Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prejudice against International Students: The Role of Threat Perceptions and Authoritarian Dispositions in U.S. Students

ABSTRACT International students provide a variety of benefits to higher education institutions within the United States (J. J. Lee, 2007; J. J. Lee & C. Rice, 2007). Despite these benefits, many international students experience prejudice and discrimination by American students. The purpose of the present study was to examine several potential predictors of prejudice against international students: perceptions of international students as symbolic and realistic threats, right-wing authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation. A simultaneous regression analysis that the authors based on 188 students at a Southwestern university revealed that perceptions of symbolic and realistic threats and social dominance orientation were each positive and significant predictors of prejudice. Mediation analyses suggested that the effects of right-wing authoritarianism on prejudice is fully mediated through perceived symbolic threat and partially mediated by realistic threat.
Online/offline unbounded multi-authority attribute-based encryption for data sharing in mobile cloud computing

In order to realize attribute-based data sharing in cloud computing, multi-authority attribute-based encryption MA-ABE is extremely attractive. However, most of the existing MA-ABE schemes cannot support a fully large attribute universe and are not suitable for resource-constrained mobile data owners in that the computation cost in secret key generation and encryption is extremely heavy. To tackle the earlier challenges, we propose an online/offline MA-ABE scheme, which realizes both the online/offline secret key generation and the online/offline encryption while supporting a fully large attribute universe. In the offline phase, one global-identity authority and multiple attribute authorities do the majority of the work to issue attribute secret keys before knowing users' global identity and attributes. The data owner can perform most of the encryption computation tasks before knowing the actual message and access structure. Furthermore, the online phase can rapidly assemble the final decryption key and ciphertexts when related specifications become known. Particularly, global-identity authority and attribute authorities need not to cooperate in the whole process. Our online/offline MA-ABE scheme allows the access policies encoded in linear secret sharing schemes. The formal selective security proof and extensive performance analysis indicate that our scheme is very suitable for data sharing in mobile cloud computing. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Demographic and economic predictors of mental health problems and contact with treatment resources among adults in a low-income primary care setting

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of mental health-related problems in a low-income primary care setting, as well as the demographic and economic variables associated with these problems and contact with treatment resources. A total of 346 patient records were randomly selected among patients at an urban Iowa primary care clinic serving lower-income and uninsured individuals. Logistic models examined relationships among demographic factors, poverty level, and insurance status and three outcomes: Lifetime mental health problems, receipt of pharmacological intervention, and contact with psychosocial services. Female gender was associated with reporting mental health problems, and age and ethnicity interacted to predict reported mental health problems. Among those reporting mental health problems, female gender was predictive of contact with psychosocial services, while female gender with Caucasian ethnicity was predictive of receiving pharmacological intervention. Results support the need for primary care providers working with lower-income individuals to be active in discussing mental health issues with patients.
Cross country comparison on the factors determining OSS diffusion

The aim of this paper is to investigate and evaluate the critical factors that underlie the Open Source Software (OSS) diffusion among countries. Grounded on a theoretical framework of diffusion of innovations theory and the theories of institutionalism, endogenous and exogenous growth, the study proposes a parameterized diffusion model that evaluates the weight of impact on two stages of the OSS diffusion: the initialization stage and the diffusion's growth rate. Research findings stress on the importance of innovation, the quality of human capital, the technological infrastructure, the protection of intellectual property and knowledge spillovers among countries, at all stages of the diffusion process.
An adaptive sharpening filter using quantization step size and pixel variance in H.264/AVC

In this paper, we present an adaptive sharpening filter for a pre-processing to improve the subjective quality and the performance of H.264/AVC compression. We use quantization step size and pixel variance to select sharpening filter strength. The simulation results show that the proposed pre-processing filtering process improves the subjective quality and reduces bit rate about 0.85%(CIF) and 1.46%(1080p).
Haploinsufficiency of STK11 and neighboring genes cause a contiguous gene syndrome including Peutz–Jeghers phenotype

We report on clinical and molecular findings of a 15‐year‐old female referred to our genetics clinic for a diagnostic evaluation due to mild developmental delay, submucosal cleft palate, and seizure disorder. Chromosomal microarray technology revealed a cancer predisposition due to a terminal deletion on chromosome 19p that includes the tumor suppressor gene STK11. In addition to abnormal lip pigmentation on exam, further diagnostic workup with upper and lower gastrointestinal screening confirmed polyps consistent with Peutz–Jeghers syndrome. The purpose of this study is to present a full clinical description of a patient with a rare 19p13.3 chromosomal deletion and review the current literature of this newly emerging contiguous gene deletion syndrome. It also supports the screening for complications of Peutz–Jeghers syndrome in all patients with this deletion. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
STUDIES ON HUMAN C'1-ESTERASE. I. PURIFICATION AND ENZYMATIC PROPERTIES.

Summary C′1-esterase was isolated by column chromatography on DEAE and TEAE cellulose of a euglobulin fraction of human serum. The final product, purified 2400-fold with respect to serum, contained 3800 enzyme units/mg of nitrogen, as measured by zero-order hydrolysis of N-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester (ATE). The purified preparation migrated as an α 2 -globulin on paper electrophoresis but was heterogeneous in the analytical ultracentrifuge. The susceptibility to hydrolysis of synthetic substrates, listed in decreasing order of activity, was: N-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester, N-acetyl-L-tyrosine methyl ester, benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester, p -toluenesulfonyl-L-arginine methyl ester, and N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine ethyl ester. Nonsusceptible substrates included L-lysine methyl ester. Maximal hydrolysis of ATE occurred at a final concentration of substrate of 5 × 10 -2 M (K m = 1.9 × 10 -2 M), pH 6.7 to 8.0, ionic strength below 0.20, and 38.8°C (apparent energy of activation = 10,400 calories/mole). No dependency of esterolytic activity on divalent cations was demonstrable. These properties are similar to those of previous preparations of human and guinea pig C′1-esterase obtained either from less purified fractions of serum or from elution of antigen-antibody-complement complexes. Possible explanations for the observed physicochemical heterogeneity are discussed. The function of this highly purified preparation of human C′1-esterase in the complement system is presented in the following article.
Genes involved in neuroplasticity and stressful life events act on the short‐term response to antidepressant treatment: a complex interplay between genetics and environment

During the last few years, an increasing number of studies have focused on the association between neuroplasticity and affective disorders. The aim of the study is to evaluate the interactive effect of stressful life events (SLEs) and genes involved in neuroplasticity (BDNF and ST8SIA) on the short‐term response to antidepressant treatment.
Dynamic Mode Decomposition: Data-Driven Modeling of Complex Systems

Data-driven dynamical systems is a burgeoning field-it connects how measurements of nonlinear dynamical systems and/or complex systems can be used with well-established methods in dynamical systems theory. This is a critically important new direction because the governing equations of many problems under consideration by practitioners in various scientific fields are not typically known. Thus, using data alone to help derive, in an optimal sense, the best dynamical system representation of a given application allows for important new insights. The recently developed dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) is an innovative tool for integrating data with dynamical systems theory. The DMD has deep connections with traditional dynamical systems theory and many recent innovations in compressed sensing and machine learning. Dynamic Mode Decomposition: Data-Driven Modeling of Complex Systems, the first book to address the DMD algorithm, presents a pedagogical and comprehensive approach to all aspects of DMD currently developed or under development; blends theoretical development, example codes, and applications to showcase the theory and its many innovations and uses; highlights the numerous innovations around the DMD algorithm and demonstrates its efficacy using example problems from engineering and the physical and biological sciences; and provides extensive MATLAB code, data for intuitive examples of key methods, and graphical presentations. Audience: The core audience for this book is engineers and applied mathematicians working in the physical and biological sciences. It can be used in courses that integrate data analysis with dynamical systems.
Responsive cortical stimulation for the treatment of medically intractable partial epilepsy

Objectives: This multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial assessed the safety and effectiveness of responsive cortical stimulation as an adjunctive therapy for partial onset seizures in adults with medically refractory epilepsy. Methods: A total of 191 adults with medically intractable partial epilepsy were implanted with a responsive neurostimulator connected to depth or subdural leads placed at 1 or 2 predetermined seizure foci. The neurostimulator was programmed to detect abnormal electrocorticographic activity. One month after implantation, subjects were randomized 1:1 to receive stimulation in response to detections (treatment) or to receive no stimulation (sham). Efficacy and safety were assessed over a 12-week blinded period and a subsequent 84-week open-label period during which all subjects received responsive stimulation. Results: Seizures were significantly reduced in the treatment (−37.9%, n = 97) compared to the sham group (−17.3%, n = 94; p = 0.012) during the blinded period and there was no difference between the treatment and sham groups in adverse events. During the open-label period, the seizure reduction was sustained in the treatment group and seizures were significantly reduced in the sham group when stimulation began. There were significant improvements in overall quality of life (p < 0.02) and no deterioration in mood or neuropsychological function. Conclusions: Responsive cortical stimulation reduces the frequency of disabling partial seizures, is associated with improvements in quality of life, and is well-tolerated with no mood or cognitive effects. Responsive stimulation may provide another adjunctive treatment option for adults with medically intractable partial seizures. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class I evidence that responsive cortical stimulation is effective in significantly reducing seizure frequency for 12 weeks in adults who have failed 2 or more antiepileptic medication trials, 3 or more seizures per month, and 1 or 2 seizure foci.
Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma in a South Indian Regional Cancer Center: Its Immunomorphology, Tumor-Associated Macrophages, and Association with Epstein–Barr Virus

Pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) comprises approximately a fifth of all patients with HL in India. Seventy-four cases of pediatric classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL) from a regional cancer center in southern India were analyzed on a tissue microarray (TMA) for the stage of B-cell differentiation of the Hodgkin/Reed Sternberg (HRS) cell by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using CD10, bcl6, MUM1/IRF4, and CD 138. Fifty-two of seventy-four (70.3%) cases were of late germinal center/early post-germinal center phenotype (CD10−/bcl6−/MUM1+/CD138−). Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) association using Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA (EBER) RISH and EBV-LMP1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) revealed an EBV association of 93%. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) in the microenvironment were also assessed on the TMA by CD68 IHC, and most cases (59.7%) showed >25% TAMs, with no case showing ≤5%. These findings indicate that pediatric cHL in India is a tumor, predominantly, of late germinal center/early post-germinal center B cells, is almost invariably EBV associated, and with a high number of TAMs in the microenvironment. This latter finding suggests that criteria other than TAM scores need to be developed for risk stratification of pediatric EBV-associated HL especially in developing countries.
Averting a North American biodiversity crisis

A newly described pathogen poses a major threat to salamanders via trade In the midst of an ongoing sixth mass extinction (1), more than 40% of all amphibians are threatened (2). Chytridiomycosis, an emerging infectious disease (EID) caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been more devastating than any infectious wildlife disease recorded, with >200 amphibian species collapsing to or near extinction (3). Recently, a new infectious chytrid fungal pathogen from Asia and specific to salamanders (4), Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), has been described (5). With no effective means to control spread of Bsal once it is established in wild host populations, Bsal invasion of North America could lead to rapid epizootic (wildlife epidemic) declines and extinctions in the world's richest and most diverse salamander fauna. We demonstrate the likelihood of Bsal introduction to North America via international trade, the likelihood of species being exposed to Bsal, and the potential impact of species exposure to Bsal. This presents a unique opportunity for wildlife management officials and the international amphibian trade community to prevent the spread of this deadly pathogen and to develop and implement rapid risk assessments and international responses to EIDs in wildlife.
Inverse Filtering and Principal Component Analysis Techniques for Speech Dereverberation

In this work, we present a single channel approach for early and late reverberation suppression. This approach can be decomposed into two stages. The first stage employs the inverse filter to augment the signal-to-reverberant energy ratio. The second stage uses the kernel PCA algorithm to enhance the obtained dereverberant signal. It consists in extracting the main non-linear features from the speech signal after inverse filtering. Our approach appears to be efficient mainly in far field conditions and in highly reverberant environments.
Growth and Morphology of Crystals

This issue of “FORMA” presents an English translation of Haeckel’s book “Crystal Souls”, with Alan Mackay’s introduction and detailed annotations. The tanslation was accomplished by Alan, my respectable old friend since 1950’s. When this book published in 1917, Haeckel tried to attract people to beautifully organized variety of forms exhibited by radiolaria and snow crystals, and the close similarity in forms of inorganic crystals and biological materials. The editor of this journal felt that it would be interesting and informative for the readers, if an article summarizing the development made during this century in understanding the origin of forms of crystals (morphology or morphogenesis) would be printed jointly. He suggested me to translate my article in Japanese on the topic, which appeared in SUURI-KAGAKU (Mathematical Sciences) in 1993 (1). The article was published as No. 5 of the series of articles entitled “The Course of Physics—from the development achieved in the 20th Century”, which consisted of 30 articles. The series covers whole range of physics, mathematical physics, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, solid state physics, elementary particle physics, and cosmic physics, and was later published in a book entitled “Physics of the 20th Century” (2). Among 30 articles, two were directly related to crystalline solids. One by S. Kikuta was on structural crystallography, and the other by myself on growth and forms of crystals. A couple of new sentences and references were added in this translated version for the sake to help readers in easier reading. In the introduction of “Crystal Souls”, Haeckel wrote that crystals serve as the image of lifeless, rigid natural bodies. Crystallography which deals with research on “dead” crystals is an “exact science”, which moves on the sure rails of mathematics, and has nothing to do with “life” or “the soul”, the most perfect phenomena of life. Souls, on the other hand, serve generally as indicators of organic life, in contradistinction to the inorganic world of minerals, rocks and crystals. Their main characteristics, sensitivity and movement (“feeling” and “willing”) are tied to the organisation of the “living nature”, to the characteristic assembly of organisms from various organs, and on their regular, Forma, 14, 147–166, 1999 Review
Overlapping functions between XLF repair protein and 53BP1 DNA damage response factor in end joining and lymphocyte development

Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), a major pathway of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, is required during lymphocyte development to resolve the programmed DSBs generated during Variable, Diverse, and Joining [V(D)J] recombination. XRCC4-like factor (XLF) (also called Cernunnos or NHEJ1) is a unique component of the NHEJ pathway. Although germ-line mutations of other NHEJ factors abrogate lymphocyte development and lead to severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), XLF mutations cause a progressive lymphocytopenia that is generally less severe than SCID. Accordingly, XLF-deficient murine lymphocytes show no measurable defects in V(D)J recombination. We reported earlier that ATM kinase and its substrate histone H2AX are both essential for V(D)J recombination in XLF-deficient lymphocytes, despite moderate role in V(D)J recombination in WT cells. p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) is another substrate of ATM. 53BP1 deficiency led to small reduction of peripheral lymphocyte number by compromising both synapse and end-joining at modest level during V(D)J recombination. Here, we report that 53BP1/XLF double deficiency blocks lymphocyte development at early progenitor stages, owing to severe defects in end joining during chromosomal V(D)J recombination. The unrepaired DNA ends are rapidly degraded in 53BP1−/−XLF−/− cells, as reported for H2AX−/−XLF−/− cells, revealing an end protection role for 53BP1 reminiscent of H2AX. In contrast to the early embryonic lethality of H2AX−/−XLF−/− mice, 53BP1−/−XLF−/− mice are born alive and develop thymic lymphomas with translocations involving the T-cell receptor loci. Together, our findings identify a unique function for 53BP1 in end-joining and tumor suppression.
Rate of cognitive decline during the premotor phase of essential tremor

Objective: To characterize the rate of cognitive decline during the premotor phase of essential tremor (ET) in comparison to prevalent ET cases and controls. Methods: In this population-based, prospective study of people aged 65 years and older (Neurological Disorders in Central Spain), a 37-item version of the Mini-Mental State Examination was administered at 2 visits (baseline and follow-up, approximately 3 years later). We compared the rate of cognitive decline in 3 groups: prevalent ET cases (i.e., participants diagnosed with ET at baseline and at follow-up), “premotor” ET cases (i.e., participants diagnosed with incident ET at follow-up, but not at baseline), and controls (i.e., participants not diagnosed with ET at baseline or follow-up). Results: The 2,375 participants included 135 prevalent ET cases, 56 premotor ET cases, and 2,184 controls. During the follow-up period of 3.4 ± 0.5 years (mean ± SD), the 37-item version of the Mini-Mental State Examination declined by 0.7 ± 3.3 points (0.2 ± 1.0 points/year) in prevalent ET cases, 1.1 ± 3.5 points (0.3 ± 1.0 points/year) in premotor ET cases, and 0.1 ± 3.9 points (0.0 ± 1.2 points/year) in controls (p = 0.014). The difference between premotor ET cases and controls was significant (p = 0.046), as was the difference between prevalent ET cases and controls (p = 0.027). Conclusions: In this prospective cohort, cognitive test scores in premotor and prevalent ET cases declined at a faster rate than in elders without this disease. A decline in global cognitive function may occur in a premotor phase of ET.
Failure of rapid agglutination methods to detect oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Although a latex agglutination test (StaphAurex) and a hemagglutination test (Staphyloslide) correctly identified all strains of Staphylococcus aureus that were susceptible or had intermediate susceptibility to oxacillin, 17 of 73 (23%) and 18 of 73 (25%) strains of oxacillin-resistant S. aureus were not identified by StaphAurex and Staphyloslide, respectively. All strains not detected were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and rifampin.
Paroxysmal Hemicrania‐Like Headache Secondary to Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors Administration: A Case Report

Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors are well described as triggers of migraine and less often of cluster headache. We report the first observation, to our knowledge, of isolated attacks of headache resembling paroxysmal hemicrania after tadalafil and sildenafil administration in a patient without a personal history of primary headache disorder. A 35-year-old right-handed man was evaluated at the Parma Headache Centre in July 2016. He was a semi-professional cyclist and smoked about one pack-year. His past medical history was unremarkable except for Alcock syndrome (ie, pudendal nerve entrapment) with secondary erectile dysfunction. He had no prior history of headaches. After a consultation with an urologist, he started taking tadalafil 10 mg. The first time he took the pill, about 30-45 min after its ingestion, he experienced six attacks of right periocular pain, with severe intensity and throbbing quality, which were associated with ipsilateral conjunctival injection, nasal congestion, and ptosis. Each attack lasted about 5-6 min, with pain-free intervals of 10-15 min; the complete episode had an overall duration of 2 h. Headache wasn’t temporally related to sexual activity. He used tadalafil two other times and experienced identical headache attacks. He tried different NSAIDs (including ketoprofen and ibuprofen) as symptomatic therapy without clear benefit. Therefore, he consulted his urologist, who confirmed the possibility of headache being triggered by PDE-5 inhibitors, and suggested an evaluation at our headache center due to the atypical headache phenotype. At first assessment, we performed an extensive neurological examination, which was normal. Having considered some clinical “red flags” for an organic etiology (new-onset headache and the temporal relationship with a vasomotor drug), we requested a brain 3-tesla MRI and a MRI angiography, which excluded central nervous system abnormalities. From the Parma Headache Centre, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Parma, Italy (A. Taga, M. Russo, A. Genovese, G. C. Manzoni, and P. Torelli).