Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epistemological Problems of Perception

The central problem in the epistemology of perception is that of explaining how perception could give us knowledge of an external world. Although this is a perfectly intelligible and pressing question in its own right, it is made especially salient by various forms of skepticism, which argue that the senses cannot give us knowledge or even justified belief. Such a conclusion would have far reaching epistemological implications, given how many of our other, non-perceptual, beliefs depend on perception. Skepticism about the external world highlights a number of epistemological difficulties regarding the nature and epistemic role of experience, and the question of how perception might bring us into contact with a mind-independent reality. The issues that arise are of central importance for understanding knowledge and justification more generally, even aside from their connection to skepticism.
Molecular physiology of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

EMATOPOIESIS IS A quantitatively imposing proH cess in the adult, where about 3 x lo9 erythroid cells/kg and lo9 myeloid celis/kg are generated each day. Twenty-five years ago, in vitro assays were developed to detect factors that could stimulate the growth of colonies from immature bone marrow (BM)-derived progenitors. '. ' These systems have made it possible to identify and characterize the factors regulating myelopoiesis. The application of molecular biologic approaches to study hematopoiesis facilitated the cloning of genes encoding the hematopoietic growth factors and their production in mammalian cells, yeast, and bacteria in quantities sufficient for in vitro and in vivo studies. Granulocyte-macrophage colonystimulating factor (GM-CSF) is one of a family of glycoprotein cytokines that have potent effects in stimulating proliferation, maturation, and function of hematopoietic cells. Although GM-CSF was the first, several hematopoietic growth factors are now used in clinical trials. Most of the effects observed using GM-CSF in vitro have been shown to occur in vivo either in animal models or in human subjects. In this review, I shall summarize the basic science studies on GM-CSF, because others have recently reviewed the literature on the clinical applications of GM-CSF and other hematopoietins. '-'
Bacteriophages: Update on application as models for viruses in water

Phages are valuable models or surrogates for enteric viruses because they share many fundamental properties and features. Amon g these are structure, composition, morphology, size and site of replication. Even though they use different host cells, colipha ges and Bacteroides fragilis phages predominantly replicate in the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and warm-blooded animals where enteric viruses also replicate. A major advantage of phages is that, compared to viruses, they are detectable by simple, inexp ensive and rapid techniques. In view of these features, phages are particularly useful as models to assess the behaviour and survival of enteric viruses in the environment, and as surrogates to assess the resistance of human viruses to water treatment and disinfec tion processes. Since there is no direct correlation between numbers of phages and viruses, phages cannot to a meaningful extent be used to indicate numbers of viruses in polluted water. The presence of phages typically associated with human and animal excre ta indicates the potential presence of enteric viruses. However, the absence of these phages from water environments is generally a meaningful indication of the absence of enteric viruses. This is because phages such as somatic coliphages, F-RNA coliphages a nd B. fragilis phages generally outnumber enteric viruses in water environments, and they are at least as resistant to unfavourable conditions including those in water treatment and disinfection processes. However, using highly sensitive molecular techniques viruses have been detected in drinking water supplies which yielded negative results in conventional tests for phages. Initial ly, data on phages were rather confusing because a wide variety of techniques was used. However, techniques for the detection of phages are being standardised internationally. This applies in particular to somatic and F-RNA coliphages, and B. fragilis phages, which are most commonly used in water quality assessment. Reliable and practical techniques now available include direct quantitativ e plaque assays on samples of water up to 100 ml, and qualitative tests on 500 m l or more using highly sensitive enrichment procedures.
Women and Anxiety Disorders: Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment

ABSTRACT Community studies indicate that 19% of men and 31% of women will develop some type of anxiety disorder during their lifetime. The impact of gender is profound in that it increases the likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder by 85% in women compared to men. Sex difference in prevalence rates are apparent as early as age 6, when girls are twice as likely as boys to have an anxiety disorder. In the National Comorbidity Survey, the prevalence rates for panic disorder in women and men were 5% and 2%, respectively. Agoraphobia, which often coexists with panic disorder, has a lifetime prevalence rate of 7% in women and 3.5% in men. Prevalence of trauma is increased in young women as well, and is experienced earlier in life; 62% of sexual assaults are inflicted on females ≤18 years of age, and 29% occur in children < 11 years of age. Comorbidity of anxiety in women complicates other medical conditions as well. For example, panic disorder is highly comorbid with CHD, which remains the leading cause of death in women in developed countries. Fluctuations in reproductive hormone levels during the female life cycle is thought to be responsible for modulating anxiety. This is often implicated in the later age of onset, the more sudden and acute symptom emergence, and the more episodic course of OCD in women, and in the high prevalence (47.4%) of PMDD. Pregnancy appears to be a protective period for some anxiety disorders, including panic, while for others, such as OCD, it may be associated with onset. Hormonal changes during pregnancy, such as increased prolactin, oxytocin, and cortisol, may contribute to the suppression of stress response that occurs during this period. Despite a large and growing body of literature on anxiety disorders in general, the available data relating to women and girls falls short of informing aspects of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention that may entail sex differences. Additional work is required to understand the biological and psychosocial causes of these differences.
Constant switching frequency using proposed controller with optimal DTC switching strategy for dual-inverter supplied drive

This paper presents a simple solution to the variable switching frequency and high torque ripple which encountered by hysteresis-based Direct Torque Control (DTC) drive. To solve this two major problems, a new carried-based torque controller is introduced to replace the previous hysteresis torque controller which operate by comparing torque error with the triangular waveform. Since the dual-inverter supplied drive is implemented, an optimal switching strategy scheme is adopted for ensuring the most appropriate amplitude of voltage vectors is selected according to machine operation condition. As a result, the torque error become easier to be control inside triangular waveform since the rate change of torque or torque slope become lesser then the slope of triangular waveform. By combining this simple carrier-based torque controller with optimal switching strategy scheme, the DTC performances able to be improved further by providing constant switching frequency as well as torque ripple reduction. Then, all this improvement offered by proposed schemes are validated through the experimental results.
Holocene Environmental Change, Artiodactyl Abundances, and Human Hunting Strategies in the Great Basin

Despite a deep Great Basin tradition of incorporating paleoenvironmental change within ecologically oriented analyses of past human lifeways, there has been little attention focused on Holocene variation in artiodactyl abundances and the human hunting strategies dependent upon them. Here, we draw upon recently generated paleontological evidence from Homestead Cave of the Bonneville Basin to document a late Holocene artiodactyl population increase. We then use the prey model of foraging theory to predict late Holocene increases in the hunting of artiodactyls, relative to lagomorphs. That prediction is then tested against several fine-grained archaeological records of hunting behavior in the Bonneville Basin, Hogup Cave and Camels Back Cave, and a variety of more coarse-grained faunal records from throughout the Great Basin. Close fits are found between the deductively derived prediction and the empirical records of hunting behavior: dramatic proportional increases in artiodactyl hunting occurred during the late Holocene. The results have far-reaching implications for our understanding of prehistoric human adaptations in the Great Basin.
Experience using the ASA algorithm teaching system

This paper describes the experience gained while using a computer based algorithm system called ASA, and explains why the evaluation motivated the need for high level structures to represent student and algorithmic knowledge. The system has been used in classrooms at SENAC, a Brazilian company associated with the Brazilian National Commerce Confederation, which promotes technical education. SENAC has a branch in every state of Brazil (26) and every year trains approximately one million students.
Cloning of a Mammalian Transcriptional Activator That Binds Unmethylated CpG Motifs and Shares a CXXC Domain with DNA Methyltransferase, Human Trithorax, and Methyl-CpG Binding Domain Protein 1

ABSTRACT Ligand screening was utilized to isolate a human cDNA that encodes a novel CpG binding protein, human CpG binding protein (hCGBP). This factor contains three cysteine-rich domains, two of which exhibit homology to the plant homeodomain finger domain. A third cysteine-rich domain conforms to the CXXC motif identified in DNA methyltransferase, human trithorax, and methyl-CpG binding domain protein 1. A fragment of hCGBP that contains the CXXC domain binds to an oligonucleotide probe containing a single CpG site, and this complex is disrupted by distinct oligonucleotide competitors that also contain a CpG motif(s). However, hCGBP fails to bind oligonucleotides in which the CpG motif is either mutated or methylated, and it does not bind to single-stranded DNA or RNA probes. Furthermore, the introduction of a CpG dinucleotide into an unrelated oligonucleotide sequence is sufficient to produce a binding site for hCGBP. Native hCGBP is detected as an 88-kDa protein by Western analysis and is ubiquitously expressed. The DNA-binding activity of native hCGBP is apparent in electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and hCGBP trans-activates promoters that contain CpG motifs but not promoters in which the CpG is ablated. These data indicate that hCGBP is a transcriptional activator that recognizes unmethylated CpG dinucleotides, suggesting a role in modulating the expression of genes located within CpG islands.
Embedding information literacy in an undergraduate management degree: Lecturers' and students' perspectives

This paper presents the results of a case study investigating the extent to which information literacy is integrated into student learning in an undergraduate Management degree at Queen’s University Belfast. The first part of the paper focuses on how information literacy was embedded in two modules delivered by the author. An analysis of assessed work submitted by over 180 students shows that they performed well. The perceptions of students on three aspects of information literacy – degree of difficulty, usefulness and competence – are analysed. The paper shows that students have had the opportunity to develop information literacy in different educational contexts. The second part of the paper reports the outcomes of auditing and mapping exercises to determine the extent to which lecturers on the Management programme embed information literacy in their modules. These reveal that most Management lecturers embed information literacy into their modules, despite the absence of a policy. Issues, including appropriate models of delivery, methods of assessment, student support mechanisms, the need for a policy and the value of information literacy in the Management curriculum are discussed. The paper concludes that the skills element of the curriculum is growing. Information literacy is a vital skill for e-learning and should be promoted by academics and librarians preparing graduates for work and lifelong learning.
Ultrawide-Angle Retinal Imaging and Retinal Detachment

Purpose: To illustrate the utility of ultrawide-angle fundus imaging in documenting the clinical course of a retinal detachment. Design: Observational case report. Method: A 20-year-old man with high myopia and a blind fellow eye noted symptoms of retinal detachment and was imaged with an ultrawide-angle fundus imaging device (Optos P200). Imaging was performed after scleral buckling and before and after additional vitreoretinal surgery. Results: Ultrawide-angle images were useful in delineating the extent of retinal detachment even in the presence of intraocular gas. Conclusion: The ability to rapidly image the ocular fundus well anterior to the equator facilitates clinical management and may prove particularly useful in electronic record keeping.
Academic and non-academic selection criteria in predicting medical school performance

Background: A two-step selection procedure, consisting of a non-academic and an academic step, was recently shown to select students with a 2.6 times lower risk of early dropout and a higher clerkship Grade Point Average (GPA) than lottery-admitted controls. Aim: To determine the relative contribution of the non-academic and academic steps to differences found in student performance. Method: Lottery-admitted students (n = 653) and three groups of selection procedure participants were compared on early dropout rate and clerkship GPA: (1) all participants (n = 1676), (2) participants who passed step 1, and (3) participants who passed step 2. Results: Selection procedure participation resulted in a 4.4% lower dropout rate than lottery admission and this difference increased to 5.2% after step 1 and to 8.7% after step 2. Clerkship GPA was significantly higher for participants who passed step 1 than for their lottery-admitted controls. This difference remained significant after the rejection of students on academic criteria in step 2. Conclusion: The lower dropout rate of selected students is related to both self-selection of participants before the start of the selection procedure and the academic part of the selection procedure. The higher clerkship GPA of selected students is almost exclusively related to the non-academic selection criteria.
Wavelet Transforms in Sport: Application to Biological Time Series

In sports, biological signals are often used to control and design the sports activity. One of the most common used signals is heart rate (HR). Heart rate variability (HRV) refers to natural fluctuations in the interval between normal heartbeats that occurs while individuals rest or exercise. HRV results from the dynamic interplay between the multiple physiologic mechanisms that regulate HR, and it mainly reflects an expression of the interplay between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems (Task Force, 1996). Two main oscillatory processes interact with the heart as feedback and forward mechanisms, via autonomic pathways: the modulation of the heart rate by breathing, known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and the short-term blood pressure control, known as baroreflex. These main rhythms usually appear in the high and low frequency ranges of HRV, respectively; however, the dynamic interactions in the cardiovascular system may change this typical spectrum. However, the intrinsic properties of the complex autonomic regulation of cardiovascular function are difficult to measure since, even at rest, emotions and mental loading may affect it.
Experimental therapy of prostate cancer with novel natural product anti‐cancer ginsenosides

Ginseng and its components exert various biological effects, including antioxidant, anti‐carcinogenic, anti‐mutagenic, and anti‐tumor activity, and recent research has focused on their value in human cancer prevention and treatment. We recently isolated 25‐hydroxyprotopanaxadiol (25‐OH‐PPD) and 25‐hydroxyprotopanaxatriol (25‐OH‐PPT) from Panax ginseng and evaluated their anti‐cancer activity in vitro.
Internal mammary chain sentinel lymph node identification in breast cancer

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is not usually performed with respect to the internal mammary lymph node chain. However, the SLN may be located in the internal mammary chain, particularly with medial lesions. We carried out this study to investigate whether lymphatic mapping and SLN biopsy can detect internal mammary involvement in patients with breast cancer.
Immune‐mediated diseases: what can be found in the oral cavity?

Immune‐mediated diseases frequently affect oral mucosa, which may often be the first site of clinical manifestation. In this review, we describe the most important oral lesions related to inflammatory disorders and present their management and novel therapies. The review is based on an open PubMed literature search from 1980 to 2012 with relevant keywords. Pemphigus vulgaris, oral lichen planus, cicatricial pemphigoid, erythema multiforme, Stevens–Johnson syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, and linear IgA dermatosis are the immune‐mediated diseases with oral manifestations discussed. Etiology is unknown in most of these diseases, but recently some of them have been found to share common genes. Modern treatment of these diseases is based on drugs that interfere along the pathogenic mechanisms instead of the still commonly used palliative measures. However, the immunomodulatory drugs may also cause oral side effects, complicating the clinical picture. Therefore, consulting dental or oral medicine specialists can be necessary in some cases with various immune‐mediated diseases.
Frozen chicken nuggets and strips and eggs are leading risk factors for Salmonella Heidelberg infections in Canada

A case-control study was conducted from 1 January to 31 May 2003 to identify risk factors for S. Heidelberg infection in Canada. Controls were pair-matched by age group and telephone exchange to 95 cases. Exposures in the 7 days before illness/interview were assessed using multivariate conditional logistic regression. Consumption of home-prepared chicken nuggets and/or strips [matched odds ratio (mOR) 4·0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·4–13·8], and undercooked eggs (mOR 7·5, 95% CI 1·5–75·5) increased the risk of illness. Exposure to a farm setting lowered the risk (mOR 0·22, 95% CI 0·03–1·00). The population-attributable fraction associated with chicken nuggets/strips was 34% and with undercooked eggs was 16%. One-third of study participants did not perceive, handle or prepare chicken nuggets and strips as high-risk products, although the majority of the products on the Canadian market are raw. These findings have prompted changes in product-labelling policy and consumer education.
Placing the Poverty Point Mounds in their Temporal Context

Sampling biases in archaeological research may inadvertently lead to unsubstantiated assumptions about the relationship between various site features. The majority of radiometric dates from the Poverty Point site have been recovered from excavations in the large, earthen ridges. While archaeological investigations have previously been undertaken in the Poverty Point mounds, few of these excavations have yielded radiometric dates. As a result of the almost complete absence of chronometric data from Poverty Point's mounds, the construction of these features is generally assumed to have occurred during the same time span as construction of the ridges. New radiometric dates from the Poverty Point mounds reveal information about the timing and pace of their construction. These new chronological data provide the basis for a more detailed developmental sequence, and may allow for the development of new hypotheses about population size, the organization of labor, architectural relationships, and the degree of social complexity at Poverty Point. Examining the development of cultural landscapes, such as the chronology of earthwork construction at Poverty Point, also provides a better understanding of the ways prehistoric societies interacted with and modified the environments in which they lived.
Discovery of Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors and Pharmacological Profile of Pimecrolimus

Using a newly developed model of allergic contact dermatitis in pigs, calcineurin inhibitors of the tacrolimus and ascomycin type were shown to have a highly anti-inflammatory action after topical application. These findings provided the first pharmacological evidence of the efficacy of this novel class of topical agents in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, and, thus, their potential to become the first alternative to corticosteroids in more than 40 years. As a result of a large research program into ascomycins, pimecrolimus (Elidel®, SDZ ASM 981) was selected for development due to its favorable pharmacology and safety profile, alongside tacrolimus (Protopic®, FK 506). In vitro, pimecrolimus inhibits the transcription and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in T cells. Similar to the corticosteroids, betamethasone-17-valerate and dexamethasone, pimecrolimus is effective at nanomolar concentrations. Targeting mainly T cells, pimecrolimus has, however, a more specific mode of action. Moreover, in contrast to corticosteroids, pimecrolimus has no effect on Langerhans’ cells, the professional antigen- presenting dendritic cells of the skin that are crucial for local immunosurveillance. When applied topically, pimecrolimus exerts a high and selective anti-inflammatory activity in the skin, shows minimal percutaneous absorption, and has a low potential to affect systemic immunoreactions. Pimecrolimus cream 1% has proven to be well tolerated, safe, and highly effective in clinical studies in patients with atopic dermatitis.
A Novel Antenna with Reconfigurable Patterns Using H-Shaped Structures

A novel pattern reconfigurable antenna is proposed in this letter by introducing a unique finite periodic structure. The H-shaped units are precisely arranged on the both sides of the dipole to direct the power flowing in the end-fire direction. When the antenna operates with the PIN diodes between the units, different radiation patterns can be easily achieved by changing the states of these PIN diodes. The prototype of the pattern reconfigurable antenna with three patterns is fabricated and measured. The experimental results show that the end-fire mode of the antenna has a front-to-back ratio as high as 15 dB and the pattern reconfigurable capability is successfully achieved in the band of 2.47-2.9 GHz.