Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of sex of evaluator, applicant, and reference source on screening decisions for an administrative position /

This experim ental study investigates the effects o f sex o f the evaluator, sex of the applicant, and sex of the reference source at the screening stage of the selection process. Specifically, male and fem ale principals were asked to evaluate hypothetical m ale and fem ale applicants for the focal position o f assistant principal. C ontained within the inform ation packet for each hypothetical applicant was a letter from either a male or fem ale reference source. An integrative approach using in terpersonal a ttrac tion and social distance theories provides the theoretical fram ew ork on which this study is based. Interpersonal attraction theory suggests that perceived biographical sim ilarity of evaluator and applicant w ill result in a higher evaluation of the "similar" applicant. Social d istance theory provides a structure for exam ining w hether an evaluator w ill rate differently a dissim ilar-sex applicant from a sim ilar-sex applicant when an im m ediate superior and subordinate w ork relationship is involved. The relationship betw een principal and assistant principal is im m ediate because the organization continuity betw een these two positions is uninterrupted by other line positions. Social distance theory suggests that an individual may fail to allow a dissim ilar indiv idual to penetrate an im m ediate organizational boundary. Thus, the evaluator is more likely to choose a sim ilar-sex applicant than a dissim ilar-sex applicant when the individuals will be working in close proximity, as in a principal and assistant principal re la tio n sh ip . These m odels were expected to support an interaction effect betw een sex of applicant and sex of rater, as strengthened by sex of the reference source. It was anticipated that an interaction effect would be likely to occur in a situation where individuals would be working in close proximity, as in a principal and assistant principal relationship. The findings did not support the anticipated interaction effect, but did reveal a main effect for sex of applicant. The main effect for sex of applicant indicates that hypothetical fem ale adm inistrator candidates are evaluated significantly higher than hypothetical m ale adm inistrator candidates. This is contrary to about ha lf o f past selection research that suggested fem ale applicants are given lower evaluations than male applicants. Thus, these results may be an indication that the evaluations o f female applicants for adm inistrative positions are improving. Finally, there is a need for continued study in the area o f selection research in order to explain the varied and conflicting results.
Meningococcal biofilm formation: structure, development and phenotypes in a standardized continuous flow system

We show that in a standardized in vitro flow system unencapsulated variants of genetically diverse lineages of Neisseria meningitidis formed biofilms, that could be maintained for more than 96 h. Biofilm cells were resistant to penicillin, but not to rifampin or ciprofloxacin. For some strains, microcolony formation within biofilms was observed. Microcolony formation in strain MC58 depended on a functional copy of the pilE gene encoding the pilus subunit pilin, and was associated with twitching of cells. Nevertheless, unpiliated pilE mutants formed biofilms showing that attachment and accumulation of cells did not depend on pilus expression. Mutation and complementation analysis revealed that the type IV pilus‐associated protein PilX, which was recently shown to mediate interbacterial aggregation, indirectly supported microcolony formation by contributing to pilus expression. A large number of PilX alleles was identified among genetically diverse meningococcal strains. PilX alleles differed in their propensity to support autoaggregation of cells in suspension, but not in their ability to support microcolony formation within biofilms in the continuous flow system.
Structural Investigation of Biologically Active Phenolic Compounds Isolated from European Tree Species

X-ray structures of two compounds isolated from wood knots of coniferous trees, namely dihydrokaempferol (3,5,8,13-tetrahydroxyflavanon) and lariciresinol (3,14-dimetoxy-7,10-epoxylignan-4,15,19-triol), are presented here. Diffraction data for the dihydrokaempferol crystals were collected on a CAD4 diffractometer and on a synchrotron for the lariciresinol crystal. The investigated compounds inhibit lipid peroxidation and lariciresinol is additionally a good scavenger of superoxide radicals. The structural data presented in this work provide a useful basis for designing more active compounds with potential use as antioxidants.
Framing citizen activism: a comparative study of the CGNET Swara and Mobile Voices projects

The CGNET Swara (India) and Mobile Voices (United States) demonstrate that dedicated citizen journalism outlets can effectively combine journalism and activism to mobilize communities for positive social impact. Few studies have compared citizen journalism effects in the area of mobilization across countries, in multi-cultural settings, especially in the developed and developing world. This paper compares and contrasts conceptual frames employed and approaches pursued in fundamentally different settings to examine how citizen media works for progressive change.
Structure of the PH domain and Btk motif from Bruton's tyrosine kinase: molecular explanations for X‐linked agammaglobulinaemia

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is an enzyme which is involved in maturation of B cells. It is a target for mutations causing X‐linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA) in man. We have determined the structure of the N‐terminal part of Btk by X‐ray crystallography at 1.6 Å resolution. This part of the kinase contains a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain and a Btk motif. The structure of the PH domain is similar to those published previously: a seven‐stranded bent β‐sheet with a C‐terminal α‐helix. Individual point mutations within the Btk PH domain which cause XLA can be classified as either structural or functional in the light of the three‐dimensional structure and biochemical data. All functional mutations cluster into the positively charged end of the molecule around the predicted binding site for phosphatidylinositol lipids. It is likely that these mutations inactivate the Btk pathway in cell signalling by reducing its affinity for inositol phosphates, which causes a failure in translocation of the kinase to the cell membrane. A small number of signalling proteins contain a Btk motif that always follows a PH domain in the sequence. This small module has a novel fold which is held together by a zinc ion bound by three conserved cysteines and a histidine. The Btk motif packs against the second half of the β‐sheet of the PH domain, forming a close contact with it. Our structure opens up new ways to study the role of the PH domain and Btk motif in the cellular function of Btk and the molecular basis of its dysfunction in XLA patients.
An Exploration Of High School Social Studies Students' Global Perspectives

Nancy Patterson, Advisor The purpose of this study was to examine high school students’ global perspectives. Global perspectives include students’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions when interacting with people of other cultures. It aimed to identity what students know, how they behave, and what they can do in order to inform curriculum change. The participants included two veteran teachers and seventy ninth and tenth grade students. Each class taught by the two teacher participants were surveyed with a fifteen item survey. After, an interview was conducted with both teachers and six students to gain more insight into students’ and teachers’ global perspectives. With the analysis of two data structures, it is apparent that the participants mainly hold positive global perspectives. However, there are still students who have lower scores on the survey indicating negative global perspectives. This paper analyzes the responses of students who fell within the positive, neutral, and negative perspectives ranges. In conclusion, this study provides social studies teachers with a data driven analysis of high school students’ global perspectives. This will help teachers and curriculum administrators create curriculum that will enhance students’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions when it comes to interactions with different cultures.
Thinking about Thinking about Comparative Political Economy: From Macro to Micro and Back

How and why did comparative political economy (CPE) lose sight of the sources of growing macroeconomic and political instability, a problem that encompassed a growing financial bubble and then a crash in the housing market, a period of sluggish growth that plausibly constitutes secular stagnation, and a crisis of political legitimacy manifesting itself in the rise of antisystem “populist” parties? A gradual shift in CPE’s research agenda from macroeconomic to microeconomic concerns, and from demand-side to supply-side explanations, diminished its ability to analyze adequately the central economic and political problems of the past twenty years. This article traces CPE’s evolution through successive “supermodels” that constituted its core research foci. To understand the current crisis, CPE needs to revisit and update its original roots in Keynes, macroeconomics, and the demand side. This shift is already happening at the margins, as CPE scholars struggle to understand the current crisis.
Stem cell-based strategies for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus

Importance of the field: β-Cell regeneration and β-cell preservation are two promising therapeutic approaches for the management of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Stem cell-based strategies to address the problems of shortage in β cells, autoimmune and alloimmune responses have become an area of intense study. Areas covered in this review: This review focuses on the progress that has been made in obtaining functional, insulin-producing cells from various types of stem/progenitor cells, including the current knowledge on the immunomodulatory roles of hematopoietic stem cell and multipotent stromal cell in the therapies for T1D. What the reader will gain: A broad overview of recent advancements in this field is provided. The hurdles that remain in the path of using stem cell-based strategies for the treatment of T1D and possible approaches to overcome these challenges are discussed. Take home message: Stem cell-based strategies hold great promise for the treatment of T1D. In spite of the progress that has been made over the last decade, a number of obstacles and concerns need to be cleared before widespread clinical application is possible. In particular, the mechanism of ESC and iPSC-derived β-cell maturation in vivo is poorly understood.
Classification of oceanwave conditions using Support Vector Machine

Identifying ocean wave conditions is very important to marine related activities since it reflects the severity of current waves. One main issue is that for accurate identification of wave conditions, longer time series data are needed. However, these pose major impediment to real-time publishing of wave conditions. This study explores the possibility of classifying wave conditions given only shorter wave height time series data. By using shorter time series, systems similar to [1] will be able to handle the data faster and efficiently hence real time publishing of wave conditions can be achieved. The classification model for the wave conditions are trained using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) because it promises to provide a suitable model for nonlinear classification. Wave condition parameters are expected to have nonlinear relationships hence SVM is suited for this application. To test the ability of SVM, synthetic wave records generated from JONSWAP Wave Model are utilized. A classification map is then generated and compared to the ideal classification map of wave conditions.
Biochemical and Haematological Effects of the Leaf Extract of Newbouldia laevis in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Dichloromethane-methanol (1:1) extract (DME) of N. laevis leaves was prepared by cold maceration. The effects of the extract on the haematological and some biochemical parameters of alloxan-induced diabetic rats were investigated. The results showed that the oral administration of the extract (250, 500, 1000 mg/kg) caused a significant (P p 0.05) and dose-dependent reduction in the platelet count and the white blood cells (WBC). The activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly (p 0.05) decreased. This effect was not dose related. The serum levels of total bilirubin, urea and creatinine were significantly (p 0.05) decreased. The serum total protein and total antioxidant status (TAS) significantly (p 0.05) increased dose dependently. Overall, administration of DME has significant ameliorative effect on alloxan-induced anaemia and other haematological alterations in diabetes and this may be of immense benefits in the management of diabetes and its associated haematological complications. Improved liver and kidney functions as well as improved antioxidant status are beneficial in the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Cortical Silent Period Reveals Differences Between Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia and Muscle Tension Dysphonia

Background. The pathophysiology of adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD), like other focal dystonias, is largely unknown. Objective. The purposes of this study were to determine (a) cortical excitability differences between AdSD, muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), and healthy controls; (b) distribution of potential differences in cranial or skeletal muscle; and (c) if cortical excitability measures assist in the differential diagnosis of AdSD and MTD. Methods. Ten participants with adductor spasmodic dysphonia, 8 with muscle tension dysphonia, and 10 healthy controls received single and paired pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the primary motor cortex contralateral to tested muscles, first dorsal interosseus (FDI), and masseter. We tested the hypothesis that cortical excitability measures in AdSD would be significantly different from those in MTD and healthy controls. In addition, we hypothesized that there would be a correlation between cortical excitability measures and clinical voice severity in AdSD. Results. Cortical silent period duration in masseter and FDI was significantly shorter in AdSD than MTD and healthy controls. Other measures failed to demonstrate differences. Conclusion. There are differences in cortical excitability between AdSD, MTD, and healthy controls. These differences in the cortical measure of both the FDI and masseter muscles in AdSD suggest widespread dysfunction of the GABAB mechanism may be a pathophysiologic feature of AdSD, similar to other forms of focal dystonia. Further exploration of the use of TMS to assist in the differential diagnosis of AdSD and MTD is warranted.
A forward genetic screen in Drosophila melanogaster to identify mutations affecting INAD localization in photoreceptor cells

In Drosophila photoreceptors, the multivalent PDZ protein INAD interacts with multiple signaling components and localizes complexes to the rhabdomere, a subcellular compartment specialized for phototransduction. Since this localization is critical for signaling, we conducted a genetic screen of the third chromosome for mutations that result in mislocalization of an INAD-GFP fusion protein. We identified seven mutant lines that fall into two complementation groups, idl (INAD localization) -A and idl-B. We show that idl-A mutants fail to complement with chaoptic (chp) mutants. Since chaoptin is a structural component of the rhabdomere, mislocalization of INAD may be a secondary effect of the retinal degeneration in chp and idl-A mutants. Genetic complementation and DNA sequencing reveal that the two idl-B mutants represent new alleles of trp, a gene encoding the major light-activated channel. The molecular change in each allele affects a highly conserved residue in either an ankyrin domain on the N-terminus or in the S6 transmembrane domain of TRP. These changes lead to the loss of TRP protein. TRP has previously been shown to anchor INAD in the rhabdomeres, therefore the independent identification of two trp alleles validates our screen for INAD-GFP localization. One possibility is that a limited number of proteins are required for localizing INAD-signaling complexes. A similar screen of the X and second chromosomes may be required to find the remaining players involved.
Effect of Fertilizers on Cd Uptake of Amaranthus hypochondriacus, a High Biomass, Fast Growing and Easily Cultivated Potential Cd Hyperaccumulator

In a greenhouse pot experiment, we assessed the phytoextraction potential for Cd of three amaranth cultivars (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. Cvs. K112, R104, and K472) and the effect of application of N, NP, and NPK fertilizer on Cd uptake of the three cultivars from soil contaminated with 5 mg kg−1 Cd. All three amaranth cultivars had high levels of Cd concentration in their tissues, which ranged from 95.1 to 179.1 mg kg−1 in leaves, 58.9 to 95.4 mg kg−1 in stems, and 62.4 to 107.2 mg kg−1 in roots, resulting in average bioaccumulation factors ranging from 17.7 to 29.7. Application of N, NP, or NPK fertilizers usually increased Cd content in leaves but decreased Cd content in stem and root. Fertilizers of N or NP combined did not substantially increase dry biomass of the 3 cultivars, leading to a limited increment of Cd accumulation. NPK fertilizer greatly increased dry biomass, by a factor of 2.7–3.8, resulting in a large increment of Cd accumulation. Amaranth cultivars (K112, R104, and K472) have great potential in phytoextraction of Cd contaminated soil. They have the merits of high Cd content in tissues, high biomass, easy cultivation and little effect on Cd uptake by fertilization.
The Future of Anticoagulation

The conventional management of thrombotic disorders is based on the use of heparin, oral anticoagulants, and aspirin. The development of low molecular weight heparins and the synthesis of heparinomimetics such as the chemically synthesized pentasaccharide represent a refined use of heparin. Aspirin still remains the lead drug in the management of thrombotic and cardiovascular disorders. The newer antiplatelet drugs such as the adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitors, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GPIIb/IIIa) inhibitors and other specific inhibitors have limited effects and have been tested in patients who have already been treated with aspirin. The oral anticoagulants such as warfarin provide a convenient and affordable approach in the long-term outpatient management of thrombotic disorders. The optimized use of these drugs still remains the approach of choice to manage thrombotic disorders. The new anticoagulant drugs target specific sites in the hemostatic network. There is a major thrust on the development of orally bioavailable anticoagulant drugs to replace oral anticoagulants. Heparin and low molecular weight heparins have been considered with various chemical enhancers for absorption. Both the factor Xa and antithrombin agents have been developed for oral use and some of these agents are in clinical development. Besides the limited bioavailability, the therapeutic indices of some of these drugs have been rather disappointing. Factor Xa inhibitors such as the pentasaccharides have undergone aggressive clinical development. The newer antiplatelet drugs have added a new dimension in the management of thrombotic disorders. The newer drugs are attractive for several reasons; however, none of these are expected to completely replace the conventional drugs in polytherapeutic approaches. It is conceivable that some of the newer drugs in combined modalities may mimic the broad therapeutic spectrum of heparins and warfarin. However, clinical validation is required for the therapeutic interchange for specific indications.
Validity-aware power allocation for AF relay systems with secure QoS requirements

Increasing attention has been concentrated on the information-theoretic secrecy in physical layer. Considering that both reliability and validity are important design targets for wireless network design, therefore, rather than improve the secure performance as much as possible, the goal of the paper is to maximize the system capacity while satisfying the secure quality of service (QoS) and the total power transmit constraints. In other words, the tradeoff between system capacity and secrecy capacity is taken into consideration. An optimal power allocation is explored for an amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying system, and closed-form solutions are obtained. Simulation results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed power allocation and have shown that the intercept probability is also improved.
Fecal pyruvate kinase: A potential new marker for intestinal inflammation in children with inflammatory bowel disease

Objective. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children creates diagnostic and clinical challenges. Clinical data, endoscopic appearance and the histopathological assessment of biopsies are essential for diagnosis. However, new methods are required for non-invasive follow-up. Recently, we demonstrated that the dimeric isoform of pyruvate kinase (PK) detected in stool might serve as a potential non-invasive screening tool in inflamed pouch mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this test could be used to detect intestinal inflammation in pediatric IBD patients. Material and methods. Fecal PK immunoreactivity was assessed in 75 patients with proven ulcerative colitis (UC) and 32 with Crohn's disease (CD). Pediatric Crohn Disease Activity Index (PCDAI) and Truelove-Witts scores were determined in CD and UC patients, respectively. Thirty-five healthy subjects (HS) served as a control group. Results. Increased PK levels were documented in 94.1% and 100% active CD patients with a cut-off level of 5 U/g and a cut-off level of 4 U/g, respectively, and in 94.3% of active UC patients regardless of cut-off level. Enzyme immunoreactivity was significantly higher in all IBD patients than in HS. Abnormal PK results were documented in 71.7% of all IBD patients (65.3% and 84.4 for UC and CD patients, respectively). Enzyme levels in UC remission were significantly lower than in the active phase. Enzyme immunoreactivity significantly correlated to both scoring systems. Conclusions. The measurement of stool PK could be a potentially useful marker of IBD activity in children. However, its clinical value demands further studies for comparison with other tests.