Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A robot at home — How affect, technology commitment, and personality traits influence user experience in an intelligent robotics apartment

Previous research has shown that user features like affect, personality traits, user gender, technology commitment, perceived ease of technology use, and the feeling of being observed impact human-technology interaction (e.g., [1], [2]). To date, most studies have focused on the influence of user characteristics while interacting with single technical devices such as smart phones, audio players (e.g., [3]), or computers (e.g., [1]). To extend this work, we investigated the influence of individual user characteristics, the perceived ease of task completion, and the feeling of being observed on human-technology interaction and human-robot interaction (HRI) in particular. We explored how participants would solve seven tasks within a smart laboratory apartment. To do so, we collected video data and complemented this analysis with survey data to investigate naïve users' attitudes towards the smart home and the robot. User characteristics such as agreeableness, low negative affect, technology acceptance, low perceived competence regarding technology use, and the perceived ease of task were predictors of positive user experiences within the intelligent robotics apartment. Regression analyses revealed that a positive evaluation of the robot was predicted by positive affect and, to a lesser extent, by technology acceptance. Actual interactions with the robot were predicted by a positive evaluation of the robot and, to a lesser degree, by technology acceptance. Moreover, our findings show that user characteristics and, by tendency, the ease of task impact HRI within an intelligent apartment. Implications for future research on how to investigate the interplay of user and further task characteristics to improve HRI are discussed.
THE RELATIVE INFORMATION-CONTENT OF THE RELEASE OF FINANCIAL RESULTS DATA BY FIRMS

Firms listed on the Stock Exchange in the United Kingdom release information on their annual results in three stages. Initially, a preliminary announcement (PA) is made to the Stock Exchange and to the financial media. The preliminary announcement usually contains information on net profits before and after tax, earnings per share, dividend per share, and sales turnover. Second, some weeks after the release of the PA, firms release their Annual Report and Accounts (ARA); these are mailed to individual shareholders as well as being released to the Stock Exchange and the financial media. Third, a few weeks after the release of the ARA, firms have their Annual General Meetings (AGM). Previous research in the United States has shown that preliminary announcements and annual reports and accounts have an information content for both investors' and lenders and creditors.2 In contrast to the PA and ARA, however, there have been few studies relating to the information content of the Annual General Meeting. The purpose of this paper is to add to the accounting-capital markets literature by examining
On the functioning and dynamics of stock market indices and the interaction of international markets: an investigation of the London stock exchange

This thesis presents four empirical studies on the functioning and dynamics of stock market indices. The first issue investigates the relationship between market anomalies and the variance of non-trading and trading period index returns. The results reveal the existence of this relationship that the study concludes is indicative of the prominent role of private information as the driving force behind price changes. As a second issue, the thesis addresses the empirical question concerning volatility patterns of index returns at the beginning and end of trading and whether variance differentials are attributable to the way the market processes information. Unlike previous investigations that focus on the behaviour of prices under different market regimes, the study investigates and concludes that the dynamics surrounding the information processing of the market adequately explains this phenomenon. Third, the thesis re-examines the volume-volatility relationship by decomposing trading volume into expected and unexpected components. Despite observing a positive relationship between both variables, the use of volume itself as a means of forecasting changes in index values do not hold for UK data. Finally, the thesis investigates the extent to which asymmetries govern the transmission of volatility across national stock markets. The results confirm the existence of an asymmetric component induced by extreme uncommon shocks such as the October 1987 Crash and by an additional half day's trading in Tokyo. The overall consensus running through the thesis is that changes in index values is indicative of the arrival and utilisation of information as opposed to mispricing caused by the actions of uninformed noise traders.
Tn552, a novel transposable element from Staphylococcus aureus

Tn552, one of several closely related β‐lactamase‐encoding transposons from Staphylococcus aureus, has a novel set of putative transposition functions. Each is homologous with a well‐characterized function from a different type of mobile genetic element. Thus, Tn552 encodes: (i) resL‐binL, a co‐integrate resolution system homologous with those of Tn3 family elements; (ii) p480, a potential transposase significantly homologous with the DNA integrases of eukaryotic retroviruses and retrotransposons; and (iii) p271, a potential ATP‐binding protein that shows homology with the B protein of phage Mu. The 3′terminal nucleotides of Tn552 (CA), adjacent to which p480 might cleave, are the same as those of retro‐viruses, retrotransposons and phage Mu. The presumptive resolvase (BinL) is very closely related to BinR, which was identified as a DNA invertase and is now shown to resolve an artificial co‐integrate in vivo. Furthermore, the structure of the derivative of Tn552 found in the staphylococcal plasmid pl258 can be explained by a BinL (or BinR)‐mediated site‐specific deletion (‘resolution’) event. Thus, pl258 contains only the right‐hand half of Tn552, which encodes the β‐lactamase and two regulatory proteins. The latter are homologous with the β‐lactamase gene repressor and co‐inducer of Bacillus licheniformis. Interestingly, the order of the regulatory genes is reversed in S. aureus compared with Bacillus licheniformis.
Morphological responses of Legionella pneumophila biofilm to nanoparticle exposure

Abstract Legionella pneumophila is a pathogenic bacterium that forms biofilms in natural and anthropogenic habitats. This feature not only facilitates colonization but also limits the effectiveness of biocides. L. pneumophila was exposed to three sizes of citrate-capped gold nanospheres in both planktonic and biofilm stages. TEM micrographs indicated that gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) adsorbed to the bacterial cell surface, were absorbed into the cells, aggregated within the cells, and integrated into the extrapolymeric matrix of the biofilm. Both 4 and 18 nm, but not 50 nm AuNPs caused an alteration of biofilm morphology. Treatment with 20 nm polystyrene spheres did not induce these changes suggesting that the response was a result of the gold and not just the presence of the nanosphere. The morphological changes observed in the biofilm suggest that aquatic ecosystems may be affected by nanoparticle exposure. This may compromise ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling facilitated by natural biofilms.
Differentiation of ductal carcinoma in situ versus fibrocystic changes by magnetic resonance imaging: are there pathognomonic imaging features?

Background In breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains controversial; the most challenging cause of false-positive DCIS diagnosis is fibrocystic changes (FC). Purpose To search for typical and pathognomonic patterns of DCIS and FC using a standard clinical MRI protocol. Material and Methods Consecutive patients scheduled for breast MRI (standardized protocols @ 1.5T: dynamic-T1-GRE before/after Gd-DTPA [0.1 mmol/kg body weight (BW)]; T1-TSE), with subsequent pathological sampling, were investigated. Sixteen MRI descriptors were prospectively assessed by two experienced radiologists in consensus (blinded to pathology) and explored in patients with DCIS (n = 77) or FC (n = 219). Univariate and multivariate statistics were performed to identify the accuracy of descriptors (alone, combined). Furthermore, pathognomonic descriptor-combinations with an accuracy of 100% were explored (χ2 statistics; decision trees). Results Six breast MRI descriptors significantly differentiated DCIS from FC (Pcorrected < 0.05; odds ratio < 7.9). Pathognomonic imaging features were present in 33.8% (n = 100) of all cases allowing the identification of 42.9% of FC (n = 94). Conclusion Pathognomonic patterns of DCIS and FC were frequently observed in a standard clinical MRI protocol. Such imaging patterns could decrease the false-positive rate of breast MRI and hence might help to decrease the number of unnecessary biopsies in this clinically challenging subgroup.
Nucleolar Proteins and Ultrastructure in Preimplantation Porcine Embryos Developed In Vivo1

Abstract Ribosomal RNA genes are transcribed in the nucleolus. The formation of this organelle after fertilization is essential for embryonic protein synthesis and viability. We have examined nucleolus formation in in vivo-derived porcine embryos by light microscopical autoradiography following 20 min of 3H-uridine incubation, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and immunocytochemical localization by confocal laser scanning microscopy of key nucleolar proteins involved in rRNA transcription (nucleolin, upstream binding factor, topoisomerase I, and RNA polymerase I) and processing (fibrillarin, nucleophosmin). During the first two postfertilization cell cycles, TEM revealed fibrillar spheres as the most prominent intranuclear entity of the blastomeres. Fibrillogranular nucleoli were established during the third cell cycle. Initially, fibrillar centers, a dense fibrillar component, and a granular component were formed on the surface of the fibrillar spheres. At the same time, autoradiographic labeling over the nucleoplasm and in particular the nucleoli was detected for the first time. The nucleolar proteins were, in general, not immunocytochemically localized to the presumptive nucleolar compartment until late during the third or early during the fourth cell cycle.
Synthesis of Prosthesis Architectures and Design of Prosthetic Devices for Upper Limb Amputees

This chapter presents a procedure for the Determination of the Optimal Prosthesis Architecture for upper limb amputees (DOPA). The presented approach can consistently manage both the clinical aspects and the technical issues involved in the design of electromechanically actuated prostheses. The procedure is composed on one hand of algorithms useful for analyzing the patients’ requirements and on the other hand of algorithms that perform kinematic and kinetostatic simulations of several architectures of artificial arms attempting to fu lfil important activities of daily living. The systematic evaluation of the prosthesis models’ performance can methodically guide designers in the synthesis of the optimal prosthesis that best suits the patients’ requirements.
Conjunctival biopsy in Sjögren's syndrome: correlations between histological and immunohistochemical features

We have examined conjunctival biopsies from nine primary and two secondary cases of Sjögren's syndrome. In all cases histopathological examination revealed metaplasia of the conjunctival epithelium associated with a reduced number of goblet cells and a polymorphic inflammatory cell infiltrate of the stroma. Using monoclonal antibodies with texture analysis of stained preparations we have shown that in all cases me lymphocytic infiltrate was predominantly T‐cell but with substantial numbers of IgA and IgG secretory B‐cells in three cases. The number of Langerhans cells present was reduced in biopsies showing the most marked degree of epithelial metaplasia.
The contexts of adult literacy policy in New Zealand/Aotearoa

ii PREFACE . iv TABLE OF CONTENTS. v LIST OF TABLES . viii LIST OF FIGURES . ix LIST OF ACRONYMS . x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . xii A NOTE ON STYLE . xiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 ADULT LITERACY: WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? 2 1.2 ADULT LITERACY POLICY: WHY POLICY FROM RECENT DECADES IS INTERESTING . 3 1.3 ADULT LITERACY POLICY IN NEW ZEALAND . 6 1.4 OVERVIEW OF STUDY . 21 1.5 STRUCTURE OF DISSERTATION . 22 CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW . 24 2.1 ADULT EDUCATION IN THE 1980S AND 1990S: NEOLIBERALISM, THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND LIFELONG LEARNING . 24 2.2 ADULT EDUCATION IN THE LATE 1990S – 2008: INCLUSIVE LIBERALISM AND ADULT LITERACY . 38 2.3 CONCLUSIONS . 54 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY . 56 3.1 WHY A POLICY SOCIOLOGY? 57 3.2 THE CONTEXTS OF POLICY . 59 3.3 METHODS AND DATA SOURCES . 72 3.4 ENSURING RELIABILITY, VALIDITY AND GENERALIZABILITY . 81
Evidence of reduced arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization in multiple lines of Bt maize.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Insect-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize is widely cultivated, yet few studies have examined the interaction of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with different lines of Bt maize. As obligate symbionts, AMF may be sensitive to genetic changes within a plant host. Previous evaluations of the impact of Bt crops on AMF have been inconsistent, and because most studies were conducted under disparate experimental conditions, the results are difficult to compare. METHODS We evaluate AMF colonization in nine Bt maize lines, differing in number and type of engineered trait, and five corresponding near-isogenic parental (P) base hybrids in greenhouse microcosms. Plants were grown in 50% local agricultural soil with low levels of fertilization, and AMF colonization was evaluated at 60 and 100 d. Nontarget effects of Bt cultivation on AMF colonization were tested in a subsequently planted crop, Glycine max, which was seeded into soil that had been preconditioned for 60 d with Bt or P maize. KEY RESULTS We found that Bt maize had lower levels of AMF colonization in their roots than did the non-Bt parental lines. However, reductions in AMF colonization were not related to the expression of a particular Bt protein. There was no difference in AMF colonization in G. max grown in the Bt- or P-preconditioned soil. CONCLUSIONS These findings are the first demonstration of a reduction in AMF colonization in multiple Bt maize lines grown under the same experimental conditions and contribute to the growing body of knowledge examining the unanticipated effects of Bt crop cultivation on nontarget soil organisms.
Reproductive choices of women in families with haemophilia

To assess women’s experiences in pregnancy and attitudes towards their reproductive choices, a structured questionnaire was sent to all obligate and potential carriers of haemophilia (A and B), aged 14–60 years, registered with our haemophilia centre. One hundred and ninety‐seven of 545 (36%) returned completed questionnaires. Clinical details, including type and severity of the disease in the family and results of DNA analysis for carrier detection, were obtained from patient notes. One hundred and sixty women had been pregnant at least once, of whom 36 (23%) had received a prenatal diagnostic test. Of the 41 women who had pregnancy terminations, haemophilia was the main reason in only 11 (27%) women. This decision was affected by the woman’s religion and results of DNA studies. Living close to a haemophilia centre, proper counselling at the centre and awareness of the availability of prenatal diagnostic tests influenced the women’s decision to become pregnant in 14% and 10% of first and subsequent pregnancies, respectively. These factors were considered more frequently in women with severe haemophilia in the family (P = 0.002) and in confirmed carriers of haemophilia (P = 0.04). When women made a conscious decision not to have children, the reasons were fear of passing haemophilia onto their child (44%), previous experience with haemophilia (6%) and the stress of going through prenatal tests (7%). Severity of the disease in the family, haemophilia diagnosis, results of DNA studies, religion and year of birth had no effect on this decision. Our data indicate that haemophilia and related factors in the family have an influence on women’s reproductive choices.
Effect of Growth Temperature on the Lipid Composition of Thermus aquaticus

The complex lipids of Thermus aquaticus include phospholipids, glucolipids, carotenoids, and vitamin K2 isoprenologues. The phospholipids account for 30% of the total lipids and have been identified as phosphatidylethanolamine (4%), phosphatidylglycerol (3%), phosphatidylinositol (10%), cardiolipin (3%), and phosphatidic acid (1%). The major phospholipid contained three fatty acids, a long-chain unsaturated amine, and one glycerol per phosphate and accounted for 80% of the lipid phosphate. The carotenoids accounted for 60% of the membrane lipid. The majority of the carotenoids were very polar. Mono- and diglucosyldiglyceride and the 35-, 40-, and 45-carbon vitamin K2 isoprenologues were also identified. All these lipids were localized in the membrane of T. aquaticus. When the growth temperature was increased from 50 to 75 C and measured at 5 C intervals, there was a progressive increase in the total lipid content. The phospholipids increased 2-fold, the carotenoids increased 1.8-fold, and the glucolipids increased 4-fold between cells grown at 50 C and 75 C. The vitamin K2 level did not change. The proportions of the individual lipids within each lipid class remained constant as the temperature of growth was raised. Metabolic studies indicated turnover of the diacyl phospholipids during pulse-chase experiments at rates comparable with mesophilic bacteria. The major phospholipid and the carotenoids did not turn over.
A culture of mutual support: discovering why new nurses stay in nursing.

New nurse retention and satisfaction has been a recurring topic of research and concern for nursing administrators and educators. As the nursing shortage continues to grow, the retention of new nurses becomes even more important. Most research has focused on why new nurses leave nursing. This article describes the experiences of six new nurses who chose to stay in their first nursing position for 2 years. The qualitative results suggest that even though they felt underprepared, the nurses persevered and remained resilient because of a culture of mutual support. The study participants suggested that individuals contemplating nursing as a career need to "enter with their eyes open," stay strong and "persevere," and foster a "culture of mutual support. "
Singing from North to South: Latitudinal variation in timing of dawn singing under natural and artificial light conditions

Animals breeding at northern latitudes experience drastic changes in daily light conditions during the breeding season with decreasing periods of darkness, whereas those living at lower latitudes are exposed to naturally dark nights throughout the year. Nowadays, many animals are also exposed to artificial night lighting (often referred to as light pollution). Animals strongly rely on variation in light levels to time their daily and seasonal behaviour. Previous work on passerine birds showed that artificial night lighting leads to earlier onset of dawn song. However, these studies were carried out at intermediate latitudes with more limited seasonal changes in daylength, and we still lack an understanding of the impact of artificial night lighting in relation to variation in natural light conditions. We investigated the influence of natural and artificial light conditions on the timing of dawn singing in five common songbird species in each of three regions in Europe that differed in natural variation in daylength (northern Finland, 65°N; southern Germany, 48°N; southern Spain, 37°N). In each region, we selected five peri-urban forest sites with and five without street lighting, and we recorded dawn singing at the beginning of the local breeding season. Our results show that the earliest natural singers, that is, European robins (Erithacus rubecula) and common blackbirds (Turdus merula), started dawn singing earlier along with the natural increase in night brightness in Finland, with no additional effects of artificial night lighting. In contrast, the later singers, such as, great tits (Parus major), blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), showed similar onsets of dawn song relative to sunrise across the season and similar effects of artificial night lighting at all latitudes. Artificial night lighting affected great tits, blue tits and chaffinches even in northern Finland where nights became very bright. Proximate factors such as differential light sensitivities may explain why early singers showed more plastic behavioural responses to naturally and artificially bright nights. The maintenance of rhythmicity in the late singers during bright northern nights and under artificial night lighting may also be an adaptive response to predation risk or costs of sleep loss.
Sulforaphane Inhibits Constitutive and Interleukin-6–Induced Activation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 in Prostate Cancer Cells

d,l-Sulforaphane (SFN), a synthetic analogue of broccoli-derived l-isomer, inhibits viability of human prostate cancer cells and prevents development of prostate cancer and distant site metastasis in a transgenic mouse model. However, the mechanism underlying the anticancer effect of SFN is not fully understood. We now show that SFN inhibits constitutive and interleukin-6 (IL-6)–inducible activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which is an oncogenic transcription factor activated in many human malignancies, including prostate cancer. Growth-suppressive concentrations of SFN (20 and 40 μmol/L) decreased constitutive (DU145 cells) and IL-6–induced (DU145 and LNCaP cells) phosphorylation of STAT3 (Tyr705) as well as its upstream regulator Janus-activated kinase 2 (Tyr1007/1008). Exposure of DU145 and LNCaP cells to SFN resulted in suppression of (a) IL-6–induced transcriptional activity of STAT3 as judged by luciferase reporter assay and (b) nuclear translocation of phospho-STAT3 as revealed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Levels of many STAT3-regulated gene products, including Bcl-2, cyclin D1, and survivin, were also reduced in SFN-treated cells. The IL-6–mediated activation of STAT3 conferred partial but marked protection against SFN-induced apoptosis as evidenced by cytoplasmic histone-associated DNA fragmentation and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and procaspase-3. Furthermore, knockdown of STAT3 protein using small interfering RNA resulted in a modest yet statistically significant increase in SFN-induced apoptotic DNA fragmentation in DU145 cells. Suppression of STAT3 activation was also observed in cells treated with naturally occurring analogues of SFN. In conclusion, the present study indicates that inhibition of STAT3 partially contributes to the proapoptotic effect of SFN. Cancer Prev Res; 3(4); 484–94. ©2010 AACR.