Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationships of Personality Traits with Performance in Reaction Time, Psychomotor Ability, and Mental Efficiency during a 31-Day Simulated Climb of Mount Everest in a Hypobaric Chamber

Exposure to chronic hypoxia induces behavioral and mood disturbances and alterations in cognitive functions. We examined the relationships of personality traits, including trait-anxiety, with performance in binary visual reaction time, psychomotor ability, and mental efficiency, using the psychological database of the ‘Everest-Comex 97’ experiment, which consisted in a 31-day simulated climb in a hypobaric chamber from sea level to 8,848 m altitude. Analysis yielded a significant positive correlation between the climbers' mean reaction time at hypoxic conditions and preclimb scores on trait-anxiety (as assessed by Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and further significant negative correlations with both Factor A (reserved-outgoing) and Factor G (expedient-conscientious) of the Cattell Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire. In contrast, no significant correlation was found between the climbers' mean psychomotor performance and mental efficiency with personality traits, including anxiety. These findings agree with those of previous studies: (i) anxiety could mediate stimulus-response tasks but not more complex tasks requiring strategic processes, (ii) individuals with personality traits such as ‘reserved’ and ‘expedient’ could have slight advantages in processing information on stimulus-response tasks. Limitations in study design are also discussed.
Combining SAR-Based and Multispectral-Based Extractions to Map Urban Areas at Multiple Spatial Resolutions

Urban remote sensing and data fusion are intimately connected, and this paper discusses recent developments in urban extent extraction using remotely sensed data with data sets or algorithms working at the global level. To achieve the results presented in this paper, several data fusion techniques at the raw data level, the feature level, and the decision level are designed and exploited. Specifically, multi-resolution data fusion techniques to exploit SAR data acquired in different modes, as well as fusion of information extracted from SAR and multispectral data are considered and evaluated.
Perceived susceptibility to breast cancer moderates the effect of gain- and loss-framed messages on use of screening mammography.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the role of three distinct beliefs about risk (risks associated with screening, construal of the function of screening as health-affirming or illness-detecting, and perceived susceptibility to breast cancer) in moderating women's responses to framed messages that promote mammography. DESIGN Three hundred fifty-five women recruited from an inner city hospital, nonadherent to guidelines for receiving annual screening mammograms,were randomly assigned to view a gain- or loss-framed video message about the importance of mammography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Mammography screening was self-reported at a 3-month follow-up. RESULTS Only perceived susceptibility to breast cancer significantly moderated the effect of message framing on screening. Women with average and higher levels of perceived susceptibility for breast cancer were significantly more likely to report screening after viewing a loss-framed message compared to a gain-framed message. No effects of framing on reported screening were observed for women with lower levels of perceived susceptibility. CONCLUSION The study identifies a key role for perceived susceptibility in shaping responses to framed messages that promote cancer screenings.
Classification of malignant melanoma and Benign Skin Lesion by using back propagation neural network and ABCD rule

Human Cancer is a standout amongest the most unsafe illnesses which is for the most part brought about by hereditary insecurity of various sub-atomic modifications. Among many types of human disease, skin tumour is the most widely recognized one. To recognize skin tumour at an early stage we will think about and break down them through different methods named as segmentation and feature extraction. Here, we center threatening melanoma skin disease, (because of the high grouping of Melanoma-Hier we offer our skin, in the dermis layer of the skin) location. In this, We utilized our ABCD govern dermoscopy innovation for harmful melanoma skin malignancy location. In this framework distinctive stride for melanoma skin injury portrayal i.e, to begin with, the Image Acquisition Technique, pre-processing, segmentation, characterize a component for skin Feature Selection decides sore portrayal, grouping strategies. In the Feature extraction by advanced picture preparing technique incorporates, Asymmetry recognition, Border Detection, Colour, and Diameter detection and furthermore we utilized LBP for extract the texture based features. Here we proposed the Back Propagation Neural Network to classify the benign or malignant stage.
A conceptual approach for understanding computer programming skills development

This paper highlights the relevant curricular and pedagogical ideas on how to evaluate students in learning computer programming. It explores the literature in the area of programming skills development towards constructive alignment in outcome-based education. Research on teaching computer programming has led to numerous practices, instructional theories, and empirical results for computer science pedagogy. The change towards constructivism seems promising in establishing a systematic computer programming skills development in the future. Three main areas that affect students learning computer programming are teaching approach, computer programming language selection, and programming development environment. The outcome of this paper is a conceptual approach that covers (1) the teaching and learning alignment as unit of analysis (2) a holistic approach on how programming skills are developed, (3) an emphasis on activities and (4) the importance of providing guidelines for lecturers.
Empirical assessment of effect of publication bias on meta-analyses

Abstract Objective: To assess the effect of publication bias on the results and conclusions of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Design: Analysis of published meta-analyses by trim and fill method. Studies: 48 reviews in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews that considered a binary endpoint and contained 10 or more individual studies. Main outcome measures: Number of reviews with missing studies and effect on conclusions of meta-analyses. Results: The trim and fill fixed effects analysis method estimated that 26 (54%) of reviews had missing studies and in 10 the number missing was significant. The corresponding figures with a random effects model were 23 (48%) and eight. In four cases, statistical inferences regarding the effect of the intervention were changed after the overall estimate for publication bias was adjusted for. Conclusions: Publication or related biases were common within the sample of meta-analyses assessed. In most cases these biases did not affect the conclusions. Nevertheless, researchers should check routinely whether conclusions of systematic reviews are robust to possible non-random selection mechanisms.
Patient safety in outpatient surgery: The viewpoint of the healthcare providers

The objective of this study is to understand the viewpoint of healthcare providers with regard to patient safety in outpatient surgery settings. Two methods were used to gather data from the healthcare providers: (1) questionnaire with open-ended questions about six predefined stages of the patient care process; (2) survey with closed questions. With the first method, the main quality and safety of care issues concerned communication to patients, coordination of reports and forms, patient and staff time pressures and standards of care. The first two stages of the outpatient surgery process, i.e. patient work-up prior to day of surgery and patient admission and preparation on the day of surgery, yielded many more comments than the other four stages. The results of the structured questionnaire show that, overall, the healthcare providers report high quality of care provided by themselves (98%) and their surgery centre (96%). With regard to patient safety (i.e. cancellations of surgeries, patient safety problems and serious mistakes), there was a clear difference in perceptions reported by the physicians vs. the nurses and other staff. Nurses and other staff were more likely to report patient safety problems than physicians. The combination of qualitative data from the initial questionnaire and the quantitative data from the structured questionnaire provides a rather complete view of the outpatient surgery staff perceptions of quality and safety of care. This research highlights the importance of getting input from the healthcare providers regarding the quality and safety of care rather than relying only on traditional measures about patient outcomes.
Glutamatergic and dopaminergic contributions to rat bladder hyperactivity after cerebral artery occlusion

Yokoyama, Osamu, Mitsuharu Yoshiyama, Mikio Namiki, and William C. De Groat. Glutamatergic and dopaminergic contributions to rat bladder hyperactivity after cerebral artery occlusion. Am. J. Physiol. 276 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 45): R935–R942, 1999. —The contribution of glutamatergic and dopaminergic mechanisms to bladder hyperactivity after left middle cerebral artery occlusion was evaluated by determining the effects of intravenous cumulative doses of an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamatergic antagonist (MK-801) and D1-selective (Sch-23390), D2-selective (sulpiride), or nonselective (haloperidol) dopaminergic antagonists on bladder activity in sham-operated (SO) and cerebral-infarcted (CI) rats. MK-801 (1 and 10 mg/kg) or sulpiride (3–30 mg/kg) significantly increased bladder capacity (BC) in CI but decreased or had no effect, respectively, on BC in SO. Sch-23390 (0.1–3 mg/kg) decreased BC in both SO and CI. In both CI and SO, low doses of haloperidol (0.1–1 mg/kg) increased BC, but a higher dose (3 mg/kg) reversed this effect. Administration of haloperidol (0.3 mg/kg) or sulpiride (10 mg/kg) in combination with MK-801 (0.01–10 mg/kg) markedly increased BC in CI but produced small decreases or increases in BC depending on the dose of MK-801 in SO. These results indicate that the bladder hyperactivity induced by cerebral infarction is mediated in part by NMDA glutamatergic and D2 dopaminergic excitatory mechanisms.
Comparison of bacterial communities on limnic versus coastal marine particles reveals profound differences in colonization.

Marine and limnic particles are hotspots of organic matter mineralization significantly affecting biogeochemical element cycling. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization and pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes were combined to investigate bacterial diversity and community composition on limnic and coastal marine particles > 5 and > 10 μm respectively. Limnic particles were more abundant (average: 1 × 10(7) l(-1)), smaller in size (average areas: 471 versus 2050 μm(2)) and more densely colonized (average densities: 7.3 versus 3.6 cells 100 μm(-2)) than marine ones. Limnic particle-associated (PA) bacteria harboured Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria, and unlike previously suggested sizeable populations of Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Marine particles were colonized by Planctomycetes and Betaproteobacteria additionally to Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Gammaproteobacteria. Large differences in individual particle colonization could be detected. High-throughput sequencing revealed a significant overlap of PA and free-living (FL) bacteria highlighting an underestimated connectivity between both fractions. PA bacteria were in 14/21 cases more diverse than FL bacteria, reflecting a high heterogeneity in the particle microenvironment. We propose that a ratio of Chao 1 indices of PA/FL < 1 indicates the presence of rather homogeneously colonized particles. The identification of different bacterial families enriched on either limnic or marine particles demonstrates that, despite the seemingly similar ecological niches, PA communities of both environments differ substantially.
NADPH diaphorase (nitric oxide synthase)‐containing nerves in the enteropancreatic innervation: Sources, co‐stored neuropeptides, and pancreatic function

Pancreatic ganglia are innervated by neurons in the gut and are formed by precursor cells that migrate into the pancreas from the bowel. The innervation of the pancreas, therefore, may be considered an extension of the enteric nervous system. NADPH‐diaphorase is present in a subset of enteric neurons. We investigated the presence of NADPH‐diaphorase in the enteropancreatic innervation, the contribution of extrinsic nerves to the NADPH‐diaphorase‐containing fibers of the gut and pancreas, and the coincident expression of NADPH‐diaphorase in intrinsic neurons of these organs with neuropeptides. The possible role of nitric oxide in the neural regulation of pancreatic secretion was studied in isolated pancreatic lobules. Neuronal perikarya with NADPH‐diaphorase activity were found in both Dogiel type I and type II neurons of the myenteric plexus of the stomach and duodenum. All galanin (GAL)‐immunoreactive neurons and a small subset of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)‐ and neuropeptide Y (NPY)‐immunoreactive neurons contained NADPH‐diaphorase activity. NADPH‐diaphorase activity was also found in a subset of VIP and NPY‐immunoreactive pancreatic neurons. Retrograde tracing with FluoroGold established that NADPH‐diaphorase‐containing neurons in the bowel project to the pancreas. NADPH‐diaphorase‐containing fibers were also found to be provided to both organs by neurons in dorsal root ganglia. Secretion of amylase was evoked by L‐arginine. This effect was prevented by NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine (L‐NNA), which also inhibited VIP‐stimulated secretion of amylase; however, L‐NNA had no effect on amylase secretion stimulated by carbachol. These results provide support for the hypo‐thesis that nitric oxide plays a role in the neural regulation of pancreatic secretion. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Essential Nature of the Ubiquitous 26-Kilobase Circular Replicon of Borrelia burgdorferi

ABSTRACT The genome of the type strain (B31) of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is composed of 12 linear and 9 circular plasmids and a linear chromosome. Plasmid content can vary among strains, but one 26-kb circular plasmid (cp26) is always present. The ubiquitous nature of cp26 suggests that it provides functions required for bacterial viability. We tested this hypothesis by attempting to selectively displace cp26 with an incompatible but replication-proficient vector, pBSV26. While pBSV26 transformants contained this incompatible vector, the vector coexisted with cp26, which is consistent with the hypothesis that cp26 carries essential genes. Several cp26 genes with ascribed or predicted functions may be essential. These include the BBB29 gene, which has sequence homology to a gene encoding a glucose-specific phosphotransferase system component, and the resT gene, which encodes a telomere resolvase involved in resolution of the replicated telomeres of the linear chromosome and plasmids. The BBB29 gene was successfully inactivated by allelic exchange, but attempted inactivation of resT resulted in merodiploid transformants, suggesting that resT is required for B. burgdorferi growth. To determine if resT is the only cp26 gene essential for growth, we introduced resT into B. burgdorferi on pBSV26. This did not result in displacement of cp26, suggesting that additional cp26 genes encode vital functions. We concluded that B. burgdorferi plasmid cp26 encodes functions critical for survival and thus shares some features with the chromosome.
Positive Behavioral Support in Middle School: The Impact of Inconsistent Implementation on School Culture

As researchers in the field of education search for ways to use evidence-based practices to improve achievement and school climate, teachers and administrators must seek out interventions that will support this objective. The literature reveals that when schools use zero tolerance disciplinary procedures, student achievement is negatively impacted. Teachers and school staff members may utilize organized practices such as Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) to equalize the cultural differences in the classroom and offer a model and an organized plan for success. The PBS program is a preventative approach to discipline and has had much success because of the ability to track measurable data, follow evidence-based practices, and offer a multi-tiered approach to problem behavior. Schools offer first tier universal support wherein the protocol of the PBS behavioral model is taught to all students. Students with recurring problems are offered a secondary tier approach, with various interventions such as “check in and check out” with a teacher who will monitor a student’s behavior more closely. The success of this program is contingent on full staff buy in, fidelity, and implementation with integrity. This study explores classroom culture, achievement, and attitudes toward learning and behavior for teachers, staff and 8th graders at a Midwestern suburban middle school. The findings indicate that inconsistent implementation of the PBS guidelines negatively impacted classroom culture, and ultimately the school climate. Students did not know how to anticipate or interpret expectations from teachers and staff and continued to violate the behavioral rules and receive infractions.
Interaction of Bovine Papillomavirus E2 Protein with Brd4 Stabilizes Its Association with Chromatin

ABSTRACT The bovine papillomavirus E2 protein maintains and segregates the viral extrachromosomal genomes by tethering them to cellular mitotic chromosomes. E2 interacts with a cellular bromodomain protein, Brd4, to mediate the segregation of viral genomes into daughter cells. Brd4 binds acetylated histones and has been observed to diffusely coat mitotic chromosomes in several cell types. In this study, we show that in mitotic C127 cells, Brd4 diffusely coated the condensed chromosomes. However, in the presence of the E2 protein, E2 and Brd4 colocalized in punctate dots that were randomly distributed over the chromosomes. A similar pattern of E2 and Brd4 colocalization on mitotic chromosomes was observed in CV-1 cells, whereas only a faint chromosomal coating of Brd4 was detected in the absence of the E2 protein. Therefore, the viral E2 protein relocalizes and/or stabilizes the association of Brd4 with chromosomes in mitotic cells. The colocalization of E2 and Brd4 was also observed in interphase cells, indicating that this protein-protein interaction persists throughout the cell cycle. The interaction of E2 with Brd4 greatly stabilized the association of Brd4 with interphase chromatin. In both mitotic and interphase cells, this stabilization required a transcriptionally competent transactivation domain, but not the DNA binding function of the E2 protein. Thus, the E2 protein modulates the chromatin association of Brd4 during both interphase and mitosis. This study demonstrates that the segregation of papillomavirus genomes is not simply due to the passive hitchhiking of the E2/genome complex with a convenient cellular chromosomal protein.
Reciprocal TH17 and Regulatory T Cell Differentiation Mediated by Retinoic Acid

The cytokine transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β) converts naïve T cells into regulatory T (Treg) cells that prevent autoimmunity. However, in the presence of interleukin-6 (IL-6), TGF-β has also been found to promote the differentiation of naïve T lymphocytes into proinflammatory IL-17 cytokine-producing T helper 17 (TH17) cells, which promote autoimmunity and inflammation. This raises the question of how TGF-β can generate such distinct outcomes. We identified the vitamin A metabolite retinoic acid as a key regulator of TGF-β–dependent immune responses, capable of inhibiting the IL-6–driven induction of proinflammatory TH17 cells and promoting anti-inflammatory Treg cell differentiation. These findings indicate that a common metabolite can regulate the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory immunity.
Relapse After Methylprednisolone Oral Minipulse Therapy in Childhood Vitiligo: A 12-Month Follow-Up Study

Background: Oral minipulse (OMP) therapy with methylprednisolone is presently one of the most common oral treatments used for progressive vitiligo in children. The treatment is usually given for a period of 6 months during which majority of patients are reported to go into remission. However, there are no follow-up studies to comment upon what happens to the disease after OMP therapy is withdrawn. Aim of the study: To document the incidence of relapse over a period of 1 year after OMP therapy is stopped in children with vitiligo. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in 180 patients of childhood vitiligo (<15 years of age) who had been on OMP therapy with oral methylprednisolone for at least 6 months and who had achieved a complete remission of their disease during the treatment period. The enrolled patients were followed up for a period of 1 year and examined clinically for any sign of reactivation of their disease over either the old lesions or at any new area of the body. Results: Forty-two patients were lost and could not complete the follow-up period of 1 year. Out of the 138 patients available at the end of 1 year, relapse was observed in 48 patients (34.8%). Rest of 90 patients remained in remission over the follow-up period of 1 year. Relapse was more common in patients below 10 years of age (47.4%) as compared with older children (25.9%). Conclusion: Relapse after using methylprednisolone OMP therapy in children with vitiligo is quite common especially in younger age groups. Studies are needed to see whether these relapses could be avoided by giving the treatment for a period longer than 6 months.
A 6-kW, 2-kWh Lithium-Ion battery energy storage system using a bidirectional isolated DC-DC converter

This paper describes the design and operation of a 6-kW, full-bridge, zero-voltage switching, bidirectional isolated dc-dc converter for a 2-kWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) bank that is considered attractive as an energy storage system for applications to photovoltaic generation systems ranging from 10 to 30 kW. The dc voltage at the high-voltage side of the converter is controlled from 305 to 355 V as the battery voltage at the low-voltage side varies from 50 to 59 V. The galvanic isolation using a 20kHz transformer with a turns ratio of 6:1 provides flexibility in voltage matching and safety. This paper presents experimental verifications of bidirectional power flow into (battery charging), or out of (battery discharging) the Li-ion battery bank. The maximal efficiency of the dc-dc converter is measured to be 96.1% during battery charging, and 96.9% during battery discharging.