Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants and seminal levels of markers of epididymal and accessory sex gland functions in Swedish men.

BACKGROUND A major exposure route for persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) in Sweden is through consumption of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea. Endocrine disruptors, such as POPs, may have a negative impact on sperm quality. The present study aimed to investigate whether exposure to 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE) affects epididymal and accessory sex gland function. METHODS 157 fishermen from the coastal stretches of Sweden, aged 27-67 years, provided semen samples which were analyzed for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), neutral alpha-glucosidase (NAG), fructose and zinc levels. Serum levels of CB-153 and p'p-DDE were determined. RESULTS The median CB-153 serum level was 189 ng/g lipid (range 40-1460) and a median p,p'-DDE serum level 231 ng/g lipid (range 40-2252). There was a significant linear association between CB-153 and total amount of PSA (slope [beta] = -2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] -4.0, -0.9; P = 0.02). With age, abstinence time and smoking included in the model the association became non-significant (beta = -1.4, 95% CI-3.0, 0.1; P = 0.07). There were no significant associations between CB-153 and zinc, fructose and NAG. As for the exposure variable p,p'-DDE and the outcome variables, no significant associations were found. CONCLUSIONS The study gives only very limited support of an association between CB-153 in serum and total PSA, and a random finding cannot be excluded.
Majorization for Infinite Sequences, an Extension of the Schur-horn Theorem, and Operator Ideals

The main result of this paper is the extension of the Schur-Horn Theorem to infinite sequences: For two nonincreasing nonsummable sequences ξ and η that converge to 0, there exists a compact operator A with eigenvalue list η and diagonal sequence ξ if and only if P n j=1 ξ j ≤ P n j=1 η j for every n if and only if ξ = Qη for some orthostochastic matrix Q. The similar result requiring equality of the infinite series in the case that ξ and η are summable is an extension of a recent theorem by Arveson and Kadison. Our proof depends on the construction and analysis of an infinite product of T-transform matrices. Further results on majorization for infinite sequences providing " intermediate " sequences generalize known results from the finite case. Majorization properties and invariance under various classes of stochastic matrices are then used to characterize arithmetic mean closed operator ideals.
Viscoelastic computations of polymeric wire‐coating flows

This study considers both a single and multi‐mode viscoelastic analysis for wire‐coating flows. The numerical simulations utilise a finite element time‐stepping technique, a Taylor‐Petrov‐Galerkin/pressure‐correction scheme employing both coupled and decoupled procedures between stress and kinematic fields. An exponential Phan‐Thein/Tanner model is used to predict pressure‐drop and residual stress for this process. Rheometrical data fitting is performed for steady shear and pure extensional flows, considering both high and low density polyethylene melts. Simulations are conducted to match experimental pressure‐drop/flowrate data for a contraction flow. Then, for a complex industrial wire‐coating flow, stress and pressure drop are predicted numerically and quantified. The benefits are extolled of the use of a multi‐mode model that can incorporate a wide‐range discrete relaxation spectrum to represent flow response in complex settings. Contrast is made between LDPE and HDPE polymers, and dependency on individual relaxation modes is identified in its contribution to overall flow behaviour.
Acetylation of cell wall is required for structural integrity of the leaf surface and exerts a global impact on plant stress responses

The epidermis on leaves protects plants from pathogen invasion and provides a waterproof barrier. It consists of a layer of cells that is surrounded by thick cell walls, which are partially impregnated by highly hydrophobic cuticular components. We show that the Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion mutants of REDUCED WALL ACETYLATION 2 (rwa2), previously identified as having reduced O-acetylation of both pectins and hemicelluloses, exhibit pleiotrophic phenotype on the leaf surface. The cuticle layer appeared diffused and was significantly thicker and underneath cell wall layer was interspersed with electron-dense deposits. A large number of trichomes were collapsed and surface permeability of the leaves was enhanced in rwa2 as compared to the wild type. A massive reprogramming of the transcriptome was observed in rwa2 as compared to the wild type, including a coordinated up-regulation of genes involved in responses to abiotic stress, particularly detoxification of reactive oxygen species and defense against microbial pathogens (e.g., lipid transfer proteins, peroxidases). In accordance, peroxidase activities were found to be elevated in rwa2 as compared to the wild type. These results indicate that cell wall acetylation is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of leaf epidermis, and that reduction of cell wall acetylation leads to global stress responses in Arabidopsis.
Simplifying XML schema: effortless handling of nondeterministic regular expressions

Whether beloved or despised, XML Schema is momentarily the only industrially accepted schema language for XML and is unlikely to become obsolete any time soon. Nevertheless, many nontransparent restrictions unnecessarily complicate the design of XSDs. For instance, complex content models in XML Schema are constrained by the infamous unique particle attribution (UPA) constraint. In formal language theoretic terms, this constraint restricts content models to deterministic regular expressions. As the latter constitute a semantic notion and no simple corresponding syntactical characterization is known, it is very difficult for non-expert users to understand exactly when and why content models do or do not violate UPA. In the present paper, we therefore investigate solutions to relieve users from the burden of UPA by automatically transforming nondeterministic expressions into concise deterministic ones defining the same language or constituting good approximations. The presented techniques facilitate XSD construction by reducing the design task at hand more towards the complexity of the modeling task. In addition, our algorithms can serve as a plug-in for any model management tool which supports export to XML Schema format.
Relations between acculturation orientations and antisocial behavior in adolescents and young adults from immigrant families

The aim of this cross-sectional school-based cohort study was to explore the relations between acculturation orientations and antisocial behavior in adolescents from immigrant families. Among 972 French high-school students, 251 were first- second- and third-generation immigrant adolescents. Adolescents with immigrant background reported higher levels of antisocial behavior than non-immigrant adolescents. Separation (rejection of the host culture) had the highest rates of endorsement after integration (biculturalism) and showed a unique association with antisocial behavior after controlling for other cultural, psychopathological and socio-familial variables.
Performance Comparison of Camera Interface Methods in a Mobile Handset

As we enter the 3G world, the new mobile handsets are challenged to show more and more functions. In order to process high-resolution image, the high-speed data transfer technology that was originally used in communication system or server system started to be adopted in mobile handsets. In this paper, we describe and compare some technologies for high-speed data transfer between camera and ISP focusing on the specifications in the physical layer. Most of these technologies are based on the serial interface and they show excellence in terms of power, bandwidth and EMI in comparison to the conventional parallel interface based on the LVCMOS technology. To verify this fact, this paper presents comparison of the SMIA interfaced camera module and the traditional parallel interfaced camera module.
Sex Differences in the Peripheral Immune System in Patients with Depression

Background Females are twice as likely as males to experience depression. Recent findings indicate a relationship linking inflammation with depression. Whether the higher prevalence of depression in women is sex-specific or if inflammation contributes to a higher prevalence of depression in females is unclear. Thus, the objective was to determine whether depressed females show higher inflammation compared to males in a cross-sectional study. Materials and methods Two hundred participants were enrolled. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and blood samples were collected from all participants to measure inflammatory blood markers. Results Higher rates of suicidal thoughts, pessimism, and lassitude measured by the MADRS were seen in depressed females compared with depressed males. Among all inflammatory markers measured, there were no significant differences in depressed males vs. male controls. Increased levels of interleukin (IL)-8, interferon-γ, and leptin, and decreased levels of IL-5 and adiponectin were observed in depressed females compared to female controls. Compared with depressed males, IL-6 and leptin levels were significantly elevated in depressed females after controlling for body mass index. Correlation analysis revealed that depression severity negatively correlated with IL-12 in males, and positively correlated with IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in females. IL-1β and TNF-α correlated with suicidal thoughts, lassitude, and pessimism in depressed females. Conclusion Our findings indicate a sex-specific relationship between inflammation and depression, which may be important in identifying potential psychopathology and suggesting novel immunomodulatory treatments for depressed females.
Resolvin D2 Enhances Postischemic Revascularization While Resolving Inflammation

Background: Resolvins are lipid mediators generated by leukocytes during the resolution phase of inflammation. They have been shown to regulate the transition from inflammation to tissue repair; however, it is unknown whether resolvins play a role in tissue revascularization following ischemia. Methods: We used a murine model of hind limb ischemia (HLI), coupled with laser Doppler perfusion imaging, microcomputed tomography, and targeted mass spectrometry, to assess the role of resolvins in revascularization and inflammation resolution. Results: In mice undergoing HLI, we identified resolvin D2 (RvD2) in bone marrow and skeletal muscle by mass spectrometry (n=4–7 per group). We also identified RvD2 in skeletal muscle biopsies from humans with peripheral artery disease. Monocytes were recruited to skeletal muscle during HLI and isolated monocytes produced RvD2 in a lipoxygenase-dependent manner. Exogenous RvD2 enhanced perfusion recovery in HLI and microcomputed tomography of limb vasculature revealed greater volume, with evidence of tortuous arterioles indicative of arteriogenesis (n=6–8 per group). Unlike other treatment strategies for therapeutic revascularization that exacerbate inflammation, RvD2 did not increase vascular permeability, but reduced neutrophil accumulation and the plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-&agr; and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. In mice treated with RvD2, histopathologic analysis of skeletal muscle of ischemic limbs showed more regenerating myocytes with centrally located nuclei. RvD2 enhanced endothelial cell migration in a Rac-dependent manner, via its receptor, GPR18, and Gpr18-deficient mice had an endogenous defect in perfusion recovery following HLI. Importantly, RvD2 rescued defective revascularization in diabetic mice. ConclusionS: RvD2 stimulates arteriogenic revascularization during HLI, suggesting that resolvins may be a novel class of mediators that both resolve inflammation and promote arteriogenesis.
Good interactions are hard to find

Caplan & Waters's arguments for separate working memory subsystems for “interpretive” and “post-interpretive” comprehension processes do not have a solid empirical basis. The likely involvement of a separate phonological loop makes their memory-load data irrelevant to theory evaluation, and the lack of statistical power from nonoptimal experimental designs and analyses unfairly reduces the chances of detecting the relevant interactions.
Factors influencing syntactic awareness skills in normal readers and poor comprehenders

Using a word order correction paradigm, we assessed syntactic awareness skills in children with good and poor reading comprehension, matched for age, decoding skill, and nonverbal ability. Poor comprehenders performed less well than normal readers, and the performance of both groups was influenced by the syntactic complexity and semantic ambiguity of the sentences. These findings support the view that poor comprehenders have language processing difficulties encompassing grammatical as well as semantic weaknesses, although their phonological processing skills are normal. The implications of such language weaknesses for the development of skilled reading are discussed.
Differences in the Scientific Epistemological Views of Undergraduate Students

The production of culture is today a matter of ‘user generated content’ and young people are vital participants as ‘prosumers’, i.e. both producers and consumers, of cultural products. Among other things, they are busy creating fan works (stories, pictures, films) based on already published material. Using the genre fan fiction as a point of departure, this article explores the drivers behind net communities organised around fan culture and argues that fan fiction sites can in many aspects be regarded as informal learning settings. By turning to the rhetoric principle of imitatio, the article shows how in the collective interactive processes between readers and writers such fans develop literacies and construct gendered identities.
Characterization and multiplexing of EST-SSR primers in Cynodon (Poaceae) species1.

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY Cynodon species are multiple-use grasses that display varying levels of adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress. Previously identified EST-SSR primers were characterized and multiplexed to assess the level of genetic diversity present within a collection of almost 1200 Cynodon accessions from across Australia. • METHODS AND RESULTS Two multiplex reactions were developed comprising a total of 16 EST-SSR markers. All SSR markers amplified across different Cynodon species and different levels of ploidy. The number of alleles ranged from one to eight per locus and the total number of alleles for the germplasm collection was 79. • CONCLUSIONS The 16 markers show sufficient variation for the characterization of Cynodon core collections and analysis of population genetic diversity in Cynodon grasses.
The Effect of Self-Control on Attentional Bias for Alcohol Cues in Male Heavy Drinkers

Attentional bias for alcohol cues increases craving and subsequent alcohol consumption. Override processes can be used to disengage attention from alcohol cues. This requires self-control and implies that depletion of self-control would impair the ability to disengage attention from alcohol cues. This study examined the effect of self-control on attentional bias among male heavy drinkers. To manipulate self-control resources, an expression control task was used. Attentional bias was measured with a visual probe task. The Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS; Anton, Moak, & Latham, 1996) assessed the urge to drink and persistent thoughts about alcohol. The results suggest that participants who scored relatively high on the OCDS showed more attentional bias after controlled emotional expression, compared to free emotional expression.
The Anatomy of the Entrepreneur: Clinical Observations

In psychoanalytic theory, studies of work behavior have been relatively scarce. Most of the existing literature concerns itself with cases of work inhibition or compulsion. Occasionally, one finds a discussion of people in the creative professions. No attention has been paid, however, to a major contributor to economic development in society, the entrepreneur. This contrasts sharply with the amount of attention given to entrepreneurs by other disciplines. The object of this study is to better understand the dynamics of entrepreneurship, and in particular the work behavior of entrepreneurs. First, there is a brief overview of the role of work in psychoanalytic theory. Then a number of factors important to entrepreneurship are reviewed from the perspective of economic, sociological, anthropological, psychological, and organizational theory. A case history is presented of one entrepreneur who chose to be treated through psychoanalysis. The intensity of this type of treatment means that continuity in observat.
The Metabolic Network of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: Systemic Properties of Autotrophic Growth1[C][W]

Unicellular cyanobacteria have attracted growing attention as potential host organisms for the production of valuable organic products and provide an ideal model to understand oxygenic photosynthesis and phototrophic metabolism. To obtain insight into the functional properties of phototrophic growth, we present a detailed reconstruction of the primary metabolic network of the autotrophic prokaryote Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. The reconstruction is based on multiple data sources and extensive manual curation and significantly extends currently available repositories of cyanobacterial metabolism. A systematic functional analysis, utilizing the framework of flux-balance analysis, allows the prediction of essential metabolic pathways and reactions and allows the identification of inconsistencies in the current annotation. As a counterintuitive result, our computational model indicates that photorespiration is beneficial to achieve optimal growth rates. The reconstruction process highlights several obstacles currently encountered in the context of large-scale reconstructions of metabolic networks.
Transfer Reinforcement Learning with Shared Dynamics

This article addresses a particular Transfer Reinforcement Learning (RL) problem: when dynamics do not change from one task to another, and only the reward function does. Our method relies on two ideas, the first one is that transition samples obtained from a task can be reused to learn on any other task: an immediate reward estimator is learnt in a supervised fashion and for each sample, the reward entry is changed by its reward estimate. The second idea consists in adopting the optimism in the face of uncertainty principle and to use upper bound reward estimates. Our method is tested on a navigation task, under four Transfer RL experimental settings: with a known reward function, with strong and weak expert knowledge on the reward function, and with a completely unknown reward function. It is also evaluated in a Multi-Task RL experiment and compared with the state-of-the-art algorithms. Results reveal that this method constitutes a major improvement for transfer/multi-task problems that share dynamics.
Image Retrieval of First-Person Vision for Pedestrian Navigation in Urban Area

We propose a new computer vision approach to locate a walking pedestrian by a camera image of first-person vision in practical situation. We assume reference points have been registered with other first-person vision images. We utilize SURF and define seven matching criteria that derive from the property of first-person vision so that it rejects false matching. We have implemented a preliminary system that can respond to a query within 1/2 seconds for a path of approximately 1 km long around Tokyo downtown area where pedestrians and vehicles are always in images.
Counseling Psychology in Chinese Communities in Asia

This article examines the need to develop an indigenous counseling psychology in Chinese communities in Asia. The cross-cultural limitations and applications of counseling psychology are discussed, using the literature on multicultural counseling and competence as illustrations. The authors elaborate on the scope and nature of indigenous counseling psychology and discuss how indigenization of counseling psychology could be carried out in Chinese communities in Asia at the local, national, and application levels. Meanwhile, several multicultural themes in Chinese communities in Asia were identified as possible focus of indigenous research and practice efforts.
Togetherness: intersubjectivity revisited

This paper aims to contribute to recent advances in person-centered and experiential theory in the field of dialogue and encounter. Both an appreciation and a constructive critical adjunct to these developments, it offers a socio-historical perspective rooted in phenomenology. It draws on the Hegelian notion of acknowledgement, on Merleau-Ponty’s “risk of communication”, on Levinas’ ethics of alterity, and on Schmid’s notion of en-counter. It formulates the notion of “togetherness”, one that appreciates the realities of conflict and disparity alongside mutuality, and the dimensions of solitude and autonomy alongside relatedness.
Fethullah Gu¨len's Missionary Schools in Central Asia and their Role in the Spreading of Turkism and Islam

A broad outline of Said Nursi' s life and thought is crucial to an understanding of the Gtilen phenomenon in Central Asia. Born in 1873 in the village of Nurs (southeastern Turkey), Said Nursi was deeply influenced by the classical teaching in the madrassah and the traditional and conservative atmosphere of his region. His biographies and hagiographies highlight three essential periods in his career. 2 Between 1873 and 1925 he first got involved in politics and religious matters, fighting for the rooting of Islam in the state institutions of the dying Ottoman Empire, dreaming of an Islamic university as prestigious as AI-Azhar, heroically leading a movement of popular resistance in the First W orId War against the Russian troops, who held him as a prisoner of war in Siberia until 1916, negotiating in vain the role he felt Islam must play in the emerging modem Turkey of the young Mustafa Kemal. Distrusted and disappointed by Turkey's new secular leaders, Nursi returned home to teach Islam. When in 1925 a separatist Kurdish revolt broke out in the south-east, he opposed it publicly, but he was still deported to the West by the young Kemalist regime, which was eager to pacify the region and eliminate all possible opposition. From his deportation to approximately the beginning of 1950s Said Nursi remained far from politics, dedicating his time to writing and sharing his ideas with newly converted disciples and followers. Considered as dangerous for the stability of the state, he was arrested and imprisoned for 11 years (1935-46). Most of his essays were written in prison, where he converted his first followers and where his thought evolved from the goal of Islamisation of the state towards the even more essential Islamisation of the spirit and the reinforcement of faith by education. Nursi's followers were known as Nur Talebeleri, 'the Followers of Nur', 'nur' meaning 'light' in Turkish as well as recalling Nursi's name and village of origin. They constituted what became known as the Nurcu Movement. As political pluralism in Turkey made progress between 1946 and 1950 and new political parties emerged, the hitherto unique Republican Party of the People (Cumhurieyt Halk Partisi, CHP) was now challenged by the Democratic Party (Demokrat Partisi, DP) of Adnan Menderes. This major political change brought a change for Said Nursi too. Although the leader of the Nur Talebeleri invited people to