Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
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The Munroe Multicultural Attitude Scale Questionnaire

Institutions of higher education want to diversify their learning climates, and many offer courses in multiculturalism, yet these courses still do not meet the needs of attitudinal change. A new instrument was developed, the Munroe Multicultural Attitude Scale Questionnaire (MASQUE), that was theoretically based in Banks's transformative approach, which specifically measured multicultural attitudes. Psychometric properties of the instrument's scores are discussed. Exploratory factor analysis supported the “know,” “act,” and “care” domains of Banks's transformative approach, and the instrument was sensitive to detecting group differences on several demographic variables. The MASQUE's potential uses for affecting multicultural research and instruction are discussed.
nAble Adaptive Scaffolding Agent – Intelligent Support for Novices

Scaffolding techniques allow human instructors to support novice learners in critical early stages, and to remove that support as expertise grows. This paper describes nAble, an adaptive scaffolding agent designed to guide new users through the use of an analytic software tool in the 'nSpace Sandbox' for visual sense-making. nAble adapts the interface and instructional content based on user expertise, learning style and subtask. Bayesian Networks and Hidden Markov task models provide the agent reasoning engine. An experiment was conducted in which participants were provided with one of: an adaptive scaffold, an indexed help file or a human guide. Users of the adaptive scaffold outperformed users of the indexed help and more quickly converged with the performance of users with the human guide.
A Parallel Architecture for Stateful Intrusion Detection in High Traffic Networks

In a scenario where network bandwidth and traffic are continuously growing, network appliances that have to monitor and analyze all flowing packets are reaching their limits. These issues are critical especially forNetwork Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS) that need to trace and reassemble every connection, and to examine every packet flowing on the monito red link(s), to guarantee high security levels. Any NIDS based o n a single component cannot scale over certain thresholds, eve n if it has some parts built in hardware. Hence, parallel architect ures appear as the most valuable alternative for the future. In this paper, we propose a parallel NIDS architecture that is able t o provide us with fully reliable analysis, high performance and scalability. These properties come together with the low co sts and high flexibility that are guaranteed by a total software implementation. The load balancing mechanism of the propos ed NIDS distributes the traffic among a configurable number of parallel sensors, so that each of them is reached by a managea ble amount of traffic. The parallelism and traffic distribution d o not alter the results of the traffic analysis that remains reliable and stateful.
Human B Cell Growth and Differentiation in the Spleen of Immunodeficient Mice1

Human mAbs (HumAbs) have therapeutic potential against infectious diseases and cancer. Heretofore, their production has been hampered by ethical constraints preventing the isolation of Ag-specific activated B cells by in vivo immunization. Alternatively, severe combined immune deficient (SCID) mice, transplanted i.p. with human (Hu)-PBLs, allow the in vivo stimulation of human Ab responses without the usual constraints. Unfortunately, human B cells only represent a minor fraction of the surviving graft, they are scattered all over the animal body, and thus are hard to isolate for subsequent immortalization procedures. To prevent this dispersion and to provide the human B cells with a niche for expansion and maturation, SCID mice were engrafted with Hu-PBL directly into the spleen. Simultaneously endogenous murine NK cell activity was depleted by treatment with an anti-mouse IL-2 receptor β-chain Ab. During engraftment, human B lymphocytes became activated, divided intensely, and differentiated into plasmacytoid cells. In vivo exposure to a recall Ag after cell transfer induced expansion of Ag-specific B cell clones. One week after inoculation, human B cells were abundant in the spleen and could easily be recovered for fusion with a heteromyeloma line. This resulted in the formation of stable hybridoma cell lines that secreted Ag-specific HumAbs. Thus transplantation of human lymphoid cells in the spleens of immune deficient mice represents a model for the study of human T cell-dependent B cell activation and proves to be an excellent tool for the successful production of HumAbs.
Evaluating dynamic dispatch strategies for emergency medical services: TIFAR simulation tool

In life-threatening emergency situations, the ability of emergency medical service (EMS) providers to arrive at the emergency scene within a few minutes may make the difference between survival or death. To realize such extremely short response times at affordable cost, efficient planning of EMS systems is crucial. In this article we will discuss the Testing Interface For Ambulance Research (TIFAR) simulation tool that can be used by EMS managers and researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of different dispatch strategies. The accuracy of TIFAR is assessed by comparing the TIFAR-based performance indicators against a real EMS system in the Netherlands. The results show that TIFAR performs extremely well.
Triple versus dual antiplatelet therapy for coronary heart disease patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: A meta-analysis

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Previous studies have suggested that cilostazol-based triple antiplatelet therapy (TAT) may be more effective than conventional dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT) at improving the clinical outcomes of patients with CHD undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, individually published results are inconclusive. The present meta-analysis evaluated controlled clinical studies to compare the clinical outcomes between TAT and DAT in patients with CHD undergoing PCI. Ten controlled clinical studies were included, with a total of 7,670 patients with CHD undergoing PCI. The total number included 3,925 patients treated with DAT (aspirin and clopidogrel) and 3745 patients treated with TAT (addition of cilostazol to DAT). The crude odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated with either the fixed or random effects model. The meta-analysis results indicated that patients in the TAT group had a significantly lower rate of restenosis compared with that of the DAT group (OR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.45–0.77; P<0.001). The rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and target lesion revascularization (TLR) in the TAT group were significantly lower compared with those in the DAT group (MACE: OR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.56–0.85, P<0.001; TLR: OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.43–0.88, P=0.008). However, no significant differences between the TAT and DAT groups in terms of mortality rate, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization and stent thrombosis were observed. In conclusion, the results of the present meta-analysis indicated that the efficacy and safety of cilostazol-based TAT therapy is greater than that of conventional DAT therapy for patients with CHD undergoing PCI.
Neonatal alcohol exposure differentially alters clock gene oscillations within the suprachiasmatic nucleus, cerebellum, and liver of adult rats.

BACKGROUND In rats, alcohol exposure during the period of rapid brain growth produces long-term changes in the free-running period, photoentrainment and phase-shifting responses of the circadian rhythm in wheel-running behavior. To determine whether these alterations in circadian behavior are associated with permanent damage to the circadian timekeeping mechanism or reconfiguration of its molecular components, we examined the long-term effects of neonatal alcohol exposure on clock gene rhythms in the pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and in other brain or peripheral tissues of adult rats. METHODS Artificially reared male rat pups were exposed to alcohol (4.5 g/kg/d) or isocaloric milk formula (gastrostomy control; GC) on postnatal days 4 to 9. At 3 months of age, animals were exposed to constant darkness and then SCN, cerebellum, and liver tissue were harvested at 6-hour intervals for subsequent analysis of Period1 (Per1), Per2, Cryptochrome1 (Cry1), Bmal1, and Rev-erbalpha mRNA levels by quantitative PCR. RESULTS In the SCN, cerebellum and liver, Per1, Per2, Cry1, Bmal1, and Rev-erbalpha expression oscillated with a similar amplitude (peak-to-trough differences of 2- to 9-fold) and phase in the suckle control (SC) and GC groups. These clock gene rhythms in control animals were marked by peak expression of Per1, Per2, Cry1, and Rev-erbalpha during the subjective day and of Bmal1 during the subjective night. The EtOH group was distinguished by altered rhythms in the expression of specific clock genes within the SCN, cerebellum and liver. In EtOH-treated rats, the SCN rhythm in Cry1 expression was strongly damped and the Per2 rhythms in the cerebellum and liver were phase-advanced such that peak expression occurred during the mid-subjective day. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate alcohol exposure during the brain growth spurt alters the circadian regulation of some molecular components of the clock mechanism in the rat SCN, cerebellum, and liver. The observed alterations in the temporal configuration of essential "gears" of the molecular clockworks may play a role in the long-term effects of neonatal alcohol exposure on the regulation of circadian behavior.
Positivist Climate Conflict Research: A Critique

In recent years a large body of work has emerged that uses a positivist epistemology and quantitative methods to assess the likely conflict impacts of global climate change. This article advances a critique of this positivist climate conflict research programme, identifying within it three serial shortcomings. It contends, first, that the correlations identified by this research are specious, since they always rest upon coding and causal assumptions which range from the arbitrary to the untenable. It argues, second, that even if the correlations identified within this research were significant and meaningful, they would still not constitute a sound basis for making predictions about the conflict impacts of climate change. And it submits, third, that this research programme reflects and reproduces an ensemble of Northern stereotypes, ideologies and policy agendas. A departure from positivist method is required, the article contends, if we are to get close to thinking through the wide-ranging political and conflict implications of the human transformation of the global climate.
Trust and Leadership: Toward an Interactive Perspective

This article discusses the emergence of trust and mistrust in leadership relationships from a processual perspective. For a stable climate of trust to emerge, both leader and follower have to perceive their counterpart's behaviour as fair and consistent over time in inter-temporal and cross-situational ways. Drawing on symbolic interactionism, the role of individual expectations for categorizing perceived behaviour as fair (unfair) is analysed. The actual level of trust (mistrust) and the impact of single unfair (fair) behaviour depend on the phase the leader-follower relationship is in. Additionally, the attributed cause of perceived inconsistent behaviour mediates the resulting effect on interpersonal trust (mistrust). Implications for future research as well as limitations are briefly discussed.
Combination of Gefitinib and DNA Methylation Inhibitor Decitabine Exerts Synergistic Anti-Cancer Activity in Colon Cancer Cells

Despite recent advances in the treatment of human colon cancer, the chemotherapy efficacy against colon cancer is still unsatisfactory. In the present study, effects of concomitant inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and DNA methyltransferase were examined in human colon cancer cells. We demonstrated that decitabine (a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor) synergized with gefitinib (an EGFR inhibitor) to reduce cell viability and colony formation in SW1116 and LOVO cells. However, the combination of the two compounds displayed minimal toxicity to NCM460 cells, a normal human colon mucosal epithelial cell line. The combination was also more effective at inhibiting the AKT/mTOR/S6 kinase pathway. In addition, the combination of decitabine with gefitinib markedly inhibited colon cancer cell migration. Furthermore, gefitinib synergistically enhanced decitabine-induced cytotoxicity was primarily due to apoptosis as shown by Annexin V labeling that was attenuated by z-VAD-fmk, a pan caspase inhibitor. Concomitantly, cell apoptosis resulting from the co-treatment of gefitinib and decitabine was accompanied by induction of BAX, cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved PARP, along with reduction of Bcl-2 compared to treatment with either drug alone. Interestingly, combined treatment with these two drugs increased the expression of XIAP-associated factor 1 (XAF1) which play an important role in cell apoptosis. Moreover, small interfering RNA (siRNA) depletion of XAF1 significantly attenuated colon cancer cells apoptosis induced by the combination of the two drugs. Our findings suggested that gefitinib in combination with decitabine exerted enhanced cell apoptosis in colon cancer cells were involved in mitochondrial-mediated pathway and induction of XAF1 expression. In conclusion, based on the observations from our study, we suggested that the combined administration of these two drugs might be considered as a novel therapeutic regimen for treating colon cancer.
On the relation between the mind and the brain : a neuroscience perspective

Dans cet article, je montre que les neurosciences computationnelles fournissent une nouvelle approche pertinente a des problemes traditionnels en philosophie tels que la relation entre les etats mentaux et cerebraux (le probleme esprit–corps ou corps–esprit), le determinisme et le libre arbitre, et peut nous aider a traiter le probleme « difficile » des aspects phenomenaux de la conscience. Un des themes de cet article et de mon livre Neuroculture: on the Implications of Brain Science ([Rolls 2012c]) est qu’en comprenant les calculs effectues par les neurones et les reseaux neuronaux, et les effets du bruit dans le cerveau sur ceux-ci, nous gagnerons une vraie comprehension des mecanismes qui sous-tendent le fonctionnement du cerveau. Une partie de notre solution au probleme esprit–corps est que l’esprit et le cerveau sont differents niveaux d’explication du traitement de l’information, leur relation pouvant etre apprehendee par la comprehension des mecanismes en jeu a l’aide de l’approche fournie par les neurosciences computationnelles. Mais cette solution ne traite pas certains problemes « difficiles » tels que le probleme de la conscience phenomenale, et, meme si j’ai fourni de nouvelles suggestions sur ce point dans cet article, il faut reconnaitre qu’il y a toujours une breche dans notre comprehension entre les evenements dans le cerveau et les experiences subjectives qui peuvent les accompagner. L’explication que je propose est que, lorsque cela « fait quelque chose », il ne s’agit que d’une propriete d’un processus computationnel qui a des pensees sur ses propres pensees (pensees d’ordre superieur), les pensees etant ancrees dans le monde.
Investigating the Mutual Adaptation Process in Teachers' Design of Technology-Infused Curricula

We investigate the challenges that face teachers in their role as collaborators in the design of technology infused reform, and the challenges they perceive in making inquiry and technological tools an integral part of their teaching practice. Teachers' concerns about students, both technology-related and concerns about the difficulty of the academic tasks, outweighed those about teaching. Teachers' task concerns had to do chiefly with the ambitious and open-ended nature of the task and whether students would have the necessary background conceptual knowledge and skills. We also examine the solutions teachers developed to address these concerns, and illuminate important differences between the stance of researchers and that of teachers in the collaborative design process. In this paper, we explore an attempt to involve teachers in the collaborative design of curriculum incorporating learning technologies. The context was a curriculum design team for middle years science created by the Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools (LeTUS). The process of mutual adaptation is a cornerstone of the LeTUS reform efforts - by involving teachers and administrators in working to design solutions, practitioners recreate reform ideas in ways that work for them. The challenge given LeTUS teams, called "work circles," was to design curricula for middle school Chicago classrooms that incorporated interactive learning environment brought to the team by researchers. The stated goals for the curricula were three-fold: The curricula should be project-based to engage students in sustained meaningful investigations (Blumenfeld, Soloway, Marx, Krajcik, Guzdial, & Palincsar,
Epicardial fat volume correlates with severity of coronary artery disease in nonobese patients

Objective It has been reported that epicardial adipose tissue could locally modulate the coronary artery functions through secretion of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Epicardial fat tissue is further implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD) because of its proximity to the adventitia of the major epicardial coronary arteries. We investigated the relationship between epicardial fat volume (EFV) and severity of CAD in nonobese patients using 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Methods One hundred and forty nonobese patients (BMI <25 kg/m2) were enrolled. EFV and visceral fat area were measured by MDCT. Patients were classified according to the plaque components (noncalcified, mixed and calcified) and severity of CAD. Inflammatory biomarkers were also measured, and compared with each CT parameter. Results EFV was significantly correlated with the extent or severity of CAD. Patients with noncalcified or mixed plaque had a greater EFV than those with calcified plaque. Log-transferred high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) was significantly correlated with EFV (r = 0.24, P = 0.04). Adiponectin level was significantly inversely correlated with visceral fat area (r = 0.38, P = 0.0001). Conclusion Increased EFV is associated with more severe CAD and noncalcified or mixed coronary plaques in nonobese patients.
Long‐term outcomes of simultaneous guided bone regeneration using native and cross‐linked collagen membranes after 8 years

OBJECTIVES To assess the clinical outcomes of simultaneous guided bone regeneration using native (CM) and cross-linked (VN) collagen membranes at 8 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of n = 19 patients (19 implants) were available for the analysis. Each subject had received a simultaneous grafting of dehiscence-type defects using a natural bone mineral (NBM) and a random allocation to either CM and VN membranes (submerged healing of 4 months). Clinical parameters (e.g., bleeding on probing - BOP, probing pocket depth - PD, mucosal recession - MR, clinical attachment level - CAL) were recorded at 8 years after prosthesis installation. RESULTS At 8 years, CM and VN groups revealed comparable median BOP, PD, MR and CAL values at both vestibular and oral aspects. From 4 to 8 years (n = 14 patients), median CAL at the vestibular aspect improved in both groups; however, these changes were significantly higher at CM-treated sites (CM: 0.7 mm vs. VN: 0.5 mm). CONCLUSION The clinical long-term outcomes at 8 years were comparable in both VN and CM groups.
Idea Playground: When Brainstorming is Not Enough

Creativity and innovation are much sought-after qualities of individuals and organizations, but existing creativity practises are not cohesively integrated with digital workflows or digital artefacts. We introduce a set of design considerations for digital systems to support creative processes, specifically supporting the three ongoing, iterative activities of creative processes: gathering inspiration, generating ideas, and refining ideas. We present Idea Playground, a system built upon these considerations that supports diverse input sources, synchronous and asynchronous use, and freeform information structuring.