Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing Persistence of College Students in STEM

An evidence-based framework offers a guide for efforts to increase student persistence in STEM majors. A 2012 report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) predicts that the U.S. workforce will suffer a deficit of one million college graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) over the next decade (1). The report calls for addressing the shortfall by increasing retention of college students in STEM. But many academic leaders have not responded aggressively to workforce needs by implementing measures that increase retention. Some of this nonaction is likely due to lack of knowledge about proven retention strategies.
Functioning of stroke survivors – A validation of the ICF core set for stroke in Sweden

Purpose. To validate the body functions and activities and participation part of the extended International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) core set for stroke with a Swedish population in the first 3 months post-stroke. Method. At 6 weeks and at 3 months post-stroke, stroke survivors were evaluated by 59 ICF categories of body functions, 59 categories of activities and participation from the stroke ICF core set (extended version). Results. The study sample included 99 stroke survivors (54% women) with an average age of 72 years. Statistical significant problems were identified in 28 ICF categories of body functions and in 41 ICF categories of activities and participation at both time points, at 6 weeks and at 3 months. About 17 ICF categories were reported as problems in independent (i.e. modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤2) and about 34 categories in dependent (i.e. mRS > 2) stroke survivors. Conclusions. The results suggest a possible reduction of the stroke ICF core set from 59 to 28 categories of body functions and from 59 to 41 categories of activities and participation. Hence, feasibility of the core set for multiprofessional assessment increases and the core set might find more integration in clinical practice. The number of problems in mobility and self-care mainly distinguished between independent and dependent stroke survivors.
Role of the lipoxygenase pathway in angiotensin II-mediated aldosterone biosynthesis in human adrenal glomerulosa cells.

We studied the role of the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism in angiotensin II (AII)-stimulated aldosterone secretion in normal and adenomatous human adrenal glomerulosa tissue. In freshly isolated normal adrenal glomerulosa cells, the AII-mediated stimulation of aldosterone secretion was not altered by cyclooxygenase blockade with ibuprofen. In contrast, BW755c (10(-5) mol/L), a nonselective lipoxygenase inhibitor, and baicalein (10(-6) mol/L), a more selective 12-lipoxygenase blocker, inhibited AII-mediated aldosterone secretion, but did not alter basal aldosterone secretion. The glomerulosa cells produced the lipoxygenase products 12- and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) in the basal state, as measured by high pressure liquid chromatography and RIA. However, AII selectively stimulated only 12-HETE production [basal, 1329 +/- 207 (+/- SE) pg (3.99 +/- 0.62 pmol)/10(5) cells.h; AII, 2365 +/- 333 (7.09 +/- 1.0); n = 9; P less than 0.02], suggesting that 12-lipoxygenase activation may be involved in AII-mediated aldosterone secretion by normal cells. In addition, the lipoxygenase inhibitors that blocked AII-mediated aldosterone secretion also prevented AII-mediated 12-HETE formation. In contrast, neither ACTH nor K+ stimulated 12-HETE formation, suggesting that 12-lipoxygenase activation is primarily involved in AII action in normal glomerulosa cells. BW755c caused a marked dose-dependent inhibition of basal aldosterone secretion in freshly isolated cells from aldosterone-producing adenomas [APA; basal, 66 +/- 3 ng (182 +/- 8 pmol)/10(6) cells.h; 10(-5) mol/L BW755c, 49 +/- 2 (136 +/- 6); 10(-4) mol/L BW755c, 30 +/- 2 (83 +/- 6)]. In contrast, the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin and the selective 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor U60257 did not alter basal aldosterone secretion by these cells. The APA cells produced 12- and 15-HETE, and BW755c at the same dose that inhibited aldosterone secretion also inhibited the production of both 12- and 15-HETE. In the cultured APA cells, AII-stimulated aldosterone secretion was inhibited by BW755c [basal, 26 +/- 8 pg/mL (72.0 +/- 22.1 pmol/L); AII, 336 +/- 79 (930 +/- 218); AII plus BW755c, 92 +/- 38 (255 +/- 105) n = 13; P less than 0.01]. The lipoxygenase products 12- and 15-HETE restored the stimulatory effect of AII during inhibition by BW755c, indicating a role for these lipoxygenase pathways in AII-mediated aldosterone secretion in APA cells. These results suggest that the stimulatory effects of AII on aldosterone secretion are mediated by stimulation of the lipoxygenase pathway in human zona glomerulosa cells.
The class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases α and β control antiphospholipid antibodies-induced platelet activation

Summary Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterised by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) associated with increased thrombotic risk and pregnancy morbidity. Although aPL are heterogeneous auto-antibodies, the major pathogenic target is the plasma protein β2-glycoprotein 1. The molecular mechanisms of platelet activation by aPL remain poorly understood. Here, we explored the role of the class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) α and β isoforms in platelet activation by aPL. Compared to control IgG from healthy individuals, the IgG fraction isolated from patients with APS potentiates platelet aggregation induced by low dose of thrombin in vitro and increases platelet adhesion and thrombus growth on a collagen matrix under arterial shear rate through a mechanism involving glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) and Toll Like Receptor 2 (TLR-2). Using isoforms-selective pharmacological PI3K inhibitors and mice with megakaryocyte/platelet lineage-specific inactivation of class IA PI3K isoforms, we demonstrate a critical role of the PI3Kβ and PI3Kα isoforms in platelet activation induced by aPL. Our data show that aPL potentiate platelet activation through GPIbα and TLR-2 via a mechanism involving the class IA PI3Kα and β isoforms, which represent new potential therapeutic targets in the prevention or treatment of thrombotic events in patients with APS.
An investigation into the value and relevance of oral health promotion leaflets for young adolescents.

OBJECTIVES To determine if oral health promotion leaflets of a novel design and content would be read by, acceptable to and influence 11-12-year-old children. METHOD Three related leaflets were incorporated into a dental health education programme aimed at 11-12-year-old children. The leaflets were designed specifically, following consultation with focus groups. They had a romantic story line and emphasised the immediate gains from good dental health, relevant to this age group. A random sample of pupils completed a written questionnaire on the impact of the leaflets at the end of the one-year programme. These sample pupils underwent a clinical examination to measure plaque before and after the programme. RESULTS 2,678 pupils with a mean age of 12.1 years participated in the programme. 895 were randomly selected to join the assessment study. Most pupils 81%, (725) reported they had read the leaflets; 61% (442) finding them enjoyable to read, 51% (370) attractive to look at and 71% (515) finding the story lines interesting. However, girls appreciated the leaflets more than the boys. There was some suggestion that the leaflets played a positive role in the overall success of the programme in that most pupils 83% (602) reported they thought more about caring for their teeth after reading the leaflets and 58% reported their brushing frequency had increased. CONCLUSION The results indicate that for adolescents, leaflets which feature interpersonal relationships are well accepted and can stimulate better oral health behaviour.
Bacteria as Bullies: Effects of Linguistic Agency Assignment in Health Message

When describing health threats, communicators can assign agency to the threat (e.g., “Hepatitis C has infected 4 million Americans”) or to humans (e.g., “Four million Americans have contracted hepatitis C”). In an online experiment, the authors explored how assignment of agency affects perceptions of susceptibility and severity of a health threat, response efficacy, self-efficacy, fear arousal, and intentions to adopt health-protective recommendations. Participants were 719 individuals recruited through Mechanical Turk (www.mturk.com), a crowdsource labor market run by Amazon (www.amazon.com). The participants were assigned randomly to read 1 of 8 flyers defined by a 2×4 (Agency Assignment×Topic) factorial design. Each flyer examined 1 health threat (E. coli, necrotizing fasciitis, salmonella, or Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae) and was written in language that emphasized bacterial or human agency. Perceived susceptibility and severity were highest when bacterial agency language was used. Response efficacy, self-efficacy, and fear arousal were not significantly affected by agency assignment. Participants reported stronger intentions to adopt recommendations when bacteria agency language was used, but this effect did not reach conventional standards of significance (p < .051). The authors concluded that health communicators can increase target audiences' perceptions of susceptibility and severity by assigning agency to the threat in question when devising health messages.
Identification of novel markers expressed during fin regeneration by microarray analysis in medaka fish

Urodeles and fish have a remarkable ability to regenerate lost body parts, whereas many higher vertebrates, including mammals, retain only a limited capacity. It is known that the formation of specialized cell populations such as the wound epidermis or blastema is crucial for regeneration; however, the molecular basis for their formation has not been elucidated. Recently, approaches using differential display and microarray have been done in zebrafish for searching molecules involved in regeneration. Here, we used the medaka fish, a distantly diverged fish species, for microarray screening of transcripts up‐regulated during regeneration. By setting criteria for selecting transcripts that are reliably and reproducibly up‐regulated during regeneration, we identified 140 transcripts. Of them, localized in situ expression of 12 transcripts of 22 tested was detected either in differentiating cartilage, basal wound epidermis, or blastema. Our results provide useful molecular markers for dissecting the regeneration process at a fine cellular resolution. Developmental Dynamics 236:2685–2693, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A comparative study of signal versus aggregate methods of outcome measurement based on the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index.

OBJECTIVE To compare signal versus aggregate measurement strategies using the VA3.0S version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis (OA) Index. METHODS Seventy patients with OA of the knee were asked to identify a signal item for each of the 3 dimensions of the WOMAC OA Index at baseline and termination of a 12-week, double blind, randomized, controlled trial. RESULTS The signal method detected statistically significant alterations in health status at relatively small sample sizes and with a relative efficiency close to or at unity. In addition to a low prevalence of deterioration in nonsignal items, we observed some inconsistency in signal selection. CONCLUSION Signal methods of measurement may provide an alternative approach to outcome measurement provided issues of nonsignal deterioration and the consistency of signal selection can be addressed.
The supply chain complexity triangle: Uncertainty generation in the supply chain

Since the late 1950s it has been recognised that the systems used internally within supply chains can lead to oscillations in demand and inventory as orders pass through the system. The uncertainty generated by these oscillations can result in late deliveries, order cancellations and an increased reliance on inventory to buffer these effects. Despite the best efforts of organisations to stabilise the dynamics generated, industry still experiences a high degree of uncertainty from this source. The “supply chain complexity triangle” describes the interaction of deterministic chaos, parallel interactions and demand amplification. It provides a framework for understanding the generation of uncertainty within supply chains. The implications for supply chain strategy and manufacturing logistics are discussed.
Parental concern about vaccine safety in Canadian children partially immunized at age 2: A multivariable model including system level factors

Children who begin but do not fully complete the recommended series of childhood vaccines by 2 y of age are a much larger group than those who receive no vaccines. While parents who refuse all vaccines typically express concern about vaccine safety, it is critical to determine what influences parents of ‘partially’ immunized children. This case-control study examined whether parental concern about vaccine safety was responsible for partial immunization, and whether other personal or system-level factors played an important role. A random sample of parents of partially and completely immunized 2 y old children were selected from a Canadian regional immunization registry and completed a postal survey assessing various personal and system-level factors. Unadjusted odds ratios (OR) and adjusted ORs (aOR) were calculated with logistic regression. While vaccine safety concern was associated with partial immunization (OR 7.338, 95% CI 4.138– 13.012), other variables were more strongly associated and reduced the strength of the relationship between concern and partial immunization in multivariable analysis (aOR 2.829, 95% CI 1.151 – 6.957). Other important factors included perceived disease susceptibility and severity (aOR 4.629, 95% CI 2.017 – 10.625), residential mobility (aOR 3.908, 95% CI 2.075 – 7.358), daycare use (aOR 0.310, 95% CI 0.144 - 0.671), number of needles administered at each visit (aOR 7.734, 95% CI 2.598 – 23.025) and access to a regular physician (aOR 0.219, 95% CI 0.057 – 0.846). While concern about vaccine safety may be addressed through educational strategies, this study suggests that additional program and policy-level strategies may positively impact immunization uptake.
Synergy of Aggregation Pheromone with Methyl (E,E,Z)-2,4,6-Decatrienoate in Attraction of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

ABSTRACT The reported male-produced aggregation pheromone of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), identified as a mixture of (3S,6S,7R,10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol and (3R,6S,7R,10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol, offers new opportunities for its management. We found that black pyramid traps deployed along crop borders in Maryland and West Virginia, containing lures with both stereoisomers of this reported aggregation pheromone combined with methyl (E,E,Z)-2,4,6-decatrienoate (MDT) lures, attracted more adult and nymphal H. halys than either the aggregation pheromone or MDT alone. In season-long totals, combined lures acted synergistically by catching 1.9–3.2 times more number of adults, and 1.4–2.5 times more number of nymphs, than expected from an additive effect of the lures deployed individually. There were no significant differences in patterns of male and female captures. MDT alone was not significantly attractive to adults during most of the growing season, but became increasingly attractive to adults and especially nymphs in autumn. Mixed-isomer lures containing eight stereoisomers of 10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol, including the two active stereoisomers, were as effective at catching adults and nymphs with or without MDT as were lures loaded only with the two active stereoisomers in the natural ratio ((3S,6S,7R,10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol: (3R,6S,7R,10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol) of 3.5:1. These results identify a combination of semiochemicals that is attractive season-long for detection, monitoring, and potential control of this polyphagous invasive pest of North America and Europe.
Gestational age at birth and mortality in young adulthood.

CONTEXT Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant mortality in developed countries, but the association between gestational age at birth and mortality in adulthood remains unknown. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between gestational age at birth and mortality in young adulthood. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS National cohort study of 674,820 individuals born as singletons in Sweden in 1973 through 1979 who survived to age 1 year, including 27,979 born preterm (gestational age <37 weeks), followed up to 2008 (ages 29-36 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES All-cause and cause-specific mortality. RESULTS A total of 7095 deaths occurred in 20.8 million person-years of follow-up. Among individuals still alive at the beginning of each age range, a strong inverse association was found between gestational age at birth and mortality in early childhood (ages 1-5 years: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] for each additional week of gestation, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.94; P < .001), which disappeared in late childhood (ages 6-12 years: aHR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.95-1.03; P = .61) and adolescence (ages 13-17 years: aHR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.95-1.03; P = .64) and then reappeared in young adulthood (ages 18-36 years: aHR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.97; P < .001). In young adulthood, mortality rates (per 1000 person-years) by gestational age at birth were 0.94 for 22 to 27 weeks, 0.86 for 28 to 33 weeks, 0.65 for 34 to 36 weeks, 0.46 for 37 to 42 weeks (full-term), and 0.54 for 43 or more weeks. Preterm birth was associated with increased mortality in young adulthood even among individuals born late preterm (34-36 weeks, aHR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.13-1.50; P < .001), relative to those born full-term. In young adulthood, gestational age at birth had the strongest inverse association with mortality from congenital anomalies and respiratory, endocrine, and cardiovascular disorders and was not associated with mortality from neurological disorders, cancer, or injury. CONCLUSION After excluding earlier deaths, low gestational age at birth was independently associated with increased mortality in early childhood and young adulthood.
Exploring native and non-native intuitions of word frequency

Native speakers have intuitions about how frequently words occur in their language, but methodological limitations have not previously allowed a detailed description of these intuitions. This study asked native and non-native speakers to give judgements of frequency for near synonyms in 12 lexical sets and compared those responses to modern corpus word counts. The native speakers were able to discern the core word in the lexical sets either 77% or 85% of the time, depending on whether the core word was the reference against which the other words in the set were judged, with the non-native results at 71% and 79%. The correlation between the native speakers' ratings and corpus data was . 530, which calls into question the higher results from previous studies. The non-native correlation was . 577. A Hellinger distance procedure demonstrated generally good judgements of absolute frequency on an individual word basis. Contrary to previous findings, the correlation and Hellinger analyses indicate that natives are not homogeneous in their frequency intuitions, with education one apparent differentiating factor. The results suggest that, for lexical sets in which all words were rated, educated non-natives have intuitions of word frequency which are as good or better than natives with less education, while educated natives have better frequency intuitions than their educated non-native counterparts.
Logical analysis in roentgen diagnosis.

During the first year of my residency training I had occasion to ask my chief, Dr. Robert Stone, how I could be sure of the accuracy of my roentgen diagnosis. In the course of our discussion he told me about his former chief, Dr. Howard Ruggles, an excellent diagnostician who was able to make a high percentage of correct diagnoses after a brief examination of the films. Sometimes physicians felt that Dr. Ruggles' ready diagnoses were perhaps not too reliable and they might ask: “Dr. Ruggles, what makes you think this shadow is a metastatic lesion? ” To which his just as ready reply would be: “Because it looks like it! ” All of us to some extent make diagnoses in this way, and often it is difficult to describe the many possible variations of certain lesions, as, for instance, the protean manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis. But what about the traps set for the unwary radiologist who uses this “looks like it” method too freely? Figure 1 shows the lung manifestations of four different diseases. The roentg.
Competing Fracture Modeling of Thin Chip Pick-Up Process

The IC chip ejecting and pick-up process in electronic assembly plays a critical role in advanced packaging since the success ratio and productivity are determined by the delamination of thin chips from the underlying substrate. For a chip-on-substrate structure subjected to a transverse concentrated load resulting from the ejecting needle, a competing relationship between chip peeling-off and chip cracking is discovered from the perspective of integral structure. A competing index, Γ, is defined to characterize the competing fracture behavior between cracking and peeling-off, and the competing fracture mechanism is then uncovered fundamentally. Based on the index, the effects of chip geometry on competing behavior are investigated using the virtual crack-closure technique with dummy nodes. Critical thickness and length, which separate chip peeling-off and cracking modes, are found and they represent the extremity of successful pick-up process. The critical values are determined by critical competing index, Γ - Γc. The competing mechanism uncovered applies to general pick-up process with various chip sizes and materials. The critical sizes and the method of evaluating critical values are meaningful for chip profile design, optimization of pick-up process, and propelling new designs of electronic assembly process, especially for thin chips.