Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stress des étudiants et réussite universitaire : les conditions économiques, pédagogiques et psychologiques du succès

Cette recherche a pour objectif de mieux comprendre le processus de reussite ou d’echec des etudes universitaires a partir de deux facteurs essentiels : la situation materielle et economique des etudiants et leurs methodes de travail universitaire. Un panel de 98 etudiantes et etudiants de la premiere a la troisieme annee a ete interroge a plusieurs reprises au cours d’une annee universitaire. Ils ont ete choisis au hasard dans diverses disciplines des filieres longues ou courtes en region parisienne, dans des metropoles regionales et dans des villes plus petites. Les donnees ont ete recueillies par des questionnaires ad hoc sur les aspects pedagogiques et financiers et par des tests psychologiques pour mesurer le stress et l’anxiete. Le modele transactionnel du stress s’est montre tres fructueux et la methode longitudinale a permis de correler des variables recueillies a divers moments de l’annee. C’est dans les metropoles regionales que se developpe le plus favorablement une vie etudiante autonome. Mais plus que les conditions objectives, certaines variables psychologiques sont, des le debut de l’annee, des indicateurs des resultats aux examens terminaux. Elles concernent la motivation et les evaluations que les etudiants font de leur situation tant economique que pedagogique ; elles portent sur les strategies mises en œuvre pour faire face aux situations evaluees comme stressantes. Ainsi les « petits boulots » et le travail universitaire regulier se revelent comme des conduites favorables a la reussite.
A Context-Aware Application Infrastructure with Reasoning Mechanism Based on Dempster-Shafer Evidence Theory

This paper proposes a context-aware application infrastructure for the easy creation and flexible deployment of the context-aware application. In this infrastructure we introduce the concept of plane to manage the sensors and handle the environment information. Corresponding to the operations in this infrastructure we design a layered structure for the context information and define three kinds of working procedures. In addition, we apply the Demspter-Shafer evidence theory (DSET) to the reasoning mechanism of this infrastructure. Specially, based on combination rule of DSET, we construct the inferencer which is the core component for this infrastructure. In the end, we design an application scenario to demonstrate the operation of the inferencer.
A Study on Piecewise Linear Approximation in the L 1 Optimal Control Problem of Sampled-Data Systems

This paper studies a mathematical basis of piecewise linear approximation in the L1 optimal control problem of sampled-data systems, which aims at minimizing the L∞induced norm of sampled-data systems. To take into account of intersample behavior, we first consider the lifted representation of sampled-data systems. The sampling interval [0, h) is then divided into M subintervals with an equal width by fast-lifting. Finally, the signals on each subinterval are approximated by linear functions through the introduction of two types of ‘linearizing operators. ’ This method is called piecewise linear approximation of sampled-data systems. By using the arguments of preadjoint operators, we verify that this approximation techniques gives a theoretical basis for tackling the analysis and synthesis problems on the L1 optimal control of sampled-data systems.
Physical activity engendering loads from diverse directions augments the growing skeleton.

OBJECTIVE An experiment was conducted to determine if modifying habitual activities to involve mechanical loading from more diverse directions can enhance the growing skeleton. METHODS Growing female C57BL/6J mice were housed individually for 3 months in enclosures designed to accentuate either non-linear locomotion (diverse-orientation loading) or linear locomotion (stereotypic-orientation loading) (n=10/cage type). Behavioral assessments were performed daily to quantify cage activity level. Following the experiment, trabecular and cortical bone structure in the humeral head and distal femoral metaphysis were analyzed with μCT. RESULTS Throughout the experiment, groups did not differ in cage activity level. Yet, following the experiment, the proximal humeri of mice that experienced increased diverse-orientation loading had significantly greater trabecular bone volume fraction (p=0.004), greater cortical bone area (p=0.005), greater cortical area fraction (p=0.0007), and thicker cortices (p=0.002). No significant group differences were detected in the distal femoral metaphysis. CONCLUSIONS Diverting habitual activities to entail loading from more diverse orientations can augment the growing mouse skeleton. This study suggests that low-intensity activities that produce loads from diverse directions may represent a viable alternative to vigorous, high-impact exercise as a means of benefiting skeletal health during growth.
Purification and properties of serine protease from Halobacterium halobium

Pure extracellular serine protease was isolated from the culture filtrate of Halobacterium halobium by bacitracin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The enzyme activity was completely and irreversibly lost if the NaCl concentration fell below 2 M. The protease consists of one polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 41,000. It is characteristically enriched in Asx and Glx content, whereas the level of basic amino acids in the enzyme molecule is unusually low. The protease shows a preference for leucine in the carboxylic side of the scissile bond of the substrate, cleaving the B-chain of oxidized bovine insulin only at the Leu15-Tyr16 bond and liberating p-nitroaniline from L-pyroglutamyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-leucine-p-nitroanilide.
A mathematical analysis on the biological zero problem in laser Doppler flowmetry

The biological zero (BZ) problem is a critical issue inherent in laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). It causes confusion when measuring low tissue blood flows. Many experimental studies have been done on the question of whether the BZ flux should be subtracted from the normally measured flux in various situations. However this problem can only be solved after a proper mathematical analysis. Only then can one clearly define and formulate what flux is truly meaningful in blood perfusion measurement and what movement generates the BZ flux and how can one correctly remove it. Following this motivation, the movement of moving blood cells (MBCs) is decomposed into a net translation and a random wandering based on in vivo observations. This important step leads to a clear definition of the BZ and net perfusion flux and reveals that subtraction of BZ flux from the normal flux will certainly cause an underestimation of the net flux. Using this decomposition, the relationship between the net, BZ and normal flux is established which leads to the correct formula to recover the net flux from the BZ and normal fluxes. This recovered net flux is shown to be bounded by the normal flux and the normal flux minus the BZ flux. Numerical studies, preliminary phantom model and clinical evaluations manifest that the new approach is more accurate and reasonable at measuring low net fluxes. In contrast, subtracting BZ flux causes a systematic underestimation of perfusion and is apparently inappropriate even from a methodological point of view. In addition to the novel BZ solution, a general density function of the speed of MBC's is given which is more faithful than the Maxwell density used in R. Bonner and R. Nossal's paper (Appl. Opt., vol. 20, 1981). This general density function offers new possibilities for further theoretical developments in LDF.
The influence of sampling effort and the performance of the Kato-Katz technique in diagnosing Schistosoma mansoni and hookworm co-infections in rural Côte d'Ivoire

The Kato-Katz method is widely used for diagnosing helminth infections in epidemiological surveys, but is known to have a low sensitivity. In the case of Schistosoma mansoni, statistical methods have been developed to compensate for the poor sensitivity, but the same is not true of any other helminth parasite, or infections with multiple-helminth species. We screened 101 schoolchildren from a rural area of Côte d'Ivoire over 5 consecutive days and made 5 Kato-Katz readings from each stool specimen. We estimated single and dual-species infections with S. mansoni and hookworm based on raw egg count data and after developing a latent-class model. The cumulative prevalence of co-infections was estimated at 9·9% after reading slides on the first day, and 57·0% after reading all 25 slides per person. The latent class model yielded a co-infection prevalence estimate of 79·6%, with marginal prevalence estimates for hookworm and S. mansoni infections of 83·9% and 91·6% respectively. The sensitivities of a single Kato-Katz thick smear for detection of S. mansoni alone, hookworms alone, or S. mansoni plus hookworms were 22·4%, 8·0% and 17·7%, respectively. In the current setting this could be attributable to low infection intensities of both parasites, combined with intra-specimen and day-to-day variation in egg output. If confirmed in other settings, these findings have implications for estimating the prevalence of multiple species helminth infections, and hence the design and implementation of efficacious and cost-effective control programmes.
Global modulation of cellular transcription by human cytomegalovirus is initiated by viral glycoprotein B

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection alters the expression of many cellular genes, including IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) [Zhu, H. , Cong, J.-P., Mamtora, G. , Gingeras, T. & Shenk, T. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 14470–14475]. By using high-density cDNA microarrays, we show that the HCMV-regulated gene expression profile in fibroblasts does not differ substantially from the response generated by IFN. Furthermore, we identified the specific viral component triggering this response as the envelope glycoprotein B (gB). Cells treated with gB, but not other herpesviral glycoproteins, exhibited the same transcriptional profile as HCMV-infected cells. Thus, the interaction of gB with its as yet unidentified cellular receptor is the principal mechanism by which HCMV alters cellular gene expression early during infection. These findings highlight a pioneering paradigm for the consequences of virus–receptor interactions.
Progesterone levels in the systemic plasma of pregnant, cycling and ovariectomized cows.

Summary. The levels of progesterone in the systemic plasma of eight normal and two ovariectomized cows were estimated by gas chromatography. During the last month of pregnancy, levels varied mostly in the 2\m=. \5 to 7\m=. \5 ng/ml range (0\m=.\5 to 3\m=.\0 ng/ml at calving). For six of the eight cows, there was a significant fall in level during this period; pooling of the data for all eight showed a highly significant fall. Levels near the time of ovulation, whether or not this was associated with behavioural oestrus, were below 2 ng/ml ; they rose and fell during ovulation cycles as corpora lutea grew and regressed. Mean peak level for twenty-two cycles was 9\m=. \0 ng/ml and occurred on average 13 days after ovulation. The time of most rapid fall in progesterone level was, on average, 4 days before ovulation. Mean levels during the first 14 days after oestrus in normal cycles were not different from those during the first 14 days after insemination in early pregnancies; they then declined in the cycles but not during the early pregnancies. Mean progesterone levels in the plasma of ovariectomized cows up to 200 days after the operation were below 2 ng/ml; levels showed a slow but significant rise during this period.
Liver X receptor α ( LXR α / NR 1 H 3 ) regulates differentiation of hepatocyte-like cells via reciprocal regulation of HNF 4 α

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Liver X receptor α (LXRα/NR1H3) regulates differentiation of hepatocyte-like cells via reciprocal regulation of HNF4α Kai-Ting Chen, Kelig Pernelle, Yuan-Hau Tsai, Yu-Hsuan Wu, Jui-Yu Hsieh, Ko-Hsun Liao, Christiane Guguen-Guillouzo, Hsei-Wei Wang
Measuring entertainment and automatic generation of entertaining games

Over the period of time computer games have became a major source of entertainment for humans. From the point of view of game developers there is a constant demand of writing games which are entertaining for the end users but entertainment itself is of subjective nature. It has always been difficult to quantify the entertainment value of the human player. The two factors which mainly influence the entertainment value are the type of the game and the contents of the game. In this paper we address the issues of measuring entertainment and automatic generation of computer games. We present some quantitative measures for entertainment in a genre of computer game and apply them as a guide for the evolution of new interesting games.
Serodiagnosis of Recently Acquired Toxoplasma gondii Infection with a Recombinant Antigen

ABSTRACT A portion of a cDNA encoding a 35-kDa antigen from Toxoplasma gondii was cloned into the CKS expression vector and expressed inEscherichia coli. By using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the recombinant protein (rP35 antigen) was examined for reactivity with immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in the sera of pregnant women. Of these women, 41 had a toxoplasma serologic profile suggestive of recently acquired T. gondii infection (Sabin-Feldman dye test [DT] titers from 1:256 to 1:32,000, positive IgM ELISA titers from 2.3 to 9.7, positive IgA ELISA from 1 to >28, and acute patterns in the differential agglutination [AC/HS] test) (group I), and 50 women had a toxoplasma serologic profile suggestive of infection acquired in the distant past (low DT titers from 1:16 to 1:512, negative IgM ELISA titers from 0 to 0.8, and chronic patterns in the AC/HS test) (group II). The classification of acute or chronic profile was based on the individual's clinical history as well as the combination of the results of the toxoplasma serological profile. An additional group (group III) was composed of sera from 50 women who were seronegative for T. gondii antibodies in the DT. The results revealed that whereas 85.3% of women in group I had IgG antibodies that reacted with the rP35 antigen, only 8% of women in group II had IgG antibodies that reacted with the same antigen. In immunoblots, the rP35 antigen was recognized by IgG antibodies in a pool of sera from individuals with a toxoplasma serologic profile compatible with acute infection but not in a pool of sera from individuals with a serologic profile characteristic of a chronic infection. These results reveal that IgG antibodies against the P35 antigen are produced during the acute stage of the infection but are uncommon in the latent or chronic phase of the infection. Thus, the rP35 antigen may be a useful serologic marker to differentiate between recently acquired infection and that acquired in the more distant past.
PEM fuel cells — The basic characteristics

With regards to their high effectiveness in transformation of input energy of chemical bonds into the output electric and heat energy and environmental friendly nature, fuel cells have been addressed with great potential prospective. There are various installations of large stationary sources in all over the globe, with unit output of megawatts and these are based on the fuel cells principle. The current development in this field aims towards the increase in efficiency on transformation of fuel energy into the output energy. This paper describes basic characteristics PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) type fuel cells. Those are low-temperature fuel cells, which are currently commonly used in broad range of applications both in the field of stationary or mobile assemblies. This paper is linked to another one, which deals with the effect of fuel parameters on the efficiency of transformation of energy from chemical bonds into utilisable electric and heat energy as well as the quality of energy supplied.
Specificity of the PTB Domain of Shc for β Turn-forming Pentapeptide Motifs Amino-terminal to Phosphotyrosine (*)

Shc phosphorylation in cells following growth factor, insulin, cytokine, and lymphocyte receptor activation leads to its association with Grb2 and activation of Ras. In addition to being a cytoplasmic substrate of tyrosine kinases, Shc contains an SH2 domain and a non-SH2 phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain. Here we show that the Shc PTB domain, but not the SH2 domain, binds with high affinity (ID50 ≅ 1 μM) to phosphopeptides corresponding to the sequence surrounding Tyr250 of the polyoma virus middle T (mT) antigen (LLSNPTpYSVMRSK). Truncation studies show that five residues amino-terminal to tyrosine are required for high affinity binding, whereas all residues carboxyl-terminal to tyrosine can be deleted without loss of affinity. Substitution studies show that tyrosine phosphorylation is required and residues at −5, −3, −2, and −1 positions relative to pTyr are important for this interaction. 1H NMR studies demonstrate that the phosphorylated mT antigen-derived sequence forms a stable β turn in solution, and correlations between structure and function indicate that the β turn is important for PTB domain recognition. These results show that PTB domains are functionally distinct from SH2 domains. Whereas SH2 domain binding specificity derives from peptide sequences carboxyl-terminal to phosphotyrosine, the Shc PTB domain gains specificity by interacting with β turn-forming sequences amino-terminal to phosphotyrosine.
Long-term histopathological developments in knee-joint components in a rat model of osteoarthritis induced by monosodium iodoacetate

[Purpose] This study was performed to evaluate the long-term histopathological changes in knee-joint components including synovial membrane and joint capsule in a rat model of osteoarthritis (OA) induced by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). [Subjects and Methods] Fifty male rats were used. OA was induced through intra-articular injection of MIA, and ten rats were randomly allocated to each of five groups induced with OA for 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks. At the end of each period, the knee components were examined histopathologically. [Results] After 1 and 2 weeks, chondrocytes were weakly stained. After 4 weeks, fibrillation, fissuring, and eburnation were observed, whereas after 6 weeks, chondrocyte clustering and osteophyte formation were detected. In the synovial membrane, the proliferation of spindle-shaped cells and a multilayered structure of the surface cells were observed at 1 and 2 weeks, but the degree of these changes decreased over time. In the joint capsule, a narrowing of the space between collagen fiber bundles was observed at 4–8 weeks. [Conclusion] The long-term histopathological changes of the joint components observed in a rat model of OA induced by MIA were similar to those detected in OA, but differed at specific times and tissues.
Need for Standardization of 18F-FDG PET/CT for Treatment Response Assessments

Many factors affect standardized uptake values (SUVs) in 18F-FDG PET/CT. The use of the SUV from a single PET scan in multicenter studies requires the standardization of 18F-FDG PET/CT procedures. In the context of treatment response assessments (repeated PET scans), many factors may seem to have minor effects on percentage changes in SUVs, provided that imaging procedures are executed in a consistent manner for each subject. However, the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT in a nonstandardized manner will result in unknown biases and reproducibilities of SUVs and SUV-based response measures. This article provides an overview of the need for standardization in relation to the specific use of SUVs and SUV changes in studies of treatment response assessments.
Comparative Research on Response Stereotypes for Daily Operation Tasks of Chinese and American Engineering Students

A group of Mainland Chinese engineering students were asked to respond to 12 questions by indicating their design conventions and expectations about operations, directions-of-motion, and descriptions of movement for items such as doors, keys, taps, and knobs. Chi-square tests demonstrated strong response stereotypes for tasks of all 12 questions. A comparison of the stereotype strengths found here with that of Hong Kong Chinese and American engineering students reported earlier indicated that stereotype strengths of engineering students from the three regions were generally different. For some cases stereotype characteristics of two regions were more alike than the other, and also for some subjects in the three regions performed similarly. The Mainland and Hong Kong Chinese were more alike in making their choices on questions of conceptual compatibility, while more consistent preferences on movement compatibility and spatial compatibility were noted between the Mainland Chinese and American students than Hong Kong Chinese.
Becoming a better host through origami: A mesh can be more than rows and columns

Endowing a communication network with the ability to realize arbitrary communication patterns is an expensive proposition, both in hardware and in system software. One might instead ask whether a system can be built that performs well for a given application program. In this paper we look at the question of when a set of communication patterns is suitable for fast realization on a given network. In particular we look at which patterns are realizable quickly on a mesh. Contrary to common wisdom, transpose is efficiently realizable on a mesh. However, some other important patterns, such as perfect shuffle, are not. <<ETX>>
Interdisciplinary collaboration: the role of the clinical nurse leader.

AIMS To explore the feasibility and acceptability of a clinical nurse leader (CNL) role to improve interdisciplinary collaboration (IC) within a fragmented acute-care microsystem. BACKGROUND Fragmented patient care is associated with preventable adverse healthcare outcomes. IC decreases fragmentation and improves patient care quality. The CNL role is theorized to provide the necessary leadership and competency skill base to impact IC at the optimal organizational level, the point of care where most healthcare decisions are made. METHODS This study used a descriptive non-experimental design. CNL daily workflow was developed to target empirical determinants of IC. Descriptive data were collected from multiple stakeholders using an investigator-developed survey. RESULTS Findings indicate the integration of the role is feasible and acceptable to the microsystem healthcare team. CONCLUSIONS Preliminary evidence suggests the CNL role may be an effective intervention to facilitate IC. More research is needed to support the CNL role's association with microsystem IC. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT The CNL role presents an innovative opportunity for clinical and administrative leadership to partner together to redesign a healthcare delivery system and improve patient care quality.