Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Electron Spin Resonance Study of Manganese in Wild-Type and Mutant Strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardi 1 ' 2

Changes in the intensity of the electron spin resonaince signal of divalent manganese were found to occur in suspensions of wild-type Chlamydamonas reinhardi. The dbserved manganese signal decreased in the light and increased in the dark. Through the use of a continuous-flow system it was possiible to determlline that the manganous ions responsible for the observed, signal were localized solely in the medium. Changes in the signal intensity associated with wild-type cells were independent of the ability of fragments prepared from these cells to perform the Hill reaction with 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol (DPIP) as the oxidant. The manganese signal changes were still evident, though smaller, in cell suspensions of wild-type cells treated with 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, and in mutant strains unable to carry out the Hill reaction, ac-ii5 and ac-I4i. From these data it is concluded that the changes in intensity of the manganese resonance
A Unified Bayesian Approach to Multi-Frame Super-Resolution and Single-Image Upsampling in Multi-Sensor Imaging

For a variety of multi-sensor imaging systems, there is a strong need for resolution enhancement. In this paper, we propose a unified method for single-image upsampling and multi-frame super-resolution of multi-channel images. We derive our algorithm from a Bayesian model that is formulated by a novel image prior to exploit sparsity of individual channels as well as a locally linear regression between the complementary channels. The reconstruction of high-resolution multi-channel images from low-resolution ones and the estimation of associated hyperparameters to define our prior model is formulated as a joint energy minimization. We introduce an alternating minimization scheme to solve this non-convex optimization problem efficiently. Our framework is applicable to various types of multi-sensor setups that are addressed in our experimental evaluation, including color, multispectral and 3-D range imaging. Comprehensive qualitative and quantitative comparisons demonstrate that our method outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms.
The Complaint of Oral Malodor: Possible Psychopathological Aspects

Oral malodor (halitosis) is a common concern in Western society.As with other human perceptions, emotional as well as cognitive variables play a major role in one's sensation and complaint. To study factors potentially associated with the complaint of oral malodor, periodontal and psychological evaluations were carried out on 38 subjects (66% female, mean age 43 years) with a complaint of oral malodor. Subjects underwent evaluation of their periodontal status, odor evaluation by an odor judge, and psychopathological symptom survey by means of the SCL-90 questionnaire. The patient's self-rating of oral odor was significantly higher than the evaluation of an objective odor judge and was not associated with their periodontal status. The SCL-90 profile of subjects was relatively higher than that of an age- and gender-matched reference group of dental patients. The results suggest that the complaint of oral malodor may be related to psychopathological symptoms as recorded by the SCL-90 questionnaire.
Relationship between Enzyme Activities Involved in Oxygen Metabolism and Oxygen Tolerance in Black-pigmented Bacteroides

In this study, the relationship between enzyme activities involved in oxygen metabolism and the degrees of oxygen tolerance in black-pigmented Bacteroides was investigated. All strains of Bacteroides tested possessed the activities of NADH oxidase and superoxide dismutase, whereas the activities of catalase and peroxidases were not detected in the cell-free extracts. There were relatively high correlations between ozygen tolerance and activity of either NADH oxidase or superoxide dismutase. The activity of superoxide dismutase showed a higher correlation with oxygen tolerance than with that of NADH oxidase. Among the species tested, Bacteroides gingivalis showed the highest activities of both the enzymes and was the most tolerant in the presence of oxygen. Furthermore, the activities of these two enzymes increased during aeration of the oxygen-tolerant strain Bacteroides gingivalis 381, but not in the oxygen-sensitive strain Bacteroides denticola ATCC 33185. These results suggest that superoxide dismutase and NADH oxidase might be important for protection of black-pigmented Bacteroides against the toxic effect of oxygen.
Epileptic brain network from scalp EEG: Identifying the epileptic driver by connectivity analysis on brain waveforms

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by seizures, i.e. abnormal synchronous activity of neurons in the brain. During a focal seizure the epileptic activity spreads rapidly from the ictal onset region to neighboring brain areas. ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG) is a commonly used technique to diagnose epilepsy. EEG has a high temporal resolution which allows us to investigate the dynamics of the underlying brain activity. Due to the rapid propagation of a seizure, the seizure can originate from a network of brain regions which are simultaneously active before being noticeable on the EEG. In this paper we investigate two state of the art source localization techniques, the Recursive Applied and Projected (RAP) and the pre-correlated and orthogonally projected (POP) multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm, to identify the location of the driver behind the simulated epileptic brain network. Furthermore we investigate the applicability of connectivity analysis to identify the source driving the underlying brain network. We showed that the POP-MUSIC algorithm outperforms the RAP-MUSIC algorithm to identify the locations of the simultaneous brain activity. Furthermore, we showed the feasibility of identifying the driver behind a brain network by POP-MUSIC algorithm followed by connectivity analysis.
Extending critical race theory to Chinese education: affordance and constraints

This Forum discusses the affordances and constraints of applying critical race theory (CRT) to the Chinese educational context. In this introduction, I delineate the social and theoretical backgrounds related to CRT, and its fundamental tenets. Zhengmei Peng subsequently reviews the representative theoretical constructs pertinent to CRT, including: (1) community cultural wealth; (2) funds of knowledge; (3) culturally responsive pedagogy; and (4) authentic care in education. In the third contribution to the Forum, Xueyan Hu analyses the possibility of extending CRT to the Chinese educational milieu, focusing on: (1) the consistently low performance of Chinese rural education; (2) the limited educational opportunity for rural migrant workers’ children; (3) Chinese ethnic minority students’ cultural and educational adaptation to mainstream Chinese Han schools; and (4) the newly emerging gender disadvantaged group, boys in rural Chinese schools. Finally, Shaoping Qu describes the potential challenges associated with applying CRT to Chinese settings, including: (1) the different sociocultural contexts associated with CRT; (2) the tensions inherent in educational theory transfer; and (3) the challenge of developing new CRT methodology. Although critical race theory originated in the legal scholarship of the United States as a legacy of the civil rights movement, its influence has proliferated across a broad array of social science fields, such as sociology and education. Drawing upon legal theorist Cheryl Harris’s construct ‘whiteness as property’, Gloria Ladson-Billings and William F. Tate published their landmark article, ‘Toward a Critical Race Theory of Education’, in Teachers College Record in 1995. Inspired by this seminal article, a multitude of education scholars began to examine American educational inequality with a focus on race and racism from the perspective of CRT. Since its inception, CRT, as a robust theory construct, has functioned as a heuristic for understanding educational inequality in the United States. As an evolving theoretical framework, CRT has been widely utilised in North America, the UK, and other countries across the globe. In this section, I first elaborate on the background and basic tenets of CRT and its educational implications. Then, I briefly reflect on the related research on CRT in the United States.
Migrations and economics development : a computable general equilibrium approach of the maroccan case

The growing interest of economists in South-North migration has given the South the status of emigration countries and the North the status of immigration countries. However, when we look closely at the data, we find that South-South migration is as important as South-North migration. The magnitude of South-South migration has made some developing countries, countries of origin, of transit and of destination. Concerning the impact on the labour market, two contradictory effects can be observed: first, immigration and migration between regions within countries increase the pressure on the local labour market and consequently, the incentive to emigrate. On the other hand, migration can increase wages or reduce unemployment in the regions of origin, that in turn, strengthens internal migration and immigration. While most economists have neglected this aspect, this thesis tries to shed the light on the interdependency between migration flows. It concludes that the impact of migration on the labour market in the country of origin should be carefully analysed by taking into account the entry and exit of workers. This thesis also focuses on the investment of remittances in real estate and concludes that channeling remittances to productive sectors has no positive impact on the economy when the real estate sector is highly integrated in the latter. It also concludes that the Moroccan economy must continue its efforts to liberalise trade in order to reduce migration flows.
Critical Conduction Mode Boost PFC Converter With Fixed Switching Frequency Control

Critical conduction mode (CRM) boost power factor (PF) correction converter features zero-current turn-on for the switch and no reverse recovery in diode, which is suitable for low-to-medium power applications. However, the switching frequency varies in a line cycle, and the wide variation range of the switching frequency is different under different input voltage and load conditions. This makes the conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) spectra appearing great differences and complicates the design of EMI filter. In this paper, based on the expression of the switching frequency for traditional CRM control strategy, a variable on-time control strategy is proposed, and the implementation circuit is designed to realize a fixed switching frequency in a half-line cycle. The proposed strategy also achieves a lower output voltage ripple and a lower peak current for the power components. In spite of the PF decrease, the input current harmonic values are much lower than the IEC 61000-3-2 Class D limits. A 120 W prototype has been fabricated and tested in the laboratory and the experimental results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis

Summary Aims – It used to be thought that the problems of psychosis were qualitatively difference from those of other disorders and therefore unamenable to psychological interventions. However more recent evidence will be summarised which suggests otherwise. Methods – A cognitive model of the positive symptoms of psychosis (Garety et al, 2001; Kuipers et al.,2006) is described which builds on work on the dimensions of symptoms of psychosis, the continuum between non-clinical and clinical populations, and the contribution of emotional processes, cognitive reasoning biases and social factors. Results – Evidence from both epidemiological and empirical studies from our research group and others, support some of the pathways of symptom formation and maintenance proposed by the model. Specifically there is evidence for the role of trauma, social adversity and stress. These may trigger emotional responses and unusual experiences and together with reasoning biases lead to appraisals that can be defined as positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. Similar processes interact to maintain symptoms. Conclusions – Cognitive models of psychosis have led to the development of cognitive behavioural treatments for delusions and hallucinations, which show some evidence of efficacy. Such treatments need to be refined in the light of recent research. Declaration of Interest: none
17β‐Trenbolone exposure programs metabolic dysfunction in larval medaka

Here, we used physiological and transcriptomic analyses to evaluate the effects of 17β‐trenbolone (TB) on metabolism during the early life stage of medaka (Oryzias latipes). In the physiological experiments, sex reversal rates increased continuously in proportion to TB concentrations (2–100 ng/L), and were 100% (all males) in the 200 ng/L treatment group. TB caused a significant increase in the gonadosomatic index of females at concentrations of 60 and 100 ng/L. These females exhibited swollen abdomens and decreased egg production and fertility. Significant increases were observed in the body mass index of these females. TB caused decreased fertility in males at concentrations >20 ng/L, but no other effects were observed. In the transcriptomic (microarray) experiments, larvae were exposed to TB for up to 7 d. Analyses using the KEGG Orthology Database revealed that predominant categories of significantly upregulated genes included “lipid metabolism” and “metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides. ” Thirteen genes (including those for hydroxymethylglutaryl‐CoA synthase, cytoplasmic synthase, and lanosterol synthase) related to cholesterol biosynthesis via the mevalonate pathway were highlighted in these categories. Reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction analyses were consistent with the microarray results, in terms of the direction and magnitude of change to gene expression. Among the downregulated genes, angiopoietin‐like 4 and mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1, which are inversely correlated with obesity, were detected in the TB treatments. In conclusion, the results suggest that the exposure of females to TB during the early life stage may cause metabolic dysfunctions, including obesity and disrupted cholesterol synthesis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1539–1551, 2016.
Generating my own living-theory: an interim report

This paper offers an account of my on-going learning and educational development as a living-theorist development-economist. In it I clarify my understanding and meaning of educational development starting from my values and my living standards of judgment (Laidlaw, 1996). I shed light on what being a living-theorist development-economist means to me and to the people I work for in developing countries. Thus my writing is developing together with my ideas and my practical experiences. I focus on my practice as a development practitioner having worked in Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Georgia and currently Albania. The emphasis on my original contribution to knowledge is on the explanatory principles I use to describe my educational development and the living standards of judgment I use to judge the validity of this contribution to knowledge. My practice involves sharing and collaborating, as I try to create peace and peaceful spaces where people feel at ease and secure, able to foster their own capabilities, inspire and learn from each other, and work for a fairer world in which resources are equally shared. The project I am working on in Albania represents an evidence-based example of how my practical work evolves, together with my embodied and developmental values. I show how these aspects of my humanity can influence the people and the social formations I work with and how these have an influence on my daily work in the developing world and on myself.
BCG Antibody Profiles in Tuberculoid and Lepromatous Leprosy

In sera from 12 patients with polar tuberculoid leprosy, 12 with subpolar tuberculoid leprosy, and 16 with lepromatous leprosy were demonstrated a total number of 125 anti-BCG precipitins by means of crossed immunoelectrophoresis with intermediate gel. Up to 14 different precipitins were found in individual sera, and the complexity in antibody response was higher than previously realized. The specificity of 69% of the antibodies was defined, and these antibodies were titrated in three arbitrary titer units. A highly significant difference (P < 0.002) was found in antibody response between the tuberculoid and the lepromatous group. Due to simplicity, sensitivity, and high resolution, the method used is a promising tool for providing exact data to be used as guidelines for purification of important individual mycobacterial antigens. The need for reference antisera is emphasized.
A Spectrum Handoff Scheme for Optimal Network Selection in NEMO Based Cognitive Radio Vehicular Networks

When a mobile network changes its point of attachments in Cognitive Radio (CR) vehicular networks, the Mobile Router (MR) requires spectrum handoff. Network Mobility (NEMO) in CR vehicular networks is concerned with the management of this movement. In future NEMO based CR vehicular networks deployment, multiple radio access networks may coexist in the overlapping areas having different characteristics in terms of multiple attributes. The CR vehicular node may have the capability to make call for two or more types of nonsafety services such as voice, video, and best effort simultaneously. Hence, it becomes difficult for MR to select optimal network for the spectrum handoff. This can be done by performing spectrum handoff using Multiple Attributes Decision Making (MADM) methods which is the objective of the paper. The MADM methods such as grey relational analysis and cost based methods are used. The application of MADM methods provides wider and optimum choice among the available networks with quality of service. Numerical results reveal that the proposed scheme is effective for spectrum handoff decision for optimal network selection with reduced complexity in NEMO based CR vehicular networks.
Glial Draper Rescues Aβ Toxicity in a Drosophila Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) include amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and reactive gliosis. Glial cells offer protection against AD by engulfing extracellular Aβ peptides, but the repertoire of molecules required for glial recognition and destruction of Aβ are still unclear. Here, we show that the highly conserved glial engulfment receptor Draper/MEGF10 provides neuroprotection in an AD model of Drosophila (both sexes). Neuronal expression of human Aβ42arc in adult flies results in robust Aβ accumulation, neurodegeneration, locomotor dysfunction, and reduced lifespan. Notably, all of these phenotypes are more severe in draper mutant animals, whereas enhanced expression of glial Draper reverses Aβ accumulation, as well as behavioral phenotypes. We also show that the signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat92E), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/AP-1 signaling, and expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (Mmp1) are activated downstream of Draper in glia in response to Aβ42arc exposure. Furthermore, Aβ42-induced upregulation of the phagolysosomal markers Atg8 and p62 was notably reduced in draper mutant flies. Based on our findings, we propose that glia clear neurotoxic Aβ peptides in the AD model Drosophila brain through a Draper/STAT92E/JNK cascade that may be coupled to protein degradation pathways such as autophagy or more traditional phagolysosomal destruction methods. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Alzheimer's disease (AD) and similar dementias are common incurable neurodegenerative disorders in the aging population. As the primary immune responders in the brain, glial cells are implicated as key players in the onset and progression of AD and related disorders. Here we show that the glial engulfment receptor Draper is protective in a Drosophila model of AD, reducing levels of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides, reversing locomotor defects, and extending lifespan. We further show that protein degradation pathways are induced downstream of Draper in AD model flies, supporting a model in which glia engulf and destroy Aβ peptides to reduce amyloid-associated toxicity.
Hierarchical mix-pooling and its applications to biomedical image classification

This paper introduces Hierarchical Mix-pooling (HMP), a translation-invariant image representation improving the discriminative power of pooling representations by capturing intermediate-size structure information in images. HMP consists of two levels, one traditional pooling (e.g., sum pooling) applied to intermediate-size regions to collect the statistics of local features, and one different pooling (e.g., max pooling) collecting statistics of the previously region-based pooled results. Classification experiments show that HMP considerably improves accuracies with much smaller sizes of dictionaries compared to traditional pooling. The superior performance of HMP is confirmed by experiments with different local features and classifiers on two public biomedical datasets (ICPR HEp-2 cells and IRMA radiology).
Toward a Machine Learning Based Approach for Assessing the Credibility of Online Comments

Even though many incidents about fake online consumer reviews have been reported, very few studies have been conducted to date to examine the credibility of online consumer comments. One of the reasons is the lack of an effective computational method to deal with the huge number of online comments which are not embedded with explicit features for a spam detection system to separate the untruthful comments (i.e., spam) from the legitimate ones (i.e., ham). To improve the hygiene and the usefulness of online comments, there is a pressing need to develop a robust methodology for an objective and systematic assessment of the quality of online comments. The main contribution of this paper is the design, development, and evaluation of a novel machine learning based methodology for the assessment of the credibility of online comments. Our preliminary experiments show that the proposed quality assessment methodology is more effective than other baseline methods such as a peer-review based quality assessment method. 
Taking Turns at the Ballot Box: Selective Participation as a New Perspective on Low Turnout†

Participation research on voting usually considers only one vote or election, and therefore separates citizens into the categories of participants and absentees. Consequently, low turnout often is discussed to mean that citizens are either not interested in or fed up with the political system. This paper argues that this cross-sectional perspective severely underestimates political participation particularly in democracies in which citizens regularly are asked to vote using direct democratic ballot measures. Taking into account not just one but 15 ballot decisions simultaneously, this paper demonstrates that a majority of citizens participates only selectively, and therefore voluntarily chooses to abstain. Using official turnout data, which enables the tracking of individuals’ participative behaviour over time in a Swiss commune, this paper demonstrates that selective participation is indeed a relevant empirical phenomenon and presents first conclusions about who participates selectively and when these individuals are mobilized.