Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fully Bayesian hierarchical modelling in two stages, with application to meta-analysis

Summary. Meta‐analysis is often undertaken in two stages, with each study analysed separately in stage 1 and estimates combined across studies in stage 2. The study‐specific estimates are assumed to arise from normal distributions with known variances equal to their corresponding estimates. In contrast, a one‐stage analysis estimates all parameters simultaneously. A Bayesian one‐stage approach offers additional advantages, such as the acknowledgement of uncertainty in all parameters and greater flexibility. However, there are situations when a two‐stage strategy is compelling, e.g. when study‐specific analyses are complex and/or time consuming. We present a novel method for fitting the full Bayesian model in two stages, hence benefiting from its advantages while retaining the convenience and flexibility of a two‐stage approach. Using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, posteriors for the parameters of interest are derived separately for each study. These are then used as proposal distributions in a computationally efficient second stage. We illustrate these ideas on a small binomial data set; we also analyse motivating data on the growth and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms. The two‐stage Bayesian approach closely reproduces a one‐stage analysis when it can be undertaken, but can also be easily carried out when a one‐stage approach is difficult or impossible.
Dietary Behaviour and Socioeconomic Position: The Role of Physical Activity Patterns

Background The positive association between education level and health outcomes can be partly explained by dietary behaviour. We investigated the associations between education and several indices of food intake and potential influencing factors, placing special emphasis on physical-activity patterns, using a representative sample of the German adult population. Methods The German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998 (GNHIES98) involved 7,124 participants aged between 18 and 79. Complete information on the exposure (education) and outcome (nutrition) variables was available for 6,767 persons. The associations between ‘education’ and indices of ‘sugar-rich food’, ‘fat-rich food’, ‘fruit-and-vegetable’ and ‘alcohol’ intake were analysed separately for men and women using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Odds ratios (OR) of education level on nutrition outcomes were calculated and adjusted for age, region (former East/West Germany), occupation, income and other influencing factors such as physical activity indicators. Results Men and women with only a primary education had a more frequent intake of sugar-rich and fat-rich foods and a less frequent intake of fruit and vegetables and alcohol than people with a tertiary education. ‘Physical work activity’ partly explained the associations between education and sugar-rich food intake. The interference with physical work activity was stronger among men than women. No significant associations between education and energy-dense food intake were observed in the retirement-age group of persons aged 65+ and among persons with low energy expenditure. Conclusions In Germany, adults with a low level of education report that they consume energy-dense foods more frequently – and fruit and vegetables and alcohol less frequently – than adults with a high education level. High levels of physical work activity among adults with a low education level may partly explain why they consume more energy-dense foods.
Genetic and Phenotypic Analyses of therdx Locus of Rhodobacter sphaeroides2.4.1

ABSTRACT Previously, we reported that rdxB, encoding a likely membrane-bound two [4Fe-4S]-containing center, is involved in the aerobic regulation of photosystem gene expression in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4. 1. To further investigate the role ofrdxB as well as other genes of the rdxBHISoperon on photosystem gene expression, we constructed a series of nonpolar, in-frame deletion mutations in each of the rdxgenes. Using both puc and puf operonlacZ fusions to monitor photosystem gene expression, under aerobic conditions, in each of the mutant strains revealed significant increased photosynthesis gene expression. In the case of mutations in either rdxH, rdxI, or rdxS, the aerobic induction of photosystem gene expression is believed to be indirect by virtue of a posttranscriptional effect oncbb3 cytochrome oxidase structure and integrity. For RdxB, we suggest that this redox protein has a more direct effect on photosystem gene expression by virtue of its interaction with the cbb3 oxidase. An associated phenotype, involving the enhanced conversion of the carotenoid spheroidene to spheroidenone, is also observed in the RdxB, -H, -I, and -S mutant strains. This phenotype is also suggested to be the result of the role of the rdxBHIS locus incbb3 oxidase activity and/or structure. RdxI is suggested to be a new class of metal transporter of the CPx-type ATPases.
Development and Validation of Discriminating and Biorelevant Dissolution Test for Lornoxicam Tablets

The establishment of biorelevant and discriminating dissolution procedure for drug products with limited water solubility is a useful technique for qualitative forecasting of the in vivo behavior of formulations. It also characterizes the drug product performance in pharmaceutical development. Lornoxicam, a BCS class-II drug is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug of the oxicam class, has no official dissolution media available in the literature. The objective of present work was to develop and validate a discriminating and biorelevant dissolution test for lornoxicam tablet dosage forms. To quantify the lornoxicam in dissolution samples, UV spectrophotometric method was developed using 0.01M sodium hydroxide solution as solvent at λma×376 nm. After evaluation of saturation solubility, dissolution, sink conditions and stability of lornoxicam bulk drug in different pH solutions and biorelevant media, the dissolution method was optimized using USP paddle type apparatus at 50 rpm rotation speed and 500 ml simulated intestinal fluid as discriminating and biorelevant dissolution medium. The similarity factor (f2) were investigated for formulations with changes in composition and manufacturing variations, values revealed that dissolution method having discriminating power and method was validated as per standard guidelines. The proposed dissolution method can be effectively applied for routine quality control in vitro dissolution studies of lornoxicam in tablets and helpful to pharmacopoeias.
Who Goes Who Stays: An Assessment of the Effect of a Freshman Mentoring and Unit Registration Program on College Persistence

We present an evaluation of a freshman block registration and mentoring program at a major state university. In an effort to improve retention, the University initiated a freshman block registration and mentoring program in the fall of 1994. The program was developed to strengthen social support, which we hypothesize leads to higher rates of persistence. We present the effects of the program on retention and academic performance for successive cohorts from 1994 through 1998. Academic performance and retention rates are used as outcome measures and are related to student and university characteristics. We describe the nature of the program and the impact that it has on persistence (survival times), grades, and graduation. Our analysis uses event history models (follow back life tables and Discrete-Time Logit Models).
Critically Oriented and Postmodern Perspectives: Sorting Out the Differences and Applications for Practice

The purpose of this article is three-fold: (a) to locate and describe several aspects of what the author terms critically oriented theories, which in addition to critical theory and feminist theory include critical race theory and queer theory; (b) to describe more fully poststructural perspectives including critical pragmatism and feminist poststructuralism; and (c) to identify key questions from each perspective that can help persons in the field of educational administration think about and respond to research and specific leadership situations in ways that push beyond traditional approaches. This article challenges the assumption that some critically oriented perspectives and postmodern perspectives have little utility for administrator practice. The author offers teaching suggestions to stimulate further conversation about making critical and postmodern ideas more accessible to educational leaders. In so doing, these ideas can lend support to leaders who wish to cocreate inclusive school communities.
PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININ IN AXES OF

Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), the major seed lectin of the common bean (Phascolus ulgaris), is found largely in the cotyledons, but is also present in the embryonic axis. At mid-maturation, the percentage of total protein synthesis which is directed towards making PHA is 5 to 10 times greater in the cotyledons than in the axes. This lower rate of synthesis in the axes is correlated with a lower abundance of mRNA for PHA, as determined by dot blot hybridization using a cDNA clone for PHA. Manen and Pusztai (Planta 1982 155: 328-334) have claimed on the basis of immunocytochemical evidence that, in the axis, PHA is found in the cytosol although it is present in protein bodies in the cotyledons. In the cotyledons, PHA is synthesized on rough endoplasmic reticulum, and its transport to the protein bodies via the Golgi complex is associated with specific posttranslational processing steps (Vitale and Chrispeels, J Cell Biol 1984 In press). A cytosolic localization of axis PHA would be an indication of a different site of synthesis and transport pathway. The results presented here indicate that the site of synthesis of PHA and the posttranslational modifications of PHA are the same in the axes as in the cotyledons. Since in the cotyledons these modifications take place in the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi, and the protein bodies, it appears that the transport pathway and the site of accumulation of PHA in the axes is similar to that in the cotyledons. On the basis of our evidence, we suggest that the subcellular localization of PHA in the axes should be
Bridging the black hole of trauma: the evolutionary significance of the arts

One word for the Devil is ‘Diabolos’, the divider, the splitter-into-fragments. Healing like-wise has always been associated with integration, integrity and becoming whole. From ncient times to the present, artistic performance in all its variety has been connected to healing of self and community and yet a recurrent question arises, ‘What are the arts for? ’. A less than concrete answer to this question appears to justify reducing or eliminating funding to arts-related programs whenever ﬁ nancial crisis occurs. This paper explores the evolutionary signiﬁ cance of trauma, dissociation, and the human brain and raises the pos-sibility that the evolutionary selection of artistic performance is as a primary integrating mechanism for traumatized individuals and groups, without which human beings may not be able to fully heal. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determining language variant in microblog messages

It is difficult to determine the country of origin of the author of a short message based only on the text. This is an even more complex problem when more than one country uses the same native language. In this paper, we address the specific problem of detecting the two main variants of the Portuguese language --- European and Brazilian --- in Twitter micro-blogging data, by proposing and evaluating a set of high-precision features. We follow an automatic classification approach using a Naïve Bayes classifier, achieving 95% accuracy. We find that our system is adequate for real-time tweet classification.
New Techniques for low power caches

Power consumption is one of the major concerns in modern embedded computing systems. On-chip caches represent a sizeable fractions of the total power consumption of microprocessors. Its reduction is becoming fundamental to develop both low-power and high-performance systems. Although large caches can improve performance, they equally increase the power consumption. The operation frequency and the transistor size are other important factors of the power consumption. Basically, cache power consumption is mainly due to two factors: dynamic switching power (charging and discharging capacitors) and static power (short-circuit currents). Static power is increasing in importance in newer CMOS technologies (like e.g. 0.65 µm technology) and it is surpassing dynamic power. Recently, many studies describe new techniques for the reduction of both static and dynamic power consumption. A new proposal for the reuse of the charge potentially lost during the discharging of unused cells is presented. Two ideas are illustrated. The first uses the residual charge from cell put into drowsy-mode to charge the neighbors cell. The second and less complex idea is based on the use of the residual charge to drive the nearest cell drowsy bit, through a adequate network and circuitry.
Conflict and Resolution: Contest, Cost, and Change

Regional conflicts can be thought of in three different ways, each suggesting a different approach to their resolution. One is as a clash of conflicting unilateral solutions, which then require a formula for a joint or multilateral outcome satisfactory to both parties. A second is as a succession of opposing policies based on cost-benefit calculations, which then require a ripe moment—comprising specific components of mutually hurting stalemate, impending catastrophe, and a formula for a way out—for resolution. A third is an an event in a process of change, requiring the negotiation of a new regime to replace an old one that previously embodied certain expectations and behaviors. These different notions are illustrated with many examples of regional conflicts and their attempted—and sometimes successful—resolution.
The use of cohesive markers in narratives by children with Williams syndrome

ABSTRACT This study examined how children and adolescents with Williams syndrome (WS; ages 8 years, 0 months [8;0]–14;5) used referential devices (determiners and pronouns), tense, and connectives to create cohesion in oral narratives based on a storybook compared to typically developing mentally and chronologically age-matched children. WS children used cohesive devices in narratives similarly to mentally matched children, but their performance differed from the chronologically matched children only for referential cohesion. WS children's grammatical error rates were similar to both the mentally and chronologically matched children. Implications for the characterization of the language profile of individuals with WS and considerations for the focus of future narrative research are discussed.
Task-Based Algorithm for Matrix Multiplication: A Step Towards Block-Sparse Tensor Computing

Distributed-memory matrix multiplication (MM) is a key element of algorithms in many domains (machine learning, quantum physics). Conventional algorithms for dense MM rely on regular/uniform data decomposition to ensure load balance. These traits conflict with the irregular structure (block-sparse or rank-sparse within blocks) that is increasingly relevant for fast methods in quantum physics. To deal with such irregular data we present a new MM algorithm based on Scalable Universal Matrix Multiplication Algorithm (SUMMA). The novel features are: (1) multiple-issue scheduling of SUMMA iterations, and (2) fine-grained task-based formulation. The latter eliminates the need for explicit internodal synchronization; with multiple-iteration scheduling this allows load imbalance due to nonuniform matrix structure. For square MM with uniform and nonuniform block sizes (the latter simulates matrices with general irregular structure) we found excellent performance in weak and strong-scaling regimes, on commodity and high-end hardware.
Subspace-based direction finding using transmit energy focusing in MIMO radar with colocated antennas

In this paper, we consider the problem of direction finding in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar based on focusing the transmitted pulse energy within certain spatial sector(s). We propose a method for designing the transmit weight matrix based on maximizing the energy transmitted within the desired spatial sector and minimizing the energy disseminated in the out-of-sector area. The proposed transmit energy focusing results in the signal-to-noise ratio increase at the receive array which in turn leads to lower Cramer-Rao bound and improved direction of arrival estimation performance. Simulation results show the substantial improvements offered by the proposed transmit energy focusing based MIMO radar as compared to the traditional MIMO radar and the MIMO radar with receive beamspace post-processing.
LED-matrix Z-agon: the tangible multi-display cube and algorithm

As a computer environment has been evolving toward the ubiquitous era, new interaction methods are required to deal with enormous visual contents in many situations. This project attempts to embed visual contents into the geometric multi-display of cube, which is also a subject of tangible human interaction. Z-agon is a portable device to watch multi-media contents on the cubed multidisplays. Its interface is operated by user’s turning action on the cube. Using an algorithm, the system determines what to show on which side of cube, what to hide on its back, and how to change these contents according to the user’s turning action. It will also bring unique contents connecting side to side and up and down of the cubic surface.
Opportunistic Spectrum Access with Spatial Reuse: Graphical Game and Uncoupled Learning Solutions

This article investigates the problem of distributed channel selection for opportunistic spectrum access systems, where multiple cognitive radio (CR) users are spatially located and mutual interference only emerges between neighboring users. In addition, there is no information exchange among CR users. We first propose a MAC-layer interference minimization game, in which the utility of a player is defined as a function of the number of neighbors competing for the same channel. We prove that the game is a potential game with the optimal Nash equilibrium (NE) point minimizing the aggregate MAC-layer interference. Although this result is promising, it is challenging to achieve a NE point without information exchange, not to mention the optimal one. The reason is that traditional algorithms belong to coupled algorithms which need information of other users during the convergence towards NE solutions. We propose two uncoupled learning algorithms, with which the CR users intelligently learn the desirable actions from their individual action-utility history. Specifically, the first algorithm asymptotically minimizes the aggregate MAC-layer interference and needs a common control channel to assist learning scheduling, and the second one does not need a control channel and averagely achieves suboptimal solutions.
Culture and Self in Multicultural Education: Reflections on Discourse, Text, and Practice

Drawing principally from anthropological critiques of contemporary American multiculturalism, this interpretive analysis of multicultural education in the United States suggests that discourse, text, and practice in the multicultural domain are imbued with unexamined assumptions concerning such basic concepts as culture, self, and individual identity. The article provides a critical analysis of these ideas and their presentation in multicultural discourses and illustrates how they are shaped by dominant core American cultural frames of reference. It argues that a more reflexive multicultural discourse is needed, both to advance research on the implementation of multicultural education, as well as to promote more genuine forms of multicultural teaching and learning. Furthermore, a reflexive or self-aware multiculturalism would allow us to focus on developing models for learning culture that can promote real transformation in the way we conceptualize and practice education in plural societies.
Related Entity Finding Based on Co-Occurrence

We report on experiments for the Related Entity Finding task in which we focus on only using Wikipedia as a target corpus in which to identify (related) entities. Our approach is based on co-occurrences between the source entity and potential target entities. We observe improvements in performance when a context-independent co-occurrence model is combined with context-dependent co-occurrence models in which we stress the importance of the expected relation between source and target entity. Applying type filtering yields further improvements results.
The Volumetric Diversity of Misfolded Prion Protein Oligomers Revealed by Pressure Dissociation*

Background: Diversity in prion protein oligomerization pathways leads to conformationally distinct assemblies. Results: Upon pressure perturbation, prion protein oligomers dissociate into monomers, providing new structural and energetic insights into the misfolding process. Conclusion: Distinct β-sheet-rich oligomers of the prion protein display different void volumes. Significance: Conformation-enciphered prion strains could be explained in terms of defects in protein packing. Protein oligomerization has been associated with a wide range of diseases. High pressure approaches offer a powerful tool for deciphering the underlying molecular mechanisms by revealing volume changes associated with the misfolding and assembly reactions. We applied high pressure to induce conformational changes in three distinct β-sheet-rich oligomers of the prion protein PrP, a protein characterized by a variety of infectious quaternary structures that can propagate stably and faithfully and cause diseases with specific phenotypic traits. We show that pressure induces dissociation of the oligomers and leads to a lower volume monomeric PrP state that refolds into the native conformation after pressure release. By measuring the different pressure and temperature sensitivity of the tested PrP oligomers, we demonstrate significantly different void volumes in their quaternary structure. In addition, by focusing on the kinetic and energetic behavior of the pressure-induced dissociation of one specific PrP oligomer, we reveal a large negative activation volume and an increase in both apparent activation enthalpy and entropy. This suggests a transition state ensemble that is less structured and significantly more hydrated than the oligomeric state. Finally, we found that site-specific fluorescent labeling allows monitoring of the transient population of a kinetic intermediate in the dissociation reaction. Our results indicate that defects in atomic packing may deserve consideration as a new factor that influences differences between PrP assemblies and that could be relevant also for explaining the origin of prion strains.