Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Children having a say: a study on children's participation in family law decision making

The idea that children should be heard and their views respected in decision-making has become an important principle of family law in recent years. No longer considered objects of concern, children are now understood as entitled to ‘have a say’ in the decision making that determines post separation residence and contact arrangements. At the same time, though, concerns are being voiced that the rhetoric of children’s participation does not readily translate into practice in the complex reality of family law settings. Significantly, children themselves report that they are unheard in family law decision-making processes and their views are not taken seriously. This study explores the ambiguous and contested nature of children’s participation. It draws on the narratives of thirteen children interviewed in relation to their views and experiences of having a say in family law decision making, specifically within the context of supervised contact. Utilising a critical hermeneutic approach, the findings suggest a number of important and inextricable links between children’s participation, their recognition, and the ways in which adults engage in and interpret dialogue with children. The children’s narratives further reveal the complex power practices at work which act to facilitate as well as to resist and prevent the dialogue which is integral to the recognition of children. The study argues that children’s participation demands ongoing scrutiny in terms of its enactment in family law processes. Such scrutiny must extend to the social and political power practices that enable, constrain and/or silence the dialogue that supports and facilitates children’s participation in family law decision-making. The thesis concludes by exploring some of the implications for researchers and practitioners when dialogue and recognition are assigned a central role in the conceptualisation and practice of participation.
Effects of Age, Gender, and Emotional Labor Strategies on Job Outcomes: Moderated Mediation Analyses

Based on socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, Isaacowitz, & Charles, 1999), we examined the role of age on the selection of emotional labor strategies, and how the latter mediated the association between age / gender and job satisfaction as well as psychological health. We also examined whether gender would moderate the association between age and emotional labor strategies. Correlation results showed that age was related to the use of deep acting and the expression of naturally felt emotions. Furthermore, results showed that the conditional indirect effect of deep acting between age and job satisfaction was significant, and the significant effect was found in both gender groups. Limitations and practical implications are discussed.
Sulfur, Chlorine, and Argon Abundances in Planetary Nebulae. IV. Synthesis and the Sulfur Anomaly

We have compiled a large sample of O, Ne, S, Cl, and Ar abundances that have been determined for 85 Galactic planetary nebulae in a consistent and homogeneous manner using spectra extending from 3600 to 9600 Å. Sulfur abundances have been computed using the near-IR lines of [S III] λλ9069, 9532 along with [S III] temperatures. We find average values, expressed logarithmically with a standard deviation, of log(S/O) = -1.91 ± 0.24, log(Cl/O) = -3.52 ± 0.16, and log(Ar/O) = -2.29 ± 0.18, numbers consistent with previous studies of both planetary nebulae and H II regions. We also find a strong correlation between [O III] and [S III] temperatures among planetary nebulae. In analyzing abundances of Ne, S, Cl, and Ar with respect to O, we find a tight correlation for Ne-O, and loose correlations for Cl-O and Ar-O. All three trends appear to be colinear with observed correlations for H II regions. S and O also show a correlation, but there is a definite offset from the behavior exhibited by H II regions and stars. We suggest that this S anomaly is most easily explained by the existence of S+3, whose abundance must be inferred indirectly when only optical spectra are available, in amounts in excess of what is predicted by model-derived ionization correction factors in PNe. Finally for the disk PNe, abundances of O, Ne, S, Cl, and Ar all show gradients when plotted against Galactocentric distance. The slopes are statistically indistinguishable from one another, a result which is consistent with the notion that the cosmic abundances of these elements evolve in lockstep.
Assessing Suitability of MSW Applicants through Objective Scoring of Personal Statements

In this study a refined instrument for scoring social work school applicants’ personal statements was tested, and its effectiveness measured against field outcomes of admitted students. Inter-rater reliability of the instrument was below . 70, the lower bound of recommended reliability, suggesting that it did not promote consistent ratings among paired raters. Field outcomes were not found to be highly correlated with personal statement scores or with undergraduate GPA. Undergraduate GPA was found to be positively related to graduate GPA. Implications for specifying valid and reliable suitability criteria and for using personal statements in admissions decisions are explored.
Interconnected Parallel Circuits between Rat Nucleus Accumbens and Thalamus Revealed by Retrograde Transynaptic Transport of Pseudorabies Virus

One of the primary outputs of the nucleus accumbens is directed to the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) via its projections to the ventral pallidum (VP), with the core andshell regions of the accumbens projecting to the lateral and medial aspects of the VP, respectively. In this study, the multisynaptic organization of nucleus accumbens projections was assessed using intracerebral injections of an attenuated strain of pseudorabies virus, a neurotropic α herpesvirus that replicates in synaptically linked neurons. Injection of pseudorabies virus into different regions of the MD or reticular thalamic nucleus (RTN) produced retrograde transynaptic infections that revealed multisynaptic interactions between these areas and the basal forebrain. Immunohistochemical localization of viral antigen at short postinoculation intervals confirmed that the medial MD (m-MD) receives direct projections from the medial VP, rostral RTN, and other regions previously shown to project to this region of the thalamus. At longer survival intervals, injections confined to the m-MD resulted in transynaptic infection of neurons in the accumbens shell but not in the core. Injections that also included the central segment of the MD produced retrograde infection of neurons in the lateral VP and the polymorph (pallidal) region of the olfactory tubercle (OT) and transynaptic infection of a small number of neurons in the rostral accumbens core. Injections in the lateral MD resulted in retrograde infection in the globus pallidus (GP) and in transynaptic infection in the caudate-putamen. Viral injections into the rostroventral pole of the RTN infected neurons in the medial and lateral VP and at longer postinoculation intervals, led to transynaptic infection of scattered neurons in the shell and core. Injection of virus into the intermediate RTN resulted in infection of medial VP neurons and second-order infection of neurons in the accumbens shell. Injections in the caudal RTN or the lateral MD resulted in direct retrograde labeling of cells within the GP and transynaptic infection of neurons in the caudate-putamen. These results indicate that the main output of VP neurons receiving inputs from the shell of the accumbens is heavily directed to the m-MD, whereas a small number of core neurons appear to influence the central MD via the lateral VP. Further segregation in the flow of information to the MD is apparent in the organization of VP and GP projections to subdivisions of the RTN that give rise to MD afferents. Collectively, these data provide a morphological basis for the control of the thalamocortical system by ventral striatal regions, in which parallel connections to the RTN may exert control over activity states of cortical regions.
Emperors in Hiding: When Ice-Breakers and Satellites Complement Each Other in Antarctic Exploration

Evaluating the demographic trends of marine top predators is critical to understanding the processes involved in the ongoing rapid changes in Antarctic ecosystems. However, the remoteness and logistical complexity of operating in Antarctica, especially during winter, make such an assessment difficult. Satellite imaging is increasingly recognised as a valuable method for remote animal population monitoring, yet its accuracy and reliability are still to be fully evaluated. We report here the first ground visit of an emperor penguin colony first discovered by satellite, but also the discovery of a second one not indicated by satellite survey at that time. Several successive remote surveys in this coastal region of East Antarctica, both before and after sudden local changes, had indeed only identified one colony. These two colonies (with a total of ca. 7,400 breeding pairs) are located near the Mertz Glacier in an area that underwent tremendous habitat change after the glacier tongue broke off in February 2010. Our findings therefore suggest that a satellite survey, although offering a major advance since it allows a global imaging of emperor penguin colonies, may miss certain colony locations when challenged by certain features of polar ecosystems, such as snow cover, evolving ice topology, and rapidly changing habitat. Moreover our survey shows that this large seabird has considerable potential for rapid adaptation to sudden habitat loss, as the colony detected in 2009 may have moved and settled on new breeding grounds. Overall, the ability of emperor penguin colonies to relocate following habitat modification underlines the continued need for a mix of remote sensing and field surveys (aerial photography and ground counts), especially in the less-frequented parts of Antarctica, to gain reliable knowledge about the population demography and dynamics of this flagship species of the Antarctic ecosystem.
Genetic and environmental influences on sleep quality : quantitative and molecular genetic approaches to an understanding of individual differences

There are vast inter-individual differences in sleep quality in the general population – whilst some individuals sleep well with little or no sleep disturbance, others experience frequent sleep disturbances, problems which often manifest into chronic sleep disorders such as insomnia. The aim of this thesis is to explore factors accounting for these observed differences in sleep quality between individuals. Using data from a large-scale twin study this thesis uses behavioural genetic techniques to investigate genetic and environmental influences on sleep quality in a sample of 1,556 twins and siblings aged 18-27 years. The first four studies use quantitative genetic techniques to investigate 1) associations between components of sleep quality and the overlap in the genetic and environmental influences accounting for them; 2) specific non-shared environmental influences on global sleep quality; 3) the presence of gene-environment interplay between sleep quality and dependent negative life events; and 4) the association between sleep quality and diurnal preference, and the overlap in their aetiological influences. Most importantly, there was substantial genetic overlap between individual components of sleep quality (rA mostly ≥.50); sleep quality and diurnal preference (rD = .52[95% CI=.37-.70]); and sleep quality and dependent negative life events (rD = .63[.45-.83]) – the latter finding providing evidence of gene-environment correlation. In general, non-shared environmental overlap was small (rE mostly ≤.40). The final study used a candidate gene approach to investigate associations between sleep quality and diurnal preference with 5HTTLPR, PER3, and CLOCK 3111 – polymorphisms hypothesized to be implicated in sleep and/or the circadian system. An association was found between the ‘long’ allele of 5HTTLPR and poor sleep quality (β = -.34, p<.01). This thesis utilises the twin method in novel ways in the context of sleep research and advances knowledge of the genetic and environmental underpinnings of the variation in sleep quality in healthy young adults.
Factor VII Activation, Apolipoprotein A-I and Reverse Cholesterol Transport: Possible Relevance for Postprandial Lipaemia

Summary Postprandial lipaemia is associated with activation of factor VII (FVII) and efflux of cholesterol from tissues to nascent plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) containing apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I). To determine whether FVII activation and cholesterol efflux occur together in other situations, the responses to intravenous infusion of HDL-like apo A-I/phosphatidylcholine discs were measured in 10 healthy men. Disc infusion (40 mg apo A-I/kg body weight) over 4 h was followed by increases in HDL cholesteryl ester and plasma apo A-I (p <0.0001). Significant activation of FVII was apparent during infusion in fasting subjects (p = 0.03), activated FVII averaging 123% of baseline value by 12 h (p <0.0001). Plasma thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complex increased to 156% of baseline level by 12 h (p >0.05) but individual responses differed considerably. Peak TAT post-infusion was associated inversely with peak HDL triglyceride concentration (p = 0.004). The coagulation responses to disc-infusion may be due to transfer of phosphatidylserine to cell surfaces during cholesterol efflux.
Extracting a clean ECG from a noisy recording: A new method based on segmented-beat modulation

Electrocardiogram (ECG) testing is a common non-invasive diagnostic tool to identify heart diseases. Generally, an ECG recording is corrupted by different types of noise which may jeopardize clinical evaluation. Thus, aim of the present study is to introduce the new segmented-beat modulation method (SBMM) for extracting a clean ECG from a noisy recording. Each cardiac cycle (CC) is segmented into the QRS segment and the TUP segment, respectively independent and proportional to preceding RR interval. TUP-segment modulation is initially used to force all CC to have the same duration, in order to allow a template-beat computation as the median beat. Then, a clean ECG is obtained by concatenating the template-beat after TUP-segment demodulation in order to obtain reconstructed beats whose duration matches that of the corresponding beats in the original noisy recording. Optimization procedures are performed to compensate for small inter-beat morphological ECG variations independent from actual heart rate. SBMM was tested in two applications respectively involving an ECG corrupted by motion artifacts and an abdominal recording from a woman in labor. Results clearly demonstrate the SBMM ability to provide a clean, and thus clinically useful, ECG tracing from a noisy recording.
Low-Complexity Uplink Multiuser Receivers for MIMO System with Massive Hybrid Array

Due to the enormous needs for signal processing and hardware constraints, the full digital implementation for a large antenna array at mmWave frequencies becomes intractable. Hence, receiver design for MIMO system with massive hybrid array is very demanding, particularly for subarray structure. In this paper, we propose two low- complexity uplink multiuser receiver design schemes (single-beam and multi-beam) under the circumstances of only users' angles of arrival (AOAs) available at base station, which greatly simplify the analog beamforming structure and reduce the complexity of channel estimation especially when the number of antenna elements is considerably large. In the single-beam scheme, subarrays are mapped to different users one by one such that each subarray serves a specific user. In the multibeam scheme, all subarrays use the same analog beamforming and any subarray's beamforming signal potentially points at all users. Digital beamforming is then employed to combine all subarray signals followed by equalization. Simulations are performed to compare the proposed schemes with other schemes that need channel information available at the subarray output. Since only AOAs are required for analog and digital beamformings, the proposed schemes are more suitable for mmWave MIMO system with massive hybrid array in spite of slight sum-rate loss.
The Contribution of Religious Experience To Christian Development

A total of 1,177 fourth, fifth and sixth year pupils from ten Protestant and ten Catholic schools in Northern Ireland completed a detailed questionnaire containing three measures of Christian attitudes and a question about religious experience. The data suggest that the acknowledgement and naming of personal religious experience is associated with the formation of more positive attitudes towards Christianity. The implications of these findings are discussed both for further research and for curriculum development.
The New Peasantries: Struggles for Autonomy and Sustainability in an Era of Empire and Globalization

Dit boek van ruraal socioloog Jan Douwe van der Ploeg is een pleidooi voor een nieuwe boerenlandbouw als een agrarisch systeem dat het best en meest duurzaam de zorg op zich kan nemen voor de vele cultuurlandschappen die de wereld rijk is. De oude landbouw wordt namelijk steeds meer gedomineerd door wereldwijde conglomeraten als het Italiaanse Parmalat. Terwijl familiebedrijven ook in tijden van mindere economische voorspoed blijven boeren op de plek waar ze zijn, en dus ook het landschap onderhouden waarop ze boeren, schakelt de internationale agroindustrie net zo gemakkelijk van een akker in Afrika naar die in Amerika of Europa, naar gelang de grondkosten, de productie per hectare en de arbeidskostenThis book explores the position, role and significance of the peasantry in an era of globalization, particularly of the agrarian markets and food industries. It argues that the peasant condition is characterized by a struggle for autonomy that finds expression in the creation and development of a self-governed resource base and associated forms of sustainable development. In this respect the peasant mode of farming fundamentally differs from entrepreneurial and corporate ways of farming. The author demonstrates that the peasantries are far from waning. Instead, both industrialized and developing countries are witnessing complex and richly chequered processes of 're-peasantization', with peasants now numbering over a billion worldwide. The author's arguments are based on three longitudinal studies (in Peru, Italy and The Netherlands) that span 30 years and provide original and thought-provoking insights into rural and agrarian development processes. The book combines and integrates different bodies of literature: the rich traditions of peasant studies, development sociology, rural sociology, neo-institutional economics and the recently emerging debates on Empire.
Causal Inference and Observational Research

Valid causal inference is central to progress in theoretical and applied psychology. Although the randomized experiment is widely considered the gold standard for determining whether a given exposure increases the likelihood of some specified outcome, experiments are not always feasible and in some cases can result in biased estimates of causal effects. Alternatively, standard observational approaches are limited by the possibility of confounding, reverse causation, and the nonrandom distribution of exposure (i.e., selection). We describe the counterfactual model of causation and apply it to the challenges of causal inference in observational research, with a particular focus on aging. We argue that the study of twin pairs discordant on exposure, and in particular discordant monozygotic twins, provides a useful analog to the idealized counterfactual design. A review of discordant-twin studies in aging reveals that they are consistent with, but do not unambiguously establish, a causal effect of lifestyle factors on important late-life outcomes. Nonetheless, the existing studies are few in number and have clear limitations that have not always been considered in interpreting their results. It is concluded that twin researchers could make greater use of the discordant-twin design as one approach to strengthen causal inferences in observational research.
A Metagenomic and in Silico Functional Prediction of Gut Microbiota Profiles May Concur in Discovering New Cystic Fibrosis Patient-Targeted Probiotics

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting hereditary disorder that results in aberrant mucosa in the lungs and digestive tract, chronic respiratory infections, chronic inflammation, and the need for repeated antibiotic treatments. Probiotics have been demonstrated to improve the quality of life of CF patients. We investigated the distribution of gut microbiota (GM) bacteria to identify new potential probiotics for CF patients on the basis of GM patterns. Fecal samples of 28 CF patients and 31 healthy controls (HC) were collected and analyzed by 16S rRNA-based pyrosequencing analysis of GM, to produce CF-HC paired maps of the distribution of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), and by Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) for Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) biomarker prediction. The maps were scanned to highlight the distribution of bacteria commonly claimed as probiotics, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, and of butyrate-producing colon bacteria, such as Eubacterium spp. and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. The analyses highlighted 24 OTUs eligible as putative probiotics. Eleven and nine species were prevalently associated with the GM of CF and HC subjects, respectively. Their KEGG prediction provided differential CF and HC pathways, indeed associated with health-promoting biochemical activities in the latter case. GM profiling and KEGG biomarkers concurred in the evaluation of nine bacterial species as novel putative probiotics that could be investigated for the nutritional management of CF patients.
Skeletal muscle and adipose tissue cellularity in runt and normal birth weight swine.

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of prenatal stunting on skeletal muscle and adipose tissue cellularity in swine at 96 and 109 kg live weight. Animals used in Exp. 1 were large (1.56 kg average birth weight) and runt (.97 kg) littermate pigs and pigs with very low birth weight (.79 kg). The pigs with very low birth weight were half sibs to the large and runt littermates. Pigs were slaughtered at 96 kg live weight. Pigs in Exp. 2 were reared in individual cages and pens from birth to slaughter at 109 kg and included large barrows (1.59 kg average birth weight), runt barrows (.83 kg) and runt gilts (.91 kg). Runt pigs in Exp. 1 had fewer Type II white fibers in the semimembranosus muscle than did large pigs, but fiber diameter was similar for pigs in all groups. In Exp. 2, runts had a higher proportion of Type I fibers and fewer Type II fibers than did large birth weight pigs. Since runts that weighed less than . 90 kg at birth had less muscle weight and fibers of similar or larger diameter, the data support the hypothesis that lower muscle fiber numbers are associated with prenatal stunting. Frequency distributions of adipocyte diameters were more bimodal in runt than in large birth weight pigs, and average diameter of adipocytes in the perirenal and subcutaneous depots was smaller for runts than for large pigs. There were more adipocytes in the perirenal adipose tissue of runts than in that of large birth weight pigs, and there was a tendency for more adipocytes in the sub-