadmill running. J Strength Cond Res 27(5): 1455–1462, 2013—The purpose of this study was to validate a new method to measure contact and flight times during treadmill running and to test its reliability and sensitivity. Fifteen well-trained runners performed 7 sets of running at different speeds (from 10 to 22 km·h−1). Contact and flight times were simultaneously recorded by a high-speed video system (gold standard method) and a new method based on laser technology (SportJump System Pro). Athletes were classified according to their foot strike pattern (rearfoot vs. midfoot and forefoot). The new method overestimated the contact time and underestimated the flight time with respect to the gold standard method (p < 0.001). However, relationships and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between both systems were very strong (r and ICC > 0.99, p < 0.001). Contact time differences between the 2 systems depended on running speed (p < 0.001) but not on foot strike pattern or runners' body mass. This allowed to correct the differences in contact time and flight time. The new method was sensitive for detecting small differences in contact time (<20 ms) when the running speed increased and when the type of foot strike patterns changed. Additionally, a low intraindividual step variability (coefficient of variation = 2.0 ± 0.5%) and high intra- (ICC = 0.998) and interobserver (ICC = 0.977) reliability were shown. In conclusion, the new method was validated, being reliable and sensitive for detecting small differences in contact and flight times during treadmill running. Therefore, it could be used to compare biomechanical variables between groups in cross-sectional studies and to verify the influence of some independent variables (i.e., training, running economy, or performance) on running biomechanics.
Academic success and failure: Student characteristics and broader implications for research in higher education.

The paper reports on the findings of a funded research project which investigated factors related to academic success and failure in a Faculty of Arts. The project initially aimed to explore failure which resulted when students remained enrolled but submitted no items for assessment. The initial aim was to investigate whether the problem resided essentially in characteristics of non-completing students, or whether there were institutional factors associated with courses which facilitated failure. However, the wealth of data made available to the researchers also permitted the analysis of factors related to academic success. The paper discusses the student characteristics which were found to be clearly related to academic success and failure – including gender, university entry score, and mode of enrolment. The paper also explores implications of the findings for “mass” higher education. It concludes that a profitable approach to research on student success and failure might be to investigate the strategies which students develop to effectively cope (or not cope) with competing life demands. Background Initially, this study was undertaken to explore a particular type of academic failure in the Faculty of Arts at a large commuter university. It had been noted that a proportion of students recorded grades of FNS – that is, these students enrolled in a course but submitted no work for assessment and hence failed. A particular aim of the project was to investigate whether the problem resided essentially in personal characteristics of noncompleting students, or whether there were institutional factors associated with courses or programs that facilitated failure, or a combination of both. The project soon broadened to incorporate other forms of academic failure because early analyses suggested that differing demographic and course factors might be associated with different types of failure. In addition to FNS, factors associated with the grades F (“normal” failure) and WF (failure resulting from late course withdrawal) were also explored. It was apparent that these combinations of fail grades at times could swell the proportion of students failing in courses to serious levels (20%-25%). The wealth of data made available to the researchers also meant that factors related to academic success could be explored and we report briefly on those findings in the paper. Nevertheless, academic failure has remained the focus of the project. Actually, it is difficult to identify a body of extant research that deals principally with student failure in university settings. It is as if the topic is something of an embarrassment for institutions – and so a mainstream focus of scholarly attention has not developed. This despite the ubiquity of failure, as Peelo (2002, p.7) has noted; While ‘failing’ or ‘failure’ is part of everyday experience in universities, it hardly seems to matter in the education literature. There have been few attempts to understand ‘failing’ as an ever-present phenomenon in higher education.
The first 100 da Vinci hysterectomies: an analysis of the learning curve for a single surgeon.

BACKGROUND Robotic gynecologic procedures were FDA-approved in March 2005. Published average times for robotic hysterectomies vary from 192 minutes to 242 minutes and one report indicated operative times ranging from 4.5 to ten hours. Many critics cite learning curves and increased operative times as a deterrent to performing robotic hysterectomies. METHODS This is a retrospective review of surgical times (learning curve) for the first 100 consecutive extrafascial hysterectomies with or without salpingo-oophorectomy for a single surgeon. Operating times were recorded by operating room nursing staff for each case. The times reported are from "skin to skin," which is defined as from when the surgeon started to place anything vaginally until the last suture was placed to close the trocar sites. We report average times for hysterectomy per 20 cases. RESULTS The average time for hysterectomies was as follows: First 20 cases--124 minutes, second 20 cases--94 minutes, third 20 cases--85 minutes, fourth 20 cases--88 minutes, fifth 20 cases--81 minutes. Age, body mass index and uterine weights were comparable between groups. Complications were highest in the first 20 at 15 percent, compared with 5 percent for the remaining groups, but this did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS The learning curve for da Vinci hysterectomies is steep, with the maximum improvement in surgical times in the first 20 cases. Minimal improvement was demonstrated after this.
Comprehensive description of protein structures using protein folding shape code

Understanding and describing three‐dimensional (3D) protein structures have dominated biological and biochemistry research for many years. A comprehensive description of protein folding structure is essential for the advancement of protein research. In this study, a novel description method is developed to generate a set of folding patterns with specific shape features, as well as vector characteristics in space. To accomplish the goal, this method embeds features from geometry, morphology and topology together into an algorithmic approach to achieve a full description for proteins. A set of 27 vectors is derived mathematically from an enclosed space, and each vector represents a 3D folding shape of five successive Cα atoms in the protein backbone. The 27 vectors are represented by 27 symbols, which are called as the protein folding shape code (PFSC). The PFSC method offers a digital description of folding shapes along a protein backbone, which facilitates protein structure analysis. The PFSC method provides a tool to study the similarity and dissimilarity for protein or protein conformers. The PFSC results show overall agreement with structural assignments from the protein data bank, as well as results from other methods. All results show that the PFSC method is a reliable tool with explicit meaning for protein folding shape description. Protiens 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.