Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IFN-τ Displays Anti-Inflammatory Effects on Staphylococcus aureus Endometritis via Inhibiting the Activation of the NF-κB and MAPK Pathways in Mice

The aim of the present study was to determine the anti-inflammatory effect of IFN-τ on endometritis using a mouse model of S. aureus-induced endometritis and to elucidate the mechanism of action underlying these effects. In the present study, the effect of IFN-τ on S. aureus growth was monitored by turbidimeter at 600 nm. IFN-τ did not affect S. aureus growth. The histopathological changes indicated that IFN-τ had a protective effect on uterus tissues with S. aureus infection. The ELISA and qPCR results showed the production of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 was decreased with IFN-τ treatment. In contrast, the level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was increased. We further studied the signaling pathway associated with these observations, and the qPCR results showed that the expression of TLR2 was repressed by IFN-τ. Furthermore, the western blotting results showed the phosphorylation of IκB, NF-κB p65, and MAPKs (p38, JNK, and ERK) was inhibited by IFN-τ treatment. The results suggested that IFN-τ may be a potential drug for the treatment of uterine infection due to S. aureus or other infectious inflammatory diseases.
Amateur versus professional

Volume crime offences such as domestic burglary are commonly assessed for forensic opportunities by the first attending officer present at the scene. Conversely, less serious volume crime offences such as thefts from motor vehicles are very frequent and are routinely assessed for forensic opportunities by the victim talking to the police over the telephone. It is not clear whether this difference in attendance policy leads to differences in the types and quantity of forensic material recovered. The current study explored whether there was a benefit to evidence recovery for attended as opposed to non-attended assessments. Five hundred thefts from motor vehicles offences recorded by Northamptonshire Police (UK) between 14 January 2010 and 28 February 2011 were analysed; 250 were attended forensic assessments and 250 were non-attended assessments. Significant differences were found between the two scenarios, with attended assessments more likely to yield DNA, property and trace substance material. Conversely, fingerprints were more likely to be recovered at non-attended assessments. Despite the fruitful findings of the current study, future research would benefit from establishing the methods used by the first attending officer and forensic investigator when assessing and gathering evidence. Similarly, it is unclear whether these differences in forensic material are reflected in the identification of an offender and subsequently in the solving of the crime.
Revascularization of Transplanted Pancreatic Islets and Role of the Transplantation Site

Since the initial reporting of the successful reversal of hyperglycemia through the transplantation of pancreatic islets, significant research efforts have been conducted in elucidating the process of revascularization and the influence of engraftment site on graft function and survival. During the isolation process the intrinsic islet vascular networks are destroyed, leading to impaired revascularization after transplant. As a result, in some cases a significant quantity of the beta cell mass transplanted dies acutely following the infusion into the portal vein, the most clinically used site of engraftment. Subsequently, despite the majority of patients achieving insulin independence after transplant, a proportion of them recommence small, supplemental exogenous insulin over time. Herein, this review considers the process of islet revascularization after transplant, its limiting factors, and potential strategies to improve this critical step. Furthermore, we provide a characterization of alternative transplant sites, analyzing the historical evolution and their role towards advancing transplant outcomes in both the experimental and clinical settings.
Algorithms for the Longest Common Subsequence Problem

We start by def ining conven t ions and t e rmino logy that will be used th roughou t this paper . String C = clc~ . cp is a subsequence of string A = aja2 "'" am if there is a mapp ing F : {1, 2 . , p} ~ {1, 2, . , m} such that F(i) = k only if c~ = ak and F is a m o n o t o n e strictly increasing funct ion (i .e. F(i) = u, F(]) = v, and i < j imply that u < v). C can be fo rmed by delet ing m p (not necessari ly ad jacen t ) symbols f rom A . F o r example , " c o u r s e " is a subsequence of " c o m p u t e r sc ience . " Str ing C is a c o m m o n s ubs equence of strings A and B if C is a s u b s e q u e n c e of A and also a subsequence of B. String C is a longest c o m m o n subsequence (abbrev ia ted LCS) of string A and B if C is a c o m m o n subsequence of A and B of maximal length , i . e. there is no c o m m o n subsequence of A and B that has grea te r length. Th roughou t this paper , we assume that A and B are strings of lengths m and n , m _< n , that have an LCS C of (unknown) length p . We assume that the symbols that may appea r in these strings c o m e f rom some a lphabet of size t . A symbol can be s tored in m e m o r y by using log t bits, which we assume will fit in one word of memory . Symbols can be c o m p a r e d (a -< b? ) in one t ime unit . The n u m b e r of di f ferent symbols that actual ly appear in string B is def ined to be s (which must be less than n and t). The longest c o m m o n s u b s e q u e n c e prob lem has been solved by using a recurs ion re la t ionship on the length of the solut ion [7, 12, 16, 21]. These are general ly appl icable a lgor i thms that take O ( m n ) t ime for any input strings o f lengths m and n even though the lower bound on t ime of O ( m n ) need not apply to all inputs [2]. We present a lgor i thms that , depend ing on the na ture of the Input, may not requ i re quadra t ic t ime to r ecove r an LCS. The first a lgor i thm is appl icable in the genera l case and requi res O ( p n + n log n) t ime. T h e second a lgor i thm requi res t ime b o u n d e d by O((m + 1 p )p log n). In the c o m m o n special case where p is close to m , this a lgor i thm takes t ime
New Method for the Extraction of DNA from White Blood Cells for the Detection of Common Genetic Variants Associated with Thrombophilia

In the last few years, FV Leiden, prothrombin 20210 and thermolabile methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677 variants have been identified as possible risk factors associated with thrombophilia, and many PCR-based methods have been described for detecting these variations. However, the genomic DNA extraction is still a rate-limiting and time-consuming step in the PCR process. In an attempt to accelerate this procedure and make it suitable for routine laboratory, we report a single preparative technique for DNA extraction from peripheral blood samples using an anion-binding resin (GeneFizz). This method enables white blood cell lysis, DNA extraction and PCR amplification directly in the thermocycling tube on the thermocycler. The use of this new DNA extraction system coupled to a multiplex PCR allows rapid genetic screening of large cohorts of patients for thrombophilic risk factors.
Bearing-only acoustic tracking of moving speakers for robot audition

This paper focuses on speaker tracking in robot audition for human-robot interaction. Using only acoustic signals, speaker tracking in enclosed spaces is subject to missing detections and spurious clutter measurements due to speech inactivity, reverberation and interference. Furthermore, many acoustic localization approaches estimate speaker direction, hence providing bearing-only measurements without range information. This paper presents a probability hypothesis density (PHD) tracker that augments the bearing-only speaker directions of arrival with a cloud of range hypotheses at speaker initiation and propagates the random variates through time. Furthermore, due to their formulation PHD filters explicitly model, and hence provide robustness against, clutter and missing detections. The approach is verified using experimental results.
Integrating Spiritual Modeling Into Education: A College Course for Stress Management and Spiritual Growth

Educators from grade school to college have long taught about religion in fields such as history and social studies. By affirming the importance of religion and spirituality (RS) in the lives of people worldwide, such RS teaching may support and reinforce student assimilation of virtues and character strengths from their families or other committed sources of RS. Growing evidence for health benefit from RS practices has recently encouraged some physicians to support patients in using RS methods of coping with illness. We describe an integrated college course about RS and well-being. Using a social cognitive and spiritual modeling approach, the course includes not only standard academic content but also a practical component, analogous to a laboratory section or to training in applied professional skills. We discuss how this approach could be adapted to various academic or applied settings. Course effectiveness is supported by empirical outcome studies reported elsewhere. Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? (Eliot, 1934/1991, p. 147) When students were asked to give examples of individuals who exemplified the various [character] strengths, they were more likely to name biblical figures or civil rights leaders from the 1960s rather than exemplars from contemporary society. … One male student observed: “We just don't see many people today who are wise or honest or whatever because those sorts of things aren't valued as much in our society. ” (Steen, Kachorek, & Peterson, 2003, p. 11)
Stability of mRNA/DNA and DNA/DNA Duplexes Affects mRNA Transcription

Nucleic acids, due to their structural and chemical properties, can form double-stranded secondary structures that assist the transfer of genetic information and can modulate gene expression. However, the nucleotide sequence alone is insufficient in explaining phenomena like intron-exon recognition during RNA processing. This raises the question whether nucleic acids are endowed with other attributes that can contribute to their biological functions. In this work, we present a calculation of thermodynamic stability of DNA/DNA and mRNA/DNA duplexes across the genomes of four species in the genus Saccharomyces by nearest-neighbor method. The results show that coding regions are more thermodynamically stable than introns, 3′-untranslated regions and intergenic sequences. Furthermore, open reading frames have more stable sense mRNA/DNA duplexes than the potential antisense duplexes, a property that can aid gene discovery. The lower stability of the DNA/DNA and mRNA/DNA duplexes of 3′-untranslated regions and the higher stability of genes correlates with increased mRNA level. These results suggest that the thermodynamic stability of DNA/DNA and mRNA/DNA duplexes affects mRNA transcription.
Defuzzification in Fuzzy Controllers

An important subject in fuzzy control theory is tuning of a fuzzy controller. If one wants to tune a fuzzy controller, one can focus on the choice of rules, membership functions, number of input and output fuzzy sets and their degree of overlapping, implication, and connection operations, and defuzzification method. All these choices are closely related and in no way independent of each other. We describe six important defuzzification methods and their respective merits and shortcomings, dependent on the rules, domains, etc. Further, we give an alternative approach for the case in which the output fuzzy sets have different shapes or are asymmetrical. We illustrate this by several examples.
The cognitive complexity of groups. A critical look at team cognition research

Team cognition has received considerable attention during the last decades and several theoretical developments and concepts (e.g. shared cognition, team mental models, distributed cognition, transactive memory) have emerged in an attempt to understand how groups process information. Even though at the theoretical level these approaches acknowledge the group as an information-processing unit (e.g. Hinsz, Tindale & Vollrath, 1997) and the crucial role of group interaction in information processing, few empirical studies have been consistent with this conceptualization of groups. The present study introduces the concept of group cognitive complexity in the context of team cognition and its possible implications and applications are discussed in light of the conceptualization of groups as complex socio-cognitive systems. KEY-WORDS: group cognitive complexity, cognitive maps, team cognition
Self-Regulated Learning Strategies of Engineering College Students While Learning Electric Circuit Concepts with Enhanced Guided Notes

The current study evaluated engineering college students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies while learning electric circuit concepts using enhanced guided notes (EGN). Our goal was to describe how students exercise SRL strategies and how their grade performance changes after using EGN. Two research questions guided the study: (1) To what degree students’ grade performance change after using the EGN? ; and (2) To what degree students’ SRL profiles change after using the EGN? The subjects for this study were 97 engineering students enrolled in the Fundamental Electronics for Engineers course at a university in Utah. A survey instrument developed using Butler and Cartier’s SRL model was used to capture SRL strategies with a focus on the sixth feature which includes including planning, monitoring, and regulating. Regular examinations and the DC/AC conceptual inventory were used to assess grade performance. Descriptive statistics, independent and paired t-tests, and a cluster analysis technique were used to analyze survey data. A phenomenological data analysis was used to analyze interview transcripts to support findings from questionnaire data. The findings revealed an improvement on students’ grade performance. Data analysis of the SRL survey revealed that students’ had different SRL profiles. Students in the improved group reported a greater awareness of planning, monitoring, and regulating strategies. On the other hand, those in the declined group showed a lower awareness of the SRL strategies at the end of semester. In addition, emergent themes related to students’ SRL and learning experience while using the EGN were found. This article will also discuss the potential implications for electric circuit concepts instructions.
Imposing Radiality Constraints in Distribution System Optimization Problems

Distribution systems commonly operate with a radial topology, so all models of optimization problems in these distribution systems should consider radiality in their formulation. This work presents a literature review, a critical analysis, and a proposal for incorporating the radiality constraints in mathematical models of optimization problems for radial distribution systems. The objective is to show that the radiality constraints on such optimization problems can be considered in a simple and efficient way. The reconfiguration and expansion planning problems of distribution systems are used to test and verify the proposed radiality constraints. A generalization of radiality constraints is also examined.
Vitellogenin of Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera, blattellidae): nucleotide sequence of the cDNA and analysis of the protein primary structure.

The cloning and sequencing of a cDNA of the vitellogenin gene from the cockroach Blattella germanica is reported. It is 5,749 nucleotides long and encodes an amino acid sequence of 1,862 residues (including a putative signal peptide of 17 residues). The vitellogenin sequence includes a long serine-rich stretch between amino acids 322 and 349, and two other stretches between amino acids 1691 and 1740. The vitellogenin of B. germanica shows a notable similarity (between 32 and 42%) to those described in other insects, and its alignment shows a high number of motifs conserved in all species, especially in the subdomains I-V. Non-parsimony methods (Neighbor Joining) of phylogenetic analysis of the insect vitellogenin sequences gave a tree showing a topology that is, in general, congruent with the currently accepted insect phylogenetic schemes. Arch.
Reclaiming privacy for smartphone applications

The scope of mobile phones has skyrocketed in recent years to such an extent that smartphone sales are expected to surpass those of PCs by the end of 2011. Equipped with relatively powerful processors and fairly large memory and storage capabilities, smartphones can accommodate increasingly complex interactive applications. As a result, the growing amount of sensitive information shared by smartphone users raises serious privacy concerns and motivates the need for appropriate privacy-preserving mechanisms. In this paper, we present a novel architecture geared for privacy-sensitive applications where personal information is shared among users and decisions are made based on given optimization criteria. Specifically, we focus on two application scenarios: (i) privacy-preserving interest sharing, i.e., discovering shared interests without leaking users' private information, and (ii) private scheduling, i.e., determining common availabilities and location preferences that minimize associate costs, without exposing any sensitive information. We propose efficient yet provably-private solutions, and conduct an extensive experimental analysis that attests to the practicality of the attained privacy features.
A Roadside Unit-Based Localization Scheme to Improve Positioning for Vehicular Networks

Many Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) applications require that each vehicle knows precisely its current position in real time. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is technology most widely used to determine the positioning of vehicles in VANETs. However, the GPS has several drawbacks, one of them is the lack of accuracy of the measurement of impact is the most unacceptable disadvantage. In this work, we propose a roadside unit- based localization scheme to improve the accuracy level of the vehicles' position for VANETs. In this way, each one of roadside units fix the relative position error and informs all vehicles that are within of the coverage area. The proposed solution requires few roadside units, which represents a low-cost of deployment, and it was able to reduce GPS error in this critical area from 7.21 m to 0.74 m.
High Resolution Direction of Arrival Estimation (Coherent Signal Source DOA Estimation)

High-resolution signal parameter estimation is a significant problem in many signal processing applications. Such applications include direction of arrival (DOA) estimation for narrow band signals and wideband signal emitted by multiple sources and received by sensor arrays. It is well known that MUSIC algorithm outperforms any other method existing in the literature. In this article a modified MUSIC algorithm is proposed using the conjugate data. Strong consistency of the modified method is established. It is observed that the modified MUSIC works significantly better than the ordinary MUSIC at different SNR in terms of the mean squared error and for coherently sources. However, an important disadvantage of the ULA geometry in DOA estimation is that it can only estimate the azimuth angle. To estimate the elevation angle, Uniform circular arrays UCA geometries and planner array are employed in many applications. As the concentric circular arrays (CCA) that are discussed in this paper have better angle resolutions compared to ULAs ,
Classroom-Level Effects on the Reading and Behavior of At-Risk Kindergarteners

Prior research has documented that classroom-level variables have a significant effect on student outcomes; however, previous findings have typically focused on average student outcomes and have only recently begun to use hierarchical linear modeling techniques. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of classroom-level variables on the reading and behavioral outcomes of at-risk kindergarten students. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to control for student factors and to examine the effects of (a) teacher variables, (b) context variables, and (c) instructional variables on several student outcomes. Results indicated that student-level factors were the strongest and most consistent predictors of student outcomes. After controlling for student factors, classroom- and school-level variables were relatively poor predictors. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
WORD CLASS DISTINCTIONS IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Although the problem of word class has been explored in numerous first language studies, relatively little is known about this process in SLA. The present study measures second language (L2) learners’ knowledge of word class distinctions (e.g., noun vs. adjective) in a variety of syntactic contexts. English-speaking learners of Spanish from third-semester and third-year courses (N = 240) completed a receptive task that presented contrasting forms belonging to the same word family (e.g., feliz “happy” and felicidad “happiness”). The results indicate that learners from both groups are often unable to distinguish among word classes. In particular, learners have significant difficulty in discriminating between adjectives and nouns. Although ambiguous surface morphology contributes to word class confusions, the results suggest that L2 learners do not always recognize derivational suffixes that clearly mark word class. These difficulties are interpreted as stemming from weak syntactic morphological knowledge as well as incomplete knowledge of L2 distributional regularities.
Puerto Ricans and the Underclass Debate

This article uses data from the Current Population Surveys of 1975, 1980, and 1985 and the 1980 census of population to investigate why the economic status of Puerto Ricans has declined more than that of Mexicans and Cubans. The working hypothesis—that structural factors, namely, rapidly falling employment opportunities in jobs where Puerto Ricans traditionally have worked and the concentration of Puerto Ricans in areas experiencing severe economic dislocation, are largely responsible for their disproportionate impoverishment—finds considerable support. Results based on the Current Population Surveys show that Puerto Ricans are distinct from Mexicans and Cubans in that their labor market instability and complete withdrawal began earlier—in the mid-compared to the late 1970s—and was more extreme. Furthermore, the analysis of census data shows that the constraints on Puerto Ricans resulting from ethnic labor market divisions and high unemployment rates are stronger than those on Mexicans or Cubans, lending support to structural interpretations of the Puerto Ricans' economic distress.