Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigating prospective science teachers' awareness of information technology in STSE contexte

In the present study, it was aimed to investigate prospective science teachers' (PSTs) awareness of the relationships between information technology (IT) and science, society, technology and environment (STSE). The sample of this study comprised of 40 elementary PSTs who were registered for a STSE course at a state university in the capital city of a non-western country. The data of the study were collected through open ended essay questions and a final project prepared for the requirement of the STSE course. Qualitative data were analyzed by using constant comparative methods developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967). The analyses revealed that the PSTs have lack of understanding about the relationships between IT and technology. Besides, the negative relationship between IT and environment was stressed by half of the participants, most of whom concerned about human health. When the findings of the relationship between IT and science are considered it was seen that the PSTs give more emphasis on the positive effects of IT on science without any consideration of mutual relationships between IT and science. The findings regarding relationships between IT and society revealed that most of the PSTs generally mentioned about positive effects of IT on society rather than negative effects of IT on society or effects of society on IT. The findings of this study imply that PSTs' awareness of the relationships between IT and STSE are needed to be improved through their teacher education program.
Wavelets analysis of the Baltic equity market: risk and co-movement with the European market

This paper’s objective is to explore equity market risk and co-movements between markets both in time and frequency dimensions. We focus our analysis on the risk of the Baltic and European stock markets. We consider co-movements between European and the Baltic stock markets of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the period of 2000-2017. Compared to previous studies, a novelty of the paper is the use, for the first time, of wavelet analysis for investigation of the Baltic markets. Our findings are consistent with the findings of other researchers who indicated that the Baltic markets are more integrated with developed European stock markets during crisis periods. We discover that volatility is concentrated in the medium and long periods (medium and low frequencies) from 0,75 to 3,5 years for all the markets under consideration. The absolute maximum of volatility is achieved at the period of the frequencies corresponding to the period of 3 years. We find some impact of accession to the EU on co-movements between the Baltic equity markets and the European market. The co-movement in periods around 1,5 years is greater at the time before accession to the EU. From the investment diversification point of view, the effect depends on the investment horizon. We discover that the Baltic markets’ co-movements with the European market are very high in low frequencies. Our conclusion is that for a long term investor with a time horizon of over 1,5 years diversification with the Baltic markets is not very efficient. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.5755/j01.ee. 29.5. 19330
Apoptotic Thymocyte Clearance in Scavenger Receptor Class A-Deficient Mice Is Apparently Normal

Studies of apoptotic cell uptake by phagocytes in vitro have implicated a number of different receptors capable of mediating ingestion. However, there is currently little evidence for involvement of any of these candidate receptors in vivo. Previously, we have shown by the use of a blocking mAb against the class A scavenger receptor (SR-A) and thymic macrophages prepared from SR-A null mice, that this receptor is responsible for ∼50% of the uptake of apoptotic thymocytes in vitro. In this study we have investigated the frequency of dying cells in the thymus of mice lacking SR-A. Our inability to demonstrate increased frequencies of nonphagocytosed Annexin V+, TUNEL+, or propidium iodide+ apoptotic thymocytes suggests there is no deficiency in apoptotic thymocyte clearance in these mice. Even when the rate of thymocyte apoptosis was increased by exposure of receptor-deficient mice to gamma irradiation, we did not detect a difference in the numbers of dying cells compared with similarly treated wild-type animals. This provides the first direct evidence of redundancy in apoptotic cell clearance mechanisms in vivo.
Laminin receptors on Candida albicans germ tubes

Recent evidence for the role of laminin in cell adhesion and in the pathogenesis of several bacterial infections has led us to investigate the existence of receptors for this extracellular matrix component in Candida albicans. At first, immunofluorescence demonstrated the presence of laminin-binding sites at the surface of germ tubes. Electron microscopy confirmed this result and permitted precise localization of the binding sites on the outermost fibrillar layer of the germ tube cell wall. By using 125I-radiolabeled laminin, the binding was shown to be saturable and specific, hence demonstrating characteristics of true receptors. Analysis of the data by the Scatchard equation indicated that there were about 8,000 binding sites per cell, with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 1.3 x 10(-9) M. Binding was inhibited by prior heating or trypsinization of cells. Furthermore, of the different proteins and carbohydrates tested in competition experiments, only fibrinogen greatly reduced the laminin binding. Finally, dithiothreitol and iodoacetamide treatment of germ tubes allowed us to identify the laminin receptors through analysis of this extract by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western immunoblotting. Two components, of 68 kilodaltons and a doublet of 60 and 62 kilodaltons, were detected. Thus, C. albicans possesses germ tube-specific surface receptors for laminin which could mediate its attachment to basement membranes and so contribute to the establishment of candidiasis.
Cannabidiol inhibitory effect on marble-burying behaviour: involvement of CB1 receptors

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major nonpsychotomimetic component of Cannabis sativa that has been shown to have an anxiolytic effect in human and animal models. Earlier studies suggest that these effects involve facilitation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that has also been related to obsessive–compulsive disorder. On the basis of this evidence, this study investigated the effects of CBD in C57BL/6J mice submitted to the marble-burying test (MBT), an animal model proposed to reflect compulsive behaviour. CBD (15, 30 and 60 mg/kg) induced a significant decrease in the number of buried marbles compared with controls (34, 41 and 48%, respectively). A similar, although larger, decrease was also found after the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor paroxetine (10 mg/kg, 77% decrease) and the benzodiazepine diazepam (2.5 mg/kg, 84% decrease). The effect of CBD (30 mg/kg) was still significant after 7 days of daily repeated administration, whereas the effect of diazepam disappeared. Pretreatment with WAY100635 (3 mg/kg), a 5HT1A receptor antagonist, prevented the effects of paroxetine but failed to alter those of CBD. These latter effects, however, were prevented by pretreatment with the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (1 mg/kg). These results indicated that CBD and paroxetine decrease the number of buried marbles in the MBT through distinct pharmacological mechanisms. They also suggest a potential role of drugs acting on the cannabinoid system in modulating compulsive behaviour.
Ligand Binding: Molecular Mechanics Calculation of the Streptavidin-Biotin Rupture Force

The force required to rupture the streptavidin-biotin complex was calculated here by computer simulations. The computed force agrees well with that obtained by recent single molecule atomic force microscope experiments. These simulations suggest a detailed multiple-pathway rupture mechanism involving five major unbinding steps. Binding forces and specificity are attributed to a hydrogen bond network between the biotin ligand and residues within the binding pocket of streptavidin. During rupture, additional water bridges substantially enhance the stability of the complex and even dominate the binding interactions. In contrast, steric restraints do not appear to contribute to the binding forces, although conformational motions were observed.
Instrumentation of a grinding tool for capturing dynamic interactions with the workpiece

Challenging continuous contact type tasks which require position, as well as force control, are still carried out manually by skilled labor (such as finishing, deburring and grinding). As it's difficult to program experienced users skill for a robotic setup with out having a clear knowledge of underlying model used by the workers. We propose a novel method for instrumenting hand-held tools for capturing skilled operators function during tooling tasks. The information can be used in modeling a control algorithm for automating skilled tasks. The paper presents the hardware design of the instrumented tool including its calibration, followed by an experiment to validate tools ability to measure point of contact and applied forces accurately when the tool is fixed.
Segmentation of music festival attendees

ABSTRACT Festivals have seen a surge in both size and numbers leading to a more business-oriented festival management. Thus, knowledge regarding the audiences and consumption of festivals deserve more attention, and monetary properties such as ticket sales and partnerships have become focal points in festival management. All these aims can be achieved by market segmentation. Festival Barometer is a longitudinal survey focused on the audiences of the largest Finnish rhythm music festivals. Using 7797 answers from the years 2014 and 2016, the audience was segmented using personal music preferences into groups named: hedonistic dance crowd, loyal heavy tribe and highly-educated omnivores. The members of the loyal heavy tribe are the most confident about their future participation in festivals. The hedonistic dance crowd love to have fun, and highly-educated omnivores see festivals’ values important for them. However, music preferences might not necessarily indicate the respondent’s actual taste but rather the referential group that best reflects the festivalgoer’s own identity. Additionally, the meaning of the music is highest in the youngest age group and it will be replaced with other priorities as the person gets older. This indicates that the music festival organisers are forced to attract constantly a new younger audience.
Effects of Atorvastatin, an HMG‐CoA Reductase Inhibitor, on Hepatic Oxidative Metabolism of Antipyrine

Possible effects of multiple‐dose administration of atorvastatin on the pharmacokinetics of single‐dose antipyrine were evaluated in this drug‐drug interaction study. Twelve healthy male volunteers received three 200‐mg capsules of antipyrine on days 1 and 22, and two 40‐mg atorvastatin tablets in the morning on days 8 through 23. Serial blood and urine samples were collected after administration of each antipyrine dose. Plasma was analyzed for antipyrine, and urine samples were analyzed for antipyrine, 4‐hydroxyantipyrine, and norantipyrine by validated high‐performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Overall, antipyrine and atorvastatin doses were well tolerated in healthy volunteers. Mean antipyrine concentrations in plasma after administration of a single, oral dose of antipyrine during coadministration of multiple doses of atorvastatin were nearly superimposible on concentrations after administration of antipyrine alone. Individual and mean parameter values for plasma pharmacokinetics of antipyrine were similar in both treatment periods. Atorvastatin did not significantly alter the fraction of clearance of antipyrine in plasma that occurred by urinary excretion of 4‐hydroxyantipyrine and norantipyrine. These results indicate that the recommended highest daily dose of atorvastatin has negligible effects on antipyrine pharmacokinetics and on oxidative pathways responsible for the metabolism of antipyrine.
The IS Curve and Monetary Policy Transmission in India: A New Keynesian Perspective

The present study assesses the empirical performance of the new Keynesian IS model by estimating the standard as well as extended specifications of both the backward-looking and hybrid models in India over the period 1998Q1 to 2015Q4. It is found that the backward-looking IS model fits the data quite well in comparison with the hybrid model. The link between the policy rate and output gap appeared to be a bit stronger in the extended backward-looking IS model, as the interest rate coefficient is larger. Also, besides the interest rate, the real exchange rate, external demand and crude oil prices also have an impact on aggregate demand. The results suggest that the standard specification of the IS curve is inadequate to estimate the impact of the interest rate on aggregate demand and therefore a broader framework which accounts for additional variables besides the interest rate may be required. JEL Classification: E520, E120, C360, E510
Inducible and cell type-specific expression of VL30 U3 subgroups correlate with their enhancer design

The murine VL30 elements constitute one family of retrotransposons represented in 100 to 200 copies that are dispersed among the mouse chromosomes. On the basis of sequence homology, we have subdivided mouse VL30 members into four distinct U3 subgroups. The use of subgroup-specific probes in Northern (RNA) blot analyses shows that individual VL30 U3 subgroups are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. We show by in situ hybridization of mouse skin treated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) that VL30 expression is induced in epidermal keratinocytes but not in dermal fibroblasts. Transient transfections of reporter gene plasmids together with in vitro binding analysis indicate that TPA-induced VL30 transcription specific for keratinocytes is mediated by two cooperating sequence motifs in juxtaposed position. One sequence motif is shown to constitutively bind CREB- and Jun-related proteins in both keratinocytes and fibroblasts, whereas the other is a target for TPA-induced c-Rel/p65(NF-kappa B)-binding activity specifically in keratinocytes. These binding sites are found to be conserved within U3 subgroups and individual U3 regions showing induced expression in TPA-treated mouse epidermis. These results together with a sequence comparison between different U3 subgroups indicate that cell type-specific activity of transcription factors known to regulate VL30 transcription and the presence or absence of their cognate binding sites within individual U3 regions determine inducible and cell type-specific VL30 expression. The variable VL30 U3 regions might thus be useful tools to study inducible and cell type-specific transcription in many different cell systems.
The role of androgens in determining acne severity in adult women

Background Although many arguments have been put forth supporting the role of androgens in the aetiology of acne, their part in determining the severity of the disease is not well established. Objectives The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between acne severity and the clinical and laboratory markers of androgenicity in a large group of patients. Methods Ninety women over 17 years of age with acne were enrolled into the study. The levels of testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured. Menstrual cycle regularity, hirsutism score, acne severity and ultrasound evaluation of polycystic ovaries were recorded. One‐way analysis of variance, χ2‐test and correlation analysis were used for data processing. Results Hirsutism was documented in 19 (21%) subjects, elevated levels of at least one androgen in 73 (81%) subjects, an irregular cycle was reported by 43 (48%) women, and polycystic ovaries were found in 45 (50%) women. The patients were divided into three groups according to acne severity. Acne was graded using the Leeds technique as minor in 43 (48%) cases, mild in 27 (30%) and moderate in 20 (22%). We did not demonstrate a positive correlation between the grade of acne severity and any of the clinical or laboratory markers of androgenicity assessed. On the contrary, women with a higher grade of acne severity showed lower values of the index of free testosterone, a lower hirsutism score and higher SHBG levels. Conclusions Our study suggests that the severity of acne manifestation in adult women is not determined by androgen production.
Use of Optical Coherence Tomography by Nonexpert Personnel as a Screening Approach for Glaucoma

Purpose: This pilot study was conducted to assess optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a screening tool for glaucoma when used by nonexpert personnel. Methods: This prospective case-control study included 54 patients with open-angle glaucoma and 54 age-matched comparison individuals. Optovue iVue SD-OCT imaging was performed by nonprofessional photographers on undilated patients. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value of iVue scan parameters for detecting open-angle glaucoma were evaluated. Results: The iVue cup to disc vertical ratio had a sensitivity of 0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.90-1.00] at 90% specificity and was strongly correlated with both the Cirrus HD-OCT cup to disc vertical ratio (Pearson coefficient=0.84) and the cup to disc ratio observed on dilated clinical examination by faculty ophthalmologists (Pearson coefficient=0.80). The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) parameters performed robustly, but the ganglion cell complex parameters showed limited diagnostic value. The inferior quadrant thickness was among the best performing RNFL parameters, with a sensitivity of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.78-0.96) and a specificity of 0.88 (95% CI, 0.80-0.97) using the iVue normative database thresholds for abnormality. Conclusions: OCT imaging may be performed by nonprofessional photographers on undilated patients, and quantitative parameters derived from the resultant images, particularly the vertical cup to disc ratio and the RNFL inferior quadrant thickness, demonstrate sensitivities and specificities that may be adequately robust for glaucoma screening in the community setting.
Sensitive Nonradioactive Detection of mRNA in Tissue Sections: Novel Application of the Whole-mount In Situ Hybridization Protocol

The relative insensitivity of nonradioactive mRNA detection in tissue sections compared to the sensitive nonradioactive detection of single-copy DNA sequences in chromosome spreads, or of mRNA sequences in whole-mount samples, has remained a puzzling issue. Because of the biological significance of sensitive in situ mRNA detection in conjunction with high spatial resolution, we developed a nonradioactive in situ hybridization (ISH) protocol for detection of mRNA sequences in sections. The procedure is essentially based on the whole-mount ISH procedure and is at least equally sensitive. Increase of the hybridization temperature to 70C while maintaining stringency of hybridization by adaptation of the salt concentration significantly improved the sensitivity and made the procedure more sensitive than the conventional radioactive procedure. Thicker sections, which were no improvement using conventional radioactive ISH protocols, further enhanced signal. Higher hybridization temperatures apparently permit better tissue penetration of the probe. Application of this highly reliable protocol permitted the identification and localization of the cells in the developing heart that express low-abundance mRNAs of different members of the Iroquois homeobox gene family that are supposedly involved in cardiac patterning. The radioactive ISH procedure scarcely permitted detection of these sequences, underscoring the value of this novel method.
Association of oligodendrocytes differentiation regulator gene DUSP15 with autism

Abstract Objectives: Autism is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder with high heritability. Genetic factors play crucial roles in the aetiology of autism. Dual specificity phosphatase 15 (DUSP15) has been recognised as a key regulator gene for oligodendrocytes differentiation. A previous study detected one de novo missense variant (p.Thr107Met) with probable deleterious function in exon 6 of DUSP15 among patients with autism. Therefore, we sequenced this mutation in autistic children and performed an association analysis between DUSP15 polymorphisms and autism. Methods: We performed a case–control study between 255 children affected with autism and 427 healthy controls. Four tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected. These SNPs and the previously reported mutation in exon 6 of DUSP15 were genotyped via Sanger sequencing. Results: Our results showed that rs3746599 was significantly associated with autism under allelic, additive and dominant models, respectively (χ2 = 9.699, P = 0.0018; χ2 = 16.224, P = 0.001; χ2 = 7.198, P = 0.007). The association remained significant after Bonferroni correction and permutation tests (n = 10,000). We did not detect the missense variant p.Thr107Met reported in previous studies. However, a de novo missense variant of DUSP15 (p.Ala56Thr) with a probable disease-causing effect was detected in one autistic child while absent in healthy controls. Conclusions: Our findings initially suggest that DUSP15 might be a susceptibility gene for autism in Chinese Han population.
Background Music Recommendation System Based on User's Heart Rate and Elapsed Time

In this paper, we propose a method for recommending background music based on the heart rate and physical condition, as well as the elapsed time of the user's activity. The proposed music recommendation method can be characterized by its selection based on a change in the user's heart rate and duration of activity. In this paper, we also describe a prototype system that can recommend background music based on these two types of data. The preliminary evaluation results show that our method is superior to a randomly selected method.
Outcome of Colonization of Apis mellifera by Nosema ceranae

ABSTRACT A multiplex PCR-based method, in which two small-subunit rRNA regions are simultaneously amplified in a single reaction, was designed for parallel detection of honeybee microsporidians (Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae). Each of two pairs of primers exclusively amplified the 16S rRNA targeted gene of a specific microsporidian. The multiplex PCR assay was useful for specific detection of the two species of microsporidians related to bee nosemosis, not only in purified spores but also in honeybee homogenates and in naturally infected bees. The multiplex PCR assay was also able to detect coinfections by the two species. Screening of bee samples from Spain, Switzerland, France, and Germany using the PCR technique revealed a greater presence of N. ceranae than of N. apis in Europe, although both species are widely distributed. From the year 2000 onward, statistically significant differences have been found in the proportions of Nosema spp. spore-positive samples collected between and within years. In the first period examined (1999 to 2002), the smallest number of samples diagnosed as Nosema positive was found during the summer months, showing clear seasonality in the diagnosis, which is characteristic of N. apis. From 2003 onward a change in the tendency resulted in an increase in Nosema-positive samples in all months until 2005, when a total absence of seasonality was detected. A significant causative association between the presence of N. ceranae and hive depopulation clearly indicates that the colonization of Apis mellifera by N. ceranae is related to bee losses.