Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Analysis of Systems of Qualitative Variables When Some of the Variables Are Unobservable. Part I-A Modified Latent Structure Approach

This article presents methods for analyzing the relationships among a set of qualitative variables when some of these variables are specified manifest (i.e., observed) variables and others are latent (i.e., unobserved or unobservable) variables. We shall show how to estimate the magnitude of the various effects represented in pathdiagram models that include both the manifestand latent variables, and also how to test whether this kind of path-diagram model is congruent with the observed data. These methods can be applied in order to analyze data obtained in various kinds of surveys (including panel studies), and also in order to construct tests and indices for purposes of measurement and prediction. To illustrate their wide applicability and flexibility, we shall use these methods to reanalyze several different sets of data which were analyzed earlier by Coleman (1964), Lazarsfeld (1948, 1970), Goodman (1973a), and others. Except for some related conclusions in Goodman (1973a), the methods introduced herein lead to conclusions that are very different from those presented by the other researchers who had analyzed these data earlier.
The JNKs differentially regulate RNA polymerase III transcription by coordinately modulating the expression of all TFIIIB subunits

RNA polymerase (pol) III-dependent transcription is subject to stringent regulation by tumor suppressors and oncogenic proteins and enhanced RNA pol III transcription is essential for cellular transformation and tumorigenesis. Since the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) display both oncogenic and tumor suppressor properties, the roles of these proteins in regulating RNA pol III transcription were examined. In both mouse and human cells, loss or reduction in JNK1 expression represses RNA pol III transcription. In contrast, loss or reduction in JNK2 expression induces transcription. The JNKs coordinately regulate expression of all 3 TFIIIB subunits. While JNK1 positively regulates TBP expression, the RNA pol III-specific factors, Brf1 and Bdp1, JNK2 negatively regulates their expression. Brf1 is coregulated with TBP through the JNK target, Elk-1. Reducing Elk-1 expression decreases Brf1 expression. Decreasing JNK1 expression reduces Elk-1 occupancy at the Brf1 promoter, while decreasing JNK2 expression enhances recruitment of Elk-1 to the Brf1 promoter. In contrast, regulation of Bdp1 occurs through JNK-mediated alterations in TBP expression. Altered TBP expression mimics the effect of reduced JNK1 or JNK2 levels on Bdp1 expression. Decreasing JNK1 expression reduces the occupancy of TBP at the Bdp1 promoter, while decreasing JNK2 expression enhances recruitment of TBP to the Bdp1 promoter. Together, these results provide a molecular mechanism for regulating RNA pol III transcription through the coordinate control of TFIIIB subunit expression and elucidate opposing functions for the JNKs in regulating a large class of genes that dictate the biosynthetic capacity of cells.
The Liverpool City-region Health is Wealth Commission

The Liverpool City-region Health is Wealth Commission was established to examine the growing divergence between the City-region’s public health status and its marked economic growth, specifically looking at links between health and productivity, identifying knowledge-gaps, and encouraging a more focused and collaborative alignment between the business, research and public health agendas. Over 18 months of investigation, Commissioners considered a wide range of research-based and plenary evidence from a number of key witnesses. The Commission made 12 final recommendations within six core themes: Alcohol, Smoking & Obesity; Incapacity Benefit; Wellbeing at Work; Beyond the Built Environment; Procurement; and Knowledge Capital. The Commission’s findings were published in September 2008, as part of Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture programme.
Does the use of mobile phones affect human short-term memory or attention?

The effect of acute exposure to low-level radio frequency electromagnetic fields (REF) generated by mobile phones on short-term memory and attention was assessed in two experiments. Most of the tests manipulated task difficulty or what might be termed cognitive load. This manipulation is important since previous studies have argued that exposure to mobile phones might affect cognitive functions only under conditions which tax the cognitive system. All participants were exposed to REF (half were exposed to GSM - Global System for Mobile Communication - signals and the other half were exposed to unmodulated signals) in one testing session, while in a separate session participants were exposed to sham signals. To investigate potential lateralised effects, the mobile phone was positioned on the left side of the head for half of the participants and on the right side for the other half. No significant effect of exposure to REF was detected in any of the six tasks used in either the low or high cognitive load conditions. This study used much larger sample sizes than is typical for this type of research and REF exposure was administered under double-blind conditions. Overall, the results indicate that acute exposure to REFs emitted by mobile phones do not have a strong impact on cognitive functions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Measurement of Dielectric and Magnetic Characteristics of Nickel Ferrite and Strontium Ferrite Composite from 4.5 to 26.5 GHz Frequency Range

Complex permittivity and permeability measurement plays an important role in microwave technology since knowing properties of material is the first step in all kind of design when the material is used. In this paper, we study these dielectric and magnetic properties of one nickel ferrite ceramic sample and two custom made strontium ferrite composite ceramic samples in microwave frequency from 4.5 to 26.5 GHz in demagnetized state. Cavity perturbation and waveguide transmission line technique were used to carry out the measurement tasks
Regional ischemia after head injury

Purpose of review To examine the evidence of regional cerebral ischemia after traumatic brain injury. Recent findings This review describes the mechanisms responsible for secondary brain injury and the similarities between traumatic and ischemic neuronal cell death. Cerebral ischemia is defined, and the difficulties of quantifying the burden of cerebral ischemia in the context of clinical head injury are presented. Recent clinical data obtained from monitoring brain tissue oxygenation, tissue metabolites using microdialysis, and cerebral blood flow, blood volume, oxygen metabolism, and oxygen extraction fraction using oxygen-15 positron emission tomography are discussed. These data highlight that significant episodes of regional ischemia occur within the acute phase after injury and are associated with poor outcome. Although various monitoring tools are capable of detecting significant episodes of regional ischemia, each of the currently available techniques is limited in its clinical application. Summary There is increasing evidence to suggest that a small but significant volume of brain tissue is at risk of ischemic injury after trauma. Future studies should examine the pathophysiology underlying such ischemia and how monitoring techniques can be used to direct appropriate therapy and influence outcome.
Modal analysis of Pneumatic two Finger Robotic hand by Finite Element Analysis and Experimental Testing

The objective of the present work was studying the technique of modal analysis using theoretical, numerical and experimental methods . Two axis modal finger of pneumatic robotic hand was designed and built. The theoretical modeling was done by deriving equations of stress and deflection depending on the free body diagram of robotic clamp, finite element analysis was performed using Comsol Multi physics 3.5a software program. The modal testing was done by dial and pressure gauges. For each method dynamic stress and deflection were found, and the results from all three analyses were compared and proved that the rated deflection and stresses that calculated from the theoretical calculation make a good agreement with the results obtained from the finite element analysis and experimental testing. The acceptable maximum holding weight of designed hand was found to be 400g. Index Term-pneumatic hand, two axis finger, Comsol software, Finite Element Analysis.
Dynamic power management of off-chip links for Hybrid Memory Cubes

The Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) is a 3D-stacked DRAM architecture designed for substantially improved memory bandwidth. In particular, its I/O interface achieves up to 320GB/s of external bandwidth through high-speed serial links. However, it comes at a cost of large static power of off-chip links, which dominates total power consumption of HMCs. Therefore, we propose an adaptive mechanism to partially disable off-chip links of HMCs with a minimal performance impact. We also present two-level prefetching with in-HMC prefetch buffers to further improve its efficiency in the presence of prefetching. Evaluations show that our scheme reduces energy consumption of HMCs by 51% on average.
Caring for children around the world: A view from HOME

This review examines cultural and socioeconomic variations in parenting as represented by the original and adapted versions of the HOME Inventory. There was specific focus on three aspects of the family environment where cultural models of parenting and access to resources are thought to be operative and for which there is evidence of impact on child well-being: parental responsiveness, discipline practices, and exposure to stimulating materials and experiences. Findings revealed meaningful impacts of culture and SES in all three areas. Not only did mean differences emerge across countries but different alliances between indicators, presumably representing the same parenting construct, also emerged. The review also revealed a tendency for researchers to modify the HOME consistent with local beliefs and practices concerning what children need, what families need, and the role of parents in fostering particular aspects of development. Despite differences in cultural models of parenting around the world, the studies showed rather consistent relations between exposure to stimulation and parental responsiveness and children's adaptive functioning. Associations with physical punishment were somewhat less clear.
THROMBOSIS AND HEMOSTASIS Targeted mutagenesis of zebra fi sh antithrombin III triggers disseminated intravascular coagulation and thrombosis , revealing insight into function

Department of Pediatrics and Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA; Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL; Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; and Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
A Mediterranean diet with additional extra virgin olive oil and pistachios reduces the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM): A randomized controlled trial: The St. Carlos GDM prevention study

Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) prevalence is increasing and becoming a major public health concern. Whether a Mediterranean diet can help prevent GDM in unselected pregnant women has yet to be studied. Methods We conducted a prospective, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the incidence of GDM with two different dietary models. All consecutive normoglycemic (<92 mg/dL) pregnant women at 8–12 gestational weeks (GW) were assigned to Intervention Group (IG, n = 500): MedDiet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and pistachios; or Control Group (CG, n = 500): standard diet with limited fat intake. Primary outcome was to assess the effect of the intervention on GDM incidence at 24–28 GW. Gestational weight gain (GWG), pregnancy-induced hypertension, caesarean section (CS), preterm delivery, perineal trauma, small and large for gestational age (SGA and LGA) and admissions to neonatal intensive care unit were also assessed. Analysis was by intention-to-treat. Results A total of 874 women completed the study (440/434, CG/IG). According to nutritional questionnaires and biomarker analysis, women in the IG had a good adherence to the intervention. 177/874 women were diagnosed with GDM, 103/440 (23.4%) in CG and 74/434(17.1%) in IG, p = 0.012. The crude relative risk (RR) for GDM was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.56–0.95; p = 0.020) IG vs CG and persisted after adjusted multivariable analysis, 0.75(95% CI: 0.57–0.98; p = 0.039). IG had also significantly reduced rates of insulin-treated GDM, prematurity, GWG at 24–28 and 36–38 GW, emergency CS, perineal trauma, and SGA and LGA newborns (all p<0.05). Conclusions An early nutritional intervention with a supplemented MedDiet reduces the incidence of GDM and improves several maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Connectivity Changes Underlying Spectral EEG Changes during Propofol-Induced Loss of Consciousness

The mechanisms underlying anesthesia-induced loss of consciousness remain a matter of debate. Recent electrophysiological reports suggest that while initial propofol infusion provokes an increase in fast rhythms (from beta to gamma range), slow activity (from delta to alpha range) rises selectively during loss of consciousness. Dynamic causal modeling was used to investigate the neural mechanisms mediating these changes in spectral power in humans. We analyzed source-reconstructed data from frontal and parietal cortices during normal wakefulness, propofol-induced mild sedation, and loss of consciousness. Bayesian model selection revealed that the best model for explaining spectral changes across the three states involved changes in corticothalamic interactions. Compared with wakefulness, mild sedation was accounted for by an increase in thalamic excitability, which did not further increase during loss of consciousness. In contrast, loss of consciousness per se was accompanied by a decrease in backward corticocortical connectivity from frontal to parietal cortices, while thalamocortical connectivity remained unchanged. These results emphasize the importance of recurrent corticocortical communication in the maintenance of consciousness and suggest a direct effect of propofol on cortical dynamics.
A Study of User Involvement in Packaged Software Selection

This paper is concerned with the decision-making processes surrounding the adoption of packaged software in organizations. We begin by looking at its increasing utilization and consider some of the strengths and limitations of employing a standardized approach, particularly in relation to its consideration of end-user requirements. We note the highly problematic nature of installing a global standardized product in the local environment. Using a field study concerning the adoption of a customer relationship management package in a small organization, we go on to illustrate the limited amount of end-user involvement in the selection and procurement of the product. We argue that the art of salesmanship by the third party vendor and project team, which focuses on the interests of senior management, ultimately secures the selection and procurement of the software package.
Phosphorus Homeostasis in Dairy Cattle: Some Answers, More Questions

Phosphorus homeostasis in dairy cattle has received increased attention in the last decades because of the possible association between hypophosphatemia and the downer cow syndrome, as well as because of increasing concerns about the environmental impact of excessive amounts of phosphorus (P) in manure. Assessing the P homeostasis in animals is difficult since the concentration of this predominantly intracellular ion in serum or plasma does not reliably represent the total body P pool. The plasma P concentration in dairy cows can drop considerably following a sudden loss of P as it occurs at the onset of lactation through the mammary gland, but hypophospahtemia can also be the result of a sudden shift of P from the extracellular space into the cells - where the total P pool remains unchanged - as it occurs following parenteral dextrose or insulin administration. Hypophosphatemia has been associated with a number of clinical signs and conditions in dairy cows, such as anorexia, pica, muscle weakness or recumbency, intravascular hemolysis, and more recently with disturbed liver function. Many of these signs and conditions have been empirically associated with P depletion or hypophosphateemia with unequivocal evidence often not being available. Also, it is not well understood if these signs would be caused by a decline of the plasma P concentration alone or if they require a depletion of the total body P pool. Treatment of hypophosphatemia requires the administration of phosphate salts, either orally or parenterally. Phosphite salts, frequently incorporated in solution for intravenous administration, are unsuitable to substitute phosphate as the organism does not convert biologically inactive phosphite into phosphate. With proper gastrointestinal motility, phosphate salts (sodium phosphate) when given orally result in a rapid and sustained increase of the plasma P concentration. Intravenous administration of phosphate salts results in an immediate but very short lived increase of the plasma P concentration and must therefore be accompanied by oral P supplementation. Phosphate salts given intravenously should neither be mixed nor given together with other salts (Ca, K, or Mg) because phosphate may precipitate with these salts.
Hippocampal N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit expression profiles in a mouse model of prenatal alcohol exposure.

BACKGROUND Although several reports have been published showing prenatal ethanol exposure is associated with alterations in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit levels and, in a few cases, subcellular distribution, results of these studies are conflicting. METHODS We used semi-quantitative immunoblotting techniques to analyze NMDA receptor NR1, NR2A, and NR2B subunit levels in the adult mouse hippocampal formation isolated from offspring of dams who consumed moderate amounts of ethanol throughout pregnancy. We employed subcellular fractionation and immunoprecipitation techniques to isolate synaptosomal membrane- and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95)-associated pools of receptor subunits. RESULTS We found that, compared to control animals, fetal alcohol-exposed (FAE) adult mice had: (i) increased synaptosomal membrane NR1 levels with no change in association of this subunit with PSD-95 and no difference in total NR1 expression in tissue homogenates; (ii) decreased NR2A subunit levels in hippocampal homogenates, but no alterations in synaptosomal membrane NR2A levels and no change in NR2A-PSD-95 association; and (iii) no change in tissue homogenate or synaptosomal membrane NR2B levels but a reduction in PSD-95-associated NR2B subunits. No alterations were found in mRNA levels of NMDA receptor subunits suggesting that prenatal alcohol-associated differences in subunit protein levels are the result of differences in post-transcriptional regulation of subunit localization. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that prenatal alcohol exposure induces selective changes in NMDA receptor subunit levels in specific subcellular locations in the adult mouse hippocampal formation. Of particular interest is the finding of decreased PSD-95-associated NR2B levels, suggesting that synaptic NR2B-containing NMDA receptor concentrations are reduced in FAE animals. This result is consistent with various biochemical, physiological, and behavioral findings that have been linked with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Post-routing redundant via insertion for yield/reliability improvement

Reducing the yield loss due to via failure is one of the important problems in design for manufacturability. A well known and highly recommended method to improve via yield/reliability is to add redundant vias. In this paper, we study the problem of post-routing redundant via insertion and formulate it as a maximum independent set (MIS) problem. We present an efficient graph construction algorithm to model the problem, and an effective MIS heuristic to solve the problem. The experimental results show that our MIS heuristic inserts more redundant vias and distributes them more uniformly among via layers than a commercial tool and an existing method. The number of inserted redundant vias can be increased by up to 21.24%. Besides, since redundant vias can be classified into on-track and off-track ones, and on-track ones have better electrical properties, we also present two methods (one is modified from the MIS heuristic, and the other is applied as a post processor) to increase the amount of on-track redundant vias. The experimental results indicate that both methods perform very well.
Special Links? Partners in Provision? Collaboration between Ordinary and Special Schools.

Link arrangements between special and ordinary schools can provide a base for the full- or part-time integration of pupils with special educational needs and encourage the exchange of those ideas which lead to mutually beneficial curriculum development. A recent research project at the National Foundation for Educational Research has surveyed the current situation. Felicity Fletcher-Campbell, a Senior Research Officer at the NFER, outlines some of the findings and addresses some of the issue arising.
A Note on Leiter's Study

This note compares the model of burnout proposed by Leiter with the eight-phase model of Golembiewski and Munzenrider. Both models cannot be correct, and scientific advance typically will involve the complex processes of contrast and comparison illustrated here. Several conceptual issues get attention, including the capacity of the two models to accommodate chronic and acute onset. Moreover, Leiter's model cannot accommodate about 50% of the cases classifiable by the phase model, judging from a collection of nearly 13,000 respondents to the Maslach Burnout Inventory.
Genomic diversity in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum): from the continental scale to a dune landscape

Connecting broad‐scale patterns of genetic variation and population structure to genetic diversity on a landscape is a key step towards understanding historical processes of migration and adaptation. New genomic approaches can be used to increase the resolution of phylogeographic studies while reducing locus sampling effects and circumventing ascertainment bias. Here, we use a novel approach based on high‐throughput sequencing to characterize genetic diversity in complete chloroplast genomes and >10 000 nuclear loci in switchgrass, at continental and landscape scales. Switchgrass is a North American tallgrass species, which is widely used in conservation and perennial biomass production, and shows strong ecotypic adaptation and population structure across the continental range. We sequenced 40.9 billion base pairs from 24 individuals from across the species’ range and 20 individuals from the Indiana Dunes. Analysis of plastome sequence revealed 203 variable SNP sites that define eight haplogroups, which are differentiated by 4–127 SNPs and confirmed by patterns of indel variation. These include three deeply divergent haplogroups, which correspond to the previously described lowland–upland ecotypic split and a novel upland haplogroup split that dates to the mid‐Pleistocene. Most of the plastome haplogroup diversity present in the northern switchgrass range, including in the Indiana Dunes, originated in the mid‐ or upper Pleistocene prior to the most recent postglacial recolonization. Furthermore, a recently colonized landscape feature (approximately 150 ya) in the Indiana Dunes contains several deeply divergent upland haplogroups. Nuclear markers also support a deep lowland–upland split, followed by limited gene flow, and show extensive gene flow in the local population of the Indiana Dunes.