The role of androgens acting via androgen receptor in uterine development and PTEN deletion induced uterine cancer

The androgen receptor (AR) is widely expressed in human and rodent uterus indicating an important role. However, the specific role(s) and mechanisms remain controversial. Hence, the thesis aimed to investigate the role of androgen actions via AR in uterine development, function and pathology. Firstly, the uterine development and fertility appeared normal in uterine gland specific AR inactivated uterus suggesting AR mediated endogenous androgen actions in uterine gland epithelium are not critical in normal uterus. However, in the absence of estrogens, androgens via uterine AR can promote full uterine regrowth. Secondly, PTENKO-induced uterine cancer incidence was significantly reduced by simultaneous global AR inactivation, indicating androgen actions via AR either systemically or locally within uterus modifies PTENKO-induced uterine cancer incidence. This could be due to reduced estrogen receptor alpha expression in uterus. Thirdly, glandular epithelial AR inactivation enhanced PTENKO-induced uterine pathology. This could be due to reduced progesterone receptor expression in uterus suggesting glandular epithelial AR could regulate PR expression. In conclusion, the thesis suggests a significant role for androgens via AR inducing uterine growth and pathology that could be mediated locally via AR present in glandular epithelial cells

Passive Participation in Collaborative Online Learning Activities: A Scoping Review of Research in Formal School Learning Settings

This scoping review summarizes studies on passive participation in collaborative online learning activities that used computer-mediated communication tools in school settings. A total of 42 articles spanning about 20 years were explored. ERIC and three main journal indexes from Web of Science were used to locate articles. For each year searched, there were only one to five studies that investigated passive participation, indicating that not many researchers have examined this topic in general. Most studies used mixed methods and were conducted in higher education settings in asynchronous online discussions. Three terms have been used to discuss the notion of passive participation: lurking for read-only behavior, legitimate peripheral participation for low contribution, and free riding for no contribution. Studies on passive participation have mainly explored four topical areas: motivational factors and reasons, participation types and behavioral patterns, effect on learning outcomes, and pedagogical strategies for de-lurking. Most studies have investigated passive participation as one of the behavior patterns among various types of participation. A few studies have solely examined read-only behaviors. The notion of passive participation varies among researchers and should therefore be redefined. Overall, there have been few studies on the topic of passive participation and those that have been conducted reveal some inconsistencies in their findings, indicating the topic requires further investigation. Future studies on this topic are urgently needed due to the forced shift to online courses precipitated by the pandemic. While instructors are also responsible for supporting their learners in this unprecedented context, researchers should investigate ways to help instructors better understand passive participants and encourage active learner participation in collaborative online learning space

Reservoir computing based on explosive synchronization and quenched chaos

Department of Mathematical SciencesSynchronous oscillations in neuronal ensembles have been proposed to provide a neural basis for the information processes in the brain. In this work, we present a reservoir computing(RC), a highly e???cient bio-inspired architecture, based on oscillator synchronization in a critical regime. The algorithm uses the high-dimensional transient dynamics perturbed by an input and translates it into proper output stream. One of the bene???ts of adopting coupled phase oscillators as neuromorphic elements is that the synchrony among oscillators can be ???nely tuned at arti???cial state. Especially near a critical state, the marginally synchronized oscillators operate with high e???ciency and maintain better computing performances. We also show that explosive synchronization that is induced from speci???c neuronal connectivity produces more improved and stable outputs. This work provides a systematic way to encode computing in a large size coupled oscillator, which may be useful in designing neuromorphic devices. Furthermore we develop RC based on ???explosive death??? of chaos. The proposed reservoir utilizes transient dynamics of coupled chaotic oscillators in a critical regime where sudden amplitude death occurs. Explosive death not only brings the system a large criticality which provides a variety of orbits for computing, but also stabilizes them which otherwise diverge soon in chaotic units. The proposed framework shows better results in tasks for signal reconstructions than RC based on explosive synchronization of regular phase oscillators. We also show that the information capacity of the reservoirs at a critical point can be used as a predictive measure for computational capability of a reservoir.clos

A Cross National Comparison on the Awareness of Adopting FOSS4G to NSDI in Developing Countries

In this study, we constructed an assessment framework that was consisted of 9 indicators about functional, economic and public value for FOSS4G adoption to NSDI and alternatives such as data sharing, data management, utilization and construction and derived relative weights using AHP method. For the AHP, we conducted a survey to developing countries’ 10 respondents from 9 Asian and Latin American countries. Firstly, result of the survey showed that economic value indicator came in the highest weight with 0.425, followed by functional value indicator with 0.345 and public value indicator with 0.230. Secondly, result of the alternatives analysis showed that data sharing alternative came in the highest adoption rate with 0.824, followed by data management with 0.780, data utilization with 0.778. This means that developing countries want to introduce FOSS4G to their NSDI from economic motivation. This study focused on the comprehensive aspect for adopting FOSS4G to NSDI that is different from the previous researches that were focused on the software engineering aspect to the adoption

Causal Effects of Single-Sex Schools on College Entrance Exams and College Attendance: Random Assignment in Seoul High Schools

Despite the voluminous literature on the potentials of single-sex schools, there is no consensus on the effects of single-sex schools because of student selection of school types. We exploit a unique feature of schooling in Seoul, the random assignment of students into single-sex versus coeducational high schools, to assess causal effects of single-sex schools on college entrance exam scores and college attendance. Our validation of the random assignment shows comparable socioeconomic backgrounds and prior academic achievement of students attending single-sex schools and coeducational schools, which increases the credibility of our causal estimates of single-sex school effects. Attending all-boys schools or all-girls schools rather than attending coeducational schools is significantly associated with higher average scores on Korean and English test scores. Single-sex schools have a higher percentage of graduates who attended four-year colleges and a lower percentage of graduates who attended two-year junior colleges than coeducational schools. The positive effects of single-sex schools remain substantial, even after taking into account various school-level variables such as teacher quality, the student-teacher ratio, the proportion of students receiving lunch support, and whether the schools are public or private

Forecast of CO2 Emissions From the U.S. Transportation Sector: Estimation From a Double Exponential Smoothing Model

This study examines whether the decreasing trend in U.S. CO2 emissions from the transportation sector since the end of the 2000s will be shown across all states in the nation for 2012‒2021. A double exponential smoothing model is used to forecast CO2 emissions for the transportation sector in the 50 states and the U.S., and its findings are supported by the validity test of pseudo out-of-sample forecasts. We conclude that the decreasing trend in transportation CO2 emissions in the U.S. will continue in most states in the future