Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of the Factor Structure and Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Five-Factor Model Rating Form

The Five-Factor Model Rating Form (FFMRF) is a one-page measure designed to provide an efficient assessment of the higher order domains of the Five Factor Model (FFM) as well as the more specific, lower order facets proposed by McCrae and Costa. Although previous research has suggested that the FFMRF’s assessment of the lower order facets converge reasonably with other FFM measures, the structural validity of the domain-level assessment has not yet been evaluated. The current study employed an exploratory structural equation modeling framework to investigate the fit of a five-factor solution within a combined sample of 757 participants. This was a novel analysis using a combined sample drawn from three previously published studies and was composed primarily of undergraduates but also included a smaller clinical subsample. Results indicated that the FFMRF is well accommodated within a five-factor solution. Furthermore, the FFMRF domain scores evinced large correlations with domain scores from the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised. The results suggest that the FFMRF might hold promise as a choice for those seeking a brief measure that provides a valid assessment of both the broad and specific traits of the FFM.
High performance planar power transformer with high power density in MHz frequency region for next generation switch mode power supplies

The authors report the utilization of the core based transformer for power transfer applications with high power density and high energy efficiency in the MHz frequency region. A custom made POT core center tapped transformer of 4:1:1 turn's ratio using novel winding strategy with the core diameter of 16mm is designed and evaluated. The designed transformer has been characterized using sinusoidal excitation for a given output power in the frequency range of 1 - 10MHz and determined the operating frequency region of the transformer. The power tests of the transformer has been carried out up to the power level of 62W at an operating frequency of 6.78MHz with a peak energy efficiency of 98.5% resulting in the record power density of ~1100W/in3. The designed transformer has been characterized using class E isolated DC-DC converter topology at an output power of approximately 18W. The simulated energy efficiency of the converter is 88.5% under the full load condition. This work provides the significant step for the development of next generation high power density isolated converters (both AC/DC and DC/DC) in MHz frequency region.
On the use of distributed generation to increase EPS robustness

The article discusses the behavior of the distributed generation (DG) in order to increase the EPS (electric power system) robustness. Special attention is paid to the DG influence during emergency states such as the propagation of cascading failures or other major events. In one hand, a high amount of DG can improve the system response to these disturbances but, on other hand, a massive DG insertion could endanger the system operation. The article proposes a methodology to define the robustness and risk of a system operating point through the evaluation of a robustness index. Furthermore, EPS robustness could be enhanced by new emergency strategies such as intentional islanding operation. This would require new ICT components (information and communication technologies) in order to share and analyze the information and then, elaborate decisions to avoid total blackouts.
The Quest to Understand the Basis and Mechanisms that Control Expression of Introduced Transgenes in Crop Plants

We discuss mechanisms and factors that influence levels and stability of expressed heterologous proteins in crop plants. We have seen substantial progress in this field over the past two decades in model experimental organisms such as Arabidopsis and tobacco. There is no question such studies have resulted in furthering our understanding of key processes in the plant cell and the elaboration of sophisticated models to explain underlying mechanisms that might influence the fate, levels and stability of expression of recombinant heterologous proteins in plants. However, very often, such information is not applicable outside these laboratory experimental models. In order to generate a knowledge basis that can be used to achieve high levels and stability of heterologous proteins in relevant crop plants it is imperative to perform such studies on the target crops. With this in mind, we discuss key elements of the process at the DNA, RNA and protein levels. We believe it is essential to discuss recombinant protein production in crops in a holistic manner in order to develop a comprehensive knowledge base that will in turn serve plant biotechnology applications well.
Detection of cortical activation and effective connectivity using Dynamic Causal Modelling through functional magnetic resonance imaging

Functional magnetic resonance imaging is an improved method for observing correlates of neural brain activity at high spatial resolution in human subjects. This technique is used for determining the specific regions of activation in the brain's cortical areas while the subject performs a pre designed motor task. Localized changes in cortical blood oxygenation during voluntary fist movements are modeled in a statistical framework such as general linear model (GLM) to obtain statistical parametric maps that represent various neuronal activations in the brain. fMRI was performed during visually cued motor task on a healthy subject in a 3.0 T scanner using gradient echo planar imaging with a 60 s repetition time. Evaluation of fMRI data is performed using SPM and final results are used to determine effective connectivity within a bilateral network comprising M1, premotor cortex (PMC) and supplementary motor area (SMA). Dynamic Causal Modelling (DCM) is used to analyze the effective connectivity between the above specified regions of the brain.
The association between interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) and nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in a Honduran population

Interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6), the gene that causes van der Woude syndrome (VWS), is a candidate gene for nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCLP) because a number of studies have supported an association between NSCLP and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IRF6 in several populations. This project investigated the contribution of IRF6 to NSCLP in the Honduran population, a previously unstudied group with a high prevalence of NSCLP.
Oxidation of External NAD(P)H by Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) Mitochondria : A Kinetic and Inhibitor Study.

The functional interaction between the externally located NAD(P)H dehydrogenase and the Q-pool acceptor site(s) in Percoll-purified mitochondria from Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L. cv OB1) mitochondria has been investigated. Oxidation of exogenous NADH is stimulated by ubiquinone (UQ(1)) with a parallel decrease of the apparent K(m) for NADH. In the presence of saturating amounts of UQ(1) as electron acceptor, the K(m) (NADH) is not affected by variations of the ionic strength. Conversely, the K(m) for UQ(1) is decreased by the screening effect of negative charges on the outer membrane surface. Under low-ionic strength, the hydroxyflavone platanetin progressively inhibits NADH oxidation with a mean inhibition dose of approximately 3 nanomoles of inhibitor per milligram of protein. Interestingly, under high-ionic strength, oxidation of NADH proceeds through two platanetin binding sites, one of which has a lower affinity for the inhibitor (mean inhibition dose = 20 nanomoles per milligram protein), because it is located near the outer surface of the membrane. This latter site is the one involved in the oxidation of external NADPH and, possibly, also affected by spermine and spermidine. Similarly to NADH, oxidation of NADPH is fully sensitive to micromolar concentrations of free Ca(2+) ions; in addition, similar concentrations of the sulfhydryl reagent mersalyl are required to inhibit both NADH and NADPH oxidative activities. The results are interpreted as evidence for the presence of a single nonspecific NAD(P)H dehydrogenase.
Heptahelical domain of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 behaves like rhodopsin-like receptors

Although agonists bind directly in the heptahelical domain (HD) of most class-I rhodopsin-like G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), class-III agonists bind in the extracellular domain of their receptors. Indeed, the latter possess a large extracellular domain composed of a cysteine-rich domain and a Venus flytrap module. Both the low sequence homology and the structural organization of class-III GPCRs raised the question of whether or not the HD of these receptors functions the same way as rhodopsin-like GPCRs. Here, we show that the HD of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) displays the same agonist-independent constitutive activity as the wild-type receptor. Moreover, we show that the noncompetitive antagonist MPEP [2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine hydrochloride] and the positive allosteric modulator DFB (3,3′-difluorobenzaldazine) act as inverse agonist and full agonist, respectively, on the mGlu5 HD in the absence of the extracellular domain. This finding illustrates that, like rhodopsin-like receptors, the HD of mGluRs can constitutively couple to G proteins and be negatively and positively regulated by ligands. These data show that the HD of mGluRs behave like any other class-I GPCRs in terms of G protein coupling and regulation by various types of ligands.
Incorporating ‘Ahmad Dahlan Values’ in the Curriculum of Higher Education

In 2012 the Directorate General of Higher Education of Indonesia required all higher education institutions to implement the Curriculum of Higher Education. As a part of higher education institutions, English Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta has been implementing this curriculum for five years. Curriculum of Higher Education has shifted the old paradigm of teacher-centered learning to the new pedagogical approach called student-centered learning. The implementation of the Curriculum of Higher Education necessitates all study programs to alter their curriculum oriented to produce competent graduates. English Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta has also been making attempts to incorporate the Muhammadiyah values proposed by its founder, KH. Ahmad Dahlan. The research is aimed at exploring how the Ahmad Dahlan’s’ values are implemented in the CHE setting at the EED of UMY. The data were collected by means of interviews with a head of department and two lecturers, teaching observation, and document analysis and focus group discussion with 33 students. The research found that the principles proposed by Ahmad Dahlan including the curriculum structure, pedagogical techniques, and character education had been successfully incorporated in the implementation of CHE and the Ahmad’s Dahlan values’ correspond to the CHE principles.
The effect of an outdoor powered wheelchair on activity and participation in users with stroke

Purpose.Persons with disabilities after stroke are often restricted in activity and participation in society because of mobility limitations. An outdoor powered wheelchair may be one among other interventions in a rehabilitation programme. The aim of this study was to describe and compare activity limitations and participation restrictions in persons with stroke from their own perspective, before and after using an outdoor powered wheelchair. Method. At baseline and follow-up two instruments were used: Individually Prioritized Problem Assessment (IPPA) and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II). Results. The results indicated that the powered wheelchair has a great positive effect on activity and participation assessed with IPPA. The results also showed that most of the participants' problems could be categorised as belonging to the domain of ‘Community, social and civic life’ according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and the effect size in this domain was large (2.4) after the participants had used the wheelchair. Conclusion. An outdoor powered wheelchair is an essential device for persons with disability after stroke with regard to overcoming activity limitations and participation restrictions in everyday life.
Four-Dimensional Modulation and Stokes Direct Detection of Polarization Division Multiplexed Intensities, Inter Polarization Phase and Inter Polarization Differential Phase

We propose and experimentally demonstrate modulation and Stokes space direct-detection (DD) of four orthogonal dimensions or degrees of freedom (DOF) of a single laser being the intensity on two orthogonal polarizations, the inter-polarization phase and the inter-polarization differential phase. At the transmitter, a dual-polarization in-phase quadrature-phase (DP-IQ) modulator driven by a 4-channel digital-to-analog converter is employed to imprint the transmitted data onto the aforementioned four DOF. Transmitted symbols for each polarization are drawn from multi-ring/multi-phase constellations, e.g., 2-ring/4-ary phase shift keying (PSK) or 2-ring/8PSK, resulting in a polarization division multiplexed (PDM) format with intensity, inter-polarization phase, and inter-polarization differential phase modulation (PDM-IMIPM-IDPM). At the receiver, a novel DD front-end1 comprising two 2 × 4 90° hybrids, two single-ended photodiodes (PDs), four balanced PDs, couplers and polarizing optics, provides six photocurrents from which the information on all four modulated DOF is retrieved with the aid of subsequent digital signal processing (DSP) operating in the Stokes space. Adopting the proposed transceiver, we experimentally report transmission of 320 Gb/s over 10 km of single mode fiber (SMF) below hard decision-FEC threshold of 3.8 × 10-3 using 40 GBd PDM 2-ring/8PSK modulation delivering 8 bits per symbol. In addition, we also report transmission of 360 Gb/s over 20 km of SMF below soft decision-FEC threshold of 2 × 10-2 using 45 GBd PDM 2-ring/8PSK modulation.
Strategic corporate responsibility: a theory review and synthesis

Purpose This article examines how responsibility and strategy can and should be connected in a business organization. Design/methodology/approach The article offers a review of the field by mapping previous studies according to their strategy and responsibility orientations and, consequently, identifies the classic perspective, as well as the major deficiencies and prevailing research gaps in the literature. Findings The article contributes to the field of strategic corporate responsibility by reframing the field with a contender perspective that challenges the classic view of strategy and responsibility amalgamation. Together, the classic and the contender perspectives are synthesized to form an integrative perspective that is more holistic than those currently available. Originality/value The article ends by calling for a reimagining of the relationship between corporate responsibility and strategy to find promising future research avenues and effective business practices suitable to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Virtual Reality Training With Three-Dimensional Video Games Improves Postural Balance and Lower Extremity Strength in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Avatar-based three-dimensional technology is a new approach to improve physical function in older adults. The aim of this study was to use three-dimensional video gaming technology in virtual reality training to improve postural balance and lower extremity strength in a population of community-dwelling older adults. The experimental group participated in the virtual reality training program for 60 min, twice a week, for 6 weeks. Both experimental and control groups were given three times for falls prevention education at the first, third, and fifth weeks. The experimental group showed significant improvements not only in static and dynamic postural balance but also lower extremity strength (p < .05). Furthermore, the experimental group was improved to overall parameters compared with the control group (p < .05). Therefore, three-dimensional video gaming technology might be beneficial for improving postural balance and lower extremity strength in community-dwelling older adults.
Mother-Infant Contingent Vocalizations in 11 Countries

Mother-infant vocal interactions serve multiple functions in child development, but it remains unclear whether key features of these interactions are community-common or community-specific. We examined rates, interrelations, and contingencies of vocal interactions in 684 mothers and their 5½-month-old infants in diverse communities in 11 countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, and the United States). Rates of mothers’ and infants’ vocalizations varied widely across communities and were uncorrelated. However, collapsing the data across communities, we found that mothers’ vocalizations to infants were contingent on the offset of the infants’ nondistress vocalizing, infants’ vocalizations were contingent on the offset of their mothers’ vocalizing, and maternal and infant contingencies were significantly correlated. These findings point to the beginnings of dyadic conversational turn taking. Despite broad differences in the overall talkativeness of mothers and infants, maternal and infant contingent vocal responsiveness is found across communities, supporting essential functions of turn taking in early-childhood socialization.
Intravital Two-Photon Microscopy Assessment of Renal Protection Efficacy of siRNA for p53 in Experimental Rat Kidney Transplantation Models

Renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, which is unavoidable in renal transplantation, frequently influences both short- and long-term allograft survival. Despite decades of laboratory and clinical investigations, and the advent of renal replacement therapy, the overall mortality rate due to acute tubular injury has changed little. I/R-induced DNA damage results in p53 activation in proximal tubule cells (PTC), leading to their apoptosis. Therefore, we examined the therapeutic effect of temporary p53 inhibition in two rat renal transplantation models on structural and functional aspects of injury using intravital two-photon microscopy. Nephrectomized Sprague-Dawley rats received syngeneic left kidney transplantation either after 40 min of intentional warm ischemia or after combined 5-h cold and 30-min warm ischemia of the graft. Intravenously administrated siRNA for p53 (siP53) has previously been shown to be filtered and reabsorbed by proximal tubular epithelial cells following the warm ischemia/reperfusion injury in a renal clamp model. Here, we showed that it was also taken up by PTC following 5 h of cold ischemia. Compared to saline-treated recipients, treatment with siP53 resulted in conservation of renal function and significantly suppressed the I/R-induced increase in serum creatinine in both kidney transplantation models. Intravital two-photon microscopy revealed that siP53 significantly ameliorated structural and functional damage to the kidney assessed by quantification of tubular cast formation and the number of apoptotic and necrotic tubular cells and by evaluation of blood flow rate. In conclusion, systemic administration of siRNA for p53 is a promising new approach to protect kidneys from I/R injury in renal transplantation.
RES‐specific imaging of the liver and spleen with iron oxide particles designed for blood pool MR‐angiography

The purpose of this study was to determine the dependency of liver‐ and spleen‐enhancement on particle size and dose of bolus‐injectable iron oxides designed for blood‐pool MR‐angiography (MRA). The superparamagnetic iron oxide SHU 555 A [particle size 65 nm (group 1)] and three derivatives designed for blood‐pool MRA (groups 2–4) with smaller hydrodynamic diameters (46/33/21 nm) were i.v. injected in New Zealand White rabbits at doses of 10, 20, or 40 μmol Fe/kg bw. MRI was performed before, 2, and 24 hours after contrast application using T1‐weighted SE and T2‐weighted TSE sequences. In addition splenic tissue was harvested post mortem and scanned ex vivo. All iron oxides significantly decreased the SI of liver and spleen in T1‐ and T2‐weighted images at 2 and 24 hours after application of contrast media (P < 0.01). The signal intensity was inversely related to the dose applied. Decreasing particle size resulted in a lower signal enhancement in liver and spleen. However, ultra‐small superparamagnetic iron oxides suited for blood‐pool MRA (USPIOs, group 4) still revealed a significant signal enhancement in the liver and spleen even 24 hours after contrast application (< − 60%, 40 μmol Fe/kg bw). They might thus be used for comprehensive abdominal studies including contrast enhanced MR‐angiography and RES–specific imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;10:461–467. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Provisional Ipsilateral Expandable Rod for Disc Space Distraction in Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Operative Technique

BACKGROUND: Lumbar disc degeneration may be so advanced and asymmetrical that transforaminal access to the interbody space is limited. The extent of collapse may compromise the capacity to restore disc height and coronal balance in minimally invasive approaches. Although a variety of distractors are available for open approaches, currently there is no feasible distractor that is functional within a minimally invasive retractor. OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of a provisional ipsilateral expandable rod for use in minimally invasive surgery for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions to optimize access to the disc space, thereby facilitating placement of an interbody spacer. METHODS: The authors report the clinical and radiographic data for 30 patients (3 open and 27 minimally invasive surgeries) with advanced degenerative disc disease in whom a provisional ipsilateral expandable rod was used to restore coronal balance and maintain disc height for interbody preparation and placement. Preoperative disc heights were measured, and the height of interbody spacer recorded. Mean restoration of disc heights was calculated. RESULTS: The provisional ipsilateral expandable rod was successfully applied in both open exposures and within a minimally invasive retractor. The mean preoperative disc height was 4.9 mm (range, 1-9 mm), the mean height of the spacer inserted was 11.1 mm (range, 8-15 mm), and the mean increase in disc height was 6.2 mm (range, 5-11 mm). CONCLUSION: A provisional ipsilateral expandable rod is feasible in either minimally invasive or open approaches. It has the capacity to maintain the disc height achieved by paddle distractors. This facilitates both the disc preparation and optimizes restoration of disc height and interbody spacer placement. ABBREVIATIONS: MIS, minimal invasive surgery TLIF, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion
Towards developing an algorithm in discriminating thin material using tri-axial tactile data from human tactile sensation

In order to increase the performance and efficiency of current tactile sensors, the study on the versatility of the human hand and tactile function could provide excellent hint. Our objective is to develop a new algorithm based on comparing the behavior of human tactile mechanism (using psychophysics experiment) vs. a robotic hand (equipped with 3-axis tactile sensor) using stainless steel (SUS) foils and 1,000-yen bills as medium. The significance of tangential load is highlighted to distinguish between material thicknesses. The result from the first experiment shows that using normal vs. angled load, the Weber fraction is high during low thickness and decreased with increase of thickness. In the second experiment, we find that the ability to distinguish between sheet numbers improves by increasing tangential load compared to just normal load. Overall, it is noted that the tangential load makes the tactile sensor distinguish extremely thin material.