Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trait congruence in the study of the cognitive consequences of emotional arousal

This study investigated the possible influence of mood and emotional vulnerability on recall. Mood was induced by projecting highly emotionally laden slides. In the first experiment, 64 female subjects, rated low or high on emotional vulnerability, were tested on recall of mood‐congruent, mood‐incongruent and neutral words, under mood induction and non‐mood induction conditions. Emotionally low‐vulnerable subjects recalled more mood‐congruent than mood‐incongruent words in the mood induction condition, whereas the opposite was the case in the non‐mood induction condition. Highly vulnerable subjects recalled more mood‐congruent than mood‐incongruent words in the non‐mood induction condition and fewer mood‐congruent words in the mood induction compared with non‐mood induction condition. The results are discussed in terms of ‘mood congruence’ (to explain low‐vulnerable (LV) subjects' performance) and in terms of ‘trait congruence’ (to explain highly‐vulnerable (HV) subjects' performance). In a second experiment, which investigated LV and HV subjects' galvanic skin responses to highly‐ and low‐emotionally laden slides, the highest values were those for HV subjects when exposed to emotional slides. The different activation of LV and HV subjects led us to reconsider previous reasoning regarding mood congruence and trait congruence in the light of the inverted U theory.
Making web video accessible: interaction design patterns for assistive video learning environments

This paper discusses four interaction design patterns that constitute assistive solutions to enhance the accessibility of audible and visual information inside learning environments. These patterns result from a content analysis of 118 video environments that were designated for learning. The analysis yields a pattern language of currently 40 patterns that describes common solutions of recurring problems in the design and development of video learning environments. Beside the complete representation of the accessibility patterns Closed Captions, Transcript, Zoom, and Shortcut Commands, this paper draws attention to possible ways of structuring the pattern language.
The work to make a network work: studying CSCW in action

This paper reports on a field study of the procurement, implementation and use of a local area network devoted to running CSCW-related applications in an organization within the U.K.'s central government. In this particular case, the network ran into a number of difficulties, was resisted by its potential users for a variety of reasons, was faced with being withdrawn from service on a number of occasions and (at the time of writing) remains only partly used. The study points to the kinds of problems that a project to introduce computer support for cooperative work to an actual organization is likely to face and a series of concepts are offered to help manage the complexity of these problems. In so doing, this paper adds to and extends previous studies of CSCW tools in action but also argues that experience from the field should be used to re-organise the research agenda of CSCW.
Equal rules or equal opportunities? Demystifying level playing field

Pleas for a level playing field, for instance in international trade, are often not well-founded. This is because it is not exactly clear what a 'level playing field' means. But even if it would be clear what the plea would imply, a level playing field is not always desirable from an economic perspective. To clarify the meaning of 'a level playing field' we introduce two specifications of the concept. First, a rules-based level playing field, which means that all firms in a market are treated the same in equal circumstances with regard to legislation, taxes, subsidies etcetera. Second, an outcome-based level playing field, which means that all firms in a market have the same expected profit. This means that, in case firms are heterogeneous, the government compensates the disadvantaged firms (for instance with subsidies). The first conclusion in the report is that a rules-based level playing field is desirable, although there are reasons to deviate from this assumption. The second conclusion is that it is never desirable to pursue a fully outcome-based level playing field, but that it may be desirable to level the playing field to a certain extent in the case of market failure. In case of market failure it is preferable to use symmetric rules (equal for all firms), in stead of asymmetric rules (favouring some firms). The report introduces a framework with questions that can help policymakers analyse level playing field issues. The framework makes clear that in general one cannot tell whether a plea for a 'level playing field' is justified or not. It is necessary to focus on the policy issues hidden behind the plea, i.e. policy issues concerning market failure, dynamic efficiency, redistribution of income and differences in preferences between countries.
Influence of Deforestation, Logging, and Fire on Malaria in the Brazilian Amazon

Malaria is a significant public health threat in the Brazilian Amazon. Previous research has shown that deforestation creates breeding sites for the main malaria vector in Brazil, Anopheles darlingi, but the influence of selective logging, forest fires, and road construction on malaria risk has not been assessed. To understand these impacts, we constructed a negative binomial model of malaria counts at the municipality level controlling for human population and social and environmental risk factors. Both paved and unpaved roadways and fire zones in a municipality increased malaria risk. Within the timber production states where 90% of deforestation has occurred, compared with areas without selective logging, municipalities where 0–7% of the remaining forests were selectively logged had the highest malaria risk (1.72, 95% CI 1.18–2.51), and areas with higher rates of selective logging had the lowest risk (0.39, 95% CI 0.23–0.67). We show that roads, forest fires, and selective logging are previously unrecognized risk factors for malaria in the Brazilian Amazon and highlight the need for regulation and monitoring of sub-canopy forest disturbance.
Structural and cognitive problems in providing version control for hypertext

This paper discusses issues related to providing version control in hypertext systems. Many of the software engineering issues in versioning also apply to hypertext, but the emphasis on linking and structure in hypertext raises some new problems. The issues can roughly be divided into two categories. Datamodel issues, which will be referred to as structural issues, and user interface issues, which will be referred to aa cognitive issues. Both structural and cognitive issues will be described and divided into simpler problems which will be named and described, and it will be shown that composites serve aa a good starting point for solving both structural and cognitive problems of versioning.
Appropriate Pedagogy and Technology in a Cross-cultural Distance Education Context

Distance educators are bewitched by the potential of computer-mediated distance learning. Yet computer-based instruction is not always the best option. We work in a context where Maori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand, are a large percentage of learners in our Bachelor of Education (Adult Education). They assert their identity as members of an oral culture wanting to learn in ways that are appropriate to them. While they embrace western technologies most do not have easy access to the Internet. This paper, based on a project funded by a grant from Massey University's Fund for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching (FIET), explores more appropriate technological options for distance education with Maori than printed study guides and the Internet. The paper describes the theoretical base that underpins the project; develops a model for working cross-culturally in distance education; and provides a rationale for the use of an 'intermediate' video indexing technology.
Micro-organisms behind the pollination scenes: microbial imprint on floral nectar sugar variation in a tropical plant community.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Variation in the composition of floral nectar reflects intrinsic plant characteristics as well as the action of extrinsic factors. Micro-organisms, particularly yeasts, represent one extrinsic factor that inhabit the nectar of animal-pollinated flowers worldwide. In this study a 'microbial imprint hypothesis' is formulated and tested, in which it is proposed that natural community-wide variation in nectar sugar composition will partly depend on the presence of yeasts in flowers. METHODS Occurrence and density of yeasts were studied microscopically in single-flower nectar samples of 22 animal-pollinated species from coastal xeric and sub-humid tropical habitats of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Nectar sugar concentration and composition were concurrently determined on the same samples using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. KEY RESULTS Microscopical examination of nectar samples revealed the presence of yeasts in nearly all plant species (21 out of 22 species) and in about half of the samples examined (51·8 % of total, all species combined). Plant species and individuals differed significantly in nectar sugar concentration and composition, and also in the incidence of nectar yeasts. After statistically controlling for differences between plant species and individuals, nectar yeasts still accounted for a significant fraction of community-wide variance in all nectar sugar parameters considered. Significant yeast × species interactions on sugar parameters revealed that plant species differed in the nectar sugar correlates of variation in yeast incidence. CONCLUSIONS The results support the hypothesis that nectar yeasts impose a detectable imprint on community-wide variation in nectar sugar composition and concentration. Since nectar sugar features influence pollinator attraction and plant reproduction, future nectar studies should control for yeast presence and examine the extent to which microbial signatures on nectar characteristics ultimately have some influence on pollination services in plant communities.
The relationship between work‐role characteristics and intercultural transitional adjustment domain patterns among a sample of US and Canadian expatriates on assignment in Ireland

Borrowing from earlier contributions in the cross‐cultural management and international human resource management literatures, firstly we conceptualise expatriate adjustment as a multifaceted construct encompassing work, general, interaction and overall adjustment and then we examine the impact of work‐role characteristics in the form of role novelty, role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload on these different domains of adjustment. With respect to adjustment, while our data, drawn from a postal survey of US and Canadian expatriates on assignment in Ireland, show some variations in work, general, interaction and overall adjustment, the composite measure of overall adjustment reveals that, on the whole, respondents are well adjusted to working and living in Ireland. Turning to the impact of work‐role characteristics on adjustment domains, role novelty is positively correlated with work adjustment. Both role ambiguity and role conflict are negatively correlated with work adjustment. Multiple regression results reveal that, combined, role novelty, role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload account for 31.1 per cent of the variance in work adjustment, 13.4 per cent of the variance in general adjustment, 17.2 per cent in the case of interaction adjustment and 17.5 per cent of the variance in overall adjustment.
Guest Editors’ Introduction to the Special Issue College Access and the K-16 Pipeline: Connecting Policy and Practice for Latino Student Success

Higher education research has contributed immensely to our understanding of why students from different racial/ethnic backgrounds, social classes, and generations go to college as well as why it is that they do well or poorly once there. Scholars have studied students’ decisions about which college to attend, campus climate and how it contributes to their well-being or sense of belonging, and whether institutions with certain characteristics are a good match or fit with particular individuals. In the realm of policy, scholars have similarly explored the availability of family financial resources and financial aid; the way in which finances contribute to decisions about whether and where to attend college; the impact of accountability pressures on institutions, their constituencies, and institutional practice; and the enrollment effects of landmark cases such as Hopwood vs. Texas that, for a time, prohibited the use of race as a criterion for college admission and scholarship disbursement in Texas. Although not exclusively, much higher education research has until recently focused on the college experiences of nonminority students. This is rapidly changing as scholars and educators attempt to come to terms with growing minority and particularly Latino student populations. Attention to and emphasis on Latino and African American students can be couched in pragmatic rather than moral or social justice terms. That is, a powerful argument for those who seek to intervene on the situation is that higher education institutions and state or local economies will themselves sink or swim depending on the achievement outcomes of these growing and already educa-
Topography Compensation for Haptization of a Mesh Object and Its Stiffness Distribution

This work was motivated by the need for perceptualizing nano-scale scientific data, e.g., those acquired by a scanning probe microscope, where collocated topography and stiffness distribution of a surface can be measured. Previous research showed that when the topography of a surface with spatially varying stiffness is rendered using the conventional penalty-based haptic rendering method, the topography perceived by the user could be significantly distorted from its original model. In the worst case, a higher region with a smaller stiffness value can be perceived to be lower than a lower region with a larger stiffness value. This problem was explained by the theory of force constancy: the user tends to maintain an invariant contact force when s/he strokes the surface to perceive its topography. In this paper, we present a haptization algorithm that can render the shape of a mesh surface and its stiffness distribution with high perceptual accuracy. Our algorithm adaptively changes the surface topography on the basis of the force constancy theory to deliver adequate shape information to the user while preserving the stiffness perception. We also evaluated the performance of the proposed haptization algorithm in comparison to the constraint-based algorithm by examining relevant proximal stimuli and carrying out a user experiment. Results demonstrated that our algorithm could improve the perceptual accuracy of shape and reduce the exploration time, thereby leading to more accurate and efficient haptization.
HLA-B*51 and Behçet Disease

Behçet disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. BD has a multifactorial pathogenesis, and genetics plays a critical role in the development of the disease. Association of HLA-B5/B*51 has been recognized as the strongest genetic susceptibility factor for BD discovered so far. Pathogenic role of HLA-B*51 in BD has yet to be clarified, and available data suggest that there is possibly no single mechanism associated with HLA-B*51. HLA-B*51 may accomplish its effects as a combination of different HLA class I-associated functions and/or structural properties of HLA-B*51 heavy chain. There is no evidence supporting the use of HLA-B*51 as a diagnostic or prognostic marker for BD, and more clinical data must be collected in addition to basic immunological studies to exploit the potential of HLA-B*51 as a biomarker for BD management.
EFL Teachers and English Language Education in the PRC: Are They the Policy Makers?

This article explores the relationship between the national English language policy and its implementation at the local level in Chinese schools through the eyes of in-service teachers. Interviews were conducted to examine the policy awareness of EFL teachers in various primary and secondary schools in one province in China. Content analysis was employed to analyze the data to show that EFL teachers were not following the instructions in the national English curriculum to guide their classroom teaching, but were rather critical to the objectives and requirements described in the curriculum. The reason for this was revealed to be the gap between the curriculum policy and practical teaching situations. The results suggested that involving classroom teachers in policy making may help the national language curriculum more applicable and implementable. This may shed light on the question of whether teachers are just implementers or whether they help to shape and develop policy.
Overcoming the Recalcitrance for the Conversion of Kenaf Pulp to Glucose via Microwave-Assisted Pre-Treatment Processes

This study evaluates the pre-treatment of cellulose from kenaf plant to yield sugar precursors for the production of ethanol or butanol for use as biofuel additives. In order to convert the crystalline cellulosic form to the amorphous form that can undergo enzymatic hydrolysis of the glycosidic bond to yield sugars, kenaf pulp samples were subjected to two different pre-treatment processes. In the acid pre-treatment, the pulp samples were treated with 37.5% hydrochloric acid in the presence of FeCl3 at 50 °C or 90 °C whereas in the alkaline method, the pulp samples were treated with 25% sodium hydroxide at room temperature and with 2% or 5% sodium hydroxide at 50 °C. Microwave-assisted NaOH-treatment of the cellulose was also investigated and demonstrated to be capable of producing high glucose yield without adverse environmental impact by circumventing the use of large amounts of concentrated acids i.e., 83–85% phosphoric acid employed in most digestion processes. The treated samples were digested with the cellulase enzyme from Trichoderma reesei. The amount of glucose produced was quantified using the Quantichrom™ glucose bioassay for assessing the efficiency of glucose production for each of the treatment processes. The microwave-assisted alkaline pre-treatment processes conducted at 50 °C were found to be the most effective in the conversion of the crystalline cellulose to the amorphous form based on the significantly higher yields of sugar produced by enzymatic hydrolysis compared to the untreated sample.
Human Mincle Binds to Cholesterol Crystals and Triggers Innate Immune Responses*

Background: Cholesterol crystals are involved in various chronic inflammatory diseases; however, direct pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) recognizing cholesterol crystals have not been identified. Results: We purified endogenous components interacting with human Mincle and identified cholesterol. Conclusion: Direct interaction of human Mincle with cholesterol crystals activates innate immune responses. Significance: Human Mincle could be a therapeutic target of chronic inflammation. C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are an emerging family of pattern recognition receptors that recognizes pathogens or damaged tissue to trigger innate immune responses. However, endogenous ligands for CLRs are not fully understood. In this study, we sought to identify an endogenous ligand(s) for human macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (hMincle). A particular fraction of lipid extracts from liver selectively activated reporter cells expressing hMincle. MS analysis determined the chemical structure of the active component as cholesterol. Purified cholesterol in plate-coated and crystalized forms activates reporter cells expressing hMincle but not murine Mincle (mMincle). Cholesterol crystals are known to activate immune cells and induce inflammatory responses through lysosomal damage. However, direct innate immune receptors for cholesterol crystals have not been identified. Murine macrophages transfected with hMincle responded to cholesterol crystals by producing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Human dendritic cells expressed a set of inflammatory genes in response to cholesterol crystals, and this was inhibited by anti-human Mincle. Importantly, other related CLRs did not bind cholesterol crystals, whereas other steroids were not recognized by hMincle. These results suggest that cholesterol crystals are an endogenous ligand for hMincle and that they activate innate immune responses.
Decrease in Renal Medullary Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase of Fructose-Fed, Salt-Sensitive Hypertensive Rats

We investigated the expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) in the kidneys of fructose-fed insulin-resistant rats (FFR) with a low- or high-sodium diet. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control (C) or high-fructose (40% fructose; F) diet, with each coming in low-sodium (0.024% NaCl; LS-C or LS-F) or high-sodium (3% NaCl; HS-C or HS-F) varieties, for 2 weeks. Half of the FFR were orally administered pioglitazone (10 mg · kg−1 · day−1), an insulin-sensitizing agent (LS-FP or HS-FP). The systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in the HS-F rats than in the LS-F rats or the HS-C rats (HS-F rats, 129±4 mm Hg, versus LS-F rats, 115±3 mm Hg, P <0.05; or versus HS-C rats, 116±5 mm Hg, P <0.05), which indicated the salt dependence of hypertension in FFR. The protein expression of eNOS in the renal medulla of FFR was significantly lower than that in control rats during a high sodium load. The administration of pioglitazone prevented the hypertension (HS-F rats, 129±4 mm Hg, versus HS-FP rats, 113±3 mm Hg, P <0.05) and the reduction of medullary eNOS protein expression in HS-F rats. There was no significant difference in eNOS expression in the renal cortex or aorta between FFR and control rats, regardless of sodium load. These results suggest that the decrease in renal medullary NO production by eNOS during a high sodium load may play a role in fructose-fed, salt-sensitive hypertension.
Pathogenicity of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the intestines of neonatal calves

Cattle are an important reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 strains, foodborne pathogens that cause hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome in humans. EHEC O157:H7 strains are not pathogenic in calves >3 weeks old. Our objective was to determine if EHEC O157:H7 strains are pathogenic in neonatal calves. Calves <36 h old inoculated with EHEC O157:H7 developed diarrhea and enterocolitis with attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions in both the large and small intestines by 18 h postinoculation. The severity of diarrhea and inflammation, and also the frequency and extent of A/E lesions, increased by 3 days postinoculation. We conclude that EHEC O157:H7 strains are pathogenic in neonatal calves. The neonatal calf model is relevant for studying the pathogenesis of EHEC O157:H7 infections in cattle. It should also be useful for identifying ways to reduce EHEC O157:H7 infections in cattle and thus reduce the risk of EHEC O157:H7 disease in humans.