Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The necessity of testis and thyroid hormones for the maintenance of the serous tubules of the submaxillary gland in the male rat.

Since the time, about a century ago, when research on the salivary glands began in earnest, most of the investigations dealing with these organs indicated that they were under the control of the nervous system (Babkin, 1944). Therefore, it came as a surprise to learn that the male sex hormone plays an important role in the maintenance of the serous tubules of the submaxillary glands of mice. This was first suspected by Lacassagne (1940a) when he found that this structure was far better developed in male than in female mice. Later he showed that the extirpation of the testes produced the atrophy of the serous tubules, while testosterone injections restored them to a normal condition (Lacassagne, 1940b). These effects were accompanied by changes in the enzymatic content of saliva. Thus, the ability of saliva to liberate glucose from starch was greater in males than in females, decreased by castration in males, and increased by testosterone injections in females (Raynaud and Rebeyrotte, 1949a, 1949b).
Assessment and feedback in the first year: the professional and the personal

As educationalists have long understood, assessment and feedback are vital components of student learning. In recent years this understanding has been more widely acknowledged by the inclusion of assessment items in national surveys of ‘the student experience’, with the consequence that institutions – corporately – have found it necessary to make enhancements to assessment methodology. However, it is in the interaction between academic staff and students that assessment approaches have practical effect, and practical consequences. This is of particular important in first‐year studies since students will be making transitions (varied, according to their background circumstances) into a new regimen of learning with its associated – and, for some, unfamiliar – expectations. Whilst acknowledging there are undoubtedly good practices in assessment across higher education systems, this paper offers to those involved in assessment a number of signals towards the enhancement of practice. Some potential enhancements are within the compass of individuals, but a broader perspective points to curriculum design as being of fundamental importance if the effectiveness of assessment is to be optimised. Institutional goals and the assessment of student achievement Higher education is increasingly finding itself subject to comparisons based on indicators of one kind or another, as is shown in both ‘league tables’ (rankings) and various publishers’ guides to choosing a course and an institution. Understandably, institutional managers find themselves under pressure to show improvements on key indicators. As is the case with some students, ‘getting the grade’ becomes the focus of attention. This can lead to an institution‐level version of seeking to achieve ‘performance goals’ such as high scores in respect of student retention or national surveys of student opinion. Whilst it is true that attention to performance goals can lead to good outcomes (Pintrich, 2000), attention to ‘learning goals’ (which, at institutional level, can be interpreted in terms of ‘getting the learning culture right’) may produce a more soundly‐grounded success. In other words, if the learning culture is ‘got right’, then the performance indicators will follow. Or, stated in a negative form (and metaphorically), chasing a will‐o‐the‐wisp can lead the unwary into a bog. In a keynote speech, Tinto (2009) implicitly took a position in respect of the performance goals versus learning goals dichotomy when he reiterated his longstanding view that Education, not mere retention, is the proper goal of institutional action. Retention and graduation are its byproducts. (Tinto, 2009, p.5) In the same speech, Tinto commented that four conditions stood out as supportive of student success – expectations, support, feedback and involvement (p.3). Ramsden (2003, p.99) had earlier noted:
Identification of Polymorphisms Associated with Drought Adaptation QTL in Brassica napus by Resequencing

Brassica napus is a globally important oilseed for which little is known about the genetics of drought adaptation. We previously mapped twelve quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying drought-related traits in a biparental mapping population created from a cross between winter and spring B. napus cultivars. Here we resequence the genomes of the mapping population parents to identify genetic diversity across the genome and within QTL regions. We sequenced each parental cultivar on the Illumina HiSeq platform to a minimum depth of 23 × and performed a reference based assembly in order to describe the molecular variation differentiating them at the scale of the genome, QTL and gene. Genome-wide patterns of variation were characterized by an overall higher single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) density in the A genome and a higher ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions in the C genome. Nonsynonymous substitutions were used to categorize gene ontology terms differentiating the parent genomes along with a list of putative functional variants contained within each QTL. Marker assays were developed for several of the discovered polymorphisms within a pleiotropic QTL on chromosome A10. QTL analysis with the new, denser map showed the most associated marker to be that developed from an insertion/deletion polymorphism located in the candidate gene Bna.FLC. A10, and it was the only candidate within the QTL interval with observed polymorphism. Together, these results provide a glimpse of genome-wide variation differentiating annual and biennial B. napus ecotypes as well as a better understanding of the genetic basis of root and drought phenotypes.
Radar target doa estimation: Moving window VS AML estimator

In this paper we compare two radar target direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithms, the classical moving window (MW) and the asymptotic maximum likelihood (AML) estimators. The first technique for azimuth DOA estimation exploits multiple detections in the same time-on-target and the second one exploits the fact that the radar antenna mechanical scanning impresses an amplitude modulation on the signals backscattered by the target. Performances of the estimators are numerically investigated through Monte Carlo simulation in terms of root-mean-square-error (RMSE), probability of detection for a fixed probability of false alarm, and probability of "splitting". The obtained results show that the asymptotic maximum likelihood estimator generally outperforms the classical moving window estimator.
Determining the factors that affect breast cancer and self breast examination beliefs of Turkish nurses in academia.

PURPOSE To define factors that affect the performance status of BSE and confidence of student nurses. MATERIALS AND METHODS This descriptive study was conducted in the academic year 2010-2011 in a nursing faculty in I? zmir, Turkey. "Informative data form" and "Champion's Revised Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS)" were used as data collection forms. RESULTS The mean age of the participant nurses was 21.0±1.49. The mean CHMS scores of the student nurses were as follows: perceived susceptibility regarding breast cancer, 7.78±2.46; perceived seriousness regarding breast cancer, 22.4±5.43; perceived benefit regarding BSE application, 20.5±4.45; perceived barriers regarding BSE application, 23.8±7.13; perceived confidence regarding BSE application, 36.3±7.78; the mean score of health motivation sub-scale, 25.7±4.59; and mean of the total score of the scale, 36.5±15.01. CONCLUSIONS The outcomes obtained in this study indicated the importance of better education to student nurses, who have a key role in teaching preventive health behaviour including BSE to society and other university students as colleagues.
Multi-objective synthesis for Takagi-Sugeno model subject to input saturation via dynamic output feedback controller

This paper is to propose a systematic method for the design of a dynamic output feedback controller for nonlinear systems in Takagi-Sugeno form subject to input saturation. The proposed method is based on a new technique for modeling the saturation effect that allows taking its nonlinearity effects into the problem of controller design. Based on Lyapunov theory, sufficient conditions for ensuring the system global stability are formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) considering the L2 -gain performance specification under amplitude bounded exogenous disturbances. An example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Entity-aware query processing for heterogeneous data with uncertainty and correlations

Many modern systems rely on rich heterogeneous data that has been integrated from a variety of different applications and sources. To successfully perform their tasks, these systems require to know which data refer to the same real-world entities, such as locations, people, or movies. My work focuses on addressing this requirement through a new approach for entity-aware query processing over heterogeneous data. Data provided for integration is processed to generate the possible entities and linkages between these entities. This information is never merged with the original data, but used during query processing to provide entity-aware results that reflect the real-world entities existing in the current data. Special emphasis is given to the effective management of uncertainty and correlations that either exist in the original data, or are generated by data matching techniques.
DICER and ZRF1 contribute to chromatin decondensation during nucleotide excision repair

Abstract Repair of damaged DNA relies on the recruitment of DNA repair factors in a well orchestrated manner. As a prerequisite, the chromatin needs to be decondensed by chromatin remodelers to allow for binding of repair factors and for DNA repair to occur. Recent studies have implicated members of the SWI/SNF and INO80 families as well as PARP1 in nucleotide excision repair (NER). In this study, we report that the endonuclease DICER is implicated in chromatin decondensation during NER. In response to UV irradiation, DICER is recruited to chromatin in a ZRF1-mediated manner. The H2A–ubiquitin binding protein ZRF1 and DICER together impact on the chromatin conformation via PARP1. Moreover, DICER-mediated chromatin decondensation is independent of its catalytic activity. Taken together, we describe a novel function of DICER at chromatin and its interaction with the ubiquitin signalling cascade during GG-NER.
Aeroelastic Flutter Produces Hummingbird Feather Songs

Hummingbirds produce diverse courtship sounds by using resonantly fluttering tail feathers. During courtship flights, males of some hummingbird species produce diverse sounds with tail feathers of varying shapes. We show that these sounds are produced by air flowing past a feather, causing it to aeroelastically flutter and generate flutter-induced sound. Scanning laser doppler vibrometery and high-speed video of individual feathers of different sizes and shapes in a wind tunnel revealed multiple vibratory modes that produce a range of acoustic frequencies and harmonic structures. Neighboring feathers can be aerodynamically coupled and flutter either at the same frequency, resulting in sympathetic vibrations that increase loudness, or at different frequencies, resulting in audible interaction frequencies. Aeroelastic flutter is intrinsic to stiff airfoils such as feathers and thus explains tonal sounds that are common in bird flight.
Comparison of infrared and visible imagery for object tracking: Toward trackers with superior IR performance

The subject of this paper is the visual object tracking in infrared (IR) videos. Our contribution is twofold. First, the performance behaviour of the state-of-the-art trackers is investigated via a comparative study using IR-visible band video conjugates, i.e., video pairs captured observing the same scene simultaneously, to identify the IR specific challenges. Second, we propose a novel ensemble based tracking method that is tuned to IR data. The proposed algorithm sequentially constructs and maintains a dynamical ensemble of simple correlators and produces tracking decisions by switching among the ensemble correlators depending on the target appearance in a computationally highly efficient manner. We empirically show that our algorithm significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art trackers in our extensive set of experiments with IR imagery.
Differential Modulation of Nods Signaling Pathways by Fatty Acids in Human Colonic Epithelial HCT116 Cells*

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing proteins (Nods) are intracellular pattern recognition receptors recognizing conserved moieties of bacterial peptidoglycan through their leucine-rich repeats domain. The agonists for Nods activate proinflammatory signaling pathways, including NF-κB pathways. The results from our previous studies showed that the activation of TLR4 and TLR2, leucine-rich repeat-containing pattern recognition receptors, were differentially modulated by saturated and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in macrophages and dendritic cells. Here, we show the differential modulation of NF-κB activation and interleukin-8 (IL-8) expression in colonic epithelial cells HCT116 by saturated and unsaturated fatty acids mediated through Nods proteins. Lauric acid (C12:0) dose dependently activated NF-κB and induced IL-8 expression in HCT116 cells, which express both Nod1 and Nod2, but not detectable amounts of TLR2 and TLR4. These effects of lauric acid were inhibited by dominant negative forms of Nod1 or Nod2, but not by dominant negative forms of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR5. The effects of lauric acid were also attenuated by small RNA interference targeting Nod1 or Nod2. In contrast, polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, inhibited the activation of NF-κB and IL-8 expression induced by lauric acid or known Nods ligands in HCT116. Furthermore, lauric acid induced, but docosahexaenoic acid inhibited lauric acid- or Nod2 ligand MDP-induced, Nod2 oligomerization in HEK293T cells transfected with Nod2. Together, these results provide new insights into the role of dietary fatty acids in modulating inflammation in colon epithelial cells. The results suggest that Nods may be involved in inducing sterile inflammation, one of the key etiological conditions in the development of many chronic inflammatory diseases.
Adolescents' Enjoyment of Graphic Horror

A study was conducted to examine the roles that adolescents' attitudes about sexuality and punishment play in their enjoyment of R-rated “slasher films. ” Ninety-six high school students completed a series of attitude questionnaires and rated their perceptions of a videotaped preview of a slasher film that varied the sexuality in the portrayal (sexual, nonsexual) with the gender of the victim who was killed at the film's conclusion. More permissive sexual attitudes and lower levels of punitiveness were associated with greater enjoyment of frightening films. However, traditional attitudes toward females' sexuality were positively associated with gore-watching motivations (e.g., watching slasher films “to see the victims get what they deserve”). The manipulations of sexual behavior and gender of victim in the video preview had little effect on ratings of enjoyment overall. However, punitive attitudes toward sexuality were associated with greater overall enjoyment of the previews, and punitiveness was associated with greater enjoyment of the previews featuring sexuality. For male subjects, more traditional attitudes about females' sexuality were associated with greater enjoyment of previews featuring female victims.
Adult stem cells derived from human maxillary sinus membrane and their osteogenic differentiation.

PURPOSE To investigate the method and conditions of isolation and proliferation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human maxillary sinus membrane in vitro and to induce osteogenic differentiation directly for identification. MATERIALS AND METHODS A human maxillary sinus membrane specimen was collected in aseptic conditions from an orthognathic surgery patient and cultured. The cells at passage three were sorted by flow cytometry and treated with osteogenic differentiation media. To determine the osteogenic potential of these cells, the authors analyzed alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression, mineralization of extracellular matrix, and osteocalcin expression; staining with alizarin red and von Kossa and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were also performed. RESULTS Maxillary sinus membrane-derived cells were positive for STRO-1 and CD105 and negative for CD34. After 7 days, ALP began to be expressed. After 21 and 28 days, most cells showed expression of ALP. Mineralization of the extracellular matrix was observed and, after 21 and 28 days, most of the cells showed mineralization. After 7 days, the osteocalcin gene was expressed; this expression was strongest on the 28th day. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that there are MSCs in human maxillary sinus membrane tissue, which can be differentiated into osteoblasts under osteogenic induction. This indicates that maxillary sinus membrane may be a useful source of MSCs for cell therapy.
CEACAM1 as a multi-purpose target for cancer immunotherapy

ABSTRACT CEACAM1 is an extensively studied cell surface molecule with established functions in multiple cancer types, as well as in various compartments of the immune system. Due to its multi-faceted role as a recently appreciated immune checkpoint inhibitor and tumor marker, CEACAM1 is an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. Herein, we highlight CEACAM1's function in various immune compartments and cancer types, including in the context of metastatic disease. This review outlines CEACAM1's role as a therapeutic target for cancer treatment in light of these properties.
When Is a Good Citizen Valued More? Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Performance Evaluation

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) have been found to affect supervisors’ ratings of employee performance partially because these behaviors are distinct and, thus, capture the rater’s attention. In this study, we have expanded the existing literature by recognizing the rater’s readiness to detect employee OCB. Specifically, we applied the concept of bottom-up and top-down attentional capture to test our prediction that the influence of OCB on employee performance evaluation would be dependent upon the rater’s motivation to detect behaviors that potentially increase group effectiveness. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analysis of data collected from 33 work groups at 5 state-owned manufacturing factories in China supported our hypotheses. Our findings suggest that the relationship between OCB and performance ratings is more complex than originally thought and that both rater’s cognition and group context should be taken into consideration when investigating this relationship.
Lightweight Distributed Method for Connectivity-based Clustering Based on Schelling's Model

In the literature, there exist connectivity-based distributed clustering methods called CDC (Connectivity-based Distributed node Clustering scheme) and SDC (SCM-based Distributed Clustering). CDC and SDC have mechanisms for maintaining clusters against nodes join and leave, but both methods do not assume frequent changes in the network topology. In this paper, we propose a lightweight distributed clustering method called SBDC (Schelling-Based Distributed Clustering), which is inspired by Schelling's model -- a popular segregation model in sociology. We also evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed SBDC in environment with frequent changes in the network topology. Our simulation results show that SBDC outperforms CDC and SDC under frequent changes in the network topology caused by high node mobility.
Color‐Tuning Neutrality for Flexible Electrochromics Via a Single‐Layer Dual Conjugated Polymer Approach

A method to color-tune electrochromic devices through the use of theoretical calculations is demonstrated to achieve neutrality using only three monomers that form two distinct copolymers. These devices exhibit photopic contrasts up to ca. 38%, high neutrality, color uniformity, and switch speeds of less than 1 s. In addition, this method is used to fabricate a large-area flexible electrochromic device of 75 cm(2) , exceeding the size of small displays.
Semantic Analysis of Association Rules

When applying association mining to real datasets, a major obstacle is that often a huge number of rules are generated even with very reasonable support and confidence. Among these rules, many are trivial, redundant, semantically wrong, or already known by end-users. Association rule postprocessing aims to remove these undesired rules. Existing work mainly focuses on reducing redundant or finding unexpected association rules. In this paper, we propose an innovative method based on semantic network. We semantically divide association rules into five categories: trivial, known and correct, unknown and correct, known and incorrect, unknown and incorrect. Our method can be efficiently integrated with existing rule reduction techniques to construct a concise, high-quality, and user-specific association rule set. We evaluate our approach on a real public-health dataset, the Heartfelt study, and we can prune off 97.81% of association rules that are trivial or incorrect. The remaining rules are confirmed by either health science literature or a high-quality biomedical knowledge base.
A Harmony based Adaptive Ontology Mapping Approach

Ontology mapping seeks to find semantic correspondences between similar elements of different ontologies. Ontology mapping is critical to achieve semantic interoperability in the WWW. Nowadays most ontology mapping approaches integrate multiple individual matchers to explore both linguistic and structure similarity of different ontologies. Thus how to effectively aggregating different similarities is pervasive in ontology mapping. In current aggregation methods, people either have to manually set parameters in aggregation function or need "ground truth" in advance for machine learning based parameter optimization. Both of them have limitation. In this paper, we propose a measure harmony, which is the normalized number of mapping pair that suggests an unambiguous one-to-one mapping, and a harmony based adaptive ontology mapping approach, which can automatically adjust parameters of three kinds of similarities (i.e., edit distance based similarity, profile similarity and structure similarity) in aggregation functions according to different mapping tasks without given any ground truth. Experimental results show the harmony is indeed a good estimator of the performance (i.e., f-measure) of different similarities, and the harmony based adaptive aggregation method outperforms all other existing aggregation methods on OAEI benchmark tests.
Approximate nearest neighbor search to support manual image annotation of large domain-specific datasets

The annotation of large datasets containing domain-specific images is both time-consuming and difficult. However, currently computer vision and machine learning methods have to deal with ever increasing amounts of data, where annotation of this data is essential. The annotated images allow these kind of methods to learn the variation in large datasets and evaluate methods based on large datasets. This paper presents a method for annotation of domain-specific (fish species) images using approximate nearest neighbor search to retrieve similar fish species in a large set (216,501) of images. The approximate nearest neighbor search allows us to find a ranked set of images in large datasets. Presenting similar images to users allows them to annotate images much more efficiently. In this case, our user interface present these images in such a way that the user does not need to have knowledge of a specific domain to contribute in the annotation of images.