Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PROBLEMS FACED BY STUDENTS IN LEARNING MICROECONOMICS COURSE

Teaching and Learning (T&L) methods in the present days need to be creative and diverse in order to produce quality graduates. Memorization method will produce students who are unable think critically since they are regimented to memorize facts only. It may cause students easier to forget the contents when there is a disturbance during the memorization process. One of the courses that need attention to encounter this problem is Microeconomics. Based on a preliminary study, it was found that students had problem to master Microeconomics. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify problems faced by students who enrolled in a Microeconomics course at a local Malaysian university. Results of the study found that the course was challenging for students to master since they had low visualization skill. Therefore, it was difficult for the students to visualize complex graphs and interpret data in the graphs.
PD-L1 and intratumoral immune response in breast cancer

Purpose PD-L1 is thought to play an important role in the antitumor immune response. In this study, we investigated the expression of PD-L1 within breast tumor subsets to better define its prognostic significance. Methods Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine PD-L1 tumor cell expression and to enumerate CD8, CD4 and CD68 tumor-infiltrating leucocytes (TIL) in a cohort of 443 breast cancers categorized by molecular subtype. Results Across the entire cohort, PD-L1 tumor cell expression was observed in 73/443 (16.5%) cases and associated with known indicators of poor prognosis, including low patient age, high tumor grade, ER/PR negative status, but not with outcome. However, in the Triple Negative breast cancer subset PD-L1 was associated with better recurrence free survival (RFS) especially within the Basal-like subset (Hazard ratio = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.22 - 0.86, p = 0.018). Combined PD-L1/epithelial CD8 positive status was also strongly associated with better RFS and OS (Hazard ratio = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.10 - 0.71, p = 0.010 and Hazard ratio = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.11 - 0.68, p = 0.006 respectively) in the Basal-like subgroup. Conclusions PD-L1 expression is associated with better patient survival in Basal-like breast cancer.
First‐trimester umbilical vein blood flow in pregnancies with low serum pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A levels: an early predictor of fetal growth restriction

To investigate umbilical vein blood flow (UVBF) during the first trimester in pregnancies with low serum pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A) levels and to relate umbilical vein (UV) diameter, time‐averaged maximum velocity (TAMXV) and UVBF values to the subsequent development of fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
The metabolizable energy value of Polydextrose® in a mixed diet fed to rats

1. The digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) values of a commercial Polydextrose® product and the polymer that it contained were determined by metabolic energy balance in male Wistar rats and compared with values obtained by radiochemical balance using a radiochemical analogue. The energy values of the whole preparations and of the polymer fractions were estimated. 2. In the energy-balance study of 6 d duration, 100 g maize starch/kg control diet were replaced by Polydextrose® to provide a test diet. Polydextrose® had no significant effects on food intake, body-weight gain, digestibility of nitrogen and N retention but significantly increased the water consumption to 143% of the control value (P < 0.05) and the water content of fresh faecal pellets from 548 (SE 10) to 646 (SE 15) g/kg wet weight (P < 0.01). 3. By energy balance the DE in the Polydextrose® product and in the polymer that it contained were 13.5 and 12.8 (SE 1.9) kJ/g respectively. The corresponding ME values were 12.7 and 12.1 (SE 1.8) kJ/g respectively. These values were higher (P < 0.05) than the corresponding values obtained by the radiochemical balance procedure: DE 8.8 and 8.6 (SE 0.4) kJ/g polymer respectively and ME 8.0 and 7.8 (SE 0.5)kJ/g polymer respectively. 4. These findings indicate relatively high energy values for Polydextrose® by comparison with previously published values and illustrate a potential difficulty when using energy values obtained by certain radiochemical methods to estimate the energy values of a mixed diet given to rats. Several alternative explanations of the discrepancies are advanced.
Distribution of HBV genotypes in Poland

Aim of the study To identify distribution of HBV genotypes in particular regions of Poland. Material and methods The study included 270 treatment-naïve, HBV-infected individuals, enrolled in 7 centers of Poland. HBV genotyping was performed in 243 of them with the INNO-LiPA HBV Genotyping assay (Innogenetics). Results Genotype A present in 2/3 patients was demonstrated as the most predominant in Poland. It was followed by D (20%), H (5%) and mixed A + D (5%). Remaining patients were infected with genotype F, mixed D + G, A + C or D + F. Analysis of distribution demonstrated regional differences, with a higher rate of genotype D prevalence (about 30%) in the eastern (Białystok and Lublin) and south-western (Wrocław) parts compared to other regions, where the prevalence rate was below 15%. The highest prevalence of genotype A (exceeding 80%) was observed in central Poland (Bydgoszcz, Łódź). Conclusions The presented data reveal the current distribution of HBV genotypes across Poland, which is the first and the largest such epidemiological analysis.
Prenatal Malnutrition Leads to Deficits in Attentional Set Shifting and Decreases Metabolic Activity in Prefrontal Subregions that Control Executive Function

Globally, over 25% of all children under the age of 5 years experience malnutrition leading to cognitive and emotional impairments that can persist into adulthood and beyond. We use a rodent model to determine the impact of prenatal protein malnutrition on executive functions in an attentional set-shifting task and metabolic activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC) subregions critical to these behaviors. Long-Evans dams were provided with a low (6% casein) or adequate (25% casein) protein diet 5 weeks before mating and during pregnancy. At birth, the litters were culled to 8 pups and fostered to control dams on the 25% casein diet. At postnatal day 90, prenatally malnourished rats were less able to shift attentional set and reverse reward contingencies than controls, demonstrating cognitive rigidity. Naive same-sexed littermates were assessed for regional brain activity using the metabolic marker 14C-2-deoxyglucose (2DG). The prenatally malnourished rats had lower metabolic activity than controls in prelimbic, infralimbic, anterior cingulate, and orbitofrontal cortices, but had comparable activity in the nearby piriform cortex and superior colliculus. This study demonstrates that prenatal protein malnutrition in a well-described animal model produces cognitive deficits in tests of attentional set shifting and reversal learning, similar to findings of cognitive inflexibility reported in humans exposed to early childhood malnutrition.
Using Hydrologic Conditions to Forecast the Risk of Focal and Epidemic Arboviral Transmission in Peninsular Florida

Abstract The accurate forecasting and tracking of arboviral transmission is becoming increasingly critical for the early recognition and management of arboviral epidemics. Meteorological factors, especially rainfall and temperature, drive arboviral epidemics, but monitoring rainfall and temperature alone is not predictive of increased levels of vector-borne disease transmission. In Florida, model simulations of water table depth (WTD) provide a measure of drought, and they have been shown to provide an accurate forecast of arboviral transmission. Here, we tracked WTD in two peninsular Florida regions where focal West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, WNV) transmission was reported during 2004 and 2005. We compared the resulting WTD profiles with historical WTD simulations for Indian River County (IRC), FL, where two peninsular Florida St. Louis encephalitis virus epidemics had their epicenters in 1977 and 1990. In both of the regions where focal WNV transmission was reported during 2004 and 2005, the local WTD profiles approached the 1977 and 1990 IRC WTD profiles; however, differences in the local temporal sequence of hydrologic conditions were observed. These differences seem in part to explain why the focal WNV transmission during 2004 and 2005 failed to reach epidemic levels in peninsular Florida. These findings suggest that hydrologic monitoring, specifically WTD, may help determine the geographic extent, timing, and intensity of WNV transmission. We speculate that a more precise sequence of drought and wetting, including a secondary summer drying and wetting cycle, as occurred in IRC during 1977 and 1990, may provide the optimal hydrologic conditions for the expansion of an arbovirus outbreak from focal to epidemic. This study documents that monitoring hydrologic conditions, along with vector, avian amplification host, and virus population data, increases our ability to track and predict significant levels of arboviral transmission.
Dorsal cochlear nucleus projections to the inferior colliculus in the cat: A light and electron microscopic study

In the Present report retrograde and anterograde labeling techniques are used to study the Projections of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) to the inferior colliculus in the cat. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or wheat germ agglutinin (WGA‐HRP) injections into the inferior colliculus produce large numbers of labeled neurons in the DCN on the opposite side. Labeled cells with projections to the colliculus are identified as fusiform and giant cells and are organized into rostrocaudal bands. The axons of these DCN neurons are labeled by anterograde transport of 3H‐leucine and/or proline and studied in light and electron microscopic autoradiographs. Axons from the DCN terminate within the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus in densely labeled, rostrocaudally oriented bands. Less heavily labeled extensions of these bands are found in the deepest layer of the dorsal cortex, and light labeling is found adjacent to the bands in the central nucleus and in the ventrolateral nucleus. Cells in the dorsomedial DCN project to the most ventromedial part of the central nucleus while progressively more ventrolateral cells in the DCN project to more dorsolateral parts of the central nucleus. This present evidence suggests that the DCN sends afferents to only two of the four subdivisions of the central nucleus. Within these regions, the axons from the DCN form terminal boutons or boutons de passage characterized by medium‐sized, round synaptic vesicles. The labeled endings nearly always make asymmetric synaptic contacts on the dendrites of disc‐shaped and stellate cells in the central nucleus. A few axosomatic contacts are found on one particular cell type, possibly the stellate variety.
Factors influencing the protein binding of vancomycin

Various factors influencing the protein binding of vancomycin were examined using equilibrium dialysis method. Four per cent human serum albumin (HSA) and/or 0·08 per cent alpha‐1‐acid glycoprotein (AAG), dissolved in isotonic phosphate buffer, were dialyzed against isotonic phosphate buffer of pH 7·4 using Spectrapor 2 membrane. The protein binding of vancomycin to 0·08 per cent AAG was dependent on vancomycin concentrations; the values ranged from 21·1 per cent at the vancomycin concentration of 20 μg ml−1 to 5·30 per cent at 2400 μg ml−1. However, binding to 4 per cent HSA was relatively constant, 8·79 ± 2·43 per cent over a vancomycin concentration range of 20–2400 μg ml−1. The values to 4 per cent HSA alone and 0·08 per cent AAG alone did not predict the greater binding of vancomycin in the presence of both proteins, especially at higher concentrations of vancomycin; the values to 4 per cent HSA with 0·08 per cent AAG were constant, 26·3 ± 3·74 per cent, at the vancomycin concentration range of 20–2400 μg ml−1. This suggested an interaction between the proteins, which resulted in enhanced binding of vancomycin. The protein binding of vancomycin to 4 per cent HSA with 0·08 per cent AAG was not influenced by the different incubation temperatures (4°, 22°, and 37°), quantities of heparin (up to 40 units ml−1) or AAG (up to 0·16 per cent), or buffers (isotonic phosphate buffer of pH 7·4, phosphate buffer of pH 7·4 and 0·9 per cent NaCl solution) at the vancomycin concentration of 80 μg ml−1. Vancomycin was found to be stable in human serum albumin or in isotonic phosphate buffer of pH 7·4.
Resting Energy Expenditure and Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness After Full-Body Resistance Training With an Eccentric Concentration

Hackney, KJ, Engels, H-J, and Gretebeck RJ. Resting energy expenditure and delayed-onset muscle soreness after full-body resistance training with an eccentric concentration. J Strength Cond Res 22(5): 1602-1609, 2008-The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of an acute bout of high-volume, full-body resistance training with an eccentric concentration on resting energy expenditure (REE) and indicators of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Eight resistance trained (RT) and eight untrained (UT) participants (mean: age = 23.5 years; height = 180.76 cm; weight = 87.58 kg; body fat = 19.34%; lean mass = 68.71 kg) were measured on four consecutive mornings for REE and indicators of DOMS: creatine kinase (CK) and rating of perceived muscle soreness (RPMS). Delayed-onset muscle soreness was induced by performing eight exercises, eight sets, and six repetitions using a 1-second concentric and 3-second eccentric muscle action duration. A two-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that REE was significantly (p < 0.05) elevated at 24, 48, and 72 hours post compared with baseline measures for both UT and RT groups. Ratings of perceived muscle soreness were significantly elevated within groups for UT and RT at 24 and 48 hours post and for UT only at 72 hours post compared with baseline (p < 0.05). Nonparametric analyses revealed that CK was significantly increased at 24 hours post for both UT and RT and at 48 and 72 hours post for UT only compared with baseline (p < 0.05). Resting energy expenditure and indicators of DOMS were higher in UT compared with RT on all measures, but no significant differences were determined. The main finding of this investigation is that full-body resistance training with an eccentric concentration significantly increased REE up to 72 hours postexercise in UT and RT participants.
MicroRNAs play a role in spontaneous recovery from acute liver failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) represents a life‐threatening situation characterized by sudden and massive liver cell death in the absence of preexisting liver disease. Although most patients require liver transplantation to prevent mortality, some recover spontaneously and show complete liver regeneration. Because of the rarity of this disease, the molecular mechanisms regulating liver regeneration in ALF patients remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of microRNAs (miRs) that have been implicated in liver injury and regeneration in sera from ALF patients (n = 63). Patients with spontaneous recovery from ALF showed significantly higher serum levels of miR‐122, miR‐21, and miR‐221, compared to nonrecovered patients. In liver biopsies, miR‐21 and miR‐221 displayed a reciprocal expression pattern and were found at lower levels in the spontaneous survivors, whereas miR‐122 was elevated in both serum and liver tissue of those patients. As compared to nonrecovered patients, liver tissue of spontaneous survivors revealed not only increased hepatocyte proliferation, but also a strong down‐regulation of miRNA target genes that impair liver regeneration, including heme oxygenase‐1, programmed cell death 4, and the cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitors p21, p27, and p57. Conclusion: Our data suggest that miR‐122, miR‐21, and miR‐221 are involved in liver regeneration and might contribute to spontaneous recovery from ALF. Prospective studies will show whether serological detection of those miRNAs might be of prognostic value to predict ALF outcome. (Hepatology 2014;60:1346–1355)
Outdoor School for All: Reconnecting Children to Nature

One of the salient problems facing us today is children’s alienation from the natural world. They are too creeped out to touch earthworms, they don’t know where their food comes from, and they are afraid to walk in the forest alone. Or, if they are walking in the forest, they can’t see the forest for their iPhones. We, and our children, are easily seduced by the panoply of digital treats. It is so much easier to be a couch potato than to plant potatoes. The result is that twenty-first-century children spend eight hours a day interacting with digital media, and only thirty minutes a day outside.
Why good accountants do bad audits.

On July 30, President Bush signed into law the Sarbanes-Oxley Act addressing corporate accountability. A response to recent financial scandals, the law tightened federal controls over the accounting industry and imposed tough new criminal penalties for fraud. The president proclaimed, "The era of low standards and false profits is over. " If only it were that easy. The authors don't think corruption is the main cause of bad audits. Rather, they claim, the problem is unconscious bias. Without knowing it, we all tend to discount facts that contradict the conclusions we want to reach, and we uncritically embrace evidence that supports our positions. Accountants might seem immune to such distortions because they work with seemingly hard numbers and clear-cut standards. But the corporate-auditing arena is particularly fertile ground for self-serving biases. Because of the often subjective nature of accounting and the close relationships between accounting firms and their corporate clients, even the most honest and meticulous of auditors can unintentionally massage the numbers in ways that mask a company's true financial status, thereby misleading investors, regulators, and even management. Solving this problem will require far more aggressive action than the U.S. government has taken thus far. What's needed are practices and regulations that recognize the existence of bias and moderate its effects. True auditor independence will entail fundamental changes to the way the accounting industry operates, including full divestiture of consulting and tax services, rotation of auditing firms, and fixed-term contracts that prohibit client companies from firing their auditors. Less tangibly, auditors must come to appreciate the profound impact of self-serving biases on their judgment.
Expression and characterization of a recombinant i‐type lysozyme from the harlequin ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis

Lysozymes are enzymes that destroy bacterial cell walls by hydrolysing the polysaccharide component of peptidoglycan. In insects, there are two classes of lysozymes, the c‐type with muramidase activity and the i‐type whose prototypical members from annelids and molluscs possess both muramidase and isopeptidase activities. Many insect genes encoding c‐type and i‐type lysozymes have been identified during genome and transcriptome analyses, but only c‐type lysozymes have been functionally characterized at the protein level. Here we produced one of five i‐type lysozymes represented in the immunity‐related transcriptome of the invasive harlequin ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis as recombinant protein. This was the only one containing the serine and histidine residues that are thought to be required for isopeptidase activity. This i‐type lysozyme was recombinantly expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris, but the purified protein was inactive in both muramidase and isopeptidase assays. Transcription and immunofluorescence analysis revealed that this i‐type lysozyme is produced in the fat body but is not inducible by immune challenge. These data suggest that i‐type lysozymes in insects may have acquired novel and as yet undetermined functions in the course of evolution.
Posttranscriptional Regulation Controls Calretinin Expression in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Calretinin (CALB2) is a diagnostic and prognostic marker in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We previously reported that calretinin expression is regulated at the mRNA level. The presence of a medium-sized (573 nucleotide) 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) predicted to contain binding sites for miR-30a/b/c/d/e and miR-9 as well as an adenine/uridine-rich element (ARE) in all three transcripts arising from the CALB2 gene, suggests that calretinin expression is regulated via posttranscriptional mechanisms. Our aim was to investigate the role of the CALB2-3′UTR in the posttranscriptional regulation of calretinin expression in MPM. CALB2-3′UTR was inserted downstream of the luciferase reporter gene using pmiRGLO vector and reporter expression was determined after transfection into MPM cells. Targeted mutagenesis was used to generate variants harboring mutated miR-30 family and ARE binding sites. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay was used to test for the presence of ARE binding proteins. CALB2-3′UTR significantly decreased luciferase activity in MPM cells. Analysis of mutation in the ARE site revealed a further destabilization of the reporter and human antigen R (HuR) binding to the ARE sequence was detected. The mutation of two miR-30 binding sites abolished CALB2-3′UTR destabilization effect; a transient delivery of miR-30e-5p mimics or anti-miR into MPM cells resulted in a significant decrease/increase of the luciferase reporter expression and calretinin protein, respectively. Moreover, overexpression of CALB2-3′UTR quenched the effect of miR-30e-5p mimics on calretinin protein levels, possibly by sequestering the mimics, thereby suggesting a competitive endogenous RNA network. Finally, by data mining we observed that expression of miR-30e-5p was negatively correlated with the calretinin expression in a cohort of MPM patient samples. Our data show the role of (1) adenine-uridine (AU)-binding proteins in calretinin stabilization and (2) miR-30e-5p in the posttranscriptional negative regulation of calretinin expression via interaction with its 3′UTR. Furthermore, our study demonstrates a possible physiological role of calretinin’s alternatively spliced transcripts.
Development of a questionnaire for assessing dependence on electronic cigarettes among a large sample of ex-smoking E-cigarette users.

INTRODUCTION Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are becoming increasingly popular, but little is known about their dependence potential. This study aimed to assess ratings of dependence on electronic cigarettes and retrospectively compare them with rated dependence on tobacco cigarettes among a large sample of ex-smokers who switched to e-cigs. METHODS A total of 3,609 current users of e-cigs who were ex-cigarette smokers completed a 158-item online survey about their e-cig use, including 10 items designed to assess their previous dependence on cigarettes and 10 almost identical items, worded to assess their current dependence on e-cigs (range 0-20). RESULTS Scores on the 10-item Penn State (PS) Cigarette Dependence Index were significantly higher than on the comparable PS Electronic Cigarette Dependence Index (14.5 vs. 8.1, p < .0001). In multivariate analysis, those who had used e-cigs longer had higher e-cig dependence scores, as did those using more advanced e-cigs that were larger than a cigarette and had a manual button. Those using zero nicotine liquid had significantly lower e-cig dependence scores than those using 1-12 mg/ml, who scored significantly lower than those using 13 or greater mg/ml nicotine liquid (p < .003). CONCLUSIONS Current e-cigarette users reported being less dependent on e-cigarettes than they retrospectively reported having been dependent on cigarettes prior to switching. E-cig dependence appears to vary by product characteristics and liquid nicotine concentration, and it may increase over time.