Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolution in Networks and Computer Communications

Since decades developing programs for board games has been part of AI research and this field has attracted computer developers and researchers world-wide. Board games have a novel feature of simple, precise, easily formalized rules which makes them perfect launch vehicle to make computer game playing in a suitable development environment. The paper focuses on the two players, full knowledge, alternate move, deterministic, zero-sum game of Checkers. Genetic algorithmic approach is been applied in evolving computer player for the game of Checkers. The notion of this paper is to incorporate systematic game playing approach by analyzing game of checkers. Expert game players reveal three major playing
Are Phonemic Effects in Backward Masking Evidence for Automatic Prelexical Phonemic Activation in Visual Word Recognition

Abstract Recently, several pieces of evidence have led to a resurgence in the popularity of phonologically based approaches to visual word recognition. We review one such piece of evidence: Backward masking with a homophonic mask induces better target recognition than backward masking with a graphemic mask that shares the same letters with the target word as the homophonic mask. From the advantage for words followed by homophonic masks, the existence of automatic prelexical phonemic activation has been inferred. The present study investigates whether this phonemic effect under backward masking conditions can be influenced by control strategies on the part of subjects. We demonstrate that the phonemic effect in backward masking is observed only when the procedure encourages the use of phonological information. The implications for claims of automaticity on the basis of visual masking and for theories of reading in general are discussed.
Tissue transglutaminase 2 inhibition promotes cell death and chemosensitivity in glioblastomas

Tissue transglutaminase 2 belongs to a family of transglutaminase proteins that confers mechanical resistance from proteolysis and stabilizes proteins. Transglutaminase 2 promotes transamidation between glutamine and lysine residues with the formation of covalent linkages between proteins. Transglutaminase 2 also interacts and forms complexes with proteins important in extracellular matrix organization and cellular adhesion. We have identified the novel finding that treatment of glioblastoma cells with transglutaminase 2 inhibitors promotes cell death and enhances sensitivity to chemotherapy. Treatment with either the competitive transglutaminase 2 inhibitor, monodansylcadaverine, or with highly specific small-molecule transglutaminase 2 inhibitors, KCA075 or KCC009, results in induction of apoptosis in glioblastoma cells. Treatment with these transglutaminase 2 inhibitors resulted in markedly decreased levels of the prosurvival protein, phosphorylated Akt, and its downstream targets. These changes promote a proapoptotic profile with altered levels of multiple intracellular proteins that determine cell survival. These changes include decreased levels of the antiapoptotic proteins, survivin, phosphorylated Bad, and phosphorylated glycogen synthetase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), and increased levels of the proapoptotic BH3-only protein, Bim. In vivo studies with s.c. murine DBT glioblastoma tumors treated with transglutaminase 2 inhibitors combined with the chemotherapeutic agent, N-N′-bis (2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea (BCNU), decreased tumor size based on weight by 50% compared with those treated with BCNU alone. Groups treated with transglutaminase 2 inhibitors showed an increased incidence of apoptosis determined with deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated biotin nick-end labeling staining. These studies identify inhibition of transglutaminase 2 as a potential target to enhance cell death and chemosensitivity in glioblastomas.
A Data Reusing Strategy Based on Column-Stores

Data reusing is an important way to save storage capacity and improve query efficiency in the management of massive data. The column-store architecture stores data from the same column continuously, which greatly improves the performance of 'read optimization' application and moreover increases the feasibility and flexibility of data reusing. In this paper, we propose a novel reusing method based on the column-store data warehouse. Firstly, we propose an improved iMAP method based on the schema mapping technique to generate as more candidate reusable columns as possible and then conduct further filter on these candidate data, which greatly reduces the complexity of reusable data detection. Based on the column-store architecture, we then propose the reuse implement at the storage layer. The method for query execution based on reusable data is provided finally. The experiment results conducted on the real data sets indicate that the presented strategy can reduce the storage space and query execution time efficiently.
Extending the Study of Autobiographical Memory: Thinking Back about Life across the Life Span

By combining a life perspective with a life span perspective, the authors present a basic framework for extending the study of autobiographical memory. The life perspective suggests not only the consideration of individual episodes of memory but how they are strung together into a life. The life span perspective takes into account the chronological age and life context of individuals and how these factors might affect abilities and motivations related to the use of autobiographical memory. The authors discuss how these 2 perspectives are combined to yield a useful framework for studying autobiographical memory and present 2 examples of work done using this framework.
Tbx3 can alter limb position along the rostrocaudal axis of the developing embryo

The limbs of the vertebrate embryo form at precise locations along the body and these positions are fixed across different species. The mechanisms that control this process are not understood. Ectopic expression of Tbx3, a transcriptional repressor that belongs to the Tbx2/3/4/5 subfamily of T-box transcriptional regulators, in the forelimb results in a rostral shift in the position of the limb along the main body axis. By contrast, a transcriptional activator form of Tbx3 shifts the limb to more caudal locations. We also show that dHand and Gli3, genes previously implicated in anteroposterior pre-patterning of the limb-forming region, are also involved in refining the position of the limbs. Our data suggest a new role for Tbx3 in positioning the limb along the main body axis through a genetic interplay between dHand and Gli3.
Making the Public Sector More User Friendly? A Critical Examination of the Citizen's Charter

tag=1 data=Making the public sector more user friendly? A critical examination of the Citizen's charter. [UK]. by Michael Connolly. tag=2 data=Connolly, Michael%McKeown, Penny%Milligan-Byrne, Grainne tag=3 data=Parliamentary Affairs, tag=4 data=47 tag=5 data=1 tag=6 data=January 1994 tag=7 data=23-36. tag=8 data=PUBLIC SERVICE%CIVIL RIGHTS tag=10 data=In response to a widespread attack on the public sector, conservative governments committed to reversing the role of the state have been elected in, and a series of policies were designed to "cut back" the public sector. tag=11 data=1994/6/2 tag=12 data=94/0124 tag=13 data=CAB
A nap to recap or how reward regulates hippocampal-prefrontal memory networks during daytime sleep in humans

Sleep plays a crucial role in the consolidation of newly acquired memories. Yet, how our brain selects the noteworthy information that will be consolidated during sleep remains largely unknown. Here we show that post-learning sleep favors the selectivity of long-term consolidation: when tested three months after initial encoding, the most important (i.e., rewarded, strongly encoded) memories are better retained, and also remembered with higher subjective confidence. Our brain imaging data reveals that the functional interplay between dopaminergic reward regions, the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus contributes to the integration of rewarded associative memories. We further show that sleep spindles strengthen memory representations based on reward values, suggesting a privileged replay of information yielding positive outcomes. These findings demonstrate that post-learning sleep determines the neural fate of motivationally-relevant memories and promotes a value-based stratification of long-term memory stores. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.07903. 001
A longitudinal study of immediate, deferred, and synchronic imitation through the second year

The aim in this study was to investigate the emergence of immediate imitation, deferred imitation and synchronic imitation in human infants through the second year. A longitudinal study was conducted of eighty-six infants at three monthly intervals from 12through to 24-months-of-age. At each session the infants were assessed for immediate, deferred and synchronic imitation. Immediate and deferred imitation was evident in the infants from 12-months onwards. In contrast, it was not until 18-months that synchronic imitation began to emerge. Moreover, the infants’ engagement in both immediate imitation and deferred imitation showed a common developmental trajectory that was distinct from the trajectory for synchronic imitation. It is argued that synchronic imitation, unlike the other forms of imitation assessed here, is primarily a communicative act.
The membrane-bound mucin Muc1 regulates T helper 17-cell responses and colitis in mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS T helper (Th) 17 cells produce the effector cytokine interleukin (IL)-17, along with IL-22, which stimulates colonic epithelial cells to produce a membrane-bound mucin, Muc1. Muc1 is a component of the colonic mucus, which functions as a lubricant and a physiologic barrier between luminal contents and mucosal surface. The gene MUC1 has been associated with susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease; we investigated the role of Muc1 in development of colitis in mice. METHODS Muc1 and RAG1 were disrupted in mice (Muc/RAG double knockout mice); Th1-mediated colitis was induced by intravenous injection of CD4(+)CD45RB(high) T cells. We also studied Th2-mediated colitis using mice with disruptions in Muc1 and T-cell receptor α chain (Muc/TCR double knockout mice). RESULTS Muc1 deficiency led to the development of more severe forms of Th1- and Th2-induced colitis than controls. Loss of Muc1 increased colonic permeability and the Th17-cell, but not Th2 or Th1 cell, response in the inflamed colon. Loss of Muc1 also promoted expansion of an innate lymphoid cell population (Lin(-) ckit(-) Thy1(+) Sca1(+)) that produces IL-17. The expansion of Th17 adaptive immune cells and innate lymphoid cells required the commensal microbiota. CONCLUSIONS Muc1, which is up-regulated by Th17 signaling, functions in a negative feedback pathway that prevents an excessive Th17 cell response in inflamed colons of mice. Disruption of this negative feedback pathway, perhaps by variants in Muc1, might contribute to inflammatory bowel disease in patients.
Age‐related changes in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells

Adult stem cells are critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis throughout life, yet the effects of age on their regenerative capacity are poorly understood. All lymphoid and myeloid blood cell lineages are continuously generated from hematopoietic stem cells present in human bone marrow. With age, significant changes in the function and composition of mature blood cells are observed. In this study, we report that age‐related changes also occur in the human hematopoietic stem cell compartment. We find that the proportion of multipotent CD34+CD38− cells increases in the bone marrow of elderly (>70 years) individuals. CD34+CD38+CD90−CD45RA+/−CD10− and CD34+CD33+ myeloid progenitors persist at the same level in the bone marrow, while the frequency of early CD34+CD38+CD90−CD45RA+CD10+ and committed CD34+CD19+ B‐lymphoid progenitors decreases with age. In contrast to mice models of aging, transplantation experiments with immunodeficient NOD/SCID/IL‐2Rγ null (NSG) mice showed that the frequency of NSG repopulating cells does not change significantly with age, and there is a decrease in myeloid lineage reconstitution. An age‐related decrease in the capacity of CD34+ cells to generate myeloid cells was also seen in colony‐forming assays in vitro. Thus, with increasing age, human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells undergo quantitative changes as well as functional modifications.
Poles Apart? An exploration of single-sex and mixed-sex educational environments in Australia and England

This paper contributes to debates on the benefits of single-sex and co-educational school environments by considering both single-sex versus co-educational schools and single-sex versus co-educational classes in co-educational schools. Two research studies provide the empirical basis for this discussion. One study was a 10-year-long investigation of two Australian secondary schools which had been single-sex schools and became co-educational secondary schools over a two-year period. The second study involved a two-year investigation in an English co-educational secondary school where single-sex mathematics classes were introduced for one cohort of pupils for five school terms, after which mixed-sex classes were reintroduced. Evidence relating to academic self-concept, pupil, parent and staff perceptions and academic achievement are discussed. Overall, the evidence suggests that co-educational environments create possible social/interaction disadvantages for girls, but that academic self-concept is not adversely affected by transferring from single-sex environments into mixed-sex ones.
Wideband Image-Rejection Circuit for Low-IF Receivers

A wideband image-rejection circuit for GSM/EDGE low-IF receivers includes a reference signal source and digital correction circuit that compensate I/Q gain, phase, and frequency response mismatch. The chip integrates an LNA, mixers, PGAs, LPFs, and fractional-N synthesizer in a 0.25mum BiCMOS process and achieves 50dB IRR over the entire signal bandwidth at 200kHz IF
Predictive relevance of lymphovascular invasion in T1 colorectal cancer before endoscopic treatment

Abstract Background and aim The depth of tumor invasion is currently the only reliable predictive risk factor for lymph node metastasis before endoscopic treatment for colorectal cancer. However, the most important factor to predict lymph node metastasis has been suggested to be lymphovascular invasion rather than the depth of invasion. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the predictive relevance of lymphovascular invasion before endoscopic treatment. Methods The data on pT1 colorectal cancers that were resected endoscopically or surgically from 2007 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The cases were categorized into two groups: positive or negative for lymphovascular invasion. The following factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses: age and sex of the patients; location, size, and morphology of the lesion; and depth of invasion. Results The positive and negative groups included 229 and 457 cases, respectively. Younger age (P < 0.01), smaller lesion size (P = 0.01), non-LST (LST: laterally spreading tumor) (P < 0.01), presence of depression (P < 0.01), and pT1b (P < 0.01) were associated with lymphovascular invasion. In multivariate analysis, younger age (comparing patients aged ≤ 64 years with those aged > 65 years, OR, 1.81; 95 %CI, 1.29 – 2.53), presence of depression (OR, 1.97; CI, 1.40 – 2.77), non-LST features (OR, 1.50; CI, 1.04 – 2.15), and pT1b (OR, 3.08; CI, 1.91 – 4.97) were associated with lymphovascular invasion. Conclusion Younger age, presence of depression, T1b, and non-LST are associated with lymphovascular invasion. Therefore, careful pathological diagnosis and surveillance are necessary for lesions demonstrating any of these four factors.
Liars or Self-Deceived? Reflections on Political Deception

This paper contributes to the issue of political deception by exploring the role of self-deception in democratic politics. Within politics, deception of the people is actually very often produced by the self-deception of political leaders and officials, which is then supplemented by mechanisms of self-deception of the public itself. That self-deception, rather than simply straightforward deception, is a significant obstacle to truth and transparency in democratic politics is often hinted at by political scientists and historians but never properly pursued. And yet it should be, for which one of them is the case has important normative implications. This paper briefly presents the notion of self-deception and offers some reasons to take its presence in politics seriously. It also counters possible objections to doing so. Different kinds of political self-deception are presented and illustrated through historical examples so as to provide a clear typology and make the case for self-deception in politics stronger.
Foundations for a learning organization: organization learning mechanisms

This paper outlines the results of research currently being carried out at Victoria University, Australia, into what is a learning organization, how organizations learn, and how to develop a learning organization. The objective of the present study was to identify the components that underpin the development and operation of a learning organization, i.e. the foundations, or organizational learning mechanisms, that support the development and maintenance of a learning organization. The study identified four facilitating mechanisms: the learning environment, identifying learning and development needs, meeting learning and development needs and applying learning in the workplace. Factor analysis of the learning environment questionnaire identified 12 scales that supported the structural hypotheses, 11 of which had minimum reliability coefficients of 0.70 and above. This research provides an instrument for systematically measuring and monitoring progress towards achieving a learning organization.
Phosphorylation of the Yeast Choline Kinase by Protein Kinase C

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae CKI1-encoded choline kinase catalyzes the committed step in phosphatidylcholine synthesis via the Kennedy pathway. The enzyme is phosphorylated on multiple serine residues, and some of this phosphorylation is mediated by protein kinase A. In this work we examined the hypothesis that choline kinase is also phosphorylated by protein kinase C. Using choline kinase as a substrate, protein kinase C activity was dose- and time-dependent and dependent on the concentrations of choline kinase (Km = 27 μg/ml) and ATP (Km = 15 μm). This phosphorylation, which occurred on a serine residue, was accompanied by a 1.6-fold stimulation of choline kinase activity. The synthetic peptide SRSSSQRRHS (V5max/Km = 17.5 mm–1 μmol min–1 mg–1) that contains the protein kinase C motif for Ser25 was a substrate for protein kinase C. A Ser25 to Ala (S25A) mutation in choline kinase resulted in a 60% decrease in protein kinase C phosphorylation of the enzyme. Phosphopeptide mapping analysis of the S25A mutant enzyme confirmed that Ser25 was a protein kinase C target site. In vivo the S25A mutation correlated with a decrease (55%) in phosphatidylcholine synthesis via the Kennedy pathway, whereas an S25D phosphorylation site mimic correlated with an increase (44%) in phosphatidylcholine synthesis. Although the S25A (protein kinase C site) mutation did not affect the phosphorylation of choline kinase by protein kinase A, the S30A (protein kinase A site) mutation caused a 46% reduction in enzyme phosphorylation by protein kinase C. A choline kinase synthetic peptide (SQRRHSLTRQ) containing Ser30 was a substrate (Vmax/Km = 3.0 mm–1 μmol min–1 mg–1) for protein kinase C. Comparison of phosphopeptide maps of the wild type and S30A mutant choline kinase enzymes phosphorylated by protein kinase C confirmed that Ser30 was also a target site for protein kinase C.
Trend analysis of lung cancer incidence rates in ninawa province, Iraq, from 2000 to 2010--decrease and recent stability.

BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the most frequent malignancy of men worldwide. In Ninawa in Iraq, lung cancer ranks first among cancers diagnosed in men. Since no prior studies have been conducted on incidence trends in our population the present investigation of rates during 2000-2010 was therefore performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Registy data for lung cancer cases were collected from the Directorate of Health in Ninawa-Mosul Continuing Medical Education Center. We restricted our analyses to men categorized according to the age groups of 0- 39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+ years. The significance of incidence rate trends during 2000-2010 was tested using Poisson regression. Age-standardized rates (ASR), and age-specific rates per 100,000 population were calculated. RESULTS A total of 1,206 incident lung cancer were registered among males, accounting for 15.5% of all male cancers registered during 2000-2010. It ranked first throughout the period. Median age at diagnosis was 69 (mean 66.8± 11.0) years. The incidence rate of all male lung cancers in Ninawa (all ages) decreased from 26.4 per 100,000 in 2000 to 12.7 in 2010 (APC=-6.55%, p<.0001). The incidences in age groups 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+ decreased in earlier years and recently appeared (2007-2010) stable. The incidence in age group (0-39) remained stable between 2000-2010. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)was the most common type of lung cancer, while adenocarcinoma was relatively rare. CONCLUSIONS With the data from Directorate of Health in Ninawa during the period 2000-2010, lung cancer is the most common cancer but generally declining. Among all age groups, the recent incidence of lung cancer remained stable. The SCC predominance suggests change in tobacco habits as an important factor in the trends observed.
Preparing for sudden cardiac arrest—the essential role of automated external defibrillators in athletic medicine: a critical review

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in exercising young athletes. Three factors—prompt recognition of SCA, the presence of a trained rescuer to initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and access to early defibrillation through on-site automated external defibrillators (AEDs)—are critical to improving survival. Schools, clubs and organisations sponsoring athletic events should have an established emergency response plan for SCA. Essential elements of an emergency response plan include an effective communication system to alert first responders and retrieve the AED, training of anticipated responders in CPR and AED use, access to an AED for early defibrillation, integration of on-site AED programmes with the local emergency medical services system, and practice and review of the response plan. Timely access to AEDs at training and sporting competitions permits effective management of SCA and the prevention of sudden cardiac death in athletes. SCA should be suspected in any collapsed and unresponsive athlete and an AED applied as soon as possible for rhythm analysis and defibrillation if indicated. This article reviews emergency response planning for SCA and highlights recent data that provide a compelling case for the essential role of AEDs in the athletic setting.