Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Infusing simulation-based engineering science into grassroot education

" Seldom have so many independent studies been in such agreement: simulation is a key element for achieving progress in engineering and science… Formidable challenges stand in the way of progress in SBES research… Significantly, one of those challenges is education of the next generation of engineers and scientists in the theory and practices of SBES. Simulation-based engineering science (SBES) is increasingly important in accelerating research and development in engineering because of the analytical power and cost effectiveness of computer simulation 1. Advanced simulation tools based on solving basic equations in physics are routinely used to tackle complex engineering problems and to search for optimal solutions in many engineering practices, ranging from microelectromechanical devices to Mars rovers. Representing the application of computational thinking [1] in engineering, SBES is an interdisciplinary subject indispensable to the nation's continued leadership in science and technology [2]. SBES, however, has virtually no place in the current engineering or science curricula at the secondary level. Nor is there an agenda to introduce it, to the best of our knowledge. Despite the fact that modern simulation tools can run on an ordinary computer and be used without having to know how the computational engine actually works 2 , it is still commonly thought that SBES mandates advanced mathematics and science, uses abstruse jargon, requires monster supercomputers, works only through the esoteric command line, and cannot be possibly taught or used at secondary level. As a result, most pre-college students are not exposed to this modern engineering methodology and are deprived of an opportunity to develop interest in it earlier in their education. The consequence of this deficiency may have contributed to the erosion of the nation's leadership in SBES and engineering science in general [2]. This proposal responds, in part, to the challenge posed by the NSF Blue Ribbon Panel by initiating a research-based agenda articulated below. There is a consensus among educators that design-based learning is essential for all students in STEM education and is especially important in engineering education [3-12]. Typical design challenges for high school students consist of designing, drawing, building, testing, and redesigning. However, the activity is 1 Throughout this proposal, simulation specifically refers to the application of computational models to the study and prediction of physical events or the behavior of engineered systems. Simulation of this type aims at solving a practical problem based on rigorous numeric solution of basic physics equations, …
Localization of the Insulin-like Growth Factor System in a Rat Model of Heart Failure Induced by Myocardial Infarction

Although cardiac effects of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I have been reported in experimental models of heart failure and in human dilated cardiomyopathy, the IGF system has not been comprehensively assessed in the failing heart. We therefore localized the IGF system in the left ventricle during congestive heart failure after myocardial infarction (Ml) in the rat. The left anterior descending coronary artery was ligated in adult female Sprague-Dawley rats and hearts were examined after 6 months when congestive heart failure had developed. In situ hybridization histochemistry was used to localize mRNA for the components of the IGF system in the left ventricle of sham and congestive heart failure animals. We were able to detect changes in the spatial distribution of mRNA for IGF-I and IGF binding proteins 3, 4, 5, and 6 in the left ventricle during congestive heart failure after Ml. IGF-I and the binding proteins were predominantly increased in the infarct/peri-infarct area of the left ventricle. Other components of the IGF system were indistinguishable from the low to undetectable levels in sham-operated rats. These results demonstrate that the IGF system is altered in the failing heart and suggest that the IGF system plays an important role in the response of the heart to Ml and consequent failure.
Dominance and collective hierarchy formation in male and female task groups.

To clarify the impact of dominance behavior on status in task groups, the formation of status hierarchies must be viewed as the collective product of joint interaction among the entire network of group members rather than as an aggregate of independent dyadic encounters. A network-collective analysis indicates that the impact of a dyadic dominance contest on status depends critically on the reaction of group members who are bystanders to it. Structural conditions induced by the group's task encourage bystanders to intervene against members who claim status by dominance behavior, limiting its role in status allocation. In an experiment with four-person same-sex decision groups, two bystanders intervened to attack the dominance behavior of another confederate. Moreover, the dominant confederate was disliked and was no more influential in the group than a neutral confederate. These results held for both male and female groups, although levels of dominance behavior were higher in male groups.
Neuroanatomical Structures Underlying the Extinction of Drug-Seeking Behavior

Abstract: This review summarizes current knowledge about the neurobiological components underlying the extinction of drug-associated memories and how they may contribute to the treatment of drug addiction. Evidence suggests that extinction learning is not the forgetting, or unlearning, of the associations between external stimuli and drug effects, but that new reinforcer expectancies are necessary for extinction of drug-seeking behavior to take place. Several theories suggest that addiction is a disorder of learning and memory, and recent evidence indicates that the brain circuits, neurotransmitters, and signal transduction mechanisms that underlie drug addiction are similar to those that mediate learning and memory processes. According to these theories, drug addiction results from repeated drug use and the formation of lasting associations between a drug’s effects, withdrawal symptoms, and the environmental cues and contexts within which they are experienced. Unfortunately, standard behavioral modification techniques, such as cue exposure therapy, have shown only moderate efficacy in reducing and/or extinguishing the salience of drug-associated cues and contexts. Therefore, a greater understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms involved in the extinction of drug-related memories could provide novel therapeutic interventions for the treatment of drug addiction.
Predicting Dyslexia in a Transparent Orthography From Grade 1 Literacy Skills: A Prospective Cohort Study

We conducted this prospective cohort study to explore the predictability of dyslexia from 1st-grade literacy skills in Italian students. We followed 407 Italian students in primary school from the 1st through the 3rd grades. Students were diagnosed with dyslexia in the 3rd grade. We retrospectively tested participants’ 1st-grade performance in phonological awareness, reading, and spelling as predictors through a binary logistic regression analysis. The data confirmed that it was possible to detect dyslexic students from the 1st grade from reading and spelling performance, but phonological awareness was not predictive.
When Does Cross-Cultural Motivation Enhance Expatriate Effectiveness? A Multilevel Investigation of the Moderating Roles of Subsidiary Support and Cultural Distance

Departing from the emphasis on individual-level stress processes in prior expatriate research, we develop a multilevel model of expatriate “cross-cultural motivation and effectiveness” (motivation and effectiveness pertaining to cross-cultural contexts) that incorporates the influences of foreign subsidiary–level attributes. Analyses of multisource and multilevel data collected from 556 expatriates in 31 foreign subsidiaries indicated that expatriate cross-cultural motivation was more positively related to work adjustment—and that work adjustment was more likely to mediate the positive relationship between cross-cultural motivation and job performance—when expatriates were assigned to foreign subsidiaries characterized by lower levels of subsidiary support and cultural distance.
Plagiarism in the academic context: A study of Iranian EFL learners

The present study was an attempt to shed light on the status of plagiarism in the Iranian academic context. It tried to survey the EFL learners’ perceptions of and reasons for different types of plagiarism. To this end, 132 EFL learners from different Iranian universities took part in the study. The data were collected through using a questionnaire specifically designed to gather information on plagiarism. The results indicated that plagiarism is quite common in the Iranian EFL context as different types of plagiarism are employed by the students. Many students were found not to have a negative attitude toward plagiarism. The results also indicated that gender, marital status and occupational status did not have a significant effect on plagiarism, whereas academic level, field of study, and age played a significant role in this regard.
The Intracellular Environment of Human Macrophages That Produce Nitric Oxide Promotes Growth of Mycobacteria

ABSTRACT Nitric oxide (NO) is a diffusible radical gas produced from the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). NOS activity in murine macrophages has a protective role against mycobacteria through generation of reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNIs). However, the production of NO by human macrophages has remained unclear due to the lack of sensitive reagents to detect NO directly. The purpose of this study was to investigate NO production and the consequence to mycobacteria in primary human macrophages. We found that Mycobacterium bovis BCG or Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of human macrophages induced expression of NOS2 and NOS3 that resulted in detectable production of NO. Treatment with gamma interferon (IFN-γ), l-arginine, and tetrahydrobiopterin enhanced expression of NOS2 and NOS3 isoforms, as well as NO production. Both of these enzymes were shown to contribute to NO production. The maximal level of NO produced by human macrophages was not bactericidal or bacteriostatic to M. tuberculosis or BCG. The number of viable mycobacteria was increased in macrophages that produced NO, and this requires expression of nitrate reductase. An narG mutant of M. tuberculosis persisted but was unable to grow in human macrophages. Taken together, these data (i) enhance our understanding of primary human macrophage potential to produce NO, (ii) demonstrate that the level of RNIs produced in response to IFN-γ in vitro is not sufficient to limit intracellular mycobacterial growth, and (iii) suggest that mycobacteria may use RNIs to enhance their survival in human macrophages.
Functional Characterization of the Short Neuropeptide F Receptor in the Desert Locust, Schistocerca gregaria

Whereas short neuropeptide F (sNPF) has already been reported to stimulate feeding behaviour in a variety of insect species, the opposite effect was observed in the desert locust. In the present study, we cloned a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) cDNA from the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Cell-based functional analysis of this receptor indicated that it is activated by both known isoforms of Schgr-sNPF in a concentration dependent manner, with EC50 values in the nanomolar range. This Schgr-sNPF receptor constitutes the first functionally characterized peptide GPCR in locusts. The in vivo effects of the sNPF signalling pathway on the regulation of feeding in locusts were further studied by knocking down the newly identified Schgr-sNPF receptor by means of RNA interference, as well as by means of peptide injection studies. While injection of sNPF caused an inhibitory effect on food uptake in the desert locust, knocking down the corresponding peptide receptor resulted in an increase of total food uptake when compared to control animals. This is the first comprehensive study in which a clearly negative correlation is described between the sNPF signalling pathway and feeding, prompting a reconsideration of the diverse roles of sNPFs in the physiology of insects.
Three-dimensional embedded subband coding with optimized truncation

Abstract This paper presents an efficient video coding algorithm: Three-dimensional embedded subband coding with optimized truncation (3-D ESCOT), in which coefficients in different subbands are independently coded using fractional bit-plane coding and candidate truncation points are formed at the end of each fractional bit-plane. A rate-distortion optimized truncation scheme is used to multiplex all subband bitstreams together into a layered one. A novel motion threading technique is proposed to form threads along the motion trajectories in a scene. For efficient coding of motion threads, memory-constrained temporal wavelet transforms are applied along entire motion threads. Block-based motion threading is implemented in conjunction with 3-D ESCOT in a real video coder. Extension of 3-D ESCOT to object-based coding is also addressed. Experiments demonstrate that 3-D ESCOT outperforms MPEG-4 for most test sequences at the same bit rate.
Methods for early prediction of lactation flow in Holstein heifers

The efficient dairy production depends greatly on proper decisions made at different production stages. Numerous genetic and environmental factors that influence animals performance could complicate decisions making, therefore, some toolkit for facilitation of breeding and management decisions on dairy farm is required. Lactation curves, that are mathematical formulas that describe flow of milk yield Summary
Recommendations of the Panel on Cost-effectiveness in Health and Medicine.

OBJECTIVE To develop consensus-based recommendations for the conduct of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). This article, the second in a 3-part series, describes the basis for recommendations constituting the reference case analysis, the set of practices developed to guide CEAs that inform societal resource allocation decisions, and the content of these recommendations. PARTICIPANTS The Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine, a nonfederal panel with expertise in CEA, clinical medicine, ethics, and health outcomes measurement, was convened by the US Public Health Service (PHS). EVIDENCE The panel reviewed the theoretical foundations of CEA, current practices, and alternative methods used in analyses. Recommendations were developed on the basis of theory where possible, but tempered by ethical and pragmatic considerations, as well as the needs of users. CONSENSUS PROCESS The panel developed recommendations through 2 1/2 years of discussions. Comments on preliminary drafts prepared by panel working groups were solicited from federal government methodologists, health agency officials, and academic methodologists. CONCLUSIONS The panel's methodological recommendations address (1) components belonging in the numerator and denominator of a cost-effectiveness (C/E) ratio; (2) measuring resource use in the numerator of a C/E ratio; (3) valuing health consequences in the denominator of a C/E ratio; (4) estimating effectiveness of interventions; (5) incorporating time preference and discounting; and (6) handling uncertainty. Recommendations are subject to the ¿rule of reason,¿ balancing the burden engendered by a practice with its importance to a study. If researchers follow a standard set of methods in CEA, the quality and comparability of studies, and their ultimate utility, can be much improved.
Consumer Behavior as Related to Personality, Intelligence, Age and Education

Certain common consumer activities were related to personality, intelligence, age, and education among 236 male job applicants. Although a number of the correlation coefficients were statistically significant, all were quite low in magnitude. The results tend to confirm a number of earlier studies and are understandable in view of the myriad variables, over and above ego needs, which influence the nature and extent of consumer behavior.
Segmenting Sentences into Linky Strings Using D-bigram Statistics

It is obvious that segmentation takes an important role in natural language processing(NLP), especially for the languages whose sentences are not easily separated into morphemes. In this study we propose a method of segmenting a sentence. The system described in this paper does not use any grammatical information or knowledge in processing. Instead, it uses statistical information drawn from non-tagged corpus of the target language. Most of the segmenting systems are to pick out conventional morphemes which is defined for human use. However, we still do not know whether those conventional morphemes are good units for computational processing.In this paper we explain our system's algorithm and its experimental results on Japanese, though this system is not designed for a particular language.
In Vivo Function of Tryptophans in the Arabidopsis UV-B Photoreceptor UVR8[W]

The UV-B photoreceptor UVR8 uses specific Trp amino acids in UV-B perception. This study examines the functional importance of all 14 UVR8 tryptophans in responses in plants. Arabidopsis thaliana UV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 (UVR8) is a photoreceptor specifically for UV-B light that initiates photomorphogenic responses in plants. UV-B exposure causes rapid conversion of UVR8 from dimer to monomer, accumulation in the nucleus, and interaction with CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1), which functions with UVR8 in UV-B responses. Studies in yeast and with purified UVR8 implicate several tryptophan amino acids in UV-B photoreception. However, their roles in UV-B responses in plants, and the functional significance of all 14 UVR8 tryptophans, are not known. Here we report the functions of the UVR8 tryptophans in vivo. Three tryptophans in the β-propeller core are important in maintaining structural stability and function of UVR8. However, mutation of three other core tryptophans and four at the dimeric interface has no apparent effect on function in vivo. Mutation of three tryptophans implicated in UV-B photoreception, W233, W285, and W337, impairs photomorphogenic responses to different extents. W285 is essential for UVR8 function in plants, whereas W233 is important but not essential for function, and W337 has a lesser role. Ala mutants of these tryptophans appear monomeric and constitutively bind COP1 in plants, but their responses indicate that monomer formation and COP1 binding are not sufficient for UVR8 function.
Home administration of lanreotide Autogel® by patients with acromegaly, or their partners, is safe and effective

Objective The introduction of ready‐to‐use lanreotide Autogel® has presented the possibility of patients receiving their acromegaly treatment at home. The objective of this study was to assess the ability of patients (or their partners) to administer repeat, unsupervised, injections of lanreotide Autogel without compromising efficacy or safety.
D-dimers are not always elevated in patients with acute aortic dissection

In patients with acute aortic dissection, an early diagnosis is essential to anticipate aortic rupture, cardiac tamponade, organ ischemia and improve surgical results. A specific blood laboratory marker able to rule out the presence of aortic dissection has not been identified yet. Recently, several studies suggested using D-dimers as a negative predicting test to rule out diagnosis of acute aortic dissection in patients presenting with chest pain. In 61 patients with confirmed aortic dissection, preoperative D-dimers were assayed and correlated with time from symptom onset and extension of the false lumen dissection (according with De Bakey classification). Abnormal D-dimers values were considered those being greater than 400 μg/l. D-dimers values were above 400 μg/l in 50 patients (82%) and below 400 μg/l in 11 patients (18%). There was no correlation between preoperative D-dimers values and time from symptoms onset (r = −0.232; P = 0.1). We found that D-dimers are not always elevated in patients presenting with acute aortic dissection. Given the potential devastating effects of denying the diagnosis of acute aortic dissection with consequent delay of adequate treatment, a word of caution regarding the negative predictive value of D-dimer test in the diagnosis of aortic dissection seems warranted.
PHOSPHATE BOUND TO HISTIDINE IN A PROTEIN AS AN INTERMEDIATE IN A NOVEL PHOSPHO-TRANSFERASE SYSTEM.

showed a typical protein ultraviolet Low-molecular-weight p32 components, like P32-PEP, were separated from P32-HPr by and studies with Sephadex gels showed subjecting 25 sl of the samples to high-voltage electrophoresis (65 v/cm) in 0.05 M citrate buffer, pH 6.5 for 20 min. The product remained closew.to the origin; all radioactive areas were from the paper strips and counted counter. when 0.5-ml samples of peaks 2 and 3 were pretreated with 0.25 ml of 4 N S2SO4 at 400 for 30 min, all of the p32 was measurable as inorganic phosphate. Histidine (-0-0-) measured fluorometrically,18 was not detectable in any of the peaks, but was found in peak 2 after the acid treatment described above. Histidine, and 3 or 4 other amino acids were found in peak 3, using paper chromatographic methods, after 6 N HCl hydrolysis (12 hr, 1000), of the pooled fractions. Peak 3 was not observed when the 3 M NaOH hydrolysis was conducted for 12 rather than 7 hr, and there was a con-comitant increase in peaks 1 and 2.
Influences of the inner retinal sublayers and analytical areas in macular scans by spectral-domain OCT on the diagnostic ability of early glaucoma.

PURPOSE We investigated the influences of the inner retinal sublayers and analytical areas in macular scans by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) on the diagnostic ability of early glaucoma. METHODS A total of 64 early (including 24 preperimetric) glaucomatous and 40 normal eyes underwent macular and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) scans (3D-OCT-2000). The area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUC) for glaucoma diagnosis was determined from the average thickness of the total 100 grids (6 × 6 mm), central 44 grids (3.6 × 4.8 mm), and peripheral 56 grids (outside of the 44 grids), and for each macular sublayer: macular RNFL (mRNFL), ganglion cell layer plus inner plexiform layer (GCL/IPL), and mRNFL plus GCL/IPL (ganglion cell complex [GCC]). Correlation of OCT parameters with visual field parameters was evaluated by Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (rs). RESULTS The GCC-related parameters had a significantly larger AUC (0.82-0.97) than GCL/IPL (0.81-0.91), mRNFL-related parameters (0.72-0.94), or average pRNFL (0.88) in more than half of all comparisons. The central 44 grids had a significantly lower AUC than other analytical areas in GCC and mRNFL thickness. Conversely, the peripheral 56 grids had a significantly lower AUC than the 100 grids in GCL/IPL inferior thickness. Inferior thickness of GCC (rs, 0.45-0.49) and mRNFL (rs, 0.43-0.51) showed comparably high correlations with central visual field parameters to average pRNFL thickness (rs, 0.41, 0.47) even in the central 44 grids. CONCLUSIONS The diagnostic ability of macular OCT parameters for early glaucoma differed by inner retinal sublayers and also by the analytical areas studied.