Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Negotiations left behind: in‐between spaces of teacher–student negotiation and their significance for education

This paper argues against a view of curriculum as a means for moulding students into, and making teachers accountable for, something pre‐determined and singularly governed by qualification demands of the labour market. It makes a case for the value of inter‐subjective teacher–student relationships in education and addresses the significance of negotiations and their open‐endedness. This paper draws its empirical material from case studies for which interviews were the main source for gathering data. The data analyses were made using the AtlasTi software designed for qualitative analysis. In the empirical material were found instances of negotiations in which inter‐subjective relationships are established and maintained; negotiations that are rendered obscured or even invisible from a qualification purpose but that influence the educational processes. The results show that teachers and students creatively use potentials within contextual conditions to attain relationships which sometimes constitute a precondition for education.
Circulating Nucleic Acids in Plasma or Serum (CNAPS) as Prognostic and Predictive Markers in Patients with Solid Neoplasias

It is now widely accepted that there is a need for the development of molecular markers of cancer that can be used for clinical prognostication and monitoring. Approximately a decade ago tumor-derived circulating nucleic acids in the plasma or serum (CNAPS) of cancer patients were introduced as a noninvasive tool for cancer detection. This review focuses on the various types of CNAPS of patients with solid neoplasias (genetic alterations in circulating DNA, microsatellites, methylated DNA, viral DNA, nucleosomes, mitochondrial DNA and cell-free mRNA) and their putative potential as prognostic or predictive parameter or even as a tool for therapy monitoring during follow-up. Additionally, this review aims to point out the difference between a prognostic and a predictive factor in patient bloodstream. However, with rapid technical improvement and well-designed studies we conclude that the next years will see CNAPS analysis integrated in the prognostication and monitoring of cancer patients, thus producing more specific treatment regimens for patients with various stages of neoplastic disease and ultimately longer survival and better quality of life.
Systematic Review of Anthocyanins and Markers of Cardiovascular Disease

Anthocyanins are dietary flavonoids commonly consumed in the diet. Evidence from epidemiological studies suggests cardiovascular disease (CVD) preventative and therapeutic effects of anthocyanins. We systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCT) testing the effects of purified anthocyanins and anthocyanin‐rich extracts on the following markers of CVD: triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure in both healthy and diseased populations. Eligible studies included RCT of the adult population published in English. We searched PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and BIOSIS Previews for relevant articles from inception until July 1, 2014. Twelve RCT representing 10 studies were included in the review. Trials ranged in size (31–152 individuals enrolled), duration (3–24 wk), and anthocyanin dose (7–640 mg/d). Supplementation with anthocyanins did not affect CVD biomarkers among healthy individuals. Triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure were not changed among diseased individuals after anthocyanin treatment. Anthocyanin treatment did consistently decrease LDL cholesterol in diseased individuals and/or those with elevated biomarkers of CVD. No adverse effects were reported across studies at levels up to 640 mg/d. Major limitations of trials included in the qualitative analyses include short trial durations and large variability in the dose administered within the trials, among others. LDL cholesterol is an established biomarker of CVD risk, and these trials suggest that anthocyanin supplementation may decrease LDL cholesterol among individuals with elevated biomarkers, with little to no safety concerns. Longer‐duration trials assessing dose response are needed to adequately determine whether an effect of supplementation exists.
Pedagogical content knowledge in science education: perspectives and potential for progress

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), since its inception as teacher‐specific professional knowledge, has been researched extensively. Drawing on a wide range of literature, this paper seeks to clarify how the potential offered by PCK could be utilised to further develop science teacher education. An analysis of PCK models proposed by various researchers, together with methods of elucidating PCK in experienced and novice teachers, is provided. The paper argues that making PCK more explicit in the teacher education process may help novices adjust to teaching, as well as aiding experienced teachers in developing more reflective practices.
Redistribution of acetylcholine receptors during neuromuscular junction formation in Xenopus cultures.

At the adult neuromuscular junction, acetylcholine (ACh) receptors are highly localized at the subsynaptic membrane, whereas, embryonic myotubes before innervation have receptors distributed over the entire surface. Thus sometime during development, ACh receptors accumulate to the nerve contact area. This nerve-induced receptor accumulation can be reproduced in Xenopus nerve-muscle cultures, which provides us with a unique opportunity to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism of this event. Anderson and Cohen (1977) have shown that nerve-induced receptor accumulation is, at least partly, due to migration of pre-existing receptors. It is, thus, plausible that freely diffusing receptors in the membrane are trapped at the nerve-contact region and form clusters. We tested this diffusion trap model. First, receptors in the background region are indeed predominantly mobile and those in the cluster are immobile. Second, the diffusion of receptors in the membrane is fast enough to account for the rate of receptor accumulation. Third, when receptors were immobilized by a lectin, Concanavalin A, the nerve no longer induced receptor accumulation. Thus the diffusion trap model seems adequate to accommodate these observations. Aside from this diffusion mediated mechanism, it is conceivable that newly formed receptors are preferentially inserted at the nerve contact site and these new receptors become immobilized at the site of insertion. To test this hypothesis we stained new receptors separately from old ones and quantitatively compared their distribution. For this purpose we developed a method to quantify fluorescence micrographs. We found that the ratio between old and new receptors was similar at all nerve-induced clusters examined and at the diffusely distributed region. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Impact of Protozoan Grazing on Bacterial Community Structure in Soil Microcosms

ABSTRACT The influence of grazing by a mixed assemblage of soil protozoa (seven flagellates and one amoeba) on bacterial community structure was studied in soil microcosms amended with a particulate resource (sterile wheat roots) or a soluble resource (a solution of various organic compounds). Sterilized soil was reinoculated with mixed soil bacteria (obtained by filtering and dilution) or with bacteria and protozoa. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR amplifications of 16S rRNA gene fragments, as well as community level physiological profiling (Biolog plates), suggested that the mixed protozoan community had significant effects on the bacterial community structure. Excising and sequencing of bands from the DGGE gels indicated that high-G+C gram-positive bacteria closely related to Arthrobacter spp. were favored by grazing, whereas the excised bands that decreased in intensity were related to gram-negative bacteria. The percentages of intensity found in bands related to high G+C gram positives increased from 4.5 and 12.6% in the ungrazed microcosms amended with roots and nutrient solution, respectively, to 19.3 and 32.9% in the grazed microcosms. Protozoa reduced the average bacterial cell size in microcosms amended with nutrient solution but not in the treatment amended with roots. Hence, size-selective feeding may explain some but not all of the changes in bacterial community structure. Five different protozoan isolates (Acanthamoeba sp., two species of Cercomonas, Thaumatomonas sp., and Spumella sp.) had different effects on the bacterial communities. This suggests that the composition of protozoan communities is important for the effect of protozoan grazing on bacterial communities.
Influence of Image Quality on Semi-Automatic 3D Reconstructions of the Lateral Skull Base for Cochlear Implantation

Planning a cochlear implantation requires a 3D reconstruction of the risk structures usually from CT images. However, if the data does not fulfill specific image quality requirements, 3D reconstruction methods could fail or give inaccurate results. This study analyzes the correlation of image quality with the accuracy and reproducibility of semi-automatic 3D reconstructions of structures of the lateral skull base. We analyzed CT data from 12 patients where the risk structures of the lateral skull base were segmented by multiple experts using a dedicated semi-automatic tool. The quality of each image was rated by an experienced ENT surgeon with respect to various criteria. We found a correlation of the segmentation quality for some of the structures with the signal-to-noise ratio as well as the resolution of the images. Imaging artifacts influenced the reproducibility but not the accuracy of the reconstruction.
According to the promises: the subculture of school science, teachers' pedagogic identity and the challenge of ict

This paper reports findings from the Economic and Social Research Council‐funded InterActive Education Project, in which teachers, researchers and teacher educators have worked together to develop, perform, and evaluate secondary school science department‐based ‘Subject Design Initiatives’. Drawing on notions from sociocultural theory, we have focused on ‘cultural tools’ as material and symbolic mediators of learning. In the Subject Design Initiatives teachers are seen as central to learning in the classroom, incorporating information and communications technology (ICT) into their designed learning situations in a naturalistic way. In this paper we draw upon science teacher interview data to attempt to define and characterise the subculture of school science. The research reported focuses on the problems, possibilities and reality ICT presents to established science subcultures as seen through the eyes of individual teachers. More particularly, we are interested in the ways in which teachers' subject epistemologies, their personal theories and espoused pedagogical styles interact with ICT in their science teaching.
Biologically Inspired Robot Manipulator for New Applications in Automation Engineering

Abstract The fast growing interest in flexible, versatile and mobile robotic manipulators demands for robots with inherent high passive safety suited for direct human-robot interaction. To gain access to these new applications in the field of automation engineering where close vicinity and direct cooperating with humans are required, the “BioRob” project demonstrates the applicability of a new biologically inspired, lightweight and elastic “bionic” robot manipulator specifically designed for safe human-robot interaction. This paper presents the mechanical design and controller structure used for the new demonstrators with up to four compliant joints. The advantages of the design and potential application areas for the manipulator are discussed. 1. Introduction Traditional industrial manipulators demonstrate outstanding specifications regarding precision and speed movement. But this performance can only be achieved by avoiding thoroughly any elasticity in the kinematic chain which would produce uncontrollable oscillations during motions. Adequate stiffness requires massive construction of the robot links, joints and gears, resulting in a poor ratio of payload to deadweight. Articulated robots of
Measuring Cognitive Complexity: Developing Reliability, Validity, and Norm Tables for a Personality Instrument

An empirical investigation of the psychometric properties of a commonly-used instrument to measure cognitive complexity was designed. Bieri's (Bieri Atkins, Briar, Leaman, Miller, and Tripodi 1966) grid form of Kelly's (1955) Role Construct Reperatory (REP) Test was shown to have high and statistically significant test-retest reliability (p < .001) and convergent and discriminant validities (p < .05). These results reinforce the internal validity of cognitive complexity research using the instrument. Moreover, stable scores were found across student (N = 176) and nonstudent (N = 169) samples. Such characteristics as sex, level in the organizational hierarchy, year in college, and college major were not found to alter the distributions of scores. Thus, preliminary norm tables for scores were established which would be necessary in building arguments for external validity of research results.
Neuroanatomical considerations of palatal muscles: tensor and levator veli palatini.

The tensor veli palatini (TVP) and levator veli palatini (LVP) muscles are intimately associated with the soft palate and knowledge of their anatomy and physiology is essential for palatoplasty. Controversy regarding the function and innervation of these muscles still exists. The purpose of this study was to identify the location of motoneurons within the brainstem which innervate the TVP and LVP using the current neuroanatomical tracing technique of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). HRP was injected into each of these muscles in adult cats. Following a twenty-four hour survival the animals were sacrificed, the brain removed and processed using tetramethyl benzidene . TVP motoneurons were located in the rostral two-thirds of the ventromedial division of the trigeminal motor nucleus. LVP motoneurons were located in the rostral 2 mm of the nucleus ambiguus ipsilaterally and to a lesser extent contralaterally as well as in the retrofacial nucleus ipsilaterally. Our study has addressed neuroanatomical aspects essential to an understanding of the structure and function of the palatal muscles. Unraveling the central connections of the TVP, LVP motoneurons may clarify understanding of such complex functions as swallowing, sucking, blowing and speech.
Issues and techniques in touch-sensitive tablet input

Touch-sensitive tablets and their use in human-computer interaction are discussed. It is shown that such devices have some important properties that differentiate them from other input devices (such as mice and joysticks). The analysis serves two purposes: (1) it sheds light on touch tablets, and (2) it demonstrates how other devices might be approached. Three specific distinctions between touch tablets and one button mice are drawn. These concern the signaling of events, multiple point sensing and the use of templates. These distinctions are reinforced, and possible uses of touch tablets are illustrated, in an example application. Potential enhancements to touch tablets and other input devices are discussed, as are some inherent problems. The paper concludes with recommendations for future work.
Fast information spreading in graphs with large weak conductance

Gathering data from nodes in a network is at the heart of many distributed applications, most notably, while performing a global task. We consider information spreading among n nodes of a network, where each node v has a message m(v) which must be received by all other nodes. The time required for information spreading has been previously upper-bounded with an inverse relationship to the conductance of the underlying communication graph. This implies high running times for graphs with small conductance. The main contribution of this paper is an information spreading algorithm which overcomes communication bottlenecks and thus achieves fast information spreading for a wide class of graphs, despite their small conductance. As a key tool in our study we use the recently defined concept of weak conductance, a generalization of classic graph conductance which measures how well-connected the components of a graph are. Our hybrid algorithm, which alternates between random and deterministic communication phases, exploits the connectivity within components by first applying partial information spreading, after which messages are sent across bottlenecks, thus spreading further throughout the network. This yields substantial improvements over the best known running times of algorithms for information spreading on any graph that has a large weak conductance, from polynomial to polylogarithmic number of rounds. We demonstrate the power of fast information spreading in accomplishing global tasks on the leader election problem, which lies at the core of distributed computing. Our results yield an algorithm for leader election that has a scalable running time on graphs with large weak conductance, improving significantly upon previous results.
Market transition and the persistence of power: The changing stratification system in urban China

Research on transitional socialist societies has explored trends in income inequality and issues concerning who gains and who loses during market reforms. We find that income inequality in a major Chinese city declined only slightly during the first decade of reform policies; it then increased dramatically in the subsequent five years. Strategic position in the state bureaucracy continues to be an important determinant of income, although connections to the market system are becoming alternate sources of advantage. We interpret these findings in light of the historical and institutional context of urban China
Error diagnosis using penalized probabilistic FOIL for Chinese as a Second Language learner

This study presents a penalized probabilistic First-Order Inductive Learning (pFOIL) approach to error diagnosis for Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) learners. The pFOIL approach is first proposed to characterize a sentence using multi-type background knowledge which contains the morphological, syntactic and semantic relations among the words in a sentence and quantized background knowledge with discrete values of multi-type relations. Afterwards, a decomposition-based testing mechanism which decomposes a sentence into the background knowledge regarding each error type is proposed to infer all potential error types and causes of the sentence. With the proposed pFOIL method, not only the error type but also the error cause and word position can be provided to the CSL learners. Experiment results reveal that the proposed pFOIL method outperforms the C4.5, maximum entropy and Naïve Bayes classifiers in error classification.
Interferon Response in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection: Lessons from Cell Culture Systems of HCV Infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive-stranded RNA virus that infects approximately 130–170 million people worldwide. In 2005, the first HCV infection system in cell culture was established using clone JFH-1, which was isolated from a Japanese patient with fulminant HCV infection. JFH-1 replicates efficiently in hepatoma cells and infectious virion particles are released into the culture supernatant. The development of cell culture-derived HCV (HCVcc) systems has allowed us to understand how hosts respond to HCV infection and how HCV evades host responses. Although the mechanisms underlying the different outcomes of HCV infection are not fully understood, innate immune responses seem to have a critical impact on the outcome of HCV infection, as demonstrated by the prognostic value of IFN-λ gene polymorphisms among patients with chronic HCV infection. Herein, we review recent research on interferon response in HCV infection, particularly studies using HCVcc infection systems.
A Novel Approach for Sensory Data Collection in Wireless Sensor Networks with Mobile Sinks

Recently, there has been a rapid growth in the wireless communication technique. Mobile sinks can be mounted upon urban vehicles with fixed trajectories provide the ideal infrastructure to effectively retrieve sensory data from such isolated WSN fields. Existing approaches uses either single-hop transfer of data from SNs that lie within the MS's range or heavy involvement of network periphery nodes in data retrieval, processing, buffering, and delivering tasks. Our proposed protocol aims at reducing the overall network overhead and energy expenditure associated with the multihop data retrieval process while also ensuring balanced energy consumption among SNs and prolonged network lifetime. This is achieved through building cluster structures consisted of member nodes that route their measured data to their assigned cluster head (CH). CHs perform data filtering upon raw data exploiting potential spatial-temporal data redundancy and forward the filtered information to appropriate end nodes with sufficient residual energy, located in proximity to the MS's trajectory. Simulation results indicate the superior performance of our proposed algorithm to strike the appropriate performance in the energy consumption and network lifetime for the wireless sensor networks.
Modeling for IEEE802.11 Ad-hoc Network and Performance Analysis

In the IEEE 802.11 ad-hoc network, all nodes use the common channel to transmit control frames and data frames. To avoid collision of data frames and improve transmitting performance, carrier sense multi-access with collision avoidance is employed. However, collision of control frames, namely RTS, still happens. Moreover, with the number of the nodes increasing, RTS collisions will be the key factor which affects the throughout and the delay of the system. In this paper, we proposed a performance model for the ad-hoc network, using which the effects of backoff and collision risk to system's whole performance are analyzed. Boundary condition for selection of contention window size is got
Compensatory role of P‐glycoproteins in knockout mice lacking the bile salt export pump

Bile salt export pump (BSEP; ATP‐binding cassette, subfamily B, member 11) mutations in humans result in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2, a fatal liver disease with greatly reduced bile flow. However in mice, Bsep knockout leads only to mild cholestasis with substantial bile flow and up‐regulated P‐glycoprotein genes (multidrug resistance protein 1a [Mdr1a] and Mdr1b). To determine whether P‐glycoprotein is responsible for the relatively mild phenotype observed in Bsep knockout mice, we have crossed mouse strains knocked out for Bsep and the two P‐glycoprotein genes and generated a triple knockout mouse. We found that a knockout of the three genes leads to a significantly more severe phenotype with impaired bile formation, jaundice, flaccid gallbladder, and increased mortality. The triple knockout mouse is the most severe genetic model of intrahepatic cholestasis yet developed. Conclusion: P‐glycoprotein functions as a critical compensatory mechanism, which reduces the severity of cholestasis in Bsep knockout mice. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)