Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Androgyny and Sex Role Measurement. A Personal Construct Approach

Recent research into sex roles has been heavily influenced by androgyny theory, and by the development of the Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI; Bern, 1974). Psychological androgyny is the combination, in one individual, of both culturally defined masculine and feminine personality traits. The Sex-Rep, a new instrument for assessing sex role which is aimed at rectifying certain problems associated with the BSRI, was then described. The Sex-Rep, the BSRI (Bern, 19 34), the Texas Social Behavior Inventory (TSBI; Spence & Stapp, 1974), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI, Beck, 1967), and a self-concept thermometer, were given to 100 male and 108 female undergraduates. Results indicated that the BSRI and the Sex-Rep are both valid sex-role instruments, insofar as they both discriminate between males and females. They tend to measure nonredundant components of sex role as indicated by a lack of overlap between their sex-role classifications. The present study did not find any support for the balance model of androgyny which suggests that high masculinity and high femininity interact by balancing each other to produce a healthier, more behaviorally flexible individual. BSRI masculinity (M) was strongly related to adjustment in both sexes, but BSRI femininity (F) had little impact. This relationship between BSRI M and adjustment was described as probably resulting from measurement artifact since (&) only socially desirable traits are included on the BSRI, (b) removing self-esteem effects from the BSRI M scale enhanced its ability to discriminate between the sexes, (c) Sex-Rep masculinity was not related to adjustment for women, and its linkage to adjustment for men was less strong than BSRI M, (d) women rated their feminine constructs as more desirable than their masculine constructs, and (e) there were no actual self-esteem differences between males and females. Thus, findings from the BSRI regarding the relationship between sex role and adjustment must be called into question. Furthermore, since there is little overlap between genderrelated personal construals and social stereotypes, it is important to discover the effects of personal gender identity on personality and behavior.
A microfluorometric method for quantifying RNA and DNA in terrestrial insects

Abstract Evidence is accumulating for a mechanistic linkage between body phosphorus content and growth and reproduction of individual organisms, due in part to variation in allocation of resources to ribosomal RNA. Testing this connection requires reliable methods of quantifying the nucleic acid content of individual organisms. Although methods for quantifying nucleic acids are available for a wide array of organisms, adaptation of such methods for study of insects has been neglected. Sensitive stains and high throughput fluorometric measurements are now available that substantially improve past methodologies. Here we present methods for the extraction and quantification of insect RNA and DNA based on the use of N-lauroylsarcosine and sonication for extraction, the nucleases RNase and DNase, and the use of microplate fluorescent assays to quantify nucleic acids as percent of body weight in insects. We illustrate the method using Drosophila and curculionid weevils.
Characterization of LEF1 High Expression and Novel Mutations in Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Aberrant activation of the Wnt pathway plays a pathogenetic role in tumors and has been associated with adverse outcome in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1), a key mediator of Wnt signaling, has been linked to leukemic transformation, and LEF1 mutations have been identified in T-ALL. Here we found LEF1 is highly expressed in 25.0% adult ALL patients and LEF1 high expression was associated with high-risk leukemia factors (high WBC, Philadelphia chromosome positive, complex karyotype), shorter event-free survival (EFS), and high relapse rates in patients with B-ALL. LEF1 high expression is also associated with high mutation rate of Notch1 and JAK1 in T-ALL. We identified 2 novel LEF1 mutations (K86E and P106L) in 4 of 131 patients with ALL, and those patients with high-risk ALL (high WBC, complex karyotype). These results suggest a role for LEF1 mutations in leukemogenesis. We further explored the effect of the mutations on cell proliferation and found both mutations significantly promoted the proliferation of ALL cells. We also observed the effect of LEF1 and its mutations on the transcription of its targets, c-MYC and Cyclin D1. We found LEF1 increased the promoter activity of its targets c-MYC and Cyclin D1, and LEF1 K86E and P106L mutants further significantly enhanced this effect. We also observed that the c-MYC and Cyclin D1 mRNA levels were significantly increased in patients with LEF1 high expression compared with those with low expression. Taken together, our findings indicate high LEF1 expression and mutation are associated with high-risk leukemia and our results also revealed that LEF1 high expression and/or gain-of-function mutations are involved in leukemogenesis of ALL.
Identifying gifted and talented students in Hong Kong

Gifted education in Hong Kong reflects the Chinese tradition of valuing and nurturing special abilities in children. Thus, identifying and selecting gifted and talented students into programs are central. Currently, procedures in Hong Kong generally emphasize the use of standardized instruments for identifying the intellectually gifted (using the Hong Kong Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices), the academically gifted (using the Hong Kong Attainment Tests), and the creatively gifted (using the Chinese versions of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking or the Wallach‐Kogan Tests). Advocating the use of multiple criteria, educators in Hong Kong also employ informal measures such as nominations and rating scales. The complexity of the identification process was illustrated with the Chinese University Summer Gifted Program procedures of nomination, screening, and selection based on multiple measures and the ultimate criteria of matching individual specific needs with program services available. The issues regarding students being labeled as gifted or nongifted as a result of identification, the all‐or‐none misconception of giftedness, and the need to design and evaluate multiple measures and identification procedures are discussed.
Online multiple-model approach to prediction for financial markets

Financial market prediction, being a complex problem, has intrigued researchers for a long time. In this paper, we try to address the problem by treating it as a time-series and employing artificial neural networks (ANNs) to forecast the future stock value. Two types of neural network learning algorithms are illustrated for the current application: The backward propagation algorithm and an online sequential learning algorithm. Several training strategies are also proposed. The principle objective of this paper is to demonstrate the improvement in predictive performance using multiple neural networks. Towards this, an attempt is made at predicting the SENSEX value of the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Efficient Schemes for Reducing Numerical Dispersion in Modeling Multiphase Transport through Heterogeneous Geological Media

When modeling transport of chemicals or solute in realistic large‐scale subsurface systems, numerical issues are a serious concern, even with the continual progress made over the past few decades in both simulation algorithms and computer hardware. The problem becomes even more difficult when dealing with chemical transport in a vadose zone or multiphase flow system using coarse, multidimensional regular or irregular grids because of the known effects of numerical dispersion associated with moving plume fronts. We have investigated several total variation diminishing (TVD) or flux‐limiter schemes by implementing and testing them in the T2R3D code, one of the TOUGH2 family of codes. The objectives of this paper are (i) to investigate the possibility of applying these TVD schemes, using multidimensional irregular unstructured grids, and (ii) to help select more accurate spatial averaging methods for simulating chemical transport, given a numerical grid or spatial discretization. We present an application example to show that such TVD schemes can effectively reduce numerical dispersion.
Glyoxalase-1 overexpression in bone marrow cells reverses defective neovascularization in STZ-induced diabetic mice.

AIMS Methylglyoxal (MG) accumulates in diabetes and impairs neovascularization. This study assessed whether overexpressing the MG-metabolizing enzyme glyoxalase-1 (GLO1) in only bone marrow cells (BMCs) could restore neovascularization in ischaemic tissue of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. METHODS AND RESULTS After 24 h of hyperglycaemic and hypoxic culture, BMCs from GLO1 overexpressing and wild-type (WT) diabetic mice were compared for migratory potential, viability, and mRNA expression of anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL). In vivo, BMCs from enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) mice that overexpress GLO1 were used to reconstitute the BM of diabetic mice (GLO1-diabetics). Diabetic and non-diabetic recipients of WT GFP(+) BM served as controls (WT-diabetics and non-diabetics, respectively). Following hindlimb ischaemia, the mobilization of BMCs was measured by flow cytometry. In hindlimbs, the presence of BM-derived angiogenic (GFP(+)CXCR4(+)) and endothelial (GFP(+)vWF(+)) cells and also arteriole density were determined by immunohistochemistry. Hindlimb perfusion was measured using laser Doppler. GLO1-BMCs had superior migratory potential, increased viability, and greater Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL expression, compared with WT BMCs. In vivo, the mobilization of pro-angiogenic BMCs (CXCR4(+), c-kit(+), and Flk(+)) was enhanced post-ischaemia in GLO1-diabetics compared to WT-diabetics. A greater number of GFP(+)CXCR4(+) and GFP(+)vWF(+) BMCs incorporated into the hindlimb tissue of GLO1-diabetics and non-diabetics than in WT-diabetics. Arteriole and capillary density and perfusion were also greater in GLO1-diabetics and non-diabetics. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that protection from MG uniquely in BM is sufficient to restore BMC function and neovascularization of ischaemic tissue in diabetes and identifies GLO1 as a potential therapeutic target.
An Elucidative Programming Environment for Scheme (Incomplete Draft)

In this paper we describe a programming environment for Scheme that supports elucidative programming. Scheme is a programming language in the Lisp family. Elucidative programming is a variant of literate programming. Literate programming represents the idea of structuring the program as fragments that are contained in an essay that documents the program understanding. Elucidative programming is in a similar way based on the ideas of documented program understanding, but in contrast to literate programming, elucidative programming leaves the program intact. The relations between the documentation and the units of the program are defined without use of containment. Whereas most literate programming tools produce paper output of the literate program, the elucidative tools are oriented towards presentation in a WWW browser.
Decomposition of Design Space Exploration Problems in the Context of model-based Development

During the development process of complex embedded systems there typically is a large number of architectural decisions that engineers are facing. Each of them can influence the properties of the end result (i.e.: cost, performance, etc.). A systematic process that supports this decision making is often referred to as Design Space Exploration (DSE). The need for computer-aided DSE methods was recognized by the research community which resulted in a large number of publications in this area. The contribution of this PhD project is two-fold: First contribution is a classification of typical DSE problems that arise during the development process of embedded systems. Due their high popularity in this area the focus of this work lies on the model-based approaches. The second contribution is two provide a decomposition approach for complex DSE problems. The decomposition strategy is thereby based on the previously identified DSE problem classes.
A switch region determines the cell type-specific positive or negative action of YY1 on the activity of the human papillomavirus type 18 promoter

YY1 is a zinc finger transcription factor which acts as either a repressor or an activator dependent on the promoter context. YY1 is a potent activator of the genuine human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV-18) upstream regulatory region (URR) in HeLa cells, which are known for high-level expression of the HPV-18 early genes. The activating activity of YY1 is dependent on the presence of a newly identified switch region located upstream of the YY1 binding site. Deletion of this region causes YY1 to act as a repressor of HPV-18 promoter activity. In vivo footprinting of the HPV-18 URR and an in vitro electrophoretic mobility shift assay identified proteins binding to the switch region. Site-directed mutagenesis of the switch region and YY1 binding sites suggests that these two regions work in concert to yield high-level HPV-18 URR activity in HeLa cells but not in HepG2 cells, where HPV-18 is almost inactive. These data identified a novel mode of cell type-specific regulation of HPV-18 promoter activity by positive or negative action of YY1, determined by the switch region binding factor(s).
Nanowire-based thermoelectrics

Research on thermoelectrics has seen a huge resurgence since the early 1990s. The ability of tuning a material’s electrical and thermal transport behavior upon nanostructuring has led to this revival. Nevertheless, thermoelectric performances of nanowires and related materials lag far behind those achieved with thin-film superlattices and quantum dot-based materials. This is despite the fact that nanowires offer many distinct advantages in enhancing the thermoelectric performances of materials. The simplicity of the strategy is the first and foremost advantage. For example, control of the nanowire diameters and their surface roughnesses will aid in enhancing their thermoelectric performances. Another major advantage is the possibility of obtaining high thermoelectric performances using simpler nanowire chemistries (e.g., elemental and binary compound semiconductors), paving the way for the fabrication of thermoelectric modules inexpensively from non-toxic elements. In this context, the topical review provides an overview of the current state of nanowire-based thermoelectrics. It concludes with a discussion of the future vision of nanowire-based thermoelectrics, including the need for developing strategies aimed at the mass production of nanowires and their interface-engineered assembly into devices. This eliminates the need for trial-and-error strategies and complex chemistries for enhancing the thermoelectric performances of materials.
Social Desirability, Psychological Symptoms, and Perceived Health in Burn Injured Patients

Social desirability was previously seen as a nuisance in assessment, but today it is regarded as a personality trait with an influence on health. The aim was to explore relations between social desirability and health in former burn patients. Eighty-four burn patients injured on average 3.8 years ago responded to a questionnaire booklet. Social desirability was assessed with the social desirability subscale of the Swedish universities Scales of Personality, which is standardized in a normative sample. The results showed that a subgroup with high degree of social desirability displayed significantly poorer perceived health on the burn-specific health subscales heat sensitivity, work, and body image than normal responders did. There were no differences regarding age, education, injury-related variables, sick leave, or symptoms of anxiety and depression. In conclusion, participants with high social desirability were characterized by postburn problems in outdoor and work-related situations, and more self-consciousness about appearance.
Predicting Retention of Catholic High School Religion Teachers in the United States

The United States is experiencing a shortage of qualified Catholic high school religion teachers. Previous research indicates that teacher turnover and attrition is a major cause of the problem. This study investigates factors that are related to religion teacher retention. Data for religion teachers are drawn from The Next Generation: A Study of Catholic High School Religion Teachers . The results reveal that the background characteristics of religion degree & teaching preparation and full-time status and the satisfaction measures of enjoyment, efficacy, and community support have the most impact on retaining religion teachers. Our predictive models identify enjoyment of teaching religion as the strongest predictor for reducing attrition while teacher efficacy and community support, in turn, are the strongest predictors of enjoyment. Although shown to be related to retention, satisfaction with opportunities for faith expression and satisfaction with compensation & growth are less influential. Our findings suggest that school leaders can influence religion teacher retention with strategies that include hiring formally prepared teachers who teach religion full-time, implementing mentoring and induction programs, showing appreciation and support, and strengthening school faith community.
Identification of a Fourth Formate Dehydrogenase in Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 and Confirmation of the Essential Role of Formate Oxidation in Methylotrophy

ABSTRACT A mutant of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 with lesions in genes for three formate dehydrogenase (FDH) enzymes was previously described by us (L. Chistoserdova, M. Laukel, J.-C. Portais, J. A. Vorholt, and M. E. Lidstrom, J. Bacteriol. 186:22-28, 2004). This mutant had lost its ability to grow on formate but still maintained the ability to grow on methanol. In this work, we further investigated the phenotype of this mutant. Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments with [13C]formate, as well as 14C-labeling experiments, demonstrated production of labeled CO2 in the mutant, pointing to the presence of an additional enzyme or a pathway for formate oxidation. The tungsten-sensitive phenotype of the mutant suggested the involvement of a molybdenum-dependent enzyme. Whole-genome array experiments were conducted to test for genes overexpressed in the triple-FDH mutant compared to the wild type, and a gene (fdh4A) was identified whose translated product carried similarity to an uncharacterized putative molybdopterin-binding oxidoreductase-like protein sharing relatively low similarity with known formate dehydrogenase alpha subunits. Mutation of this gene in the triple-FDH mutant background resulted in a methanol-negative phenotype. When the gene was deleted in the wild-type background, the mutant revealed diminished growth on methanol with accumulation of high levels of formate in the medium, pointing to an important role of FDH4 in methanol metabolism. The identity of FDH4 as a novel FDH was also confirmed by labeling experiments that revealed strongly reduced CO2 formation in growing cultures. Mutation of a small open reading frame (fdh4B) downstream of fdh4A resulted in mutant phenotypes similar to the phenotypes of fdh4A mutants, suggesting that fdh4B is also involved in formate oxidation.
Bilevel Sparse Models for Polyphonic Music Transcription

In this work, we propose a trainable sparse model for automatic polyphonic music transcription, which incorporates several successful approaches into a unified optimization framework. Our model combines unsupervised synthesis models similar to latent component analysis and nonnegative factorization with metric learning techniques that allow supervised discriminative learning. We develop efficient stochastic gradient training schemes allowing unsupervised, semi-, and fully supervised training of the model as well its adaptation to test data. We show efficient fixed complexity and latency approximation that can replace iterative minimization algorithms in time-critical applications. Experimental evaluation on synthetic and real data shows promising initial results.
On θ-cyclic codes over 𝔽2 + v𝔽2

In this paper we study θ-cyclic codes over the ring R = F2 + vF2 = {0, 1, v, v+1} where v = v. This is the only ring of order four that is not a field and has a non-trivial ring automorphism. We describe generator polynomials of θ-cyclic codes defined over this ring. We also describe the generator polynomials of the duals of free θ-cyclic codes with respect to Euclidean and Hermitian inner products. Finally, we give examples of optimal self-dual codes with respect to the Euclidean and Hermitian inner products. 116 T. ABUALRUB, N. AYDIN AND P. SENEVIRATNE
Back to the Future: Preserved Hippocampal Network Activity during Reverse Ambulation

During movement, there is a transition of activity across the population, such that place-field centers ahead of the rat are sequentially activated in the order that they will be encountered. Although the mechanisms responsible for this sequence updating are unknown, two classes of models can be considered. The first class involves head-direction information for activating neurons in the order that their place fields will be traversed. An alternative model contends that motion and turn-related information from the posterior parietal cortex shift the subset of active hippocampal cells across the population. To explicitly test these two models, rodents were trained to run backward on a linear track, placing movement in opposition with head orientation. Although head-direction did not change between running conditions, place-field activity remapped and there was an increase in place-field size during backward running compared with forward. The population activity, however, could still be used to reconstruct the location of the rat accurately. Moreover, theta phase precession was maintained in both running conditions, indicating preservation of place-field sequences on short-time scales. The observation that sequence encoding persists even when the animal is orientated away from the direction of movement favors the concept that posterior parietal cortical mechanisms may be partially responsible for updating hippocampal activity patterns.
On factoriality of nodal threefolds

We prove the Q-factoriality of a nodal hypersurface in P4 of degree n with at most (n−1) 2 4 nodes and the Q-factoriality of a double cover of P3 branched over a nodal surface of degree 2r with at most (2r−1)r 3 nodes.