Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Public reflection within learning communities: an incessant type of professional development

This article is based on a study focusing on how structured learning communities can promote reflective awareness and professional development, through collaborative analysis of professional experience. As participant–observer, the researcher used recorded observations as well as individual participants’ reflective writing as data. Of importance is the fact that all seven participants argued that they developed professionally and started to dig deeper into their experiences as the five-month study progressed. They also pointed out that this type of professional development was immediately relevant to their present needs, and this was what motivated them to further engage in reflection as a tool for professional development. Aspects such as conflict and uncertainty in teacher learning, and how collaboration promotes further reflection will also be discussed.
Angiotensin II Attenuates Synaptic GABA Release and Excites Paraventricular-Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla Output Neurons

The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) neurons regulate sympathetic outflow through projections to the spinal cord and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). Although the PVN-RVLM pathway is important for the action of brain angiotensin II (Ang II) on autonomic control, the cellular mechanisms involved are not fully known. In this study, we examined the effect of Ang II on the excitability and synaptic inputs to RVLM-projecting PVN neurons. PVN neurons were retrogradely labeled by FluoSpheres injected into the RVLM of rats. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed on labeled PVN neurons in brain slices. Ang II significantly increased the firing rate of PVN neurons from 3.63 ± 0.65 to 6.10 ± 0.75 Hz (P < 0.05, n = 9), and such an effect was eliminated by an AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan. Furthermore, inclusion of a G protein inhibitor, guanosine 5′-O-(2-thiodiphosphate, in the pipette internal solution did not alter the excitatory effect of Ang II on labeled PVN neurons. Application of 0.5 to 5 μM Ang II significantly decreased the amplitude of evoked GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in a dose-dependent manner. Also, 2 μM Ang II significantly decreased the frequency of miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) from 3.89 ± 0.84 to 2.06 ± 0.45 Hz (P < 0.05, n = 11), but did not change the amplitude and decay time constant of mIPSCs. By contrast, Ang II had no significant effect on glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents at the concentrations that inhibited IPSCs. In addition, Ang II failed to excite PVN neurons in the presence of bicuculline. Collectively, this study provides important new information that Ang II excites RVLM-projecting PVN neurons through attenuation of GABAergic synaptic inputs.
Modeling of SOI-LDMOS Transistor Including Impact Ionization, Snapback, and Self-Heating

A physics-based compact model for silicon-on-insulator lateral double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors including impact ionization, subsequent snapback (SB), and self-heating (SH) is presented. It is observed that the SB effect is caused by the turn-on of the associated parasitic bipolar transistor. The model includes the effect of device SH using resistive thermal networks for each region. Comparisons of modeling results with device simulation data show that, over a wide range of bias voltages, the model exhibits excellent accuracy without any convergence problem.
A simple view of type-secure information flow in the /spl pi/-calculus

One way of enforcing an information flow control policy is to use a static type system capable of guaranteeing a noninterference property. Noninterference requires that two processes with distinct "high"-level components, but common "low"-level structure, cannot be distinguished by "low"-level observers. We state this property in terms of a rather strict notion of process equivalence, namely weak barbed reduction congruence. Because noninterference is not a safety property, it is often regarded as more difficult to establish than a conventional type safety result. This paper aims to provide an elementary noninterference proof in the setting of the /spl pi/-calculus. This is done by reducing the problem to subject reduction - a safety property - for a nonstandard, but fairly natural, extension of the /spl pi/-calculus, baptized the -calculus.
Uncovering the active galactic nuclei in low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions with Spitzer

The impact of active galactic nuclei on low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs) remains a vigorous field of study. We present preliminary results from a study of the mid-infrared atomic emission lines of LINERs with the Spitzer Space Telescope. We assess the ubiquity and properties of AGN in LINERs using this data. We discuss what powers the mid-infrared emission lines and conclude that the answer depends unsurprisingly on the emission line ionization state and, more interestingly, on the infrared luminosity.
Results of the surgical correction of urinary stress incontinence according to the type of transobturator tape utilized.

OBJECTIVES To analyze the short and long term results of tapes of different materials used to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI). A secondary objective was to evaluate the ability to adjust the tape after implantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective chart review of 355 patients with SUI operated between March 2003 and October 2011. Eight different types of transobturator tapes were used: Gynecare TVT-O®, Monarc®, SAFYRE®, Contasure KIM®, I-Stop®, DynaMesh®, Aris® Bandellete and Swing-band®. Results and complications were recorded. RESULTS The mean age at operation was 61 years. Correction of SUI was achieved in 87.88% of cases. The best results were obtained with Contasure KIM® (98.26 % continence). The tape was well tolerated and was elastic enough to be able to be adjusted 48-72 hours after implantation without deformation. Slings with macropores and over lock stitches on the superior and inferior borders presented the lower rates of postoperative urinary retention, pain, perior postoperative bleeding and urinary tract infections. CONCLUSIONS Transobturator tension free tapes require a short operation time and have a low complication rate. The possibility of adjustment in the early postoperative period increases the success rate and reduces complications. Knotless meshes with macropores and over lock stitches appear to be better balanced, are quite resistant to stretching and deformation when readjusted after implantation and present a low infection rate.
Effect of Black Soymilk Processing Conditions On Anthocyanins Content

Black soybean has drawn the attention of researchers and consumers because of health issues. The reason is the presence of the well-known antioxidants compounds called anthocyanins, besides isoflavones. However, further technical and scientific information are needed about the characteristics and possibilities of utilization of black soybean to produce some of the most consumed soy foods in the West, such as soymilk and soy beverages. In the present work, five methods of obtaining soymilk from black soybeans were evaluated by checking the profile and total anthocyanins content in the final product. The identification and quantification of black soybean and black soymilk’s anthocyanins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), showing that cyanidin-3-glucoside was the most abundant compound. The best processing method studied was the one with reuse of cooking water and use of milled black soybean seeds as raw material.
A Twin Study of Sex Differences in Self-Control

Research has shown that males, on average, exhibit lower levels of self-control compared to females. While previous research points to socialization processes as a way to explain the gender gap, the current study investigates whether there are genetic differences in self-control that are operating across the sexes in adolescence and adulthood. First, the results revealed that the same genetic factors influence levels of self-control in males and females. This implies that the genetic influences on self-control are not gender-specific. Second, the results also revealed that the magnitude of the genetic effects on self-control is the same across the sexes. These findings are aligned with other studies that have found no significant sex differences in the genetic effects on constructs related to low self-control, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other self-regulatory problems. The implications of these findings for Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory are discussed.
Der Tanz aus dem Trauma – Psychotrauma-Therapie mit EMDR in Bewegung und bewusstem Tanz

This paper introduces a psychotraumatherapeutic approach including conscious movement and dance. The procedure is based on neurobiological findings about behavioral patterns in relationships and defines implications for movement orientated therapeutic interventions. How the body can be installed as the main resource in the stabilization phase, how to interrupt dissociation during reprocessing and how to provide a smooth and effective therapeutic process is demonstrated. The combination of EMDR and conscious movement is shortly presented. The approach is illustrated by two case studies.Key words: Psychotraumtherapy, neurobiology, resource orientation, conscious movement, conscious dance, EMDR in Motion
High-impact defects: a study of breakage and surprise defects

The relationship between various software-related phenomena (e.g., code complexity) and post-release software defects has been thoroughly examined. However, to date these predictions have a limited adoption in practice. The most commonly cited reason is that the prediction identifies too much code to review without distinguishing the impact of these defects. Our aim is to address this drawback by focusing on high-impact defects for customers and practitioners. Customers are highly impacted by defects that break pre-existing functionality (breakage defects), whereas practitioners are caught off-guard by defects in files that had relatively few pre-release changes (surprise defects). The large commercial software system that we study already had an established concept of breakages as the highest-impact defects, however, the concept of surprises is novel and not as well established. We find that surprise defects are related to incomplete requirements and that the common assumption that a fix is caused by a previous change does not hold in this project. We then fit prediction models that are effective at identifying files containing breakages and surprises. The number of pre-release defects and file size are good indicators of breakages, whereas the number of co-changed files and the amount of time between the latest pre-release change and the release date are good indicators of surprises. Although our prediction models are effective at identifying files that have breakages and surprises, we learn that the prediction should also identify the nature or type of defects, with each type being specific enough to be easily identified and repaired.
Soft sensor for predicting crude oil distillation side streams using evolving takagi-sugeno fuzzy models

Prediction of the properties of the crude oil distillation side streams based on statistical methods and laboratory-based analysis has been around for decades. However, there are still many problems with the existing estimators that require a development of new techniques especially for an on-line analysis of the quality of the distillation process. The nature of non-linear characteristics of the refinery process, the variety of properties to measure and control and the narrow window that normally refinery processes operates in are only some of the problems that a prediction technique should deal with in order to be useful for a practical application. There are many successful application cases that refinery units use real plant data to calibrate models. They can be used to predict quality properties of the gas oil, naphtha, kerosene and other products of a crude oil distillation tower. Some of these are distillation end points and cold properties (freeze, cloud). However, it is difficult to identify, control or compensate the dynamic process behaviour and the errors from instrumentation for an online model prediction.
The contributions of interpersonal attachment and friendship group identification to depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample

Drawing on previous literature from the separate areas of adult attachment and group processes, we explored attachment and group identification as predictors for depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample.We found that attachment anxiety and friendship group identification predicted scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, such that higher attachment anxiety resulted in higher depressive symptoms, and greater friendship group identification resulted in lower depressive symptoms. Mediational analysis suggested that group identification partially mediated the effect of attachment avoidance on depressive symptoms, but did not mediate the effect of attachment anxiety on depressive symptoms.
Justified Beliefs by Justified Arguments

The paper addresses how the information state of an agent relates to the arguments that the agent endorses. Information states are modeled in doxastic logic and arguments by recasting abstract argumentation theory in a modal logic format. The two perspectives are combined by an application of the theory of product logics, delivering sound and complete systems in which the interaction of arguments and beliefs is investigated.
Lung Fibroblasts Share Mesenchymal Stem Cell Features Which Are Altered in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease via the Overactivation of the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

Background Alteration of functional regenerative properties of parenchymal lung fibroblasts is widely proposed as a pathogenic mechanism for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, what these functions are and how they are impaired in COPD remain poorly understood. Apart from the role of fibroblasts in producing extracellular matrix, recent studies in organs different from the lung suggest that such cells might contribute to repair processes by acting like mesenchymal stem cells. In addition, several reports sustain that the Hedgehog pathway is altered in COPD patients thus aggravating the disease. Nevertheless, whether this pathway is dysregulated in COPD fibroblasts remains unknown. Objectives and Methods We investigated the stem cell features and the expression of Hedgehog components in human lung fibroblasts isolated from histologically-normal parenchymal tissue from 25 patients—8 non-smokers/non-COPD, 8 smokers-non COPD and 9 smokers with COPD—who were undergoing surgery for lung tumor resection. Results We found that lung fibroblasts resemble mesenchymal stem cells in terms of cell surface marker expression, differentiation ability and immunosuppressive potential and that these properties were altered in lung fibroblasts from smokers and even more in COPD patients. Furthermore, we showed that some of these phenotypic changes can be explained by an over activation of the Hedgehog signaling in smoker and COPD fibroblasts. Conclusions Our study reveals that lung fibroblasts possess mesenchymal stem cell-features which are impaired in COPD via the contribution of an abnormal Hedgehog signaling. These processes should constitute a novel pathomechanism accounting for disease occurrence and progression.
The prominence of behavioural biases in eye guidance

When attempting to understand where people look during scene perception, researchers typically focus on the relative contributions of low- and high-level cues. Computational models of the contribution of low-level features to fixation selection, with modifications to incorporate top-down sources of information have been abundant in recent research. However, we are still some way from a model that can explain many of the complexities of eye movement behaviour. Here we show that understanding biases in how we move the eyes can provide powerful new insights into the decision about where to look in complex scenes. A model based solely on these biases and therefore blind to current visual information outperformed popular salience-based approaches. Our data show that incorporating an understanding of oculomotor behavioural biases into models of eye guidance is likely to significantly improve our understanding of where we choose to fixate in natural scenes.
An overview of trends related to environmental reporting in Singapore

Environmental disclosure within company annual reports has become an increasing expectation of environmental regulators and campaigners in industrial countries. It is an indicator of business commitment to environmental improvement to the extent that the disclosures report progress in implementing environmental programmes. Perhaps more important, disclosure is a source of documentary evidence that can be used by external parties to evaluate company performance. The willingness by company managers to open the organisation to external scrutiny is often viewed as a necessary first step in obtaining business commitment to environmentally sustainable forms of business activity. This paper compares Western experience with environmental disclosure to that in Singapore. Information on environmental disclosure in Singapore is presented from a review of company annual reports (covering two years 1995/96 and 1996/97) and the responses to a questionnaire survey covering all public listed companies in Singapore. The surveys reveal a low commitment to environmental disclosure amongst Singapore organisations. Reasons for the low interest in disclosure are explained. Possible public policy responses and options for changing current business attitudes toward disclosure are outlined.
A charge-based capacitance model of short-channel MOSFETs

A quasi-static two-dimensional intrinsic capacitance model for short-channel MOSFETs is discussed. It is derived based in a physically based charge-sharing scheme and implemented using a quasi-static solution of a MOS device simulator. Two-dimensional field-induced mobility degradation, velocity saturation, and short-channel effects are included in the model. The charge conservation rule holds, and channel charge partitioning is properly treated. The simulation results clearly show the importance of two-dimensional field-induced effects to short-channel MOS devices. Comparison of the simulated results with experimentally measured data shows that the model is far more reliable than the analytical one. The method can be used to link a device simulator and a circuit simulator for accurate timing calculation in both digital and analog MOS integrated circuits. >
Composition of the Synaptic PSD-95 Complex*S

Postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), a specialized scaffold protein with multiple protein interaction domains, forms the backbone of an extensive postsynaptic protein complex that organizes receptors and signal transduction molecules at the synaptic contact zone. Large, detergent-insoluble PSD-95-based postsynaptic complexes can be affinity-purified from conventional PSD fractions using magnetic beads coated with a PSD-95 antibody. In the present study purified PSD-95 complexes were analyzed by LC/MS/MS. A semiquantitative measure of the relative abundances of proteins in the purified PSD-95 complexes and the parent PSD fraction was estimated based on the cumulative ion current intensities of corresponding peptides. The affinity-purified preparation was largely depleted of presynaptic proteins, spectrin, intermediate filaments, and other contaminants prominent in the parent PSD fraction. We identified 525 of the proteins previously reported in parent PSD fractions, but only 288 of these were detected after affinity purification. We discuss 26 proteins that are major components in the PSD-95 complex based upon abundance ranking and affinity co-purification with PSD-95. This subset represents a minimal list of constituent proteins of the PSD-95 complex and includes, in addition to the specialized scaffolds and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, an abundance of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors, small G-protein regulators, cell adhesion molecules, and hypothetical proteins. The identification of two Arf regulators, BRAG1 and BRAG2b, as co-purifying components of the complex implies pivotal functions in spine plasticity such as the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and insertion and retrieval of proteins to and from the plasma membrane. Another co-purifying protein (Q8BZM2) with two sterile α motif domains may represent a novel structural core element of the PSD.
Protective effects of vitamin E on ethane dimethane sulfonate-induced testicular toxicity in rats.

AIM To evaluate the protective/ameliorative effects of vitamin E (vit E) on ethane dimethane sulfonate (EDS)-induced testicular toxicity in rats. METHODS The rats were assigned to eight groups, seven rats in each, and were injected intraperitoneally with vehicle, a single dose of ethane dimethane sulfonate (EDS) (75 mg/kg bodyweight), vit E (100 mg/kg bodyweight) or EDS + vit E for 3? days. Thereafter, the rats were weighed, anaesthetized with ether and killed by cervical dislocation. The left testis weights were recorded and the relative testis weights were calculated. The left testes were processed for routine paraffin embedding. Three right testes from each group were taken randomly and then processed for routine electron microscopy. Tissue sections were examined using light and electron microscopy, and were scored for histopathological changes. RESULTS Vit E coadministration did not prevent the bodyweight loss on days 3 and 7. However, vit E administration prevented the EDS-induced testicular-weight loss in rats that received vit E for 3 days but not 7 days. The relative testis weight was higher on day 3 (instead of on day 7) than other groups. Nevertheless, the testis histology was not markedly protected by vit E in the EDS-treated rats. Detailed microscopic assessment showed few Leydig cells and abundant fibroblast-like cells indicating only some protection. CONCLUSION Vit E cotreatment showed partial protective effects on the testicular weight and testicular histology in rats that received EDS.
Social and Logistical Barriers to the Use of Reversible Contraception among Women in a Rural Indian Village

Women in a small coastal village in western India were asked to explain their preference for female sterili-zation over modern reversible contraceptive methods. Married women aged 19+ years were interviewed in six focus groups (n=60) and individually (n=15) regarding contraceptive methods and their use and side-effects. Women publicly denied contraceptive use but privately acknowledged limited use. They obtained contraceptive information from other village women and believed that modern reversible methods and vasectomy have high physical and social risks, and fertility goals could be achieved without their use. Women felt that reversible contraception is undesirable, socially unacceptable, and usually unnecessary, although the achievement of fertility goals is likely due to the use of female sterilization with abortion as a back-up method. Economic migration of village men may also play a role. Although women with high social capital can effectively disseminate correct knowledge, the impact on the uptake of reversible method is uncertain.