Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Valoración psicométrica de la Psychological Entitlement Scale desde la Teoría clásica de los tests y la Teoría de respuesta al ítem

Objective. The aim of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of the Psychological Entitlement Scale (PES) in the local context using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). Method. Participants were 402 university students with a mean age of 22.77 years ( SD = 4.85), both genders (61.9% female), and from different university careers, and 324 residents of the city of Cordoba, aged 18 to 65 years ( M = 32.77, SD = 10.71), both genders (56.2% women), with different socio-economic backgrounds. All participants were selected at random, and evaluated with PES and Triple Dominance Scale measures. Results. From the TCT, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that eight of the nine items comprising the original scale showed an unifactorial structure with adequate factor loadings and/or regression weights. Also, acceptable values of internal consistency were observed. Individuals classified as pro-social presented significantly lower values in the PES than individualistic and competitive people (small effect size). From the IRT, the rating scale model showed a good global fit to the scale model, although the item analysis indicated unacceptable indices for one item, and some categories which were not very informative. Conclusion. Although TCT results demonstrated good psychometric properties, analysis from the IRT suggested adjustments to the instrument, in particular, the regrouping of response categories which were not very informative alone.
Putting Differences in Context: Incorporating the Role of Status and Cooperation into Work Unit Ethnic Composition Research

Due to increasing diversity within organizations, understanding the impact of ethnic differences in work units has become a strategic imperative. Although the topic of much research, findings regarding the effect of work unit ethnic composition on unitlevel outcomes are inconsistent. I begin to address inconsistencies in the literature by incorporating the role of two moderators of intergroup contact, status and cooperation (Allport, 1954), into ethnic composition research. First, I introduce the construct of ethnic status, which reflects the degree of status ascribed to individuals based on ethnic group membership, and predict that work unit ethnic status separation (ESS) will negatively impact work unit processes (conflict, cohesion, trust) and performance (financial, manager-rated, citizenship behaviors). Second, I theorize that elements of the work unit (learning climate, performance climate) and community (ethnic composition, economics, political climate) context will moderate work unit ethnic composition effects, such that cooperative contexts ameliorate, but competitive contexts exacerbate, the negative relationship between work unit ESS and unit-level outcomes. In Study 1, I developed a measure of ethnic status and found support for the stability and validity of the measure in both student and adult samples. In Study 2, I used the status measure to calculate work unit ethnic composition (i.e., ESS). I then tested the interaction of work unit ESS with
Architecture and Design of Multichannel Millimeter-Wave Wireless NoC

The network-on-chip (NoC) is an enabling methodology to integrate many embedded cores on a single die. The existing method of implementing a NoC with planar metal interconnects is deficient due to high latency and significant power consumption arising out of multi-hop links used in data exchanges. To address these problems, this paper introduces design methodology for a wireless NoC with multiple nonoverlapping channels. The authors present both the physical layer design and the overall interconnection architecture.
Multiplex meta-analysis of RNA expression to identify genes with variants associated with immune dysfunction

Objective We demonstrate a genome-wide method for the integration of many studies of gene expression of phenotypically similar disease processes, a method of multiplex meta-analysis. We use immune dysfunction as an example disease process. Design We use a heterogeneous collection of datasets across human and mice samples from a range of tissues and different forms of immunodeficiency. We developed a method integrating Tibshirani's modified t-test (SAM) is used to interrogate differential expression within a study and Fisher's method for omnibus meta-analysis to identify differentially expressed genes across studies. The ability of this overall gene expression profile to prioritize disease associated genes is evaluated by comparing against the results of a recent genome wide association study for common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). Results Our approach is able to prioritize genes associated with immunodeficiency in general (area under the ROC curve = 0.713) and CVID in particular (area under the ROC curve = 0.643). Conclusions This approach may be used to investigate a larger range of failures of the immune system. Our method may be extended to other disease processes, using RNA levels to prioritize genes likely to contain disease associated DNA variants.
Sciatic nerve repair using adhesive bonding and a modified conduit

When repairing nerves with adhesives, most researchers place glue directly on the nerve stumps, but this method does not fix the nerve ends well and allows glue to easily invade the nerve ends. In this study, we established a rat model of completely transected sciatic nerve injury and repaired it using a modified 1 cm-length conduit with inner diameter of 1.5 mm. Each end of the cylindrical conduit contains a short linear channel, while the enclosed central tube protects the nerve ends well. Nerves were repaired with 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate and suture, which complement the function of the modified conduit. The results demonstrated that for the same conduit, the average operation time using the adhesive method was much shorter than with the suture method. No significant differences were found between the two groups in sciatic function index, motor evoked potential latency, motor evoked potential amplitude, muscular recovery rate, number of medullated nerve fibers, axon diameter, or medullary sheath thickness. Thus, the adhesive method for repairing nerves using a modified conduit is feasible and effective, and reduces the operation time while providing an equivalent repair effect.
Factorization of Language Constraints in Speech Recognition

Integration of language constraints into a large vocabulary speech recognition system often leads to prohibitive complexity. We propose to factor the constraints into two components. The first is characterized by a covering grammar which is small and easily integrated into existing speech recognizers. The recognized string is then decoded by means of an efficient language post-processor in which the full set of constraints is imposed to correct possible errors introduced by the speech recognizer.
The Cognitive Processes by which Perceived Locus of Causality Predicts Participation in Physical Activity

The present study examined the cognitive processes by which perceived locus of causality influences participation in leisure time physical activity. Based on the theoretical tenets of self-determination theory, it was hypothesized that deliberative modes of information processing and past behaviour will account for the direct effects of perceived locus of causality on effort and physical activity. Data from self-report questionnaires were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. Results demonstrated that perceived locus of causality influences effort and physical activity participation via attitudes and perceived behavioural control. It was concluded that the addition of perceived locus of causality to the theory of planned behaviour increased the utility of the theory in predicting adherence to physical activity.
Effect of Deletion of Genes Involved in Lipopolysaccharide Core and O-Antigen Synthesis on Virulence and Immunogenicity of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium

ABSTRACT Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major virulence factor of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and is composed of lipid A, core oligosaccharide (C-OS), and O-antigen polysaccharide (O-PS). While the functions of the gene products involved in synthesis of core and O-antigen have been elucidated, the effect of removing O-antigen and core sugars on the virulence and immunogenicity of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium has not been systematically studied. We introduced nonpolar, defined deletion mutations in waaG (rfaG), waaI (rfaI), rfaH, waaJ (rfaJ), wbaP (rfbP), waaL (rfaL), or wzy (rfc) into wild-type S. Typhimurium. The LPS structure was confirmed, and a number of in vitro and in vivo properties of each mutant were analyzed. All mutants were significantly attenuated compared to the wild-type parent when administered orally to BALB/c mice and were less invasive in host tissues. Strains with ΔwaaG and ΔwaaI mutations, in particular, were deficient in colonization of Peyer's patches and liver. This deficiency could be partially overcome in the ΔwaaI mutant when it was administered intranasally. In the context of an attenuated vaccine strain delivering the pneumococcal antigen PspA, all of the mutations tested resulted in reduced immune responses against PspA and Salmonella antigens. Our results indicate that nonreversible truncation of the outer core is not a viable option for developing a live oral Salmonella vaccine, while a wzy mutant that retains one O-antigen unit is adequate for stimulating the optimal protective immunity to homologous or heterologous antigens by oral, intranasal, or intraperitoneal routes of administration.
Introducing IPS: An integration processing system for scalable architecture

Conventional parallel processors are not scalable because of communication overhead between different processors. We propose a new Integration Processing System to integrate the results of parallel processing in hardware to eliminate the costly communication overhead. The application is partitioned and mapped to parallel processors in the first phase, then the results from parallel processors are collected using an integration processing unit in the second phase. IPS improves scalability by using one instruction to collect the results of parallel processors in space and not in time.
LincRNA-p21 Regulates Neointima Formation, Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Atherosclerosis by Enhancing p53 Activity

Background— Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been implicated in many biological processes and diseases. Atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the functional role of lncRNAs in atherosclerosis is largely unknown. Methods and Results— We identified lincRNA-p21 as a key regulator of cell proliferation and apoptosis during atherosclerosis. The expression of lincRNA-p21 was dramatically downregulated in atherosclerotic plaques of ApoE−/− mice, an animal model for atherosclerosis. Through loss- and gain-of-function approaches, we showed that lincRNA-p21 represses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells and mouse mononuclear macrophage cells in vitro. Moreover, we found that inhibition of lincRNA-p21 results in neointimal hyperplasia in vivo in a carotid artery injury model. Genome-wide analysis revealed that lincRNA-p21 inhibition dysregulated many p53 targets. Furthermore, lincRNA-p21, a transcriptional target of p53, feeds back to enhance p53 transcriptional activity, at least in part, via binding to mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. The association of lincRNA-p21 and MDM2 releases MDM2 repression of p53, enabling p53 to interact with p300 and to bind to the promoters/enhancers of its target genes. Finally, we show that lincRNA-p21 expression is decreased in patients with coronary artery disease. Conclusions— Our studies identify lincRNA-p21 as a novel regulator of cell proliferation and apoptosis and suggest that this lncRNA could serve as a therapeutic target to treat atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular disorders.
MPEG Video Bit-Rate Shaping Technique Using Smooth-Transcoding Algorithm

In this paper we propose an algorithm to adjust the transmission bit-rate of variable-bit-rate (VBR) MPEG video data by using a combination of transcoding and bit-rate smoothing algorithm. The algorithm works by smoothing out the bit-rate of high variance MPEG video data and when necessary transcodes some video frames in order to keep the video transmission bit-rate below a determined threshold value. This technique is useful for a live video streaming application in which an originally high-quality VBR video data for broadband users must also be delivered to other type of users where their allowed bit-rate and its variation is tightly constrained, such as mobile phone users, without sacrificing the quality of video images too much. Quality degradation caused by transcoding can be reduced by the smoothing process, which will make the number of frames required to be transcoded can be much lower than doing transcoding solely. Depending on the threshold value, our experiment results show that the number frames needed to be transcoded can be reduced significantly.
Tubular proteinuria defined by a study of Dent's (CLCN5 mutation) and other tubular diseases.

UNLABELLED Tubular proteinuria defined by a study of Dent's ( CLCN5 mutation) and other tubular diseases. BACKGROUND The term "tubular proteinuria" is often used interchangeably with "low molecular weight proteinuria" (LMWP), although the former implies a definite etiology. A specific quantitative definition of tubular proteinuria is needed, and we address this by studying five different renal disorders. METHODS Tubular proteinuria was assessed by measuring urinary retinol-binding protein (RBP), beta2-microglobulin (beta2M), alpha1-microglobulin (alpha1M), and albumin in 138 patients: 26 affected males and 24 female carriers of the X-linked syndrome "Dent's disease," 6 patients with other Fanconi syndromes, 17 with distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA), 39 with glomerulonephritis (GN), and 26 with Chinese herbs nephropathy (CHN). RESULTS RBP was better than beta2M or alpha1M in identifying the tubular proteinuria of Dent's disease. Median urinary RBP levels in mg/mmol creatinine were: affected male Dent's, 18.2, N = 26; carrier female Dent's, 0. 30, N = 24; dRTA, 0.027, N = 17; GN, 0.077, N = 39; and normal adults, 0.0079, N = 61. Elevated urinary RBP (>0.017) and albumin < (10 x RBP) + 2 identified all patients with the LMWP of Dent's disease and clearly distinguished their LMWP from that of dRTA and GN. This is a quantitative definition of tubular proteinuria. Consistent with this definition, 80% of those patients with CHN who had an elevated RBP had tubular proteinuria. Urinary RBP and albumin in carriers of Dent's disease were strikingly correlated over a 100-fold range (R = 0.933). CONCLUSION The combination of elevated urinary RBP (>0.017) and albumin < (10 x RBP) + 2 (mg protein/mmol creatinine) is a quantitative definition of tubular proteinuria. Furthermore, our findings suggest that a shared defect in tubular RBP and albumin reuptake causes this form of proteinuria.
Design of an intelligent exponential-reaching sliding-mode control via recurrent fuzzy neural network

In the presence of modeling inaccuracy, which may have strong adverse effects upon system performance, the sliding-mode control (SMC) can provide a closed-loop system dynamics with an invariance property to uncertainties. This study proposes an intelligent exponential-reaching sliding-mode control (IERSMC) system which provides faster convergence and higher tracking precision. The proposed IERSMC system is composed of a linearization controller and an exponential compensator. The linearization controller including a recurrent fuzzy neural network (RFNN) approximator is the main controller and the exponential compensator is designed to eliminate the effect of the approximation error introduced by the RFNN approximator upon system stability. Finally, the proposed IERSMC system is applied to an inverted pendulum to show its effectiveness. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed IERSMC system can achieve favorable performance for tracking control problem.
Asymptomatic volunteers with a polycystic ovary are a functionally distinct but heterogeneous population.

CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine the ovarian function of asymptomatic volunteers with a polycystic ovary (V-PCO). PARTICIPANTS Non-hirsute eumenorrheic V-PCO (n = 32) and volunteers with ultrasonographically normal ovaries (V-NO) (n = 21) were compared with one another and with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients who met National Institute of Health criteria (n = 90). DESIGN/SETTING/INTERVENTIONS: GnRH agonist (GnRHag), ACTH, and oral glucose tolerance tests were prospectively performed in a General Clinical Research Center. RESULTS The distribution of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) responses to GnRHag of V-PCO formed a distinct population intermediate between that of V-NO, the reference population, and PCOS. Nevertheless, the V-PCO population was heterogeneous. There were 53% (seventeen of 32) that were functionally normal, with 17OHP responses and free testosterone levels like V-NO. A total of 25% (eight of 32) had an elevated free testosterone, thus meeting Rotterdam criteria for PCOS; one third of these had 17OHP hyperresponsiveness to GnRHag testing. The remaining 22% (seven of 32) had 17OHP hyperresponsiveness to GnRHag, but normal free testosterone. Of PCOS, 69% had elevated 17OHP hyperresponsiveness to GnRHag. Ovarian volume correlated significantly with 17OHP responses only in PCOS, accounting for just 10% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS Many asymptomatic volunteers have a PCO. They are a distinct, but heterogeneous, population with respect to ovarian function, ranging from normal (53%) to occult PCOS by Rotterdam criteria (25%). Nearly one quarter (22%) had the typical PCOS type of ovarian dysfunction without hyperandrogenemia, termed a "dysregulated PCO"; they or their offspring may be at risk for PCOS. Ovarian ultrasonographic characteristics must be considered when establishing norms for ovarian function.
The genus Campylobacter: a decade of progress

In 1977, microbiologists and clinicians were awakened to the importance of the genus Campylobacter when it was learned that one species, Campylobacter jejuni, was a major cause of human enteritis. In the following decade substantial advances were made in diagnosis, isolation technology, identification, classification, serotyping, and epidemiology. The genus has undergone rapid expansion as advantage was taken of the deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization technique in defining new species. The 14 species now included in the genus, however, constitute a widely diverse group, and one species, C. pylori, which is associated with human gastroduodenitis, is under consideration for reassignment to another genus. The nomenclature of the subspecies of C. fetus has been resolved and the role of C. fetus subsp. fetus as an agent of human infections has been more clearly defined. The thermophilic campylobacteria that are etiological agents of human enteritis now include three species, C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. laridis. Recently defined species that have also been implicated as enteritis-causing agents include C. hyointestinalis, "C. upsaliensis," "C. cinaedi," and "C. fennelliae. " The aerotolerant campylobacteria are now included in the species C. cryaerophila, and the campylobacteria isolated from salt marshes are included in C. nitrofigilis. The taxonomy and nomenclature of C. sputorum have been revised. C. sputorum now consists of three biovars (biotypes). Two of these, biovar sputorum and biovar bubulus, were previously considered to be separate subspecies and the third, biovar fecalis, was previously regarded as a separate species and known as "C. fecalis. " The former subspecies C. sputorum subsp. mucosalis has been elevated to the rank of species. C. mucosalis is metabolically closely related to C. consisus. Human pathogens have not been identified among C. sputorum, C. mucosalis, or C. concisus. The goal of this article is to review developments during the last 10 years with emphasis on changes in taxonomy that are important from the perspective of the clinical microbiologist.
Cardiovascular Benefits of Forgiveness in Women: A Psychophysiological Study

The perseverative cognition hypothesis posits that psychological stress (e.g., sustained mental representations of past events) contributes to somatic disease through prolonged activation of cardiovascular and other biomechanisms. In the current study, we examined the effects of forgiveness compared to unforgiveness states, the latter conceptualized as a form of perseveration, on cardiovascular function. Ruminating about a hurtful event has been associated with higher heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension compared to forgiving. Specific aims of the current study are to examine the impact of forgiveness on vagal function—indexed by heart rate variability (HRV)—using an electrocardiogram. Healthy female participants’ (N = 60) HR data was continuously measured during a 5-minute baseline period, a 5-minute negative emotion induction, and 5 minutes of a randomized recovery manipulation. During the negative emotion induction, participants were instructed to think about a transgressor with whom they were feeling frustrated. Participants were then randomized into one of three recovery conditions: forgiveness (imagine forgiving the transgressor), extended frustration (continue thinking about the transgressor), and distraction (read neutral, thorough laundry instructions). After controlling for baseline and task HRV, participants in the forgiveness phase had higher HRV than those in both the extended frustration and distraction phases. Results suggest that: a) forgiveness may influence somatic health through mechanisms of cardiac autonomic control, b) lower HRV during unforgiveness is analogous to perseverative states such as worry and rumination, and c) among women, forgiveness of a transgressor may be a beneficial coping strategy. Overall, the findings support the perseverative cognition hypothesis, and suggest a link between forgiveness and cardiovascular health. Psychophysiology of Forgiveness in Women 3
Why evolution matters for species conservation: perspectives from three case studies of plant metapopulations

We advocate the advantage of an evolutionary approach to conservation biology that considers evolutionary history at various levels of biological organization. We review work on three separate plant taxa, spanning from one to multiple decades, illustrating extremes in metapopulation functioning. We show how the rare endemics Centaurea corymbosa (Clape Massif, France) and Brassica insularis in Corsica (France) may be caught in an evolutionary trap: disruption of metapopulation functioning due to lack of colonization of new sites may have counterselected traits such as dispersal ability or self‐compatibility, making these species particularly vulnerable to any disturbance. The third case study concerns the evolution of life history strategies in the highly diverse genus Leucadendron of the South African fynbos. There, fire disturbance and the recolonization phase after fires are so integral to the functioning of populations that recruitment of new individuals is conditioned by fire. We show how past adaptation to different fire regimes and climatic constraints make species with different life history syndromes more or less vulnerable to global changes. These different case studies suggest that management strategies should promote evolutionary potential and evolutionary processes to better protect extant biodiversity and biodiversification.