Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is Curiosity Good for Students ’ Well-Being ?

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between curiosity and wellbeing in the sample of university students. A total of 318 college students from the Faculty of Teacher Education and the Faculty of Kinesiology (100 males and 215 females) participated in the study. The students ranged in age from 18 to 26. Four questionnaires were administered: Curiosity and Exploration Inventory CEI-II (Kashdan et al., 2009), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule PANAS (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988), Flourishing Scale – FS (Diener et al., 2009) and Basic Needs Satisfaction Scale (Gagné, 2003). Results of ANOVAs showed that students of the Faculty of Kinesiology had higher scores on both curiosity scales: Curiosity Stretching and Curiosity Embracing. Curiosity stretching reflects the motivation to seek out knowledge and new experiences while embracing dimension is related to willingness to embrace the novel, uncertain, and unpredictable nature of everyday life. They also scored higher on positive affect and lower on negative affect. There was no statistical difference between students from the two faculties on the flourishing scale and the scale used to measure satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Gender differences were found only for negative affects, with females scoring higher on the negative affect scale. Both curiosity scales were correlated to well-being scales, but as the results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed, only curiosity stretching was a significant predictor of basic needs satisfaction, positive affect and flourishing. Among students of the Faculty of Kinesiology, motivation to seek out knowledge and new experiences has a greater role in their well-being. This suggests the possibility of positive influence of Croatian Journal of Education Vol.18; Sp.Ed.No.1/2016, pages: 103-121 Original research paper Paper submitted: 1 March 2016 Paper accepted: 27 April 2016 doi: 10.15516/cje.v18i0. 2184 Miljković and Jurčec: Is Curiosity Good for Students’ Well-Being? The Case of the Faculty of Teacher . 104 curiosity on well-being and the need to pay more attention to methods for developing curiosity in teaching and learning at the university level.
Transfer of Carbapenem-Resistant Plasmid from Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258 to Escherichia coli in Patient

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) 3–producing Escherichia coli was isolated from a carrier of KPC-3–producing K. pneumoniae. The KPC-3 plasmid was identical in isolates of both species. The patient's gut flora contained a carbapenem-susceptible E. coli strain isogenic with the KPC-3–producing isolate, which suggests horizontal interspecies plasmid transfer.
The genotoxic effects in lymphocyte cultures of children treated with radiosynovectomy by using yttrium-90 citrate colloid.

UNLABELLED The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxic effect on the peripheral blood lymphocytes potentially induced by yttrium-90 citrate colloid (Y-90) in children who were undergoing radiosynovectomy for hemophilic synovitis, using chromosomal aberration analysis (CA) and the micronuclei (MN) assay for detecting chromosomal aberrations, as well as the sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) technique for assessed DNA damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cytogenetic analyses were undertaken in 18 boys (mean age, 14.5 +/- 2.1 years) with hemophilic synovitis who underwent radiosynovectomy with Y-90. CA, MN, and SCE were evaluated just prior to, then at 2 and 90 days following radiosynovectomy from the peripheral lymphocytes of the children. An activity of 185 MBq of Y-90 was injected into the 18 knee joints under aseptic conditions. To check the possibility of leakage from the joint and its migration within the body, the patients underwent scanning under a dual-headed gamma camera at the hours 2 and 48 following the procedure. RESULTS The procedure was well tolerated in all the children, and there was no extra-articular activity owing to extra-articular leakage of radioactive material in whole-body imaging. The mean frequency of CA in lymphocytes determined prior to the onset of therapy (0.31 +/- 0.48/900 cells) was not significantly increased, in comparison to the control values obtained 2 (0.30 +/- 0.48/900 cells) and 90 days (0.15 +/- 0.37/900 cells) after radiosynovectomy (p = 1.0 and 0.625, respectively). We observed that MN frequency was mildly increased in lymphocytes 2 days after therapy (8.30 +/- 1.89 MN/1000 binucleated cells vs. 9.23 +/- 1.79 MN/1000 binucleated cells; p = 0.013). But there was no significant difference between the baseline and the day 90 control levels of MN (p = 0.196). In the analysis of SCE frequency, there were no significant differences between the baseline (8.11 +/- 0.77) and the control analysis performed 2 and 90 days following radiosynovectomy (8.18 +/- 0.77 and 8.07 +/- 0.74; p = 0.710 and 0.662, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicated that high radiation doses are not obtained by peripheral lymphocytes of children who undergo Y-90 radiosynovectomy and, therefore, they contradict a high cancer risk.
Semi-Supervised Discriminant Analysis Based On Data Structure

Dimensionality reduction is a key data-analytic technique for mining high-dimensional data. In this paper, we consider a general problem of learning from pairwise constraints in the form of must-link and cannot- link. As one kind of side information, the must-link constraints imply that a pair of instances belongs to the same class, while the cannot-link constraints compel them to be different classes. Given must-link and cannot-link information, the goal of this paper is learn a smooth and discriminative subspace. Specifically, in order to generate such a subspace, we use pairwise constraints to present an optimization problem, in which a least squares formulation that integrates both global and local structures is considered as a regularization term for dimensionality reduction. Experimental results on benchmark data sets show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Neural Networks and Financial Trading and the Efficient Markets Hypothesis

The efficient markets hypothesis asserts that the price of an asset reflects all of the information that can be obtained from past prices of the asset. A direct corollary of this hypothesis is that stock prices follow a random walk, and that any profits derived from timing the market are due entirely to chance. In the absence of any ability to predict the market, the most appropriate strategy---according to proponents of the efficient markets hypothesis---is to buy and hold. In this paper we describe a methodology by which neural networks can be trained indirectly, using a genetic algorithm based weight optimisation procedure, to determine buy and sell points for financial commodities traded on a stock exchange. In order to test the significance of the returns achieved using this methodology, we compare the returns on four financial price series with returns achieved on random walk data derived from each of these series using a bootstrapping procedure. These bootstrapped samples contain exactly the same distribution of daily returns as the original series, but lack any serial dependence present in the original. Our results indicate that on some price series the return achieved is significantly greater than that which can be achieved on the bootstrapped samples. This lends support to the claim that some financial time series are not entirely random, and that---contrary to the predictions of the efficient markets hypothesis---a trading strategy based solely on historical price data can be used to achieve returns better than those achieved using a buy-and-hold strategy.
Collaborative revision in L2 writing: learners’ reflections

L2 learning literature has reflected on the problems surrounding the application of teacher written feedback and peer feedback in EFL contexts. To address the disadvantages of these feedback forms, this exploratory case study examined EFL learners’ reactions to a collaborative revision activity. Interview data were collected from eight native Persian-speaking university students enrolled on an English essay writing course. Data analysis indicated that not only did the participants express positive attitudes towards this activity, but also that the problems associated with teacher and peer feedback were not raised by the students. The research concludes that, in teacher-centred L2 writing contexts, the shift from teacher to peer feedback should be gradual, and collaborative revision can be considered as an intermediate approach between these two feedback forms. In such contexts, EFL learners’ concerns are addressed and they receive preparation for more participatory forms of feedback in L2 writing classes.
Evolution of proteins and proteomes: a phylogenetics approach

The study of evolutionary relationships among protein sequences was one of the first applications of bioinformatics. Since then, and accompanying the wealth of biological data produced by genome sequencing and other high-throughput techniques, the use of bioinformatics in general and phylogenetics in particular has been gaining ground in the study of protein and proteome evolution. Nowadays, the use of phylogenetics is instrumental not only to infer the evolutionary relationships among species and their genome sequences, but also to reconstruct ancestral states of proteins and proteomes and hence trace the paths followed by evolution. Here I survey recent progress in the elucidation of mechanisms of protein and proteome evolution in which phylogenetics has played a determinant role.
Developmental downregulation of LIS1 expression limits axonal extension and allows axon pruning

ABSTRACT The robust axonal growth and regenerative capacities of young neurons decrease substantially with age. This developmental downregulation of axonal growth may facilitate axonal pruning and neural circuit formation but limits functional recovery following nerve damage. While external factors influencing axonal growth have been extensively investigated, relatively little is known about the intrinsic molecular changes underlying the age-dependent reduction in regeneration capacity. We report that developmental downregulation of LIS1 is responsible for the decreased axonal extension capacity of mature dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. In contrast, exogenous LIS1 expression or endogenous LIS1 augmentation by calpain inhibition restored axonal extension capacity in mature DRG neurons and facilitated regeneration of the damaged sciatic nerve. The insulator protein CTCF suppressed LIS1 expression in mature DRG neurons, and this reduction resulted in excessive accumulation of phosphoactivated GSK-3β at the axon tip, causing failure of the axonal extension. Conversely, sustained LIS1 expression inhibited developmental axon pruning in the mammillary body. Thus, LIS1 regulation may coordinate the balance between axonal growth and pruning during maturation of neuronal circuits. Summary: Developmental downregulation of LIS1 coordinates the balance between axonal elongation and pruning, which is essential for proper neuronal circuit formation but limits nerve regeneration.
Isolation and characterization of mesenchymal stem cells from human umbilical cord blood: Reevaluation of critical factors for successful isolation and high ability to proliferate and differentiate to chondrocytes as compared to mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow and adipose tissue

Human umbilical cord blood (CB) is a potential source for mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) capable of forming specific tissues, for example, bone, cartilage, or muscle. However, difficulty isolating MSC from CB (CB‐MSC) has impeded their clinical application. Using more than 450 CB units donated to two public CB banks, we found that successful cell recovery fits a hyper‐exponential function of time since birth with very high fidelity. Additionally, significant improvement in the isolation of CB‐MSC was achieved by selecting cord blood units having a volume ≥90 ml and time ≤2 h after donor's birth. This resulted in 90% success in isolation of CB‐MSC by density gradient purification and without a requirement for immunoaffinity methods as previously reported. Using MSC isolated from bone marrow (BM‐MSC) and adipose tissue (AT‐MSC) as reference controls, we observed that CB‐MSC exhibited a higher proliferation rate and expanded to the order of the 1 × 109 cells required for cell therapies. CB‐MSC showed karyotype stability after prolonged expansion. Functionally, CB‐MSC could be more readily induced to differentiate into chondrocytes than could BM‐MSC and AT‐MSC. CB‐MSC showed immunosuppressive activity equal to that of BM‐MSC and AT‐MSC. Collectively, our data indicate that viable CB‐MSC could be obtained consistently and that CB should be reconsidered as a practical source of MSC for cell therapy and regenerative medicine using the well established CB banking system. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 1206–1218, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Retrovirus-induced insertional mutagenesis: mechanism of collagen mutation in Mov13 mice

The Mov13 mouse strain carries a mutation in the alpha 1(I) procollagen gene which is due to the insertion of a Moloney murine leukemia provirus into the first intron. This insertion results in the de novo methylation of the provirus and flanking DNA, the alteration of chromatin structure, and the transcriptional inactivity of the collagen promoter. To address the mechanism of mutagenesis, we reintroduced a cloned and therefore demethylated version of the Mov13 mutant allele into mouse fibroblasts. The transfected gene was not transcribed, indicating that the transcriptional defect was not due to the hypermethylation. Rather, this result strongly suggests that the mutation is due to the displacement or disruption of cis-acting regulatory DNA sequences within the first intron. We also constructed a Mov13 variant allele containing a single long terminal repeat instead of the whole provirus. This construct also failed to express mRNA, indicating that the Mov13 mutation does not revert by provirus excision as has been observed for other retrovirus-induced mutations.
Super-exponential methods for blind detection of asynchronous CDMA signals over multipath channels

In this letter, code-constrained super-exponential algorithms (CSEA) are presented for blind detection of asynchronous short-code direct-sequence code-division multiple-access signals over multipath channels. Constrained SEA leads to the extraction of the desired user whereas unconstrained SEA leads to the extraction of any one of the actives users. The results are further improved by following the constrained SEA by unconstrained SEA. Convergence of the constrained SEA is proved and simulation examples are provided to illustrate the proposed approaches.
Geometric control and chemical response of cellular clusters using free-standing meshed hydrogel

This paper demonstrates chemical response of MIN6 pseudo-islets using geometric controlled hydrogel constructs including hexagon-based mesh pattern. The MIN6-laden hydrogels with regular and irregular meshed geometric micropattern were simply fabricated, free-standing cultured and morphologically analyzed to examine the effect of the microscale hydrogel patterns on pancreatic cellular growth within hydrogel constructs. We also investigate MIN6 cellular viability in this hydrogel culture platform to a serotonin antagonist, SB204741, which has been associated with reduction in β-cell mass. On the basis of cellular response using size-controlled pseudo-islets, these artificial 3D cell clusters can be applied to a facultative in vitro β-cell proliferation and maintenance for drug assay.
Can fear beat hope? : a story of garch-in-mean-level effects for emerging market country risks

CAN FEAR BEAT HOPE? A STORY OF GARCH-IN-MEAN-LEVEL EFFECTS FOR EMERGING MARKET COUNTRY RISKS. Felipe Garcia Ribeiro, Marcelo Savino Portugal (orient.) (UFRGS). Atraves dos modelos de mudancas de Markov, o presente projeto tras a tona uma tentativa de solucionar um dos principais problemas das estimativas econometricas brasileiras: os dados macroeconomicos do Brasil apresentam recorrentes mudancas estruturais. Com a utilizacao dos modelos de mudancas de Markov torna-se possivel 247
Indocyanine green targeted micelles with improved stability for near-infrared image-guided photothermal tumor therapy.

AIM Indocyanine green (ICG) is a promising near-infrared (NIR) dye for tumor imaging and photothermal therapy; however, the poor stability and lack of targeting limit its application. In this study, ICG was encapsulated into folate-conjugated poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone) micelles to overcome these problems. MATERIALS & METHODS ICG-loaded micelles were prepared by solvent evaporation method. Cell uptake and in vitro photothermal cytotoxicity were evaluated on KB cells. In vivo NIR imaging and photothermal therapy were conducted on KB tumor-bearing mice. RESULTS ICG-loaded micelles with favorable sizes and stable NIR optical properties were successfully prepared. These micelles could target to KB tumors and enabled high-resolution NIR imaging. Moreover, they could effectively convert the absorbed NIR laser energy into heat, resulting in significant tumor damage and inhibition. CONCLUSION This novel micellar system, integrating stable NIR properties, excellent tumor targeting and photothermal capability, showed great potential in tumor imaging and therapy.
Survival of Bacteriophage MS2 on Filtering Facepiece Respirator Coupons

The reuse of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) after decontamination has been suggested as a strategy to conserve supplies during an influenza pandemic. The feasibility of decontaminating FFRs has been investigated under laboratory conditions; however, the need for decontamination of FFRs is not well characterized. In this study the potential for FFRs to act as fomites was examined using bacteriophage MS2. Virus was applied to FFR coupons as an aerosol or liquid drops and stored at 22°C and 30% relative humidity. Viability of the virus was monitored every 24 hours from 1 to 5 days with a final sampling occurring on day 10. At least 10% of the initial MS2 load was able to survive for 4 days on the FFR coupons regardless of the deposition method. All coupons contained detectable levels of MS2 on the tenth day. MS2 viability did not appear to be affected by the location of deposition within the layers of the coupon under the test conditions. The results indicate that FFRs have the potential to serve as a fomite.
A typology of cancer information seeking, scanning and avoiding: results from an exploratory cluster analysis

Introduction. This study aims to (a) construct a typology of how individuals acquire cancer information, and (b) examine whether these types differ regarding socio-demographics and cancer-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Method. A standardized, cross-sectional survey among cancer diagnosed and non-diagnosed individuals in Flanders, Belgium (N= 2008) was conducted. Analysis. A two-step cluster algorithm based on mediated and interpersonal cancer information seeking and scanning, and on cancer information avoiding behaviour was used. Bivariate differences between those clusters were calculated using the chi-squared measure and one-way ANOVAs with Tukey post-hoc tests. Results. Three meaningful clusters of cancer information acquisition were identified: selective users, full users and low users. Significant differences between those clusters were found in terms of socio-demographics, cancer knowledge, health perception, cancer risk perception, fear of cancer, Internet use and lifestyle behaviour. Conclusion. These results indicate that different cancer information acquisition typologies exist and that they have different associates. This highlights the relevance of looking at individual levels of cancer information acquisition types. As some individuals prefer to have more information on cancer and appear to be more open to it than others, tailoring cancer communication to the individual’s information acquisition style might be a path worth exploring.
ElectionWatch: Detecting Patterns in News Coverage of US Elections

We present a web tool that allows users to explore news stories concerning the 2012 US Presidential Elections via an interactive interface. The tool is based on concepts of "narrative analysis", where the key actors of a narration are identified, along with their relations, in what are sometimes called "semantic triplets" (one example of a triplet of this kind is "Romney Criticised Obama"). The network of actors and their relations can be mined for insights about the structure of the narration, including the identification of the key players, of the network of political support of each of them, a representation of the similarity of their political positions, and other information concerning their role in the media narration of events. The interactive interface allows the users to retrieve news report supporting the relations of interest.
An improved online self-organizing dynamic fuzzy neural network for nonlinear dynamic system identification

In the area of neural fuzzy control, how to generate fuzzy rules for structural learning is a key issue. In this paper, an improved online self-organizing dynamic fuzzy neural network for nonlinear dynamic system identification. The system is a five-layered network, which features coalescence between Takagi-Sugeno-kang fuzzy architecture and dissymmetrical Gaussian functions as membership functions. The partitioning made by the dissymmetrical Gaussian functions introduces the dissymmetry to the left and right widths of the input space to increase the flexibility of the design, thus resulting in a parsimonious fuzzy neural network with higher performance under online learning. We apply two criteria for rule generation, namely system error and ε-completeness, reflecting both the performance and sample coverage of an existing rule base. During the parameters estimation phase, we adjust the Gaussian centers according to the adjustment of the widths. Parameters in the premise and the consequents are adjusted online based on the ε-completeness of the fuzzy rules and Kalman Filter (KF) approach, respectively. The error reduction ratio (ERR) method is used as the pruning strategy. Simulation studies demonstrate the efficacy and superiority of the proposed algorithm in terms of the approximation accuracy and the generalization performance.
Individual Differences in Music Video Interaction: An exploratory Analysis

Learning through video watching has been popular through the education community and is considered as a common choice especially for self-directed informal learning. However, the learner in this situation acts only as a passive consumer and does not receives any feedback for improving his/her performance, an element important in any educational context. Studies in music psychology reveal that gender, perceptual, and cognitive, differences, along with the level of music education of the individual, should be considered when support is generated to a person who is watching a music video for educational purposes. In this sense, individual differences should be exploited when designing an adaptive learning support aiming to suit the individual in music learning. In this line, this paper presents an exploratory study into interaction data of music experts and amateurs when they were actively watching a music video. Linguistic analysis is also employed for taking an insight into the written comments provided by participants at several timepoints in the music videos. Results reveal significant differences between genders in their interaction behavior but also in their perception processing of the music videos, reflected in their comments. Suggestions are provided based on the results on how these can be utilized for the design of personalized support in informal music education.