Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Determinants of Mobile Learning Acceptance in Higher Education Based on UTAUT

The popularity of mobile devices and the opportunity to learn regardless of time and place make mobile learning an important method in lifelong learning. However, acceptance of mobile learning by learners is crucial to the success of mobile learning. The objective of this study is to investigate main determinants of mobile learning acceptance in higher education in China. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, this study proposed a hypothesized model of m-learning acceptance. Employing a stepwise multiple regression analysis, the model was assessed based on the data collected from 186 participants at Beijing Normal University using a survey questionnaire. Results indicate that achievement value, effort expectancy, social influence and performance expectancy have significant influence on the behavioral intention to use mobile learning. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
High prevalence of duodenal ulcer in a tertiary care hospital in the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

CONTEXT In spite of Helicobacter pylori infection being the etiological cause of peptic ulcer and its high prevalence in Brazil, the prevalence of peptic ulcer disease has been poorly studied. OBJECTIVES To verify the peptic ulcer disease prevalence in patients of a tertiary care hospital. METHODS Diagnostic findings from 1,478 consecutive endoscopies were correlated with the urease test results for H. pylori infection diagnosis and demographic data in a total of 3,779 endoscopies performed in 2005. The mean age of the patients was 51.14 ± 16.46, being 613 (41.5%) men. RESULTS Peptic ulcer was diagnosed in 494 (33.4%) patients with a mean age of 54.86 ± 14.53, 205 (52%) were men, being 391 (26.5%) duodenal ulcer and 103 (7%) gastric ulcer. Normal endoscopy was found in 272 (18.4%) patients with a mean age of 38.4 ± 15.22, being 49 (18%) men. The comparison of peptic ulcer group with the patients that had normal endoscopy revealed that H. pylori infection [P = 0.005; OR = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.17-2.47], male gender [P<0.0001; OR = 5.53; 95%CI = 3.67-8.34] and older age [P<0.0001; OR = 1.08; 95%CI = 1.06-1.09] increased the risk of peptic ulcers. The overall H. pylori prevalence was 53% (786). CONCLUSIONS Prevalence of duodenal ulcer is high in a Brazilian population that had H. pylori infection associated with older age and male gender as important determinants to gastrointestinal diseases outcome. Future prospective studies should confirm these findings.
Automatic inference of multicellular regulatory networks using informative priors

To fully understand the mechanisms governing animal development, computational models and algorithms are needed to enable quantitative studies of the underlying regulatory networks. We developed a mathematical model based on dynamic Bayesian networks to model multicellular regulatory networks that govern cell differentiation processes. A machine-learning method was developed to automatically infer such a model from heterogeneous data. We show that the model inference procedure can be greatly improved by incorporating interaction data across species. The proposed approach was applied to C. elegans vulval induction to reconstruct a model capable of simulating C. elegans vulval induction under 73 different genetic conditions.
When Is Selection Effective?

Deleterious alleles can reach high frequency in small populations because of random fluctuations in allele frequency. This may lead, over time, to reduced average fitness. In this sense, selection is more “effective” in larger populations. Recent studies have considered whether the different demographic histories across human populations have resulted in differences in the number, distribution, and severity of deleterious variants, leading to an animated debate. This article first seeks to clarify some terms of the debate by identifying differences in definitions and assumptions used in recent studies. We argue that variants of Morton, Crow, and Muller’s “total mutational damage” provide the soundest and most practical basis for such comparisons. Using simulations, analytical calculations, and 1000 Genomes Project data, we provide an intuitive and quantitative explanation for the observed similarity in genetic load across populations. We show that recent demography has likely modulated the effect of selection and still affects it, but the net result of the accumulated differences is small. Direct observation of differential efficacy of selection for specific allele classes is nevertheless possible with contemporary data sets. By contrast, identifying average genome-wide differences in the efficacy of selection across populations will require many modeling assumptions and is unlikely to provide much biological insight about human populations.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF ACUTE ALCOHOL ON THE INHIBITORY MECHANISMS OF CONTROL INVOLVED IN VISUAL PERCEPTION

The impairing effects of alcohol on attention are well documented, and there is reason to believe that inhibitory mechanisms may be involved although the specific nature of the impairment is unclear. Research suggests that intentional control mechanisms might be more vulnerable to alcohol, although the evidence is not conclusive. Ambiguous figures provide a novel way to assess these processes, as attention needs to be directed towards one interpretation and away from the alternate interpretation, which must be inhibited. The contribution of both intentional and automatic mechanisms can also be assessed by consciously controlling reversals or reporting them under passive viewing conditions. The results do not support the alcohol myopia model as alcohol had a facilitatory effect on reversals. Instead, the results seem to be broadly in line with an alcohol-induced impairment on intentional inhibitory processes, although the results are not straightforward. Alcohol does not result in more figure reversals being reported simply because inhibition is weakened. Its effect on reversals seems to depend upon the precise nature, the relative, and the absolute strengths of the two interpretations of the stimulus presented and is dependent upon the specific experimental conditions. These findings are clearly contrary to a simple account based on reduced inhibition.
Intravenous Antioxidant Modulation of End-Organ Damage in L-Arginine-Induced Experimental Acute Pancreatitis

Background: Oxidative stress mediates acinar injury in experimental acute pancreatitis (AP) and antioxidants are depleted in human AP. This study tests the hypothesis that exogenous antioxidant supplementation ameliorates experimental AP. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 groups (n = 5/group) and sacrificed at 72 h. AP was induced by 250 mg per 100 g body weight of 20% L-arginine hydrochloride in 0.15 mol/l sodium chloride. Group allocations were: group 1 (control) no intervention; group 2 AP; group 3 early multiple antioxidant (MAOX) intervention comprising 15 µg/kg selenium, 30 µg/kg ascorbate and 300 mg/kg N-acetylcysteine given at 6 and 30 h and group 4 the MAOX combination above given at 24 and 48 h. Endpoints were: serum amylase, antioxidant levels, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) protein and lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and histological assessment of pancreatic injury. Results:L-arginine induced AP characterised by oedema, neutrophil infiltration, acinar cell degranulation and elevated serum amylase. Early MAOX reduced pulmonary MPO and BAL protein and reduced acinar swelling, degranulation and pancreatic parenchymal infiltration by inflammatory cells. These features were absent when intervention was delayed. Conclusion: In this model, early but not late antioxidant intervention ameliorates pancreatic and pulmonary injury.
Repetitive Mild Brain Trauma Accelerates Aβ Deposition, Lipid Peroxidation, and Cognitive Impairment in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer Amyloidosis

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease (AD), but it is not known how TBI contributes to the onset or progression of this common late life dementia. To address this question, we studied neuropathological and behavioral consequences of single versus repetitive mild TBI (mTBI) in transgenic (Tg) mice (Tg2576) that express mutant human Aβ precursor protein, and we demonstrate elevated brain Aβ levels and increased Aβ deposition. Nine-month-old Tg2576 and wild-type mice were subjected to single (n = 15) or repetitive (n = 39) mTBI or sham treatment (n = 37). At 2 d and 9 and 16 weeks after treatment, we assessed brain Aβ deposits and levels in addition to brain and urine isoprostanes generated by lipid peroxidation in these mice. A subset of mice also was studied behaviorally at 16 weeks after injury. Repetitive but not single mTBI increased Aβ deposition as well as levels of Aβ and isoprostanes only in Tg mice, and repetitive mTBI alone induced cognitive impairments but no motor deficits in these mice. This is the first experimental evidence linking TBI to mechanisms of AD by showing that repetitive TBI accelerates brain Aβ accumulation and oxidative stress, which we suggest could work synergistically to promote the onset or drive the progression of AD. Additional insights into the role of TBI in mechanisms of AD pathobiology could lead to strategies for reducing the risk of AD associated with previous episodes of brain trauma and for preventing progressive brain amyloidosis in AD patients.
Subepithelial fibroblast cell lines from different levels of gut axis display regional characteristics

Plateroti, Michelina, Deborah C. Rubin, Isabelle Duluc, Renu Singh, Charlotte Foltzer-Jourdainne, JeanNoël Freund, and Michèle Kedinger. Subepithelial fibroblast cell lines from different levels of gut axis display regional characteristics. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 37): G945–G954, 1998. —The intestine is characterized by morphofunctional differences along the proximodistal axis. The aim of this study was to derive mesenchymal cell lines representative of the gut axis. We isolated and cloned rat intestinal subepithelial myofibroblasts raised from 8-day proximal jejunum, distal ileum, and proximal colon lamina propria. Two clonal cell lines from each level of the gut were characterized. They 1) express the specific markers vimentin, smooth muscle a-actin, and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, revealed by immunofluorescence microscopy and 2) distinctly support endodermal cell growth in a coculture model, depending on their regional origin, and 3) the clones raised from the various proximodistal regions maintain the same pattern of morphogenetic and growth and/or differentiation factor gene expression as in vivo: hepatocyte growth and/or scatter factor and transforming growth factor-b1 mRNAs analyzed by RT-PCR were more abundant, in the colon and ileal clones and mucosal connective tissue, respectively. In addition, epimorphin mRNAstudied by Northern blot was also the highest in one ileal clone, in which it was selectively upregulated by all-trans retinoic acid (RA) treatment. Epimorphin expression in isolated 8-day intestinal lamina propria was higher in the distal small intestine and proximal colon than in the proximal small intestine. In conclusion, we isolated and characterized homogeneous cell subtypes that can now be used to approach the molecular regulation of the epithelium-mesenchyme-dependent regional specificity along the gut.
Factors affecting therapeutic compliance: A review from the patient’s perspective

Objective To explore and evaluate the most common factors causing therapeutic non-compliance. Methods A qualitative review was undertaken by a literature search of the Medline database from 1970 to 2005 to identify studies evaluating the factors contributing to therapeutic non-compliance. Results A total of 102 articles was retrieved and used in the review from the 2095 articles identified by the literature review process. From the literature review, it would appear that the definition of therapeutic compliance is adequately resolved. The preliminary evaluation revealed a number of factors that contributed to therapeutic non-compliance. These factors could be categorized to patient-centered factors, therapy-related factors, social and economic factors, healthcare system factors, and disease factors. For some of these factors, the impact on compliance was not unequivocal, but for other factors, the impact was inconsistent and contradictory. Conclusion There are numerous studies on therapeutic noncompliance over the years. The factors related to compliance may be better categorized as “soft” and “hard” factors as the approach in countering their effects may differ. The review also highlights that the interaction of the various factors has not been studied systematically. Future studies need to address this interaction issue, as this may be crucial to reducing the level of non-compliance in general, and to enhancing the possibility of achieving the desired healthcare outcomes.
Computational modeling of adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus

Author(s): Aimone, James Bradley | Abstract: The incorporation of new neurons into the adult brain is a form of plasticity that has only recently been appreciated in neuroscience. The localization of adult neurogenesis to the dentate gyrus (DG) area of the hippocampus is of particular interest, given the hippocampus's observed role as a structure crucial for memory formation. In the rodent, thousands of new neurons are born daily, and research into this process has revealed a complex maturation process, with newborn neurons showing unique physiological and anatomical features at different stages of development. Despite these findings regarding the biology of the neurogenesis process itself, a functional role for new neurons has remained elusive. This dissertation will describe the design, implementation, and testing of a biologically driven computational model of the adult neurogenesis process in the DG. In this model, new neurons are incorporated into the DG circuit according to the process revealed by previous biological studies. Ultimately, this work provides evidence for three separate functions for new neurons that are both novel and experimentally testable. The first hypothesis is that immature neurons are more likely to contribute to the encoding of new memories than mature neurons. This increased activity provides a pattern integration component to the global pattern separation function of the DG. The second hypothesis is that the continuing maturation of these young neurons makes this pattern integration role temporally dependent. As such, memories encoded close in time will be associated, while memories encoded far apart in time will be separated. Third, the results suggest that continual neurogenesis results in a DG network that is a cumulative representation of events experienced throughout life. Finally, this dissertation will discuss how neuromodulation may affect the neurogenesis process and its relationship with hippocampal function and will include a description of how modulatory neurotransmitters can be considered in the computational model, and the specific example of dopamine will show how preliminary data regarding the effects of modulators on neurogenesis can be incorporated into the modeling framework.
Evaluation of cardiac function in the dialysis patient--a primer for the non-expert.

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of renal insufficiency, but conversely, renal insufficiency itself contributes to cardiac pathology in several ways. At least half of all the patients starting dialysis therapy have overt cardiovascular disease [1]. Chronic pressure and volume overload lead to left ventricular (LV) remodelling, with the development of a concentric or eccentric LV geometry and LV hypertrophy. The prevalence of LV hypertrophy increases with progressive renal insufficiency [2] to about 75% in dialysis patients [3,4]. Amplifying factors include hyperparathyroidism, hyperphosphataemia, angiotensin II, aldosterone, endothelin and plasma catecholamines [5–7]. In uraemia, LV hypertrophy is characterized by cardiomyocyte dropout, with diffuse interstitial fibrosis and hypertrophy of the remaining myocytes and microvascular disease [8]. These structural changes are associated with impaired LV perfusion and function. Decrease in myocardial capillary density and increase in myocyte size adversely affect myocardial oxygen supply and flow reserve [9]. Epicardial coronary artery disease is common in uraemic patients, and may lead to an acute coronary syndrome. LV dysfunction, however, seems to be related to microvascular disease [10]. LV function is also impaired by cardiomyocytes being replaced by fibrosis, leading to decreased contractile capacity and compliance. LV pressure–volume measurements have shown the steep relationship between end-diastolic pressure and volume in dialysis patients [11]. As LV remodelling is common in dialysis patients, a high prevalence of LV dysfunction is expected. However, cardiac function assessment in dialysis patients is fraught with pitfalls. The changing circulatory pressure–volume relations not only affect LV structure and function, contributing to cardiac morbidity, but also hamper LV function assessment. In this review, we will briefly discuss LV physiology in relation to the changing volume status in dialysis patients, explain the principles of conventional and newer LV function tests, and provide recommendations to optimize the evaluation of cardiac function in the dialysis patient.
Chemical Organization Theory as a Theoretical Base for Chemical Computing

In chemical computing, the result of a computation appears as an emergent global behavior based on local reaction rules. For programming chemical systems a theoretical method to cope with that emergent behavior is desired. In this paper, we demonstrate how the chemical organization theory can help in designing and understanding chemical computing systems. After providing a recipe for mapping logic circuits to chemical reaction rules, we discuss reaction networks implementing various logic circuits: an XOR, a flip-flop, and a controllable oscillator. The theory decomposes reaction networks into a hierarchy of closed and selfmaintaining sub-networks (called organizations) using stoichiometric information only. The dynamical behavior of a reaction system is then explained as a movement between organizations. We show how the theoretical analysis provides insight into the potential behavior of chemical reaction systems. The encouraging results suggest that the theory of chemical organizations contributes to a theoretical framework for chemical computing.
A Setup for multi-UAV hardware-in-the-loop simulations

In this paper, we present a hardware-in-the-loop simulation setup for multi-UAV systems. With our setup we are able to command the robots simulated in Gazebo, a popular open source ROS-enabled physical simulator, using computational units that are embedded on our quadrotor UAVs. Hence, we can test in simulation not only the correct execution of algorithms, but also the computational feasibility directly on the robot's hardware. In addition, since our setup is inherently multi-robot, we can also test the communication flow among the robots. We provide two use cases to show the characteristics of our setup.
Protein Storage Vacuoles Are Transformed into Lytic Vacuoles in Root Meristematic Cells of Germinating Seedlings by Multiple, Cell Type-Specific Mechanisms1[W]

We have investigated the structural events associated with vacuole biogenesis in root tip cells of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) seedlings preserved by high-pressure freezing and freeze-substitution techniques. Our micrographs demonstrate that the lytic vacuoles (LVs) of root tip cells are derived from protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) by cell type-specific sets of transformation events. Analysis of the vacuole transformation pathways has been aided by the phytin-dependent black osmium staining of PSV luminal contents. In epidermal and outer cortex cells, the central LVs are formed by a process involving PSV fusion, storage protein degradation, and the gradual replacement of the PSV marker protein α-tonoplast intrinsic protein (TIP) with the LV marker protein γ-TIP. In contrast, in the inner cortex and vascular cylinder cells, the transformation events are more complex. During mobilization of the stored molecules, the PSV membranes collapse osmotically upon themselves, thereby squeezing the vacuolar contents into the remaining bulging vacuolar regions. The collapsed PSV membranes then differentiate into two domains: (1) vacuole “reinflation” domains that produce pre-LVs, and (2) multilamellar autophagosomal domains that are later engulfed by the pre-LVs. The multilamellar autophagosomal domains appear to originate from concentric sheets of PSV membranes that create compartments within which the cytoplasm begins to break down. Engulfment of the multilamellar autophagic vacuoles by the pre-LVs gives rise to the mature LVs. During pre-LV formation, the PSV marker α-TIP disappears and is replaced by the LV marker γ-TIP. These findings demonstrate that the central LVs of root cells arise from PSVs via cell type-specific transformation pathways.
Surgical treatment of craniopharyngiomas: endocrinological results.

OBJECT This study aimed to elucidate the endocrinological outcome of craniopharyngioma surgery. In particular, endocrinological results were analyzed in relation to the surgical approach. The study includes 143 patients who underwent pre- and postoperative endocrinological assessment and who had not previously undergone surgery. METHODS Diabetes insipidus was the most common postoperative deficiency in both the transcranial and transsphenoidal groups. The overall percentage of patients with diabetes insipidus increased from 16.1% preoperatively to 59.4% postoperatively. After transcranial surgery, the rate of anterior pituitary deficiency also increased. However, normal preoperative anterior pituitary function was maintained in more than 50% of patients for each endocrine axis. Similar results were attained in the group of patients undergoing complete tumor removal. The best result was achieved for gonadal function: the incidence of hypogonadism increased only slightly from 77.4 to 79.8%. The rate of anterior pituitary failure at presentation was much higher in the transsphenoidal than in the transcranial group. During transsphenoidal surgery, intact anterior pituitary functions were generally preserved. The rate of panhypopituitarism increased only slightly, from 40% before surgery to 42.9% after surgery. Endocrinological results were not inferior in patients with a ventrally displaced pituitary. This variant required midline incision of the gland for exposure of the craniopharyngioma. In the entire series of 143 patients the pituitary stalk was generally preserved. Postoperative panhypopituitarism was encountered in only one of eight patients in whom the pituitary stalk was partially resected because of tumor infiltration. None of the 88 patients who remained recurrence-free demonstrated endocrinological deterioration during follow-up review, compared with the early postoperative assessment 3 months postsurgery. On the other hand, complete recovery of one endocrine axis was observed in nine of these patients during later follow-up evaluations. In five of them, diabetes insipidus had regressed. CONCLUSIONS It is worth preserving the pituitary stalk and gland at surgery because of the definite chance that intact anterior pituitary functions can be maintained. Postoperative diabetes insipidus must be accepted as a common sequela following attempts at complete removal of the craniopharyngioma.