Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
P-glycoprotein expression in human cerebral malaria: a preliminary study

Abstract Background: P-glycoprotein is an efflux protein, which is expressed on several cell types, including vascular endothelial cells lining brain capillaries. The expression and activity of P-glycoprotein can be modulated under conditions, including inflammatory process. Cerebral malaria (CM), a complication caused by infections of Plasmodium falciparum, is considered an inflammatory disease. Objective: We determined P-glycoprotein expression at protein levels in human CM brain capillaries. Methods: Four brains, three CM and one control, were subjected to a postmortem study. The brain capillaries were isolated from cerebellum, cerebral cortex, striatum, and brainstem and analyzed for expression of P-glycoprotein using SDS-PAGE and western blot techniques. The expression levels in CM brain capillaries were assessed by comparing with that in control brain capillaries. Results: P-glycoprotein decreased in all CM brain capillaries isolated from striatum, while two of three cerebellums showed the reduction, compared with the control. For cerebral cortex and brainstem brain capillaries, the expression decreased only in one of three CM subjects. Conclusion: P-glycoprotein expression levels were modulated in CM brain capillaries, suggesting an involvement of P-glycoprotein in CM.
An Investigation of the Cognitive Equivalence of Computerized and Paper-and-Pencil Reading Comprehension Test Items.

The comparability of computerized and paper-and-pencil tests was examined from cognitive perspective, using verbal protocols rather than psychometric methods, as the primary mode of inquiry. Reading comprehension items from the Graduate Record Examinations were completed by 48 college juniors and seniors, half of whom took the computerized test first followed by the paper-and-pencil version, and half of whom took the paper-and-pencil test before the computerized test. Participants were asked to think aloud as they answered the test questions. The verbal protocols were transcribed and coded for interpretation. There was a greater frequency of reading comprehension utterances during the paper-and-pencil test, but these were largely accounted for by the use of physical aids to identify important information in the passage. Many participants said that they felt disadvantaged during the computerized test by not being able to write on the passage and test questions. The frequently used strategy of marking the test did not seem to produce any cognitive benefits, however. There was slight evidence of a working memory load while answering the questions on the computerized tests, but overall there were few mode differences and the magnitude of differences was very small. Nearly all participants used the same overall test-taking strategy on both test formats. The first test given, which was less interesting and more difficult, exposed more of the mode effects than the more interesting second test. An appendix contains a chart of coding categories at the utterance level. (Contains 10 tables and 30 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Cognitive Equivalence 1 Running head: COGNITIVE EQUIVALENCE OF TEST ITEMS An Investigation of the Cognitive Equivalence of Computerized and Paper-and-Pencil Reading Comprehension Test Items
Does musical behavior promote affiliation

Does Musical Behavior Promote Affiliation? (August 2011) Cindy Kay Harmon-Jones, B.S., Excelsior College; M.S., Texas A&M University Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Brandon Schmeichel Dr. Gerianne Alexander Past research suggested that greater rhythmic complexity in musical behavior increases affiliation in small groups. The current research tested the hypothesis that musical behavior including melody would promote affiliation. In the current experiment, a video showed models either singing nonsense syllables in unison or speaking identical syllables in synchrony. Participants were assigned to either imitate, or merely listen to, the videos. Participants perceived both the synchronous speaking condition and singing conditions as musical behavior. In the imitate conditions, synchronous speaking produced more affiliation and ingroup favoritism and less embarrassment than singing, whereas in the listen-only conditions, affiliation, ingroup favoritism, and embarrassment did not differ between singing and speaking. Reported happiness and fun were greater in the imitate conditions. The successfulness of imitation, coded by judges, was less, and self-reported difficulty was greater, in the singing condition compared to the synchronous speaking condition. Ratings of success at imitation were positively related to affiliation, positive
The influence of individual and organizational factors on employee engagement

The study examined the individual and organizational factors that influence employee engagement (EE) among employees of Nigeria Distilleries Limited in Ogun State of Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was employed to obtain a sample of 174 employees of Nigeria Distilleries Limited, from whom responses were obtained using questionnaire. The responses were analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 15.0), using the Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient. The findings showed a positive and significant relationships between work locus control, conscientiousness, openness to experience, leadership style, organizational climate, supervisory support; and employee engagement. The study recommended that managers should give attention to such factors that actually engender employee engagement towards organizational competitiveness.
Numerical modeling of relativistic shock acceleration

The shock acceleration mechanism is invoked to explain non-thermal cosmic rays in Supernova Remnants, Active Galactic Nuclei and Gamma Ray Bursts jets. Especially, the importance of relativistic shock acceleration in extragalactic sources is a recurring theme raising a significant interest in the research community. We will briefly discuss the shock acceleration mechanism and we will address the properties of non-relativistic and relativistic shocks, particularly focusing on relativistic numerical Monte Carlo studies.
Probing the envelopes of massive young stellar objects with diffraction limited mid-infrared imaging

Context. Massive stars form whilst they are still embedded in dense envelopes. As a result, the roles of rotation, mass loss and accretion in massive star formation are not well understood. Aims. This study evaluates the source of the Q-band, λc = 19.5 μm, emission of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs). This allows us to determine the relative importance of rotation and outflow activity in shaping the circumstellar environments of MYSOs on 1000 AU scales. Methods. We obtained diffraction limited mid-infrared images of a sample of 20 MYSOs using the VLT/VISIR and Subaru/COMICS instruments. For these 8 m class telescopes and the sample selected, the diffraction limit, ∼0.6 �� , corresponds to approximately 1000 AU. We compare the images and the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) observed to a 2D, axis-symmetric dust radiative transfer model that reproduces VLTI/MIDI observations of the MYSO W33A. We vary the inclination, mass infall rate, and outflow opening angle to simultaneously recreate the behaviour of the sample of MYSOs in the spatial and spectral domains. Results. The mid-IR emission of 70 percent of the MYSOs is spatially resolved. In the majority of cases, the spatial extent of their emission and their SEDs can be reproduced by the W33A model featuring an in-falling, rotating dusty envelope with outflow cavities. There is independent evidence that most of the sources which are not fit by the model are associated with ultracompact Hii regions and are thus more evolved. Conclusions. We find that, in general, the diverse ∼20 μm morphology of MYSOs can be attributed to warm dust in the walls of outflow cavities seen at different inclinations. This implies that the warm dust in the outflow cavity walls dominates the Q-band emission of MYSOs. In turn, this emphasises that outflows are an ubiquitous feature of massive star formation.
Dual hesitant pythagorean fuzzy Hamacher aggregation operators in multiple attribute decision making

In this paper, we investigate the multiple attribute decision making (MADM) problem based on the Hamacher aggregation operators with dual Pythagorean hesitant fuzzy information. Then, motivated by the ideal of Hamacher operation, we have developed some Hamacher aggregation operators for aggregating dual hesitant Pythagorean fuzzy information. The prominent characteristic of these proposed operators are studied. Then, we have utilized these operators to develop some approaches to solve the dual hesitant Pythagorean fuzzy multiple attribute decision making problems. Finally, a practical example for supplier selection in supply chain management is given to verify the developed approach and to demonstrate its practicality and effectiveness.
Project management office in non-governmental organizations: an ex post facto study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of project management offices (PMO) in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in fundraising linked to projects, under the theoretical lens of the resource-based view. Design/methodology/approach Through a longitudinal analysis ex post facto study in a non-profit civil association, the authors examined by Mann-Whitney’s U tests the results before (2003-2008) and after (2009-2014) PMO implementation, to check if the office moderated the relationship between project management and fundraising for projects. Findings Mann-Whitney’s U tests showed that PMO had, in those periods, a statistically significant influence in increasing the number of projects and decreasing the mean value of their budgets (p-value<0.05). Originality/value Despite the wide range of studies on the contribution of PMOs to internal project management, there is a lack of empirical evidence on their moderation capacity, especially in NGOs. To fill this research gap, this study investigates the moderating role of PMO in NGOs, by examining their performance on fundraising processes, to contribute to a better understanding of potential PMO effects, particularly as a moderator of the relationship between project management and projects’ fundraising.
Comparative study of intestine length, weight and digestibility on different body weight chickens

This experiment was conducted to compare the difference of digestibility on different body weight chickens. Twenty-seven (27) 58-week-old New Yangzhou Chickens of three grade sizes (small 2.0 kg, medium 2.5 kg, and large 3.0 kg) were selected and distributed into three groups (Groups 1 to 3) of nine birds/group, and each group was represented by three replicates. Nutrient retention ratio was determined by adopting whole gather excretion method. In the end of metabolism experiment, all the birds were killed, and the intestine length and intestine weight were measured. Results show that, the amount of feed intake and excretion increased along with body weight gain; the feed intake and excretion in group 3 were significantly higher than that in group 1 (P 0.05). The weightier the intestines, the more was body weight of the birds. The retention ratio of energy, crude fiber and neutral detergent fiber increased with body weight gain, but the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). It was concluded that there was no correlation between body weight and digestibility. Keywords: Digestibility, body weight, cock. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(32), pp. 5097-5100
INSTRUCTOR ATTRACTIVENESS AND ACADEMIC RIGOUR: EXAMINATION OF STUDENT EVALUATION DATA *

This study revisits the impact of attractiveness on performance in higher education by examining the relationship between course rigour and instructor attractiveness. More specifically, the current study addresses the following question: Do relatively more attractive professors trade on their appearance by offering more rigorous courses? Given that student evaluation results are generally used to reward good teaching, it is argued that, in offering more rigorous courses, attractive instructors are able to maintain relatively good standing amongst their departmental colleagues. This outcome is important as it relates to processes for awarding tenure and/or promotion, in addition to merit-based pay increases. The econometric tests presented here support the idea that college and university instructors do trade on their attractiveness by offering more rigorous courses. Keywords : economics of beauty; economics instruction. JEL classifications: A20, J24
AUTONOMY AND CONTROL OF THE WORK ENVIRONMENT BY NURSING PROFESSIONALS REDUCE EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION INDEXES AUTONOMIA E CONTROLE DO AMBIENTE DE TRABALHO POR PROFISSIONAIS DE ENFERMAGEM

This study aimed at evaluating the professional practice environment and the burnout levels among nursing professionals, and to estimate the predictive effect of the practice environment on burnout. This is a cross-sectional study carried out with 215 nursing professionals from a teaching hospital in the countryside of the State of São Paulo. For the data collection, the personal and professional characterization form and the Nursing Work Index Revised and the Maslach Burnout Inventory have been considered. Correlation analyzes were performed with the Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient, and multiple linear regression models. Significant correlations have been found between the variables of the practice environment and burnout. The autonomy and control over the environment subscales were considered as predictors of the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduction of personal achievement. In environments where the professional reports greater autonomy and greater control over this environment, the levels of burnout were lower. It was concluded that the autonomy and the control over the environment of professional practice were considered predictors of burnout among nurses, assistants and nursing technicians.
Settlement Reduction Effect of Advanced Back-to-Back Reinforced Retaining Wall

In order to constrain the railway roadbed settlement which causes track irregularity, and thus threats running stability and ride quality, advanced Back-to-Back (BTB) reinforced retaining wall was numerically analyzed as railway roadbed structure. This study is intended to improve conventional Back-to-Back reinforced retaining wall as the technology which would reduce the roadbed settlement in a way of constraining the lateral displacement of its prestressed vertical facing and inducing arching effects in roadbed (backfill) placed between masonry diaphragm wall and vertical facing. As a result of numerical analysis, it was found that the roadbed settlement was reduced by 10% due to the prestressed vertical facing and embedded masonry diaphragm wall of the advanced Back-to-Back reinforced retaining wall system.
Willingness to pay for protecting natural environments in Pulau Redang Marine Park, Malaysia

Although marine parks, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserves are established to conserve biodiversity and enhance ecotourism, some of the country’s protected areas are under threat whether at varying degree. The biggest threat arises from human encroachment. To rescue these resources, appropriate conservation strategy must be put in place. This requires proper valuation of the environment. Taking Pulau Redang Marine Park (PRMP) as a case, information on people’s willingness to pay (WTP) to protect the environment was gathered. Using the dichotomous-choice contingent-valuation method (CVM), it was found that the recreationists are willing to protect the park. The study showed that the average WTP ranged between RM 10.86 and RM 28.69 that could contribute between RM 1.65 million and RM 4.36 million in aggregate for the year 2008.
Health-related non-response in the BHPS and ECHP: using inverse probability weighted estimators in nonlinear models

This paper considers health-related non-response in the first eleven waves of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and the full eight waves of the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) and explores its consequences for dynamic models of the association between socioeconomic status and self-assessed health (SAH). We describe the pattern of health-related non-response revealed by the BHPS and ECHP data. We both test and correct for non-response in empirical models of the impact of socioeconomic status on self-assessed health. Descriptive evidence shows that there is health-related non-response in the data, with those in very poor initial health more likely to drop out, and variable addition tests provide evidence of nonresponse bias in the panel data models of SAH. Nevertheless a comparison of estimates - based on the balanced sample, the unbalanced sample and corrected for non-response using inverse probability weights (IPW) – shows that, on the whole, there are not substantive differences in the average partial effects (APE) of the variables of interest. The main differences are between unweighted and one form of IPW-weighted estimates for the APE of income and education in those countries that have fewer than eight waves of data. Similar findings have been reported concerning the limited influence of non-response bias in models of various labour market outcomes; we discuss possible explanations for our results.
The child’s affective relationships in the family and in class: Graphic representations compared

In sequence, family and school are the first fundamental settings in which the child’s affective, emotional, social and cognitive growth takes place. Two images of the child are formed, separately, in these two groups, the “filial” image and the “scholastic” image, which inevitably merge together, seeking a conformation, in the personality of the child (cf. Liverta Sempio, Marchetti, 1995). This investigation aims to evaluate and compare the affective relationships experienced by the child in the family and in the class, as observable from the child’s drawings. The study involved 105 primary school students (60 males, 45 females) in Piemonte, of whom 65 were in the first cycle (first and second grades) and 40 in the second cycle (fourth and fifth grades), analyzing a total of 210 drawings. Drawings of the family and the class were produced and analyzed as suggested by Tambelli, Zavattini, Mossi (1995) and by Quaglia and Saglione (1990) respectively. It was found that there are graphic differences according to the subjects’ gender and age group. Comparison between the findings that emerged from the Family Drawing and those from the Class Drawing pointed to common aspects and specific features of the depicted settings.
An Experimental Study of a Data Compression Technology-Based Intelligent Data Acquisition (IDAQ) System for Structural Health Monitoring of a Long-Span Bridge

There has recently been an increase in interest in structural health monitoring (SHM) using wireless sensor networks. For SHM, in particular, it is important to accurately and efficiently measure the dynamic acceleration response using wireless sensor networks in real-time. For the purpose, a CAFB (cochlea-inspired artificial filter bank) has been developed in a previous study, which is a dynamic data compression technology. Since the developed CAFB can select and compress only the interested range of frequency signals from an entire response of a structure, it efficiently provides a real-time dynamic response based on wireless networking. CAFB of the previous study is optimized to selectively acquire low-frequency signals of sub-10 Hz, which is required for SHM of long and large-scale structures. According to the CAFB’s optimization using an El-Centro seismic waveform, six band-pass filters, 1.0 Hz interval, and 0.6 Hz bandwidth have been adapted. This article is to evaluate dynamic acceleration response performance of civil structures using the CAFB developed in the previous study. To achieve the purpose, the optimally-designed CAFB was embedded in an intelligent data acquisition (IDAQ) system. To evaluate the performance of the IDAQ system with the embedded CAFB, the real-time dynamic response was investigated for a model cable-stayed bridge, measured by a wire-measuring system and the CAFB-based IDAQ system simultaneously. The results show excellent agreement between the compressed dynamic response acquired by the CAFB-based IDAQ system and that acquired by the wire measuring system. In addition, the measurement from the CAFB-based IDAQ system revealed the modal information of the model bridge. The developed CAFB can determine and reconstruct the entire dynamic response from compression with modal information only; its efficient operation illustrates its potential to be utilized in real-time structural health monitoring.
The XMM-Newton Optical Monitor survey of the Taurus molecular cloud

Context. The Optical Monitor (OM) on-board XMM-Newton obtained optical/ultraviolet data for the XMM-Newton Extended Survey of the Taurus Molecular Cloud (XEST), simultaneously with the X-ray detectors. Aims. With the XEST OM data, we study the optical and ultraviolet properties of TMC members, and to perform correlative studies between the X-ray and OM light curves. In particular, we aim to determine whether accretion plays a significant role in the optical/ultraviolet and X-ray emissions. The Neupert effect in stellar flares is also investigated. Methods. Coordinates, average count rates and magnitudes were extracted from OM images, together with light curves with low time resolution (a few kiloseconds). For a few sources, OM FAST mode data were also available, and we extracted OM light curves with high time resolution. The OM data were correlated with Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) data and with the XEST catalogue in the X-rays. Results. The XEST OM catalogue contains 2148 entries of which 1893 have 2MASS counterparts. However, only 98 entries have X-ray counterparts, of which 51 are known TMC members and 12 additional are TMC candidates. The OM data indicate that accreting stars are statistically brighter in the U band than non-accreting stars after correction for extinction, and have U-band excesses, most likely due to accretion. The OM emission of accreting stars is variable, probably due to accretion spots, but it does not correlate with the X-ray light curve, suggesting that accretion does not contribute significantly to the X-ray emission of most accreting stars. In some cases, flares were detected in both X-ray and OM light curves and followed a Neupert effect pattern, in which the optical/ultraviolet emission precedes the X-ray emission of a flare, whereas the X-ray flux is proportional to the integral of the optical flux.
Curriculum, culture, ideology and ownership: the case of the Exploring Masculinities programme

This article considers curriculum ownership, contestation and the relationship between curriculum and culture through the lens of the Exploring Masculinities (EM) programme. The programme was developed in the late 1990s to meet the social and personal needs of young men. As its dissemination was being planned, it became the subject of critical attention from some high-profile journalists and certain parent bodies. This article reports on a follow-up study of a national sample of parents regarding the inclusion of EM issues on the school curriculum. It also draws on interviews with journalists who were at the centre of the related media debate. The macro curriculum issues are discussed in light of this data along with one key issue identified by parents, namely the professional competence of teachers around social and personal issues.