Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Race and Community Revitalization: Communication Theory and Practice

The words community and communications are both derived from the Latin word for common. According to John Dewey, people "live in a community by virtue of the things they have in common; and communication is the way in which they come to possess things in common" (1915: 4). Dewey’s point — that communities can not exist without communications — leads to a corollary: that the nature and health of a community depends upon the nature and health of its communications capacity. Thus, to revitalize a community necessarily means revitalizing communications. Communications can take many forms, ranging from face-to-face conversations among family, friends, and neighbors to the broader flows of information that are provided through the mass media. All these forms are central to the way communities are constructed, maintain themselves, interact with other communities, and impact the political process. In this paper I will address how the communications environment, as currently structured, has contributed to many of the problems faced by inner city racial and ethnic communities in the United States. In order to address this issue I will first discuss the importance of communications to community development. In the next four sections I will examine relevant research regarding four key elements of the mass media: structure; access and control; content; and impact. In the sixth section, I will explore the literature regarding less mediated, more interpersonal communications. Throughout sections two through five I will pay specific attention to what existing communications theories and research tell us (explicitly or implicitly) about issues of race and ethnicity, especially as they relate to poor urban communities. Finally, I will discuss issues regarding the intersection of race, class, and communications that require further study, and how changes in the communications environment might contribute to the revitalization of urban communities. Comments NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Michael X. Delli Carpini was affiliated with Columbia University. Currently January 2008, he is a faculty member of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. This presentation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/asc_papers/5 RACE AND COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION: COMMUNICATIONS THEORY AND PRACTICE Second Draft October 15, 1998 Michael X. Delli Carpini Barnard College Columbia University New York, NY 10027 Phone: 212-854-4877 Fax: 212-854-3024 E-Mail: mdelli@barnard.columbia. edu
Five year risk of progression of primary angle closure suspects to primary angle closure: a population based study

Aim: To report progression of primary angle closure suspects (PACS) to primary angle closure (PAC) at the 5 year follow up of a population based sample. Methods: 82 of 118 PACS who could be contacted and 110 randomly selected normals from a population based survey in 1995 were invited for a follow up examination in 2000. Progression to PAC was based on the development of raised IOP or synechiae in a PACS. Results: 50 of the 82 PACS contacted were examined. 11 (22%; 95% CI 9.8 to 34.2) developed PAC (seven synechial and four appositional); all were bilateral PACS. Two of 50 people previously diagnosed as PACS were reclassified as normal. One person among the 110 normals progressed to PAC. The relative risk of progression among PACS was 24 (95% CI 3.2 to 182.4). There was no significant difference in axial length, anterior chamber depth, or lens thickness between those who progressed and those who did not. None of the patients developed optic disc or field damage attributable to angle closure. One angle closure suspect was diagnosed to have normotensive glaucoma. Conclusion: In this population based study of PACS the 5 year incidence of PAC was 22%; none developed functional damage. Bilateral PACS was a clinical risk factor for progression.
Effect of Lipophilic and Hydrophilic Statins on Breast Cancer Risk in Thai Women: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Statins are proposed as a chemoprevention agent for breast cancer due to their anti-inflammatory effect. The effects of lipophilic and hydrophilic statins on breast cancer risk might be different due to their different pharmacologic properties. Therefore, this study aimed to assess a casual-effect of lipophilic and hydrophilic statins on breast cancer risk using a counterfactual framework approach. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 15,718 women who were screened for breast cancer at Mammographic center, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, was conducted during September 2011 to 2012. A counterfactual framework approach was applied to assess causal effects of treatments (i.e., lipophilic and hydrophilic statins) on outcome (i.e. breast cancer). Multi-logit and logistic regression models were used for treatment and outcome models, respectively. An inverse probability weight regression analysis (IPWRA) was then applied to estimate potential outcome mean (POM) and average treatment effect (ATE) by combining the outcome and treatment models. Results: Breast cancer risks were 0.0072 (95% CI: 0.0055, 0.0089), 0.0051 (95% CI: 0.0008, 0.0095), and 0.0038 (95% CI: 0.002, 0.0056) for non-statin users, hydrophilic, and lipophilic statin users, respectively. The estimated risk differences were -0.0021 (95% CI: -0.0067, 0.0026) and -0.0034 (95% CI: -0.0059, -0.0009) for hydrophilic and lipophilic statins respectively. The number needed to treat for hydrophilic and lipophilic statins were 2.1 (95% CI: -2.6, 6.7) and 3.4 (95% CI: 1.0, 5.9) per 1000 subjected, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggested that using lipophilic statin could significantly reduce risk of breast cancer in Thai women.
Polymorphisms of IL12RB2 May Affect the Natural History of Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Single Centre Study

Background. Recent GWAS in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) showed strong associations with SNPs located within interleukin-12 receptor (IL12R) beta-2 (IL12RB2) gene. Aims. We assessed whether genetic variation of IL12RB2 is associated with laboratory and clinical features of PBC. Methods. Genomic DNA was isolated from 306 patients with PBC and 258 age/gender-matched controls. PBC-specific anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) were tested in all subjects by ELISA. Two SNPs, rs3790567 and rs6679356, of IL12RB2 were genotyped using the MGB-TaqMan SNP assay. Results. Despite comparable age at diagnosis of cirrhotic and noncirrhotic PBC patients, allele A of rs3790567 and allele C of rs6679356 were overrepresented in the former rather than the latter group (p = 0.0009 and p = 0.002, resp.). The risk of cirrhosis at presentation increased when allele A and allele C coexisted. AMA-M2 titres were significantly higher in AA homozygotes of rs3790567 compared to GG homozygotes (132 ± 54 versus 103 ± 62, p = 0.02) and in rs6679356 when C allele was present (p = 0.038). There were no other significant associations between IL12RB2 polymorphisms and laboratory or clinical features. Conclusion. In this first study analyzing phenotypic features of PBC carriers of the IL12RB2 polymorphisms, we found that carriers are more frequently cirrhotic at diagnosis and have significantly higher titres of AMA.
Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) Can Mediate Degradation of the Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 1 (LRP-1)

Elevated LDL-cholesterol (LDLc) levels are a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. LDLc is cleared from circulation by the LDL receptor (LDLR). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) enhances the degradation of the LDLR in endosomes/lysosomes, resulting in increased circulating LDLc. PCSK9 can also mediate the degradation of LDLR lacking its cytosolic tail, suggesting the presence of as yet undefined lysosomal-targeting factor(s). Herein, we confirm this, and also eliminate a role for the transmembrane-domain of the LDLR in mediating its PCSK9-induced internalization and degradation. Recent findings from our laboratory also suggest a role for PCSK9 in enhancing tumor metastasis. We show herein that while the LDLR is insensitive to PCSK9 in murine B16F1 melanoma cells, PCSK9 is able to induce degradation of the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP-1), suggesting distinct targeting mechanisms for these receptors. Furthermore, PCSK9 is still capable of acting upon the LDLR in CHO 13-5-1 cells lacking LRP-1. Conversely, PCSK9 also acts on LRP-1 in the absence of the LDLR in CHO-A7 cells, where re-introduction of the LDLR leads to reduced PCSK9-mediated degradation of LRP-1. Thus, while PCSK9 is capable of inducing degradation of LRP-1, the latter is not an essential factor for LDLR regulation, but the LDLR effectively competes with LRP-1 for PCSK9 activity. Identification of PCSK9 targets should allow a better understanding of the consequences of PCSK9 inhibition for lowering LDLc and tumor metastasis.
Education and Conflict Recovery: The Case of Timor Leste

The Timor Leste secession conflict lasted for 25 years. Its last wave of violence in 1999, following the withdrawal of Indonesian troops, generated massive displacement and destruction with widespread consequences for the economic and social development of the country. This paper analyzes the impact of the conflict on the level and access to education of boys and girls in Timor Leste. The authors examine the short-term impact of the 1999 violence on school attendance and grade deficit rates in 2001, and the longer-term impact of the conflict on primary school completion of cohorts of children observed in 2007. They compare the educational impact of the 1999 wave of violence with the impact of other periods of high-intensity violence during the 25 years of Indonesian occupation. The short-term effects of the conflict are mixed. In the longer term, the analysis finds a strong negative impact of the conflict on primary school completion among boys of school age exposed to peaks of violence during the 25-year long conflict. The effect is stronger for boys attending the last three grades of primary school. This result shows a substantial loss of human capital among young males in Timor Leste since the early 1970s, resulting from household investment trade-offs between education and economic survival.
EIGHT SHAPE MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA WITH CRESCENT SLOT FOR WIDEBAND APPLICATIONS

A new wideband small size Crescent slot Eight Shape Antenna (CSESA) with crescent slot is presented. A loss less material honeycomb dielectric of dielectric constant 1.11 is sandwiched between radiating patch and ground. The main motivation for this paper is to enhance the bandwidth of the Impedance. The simulation results verify that the proposed antenna has a 63 percent bandwidth for Return less than-10 dB which is around 3.2 GHz while covering S-Band (2-4 GHz) and C-Band (4 - 8 GHz) of microwave frequency bands. Different design parametric variation in proposed design is also discussed. The basic advantage of these designs is simple structure with no active element, no shorting pins and no vertical walls between the patch and the ground. The typical impedance behavior and far field radiation pattern characteristics of proposed configuration are presented. The antenna is designed, optimized and simulated using Electromagnetic (EM) simulation software. This antenna is suitable for wideband wireless communication systems.
A framework for data exchange and benchmarking of frictional contact solvers in multibody dynamics

We present an HDF5 layout specification to store and exchange the run-time kinematic data of simulations of contacting multibody systems subject to dry friction in descriptor form. This is intended to be used to test solvers on the incremental problem defined by one single configuration, allowing any mathematical formulation and friction law, and compatible with any numerical method. We also introduce metrics to measure the quality of a solution comprehensively. We started a public web site with a collection of problems, from simple stacking to full vehicle dynamics as well as grasping robots. We provide software to manipulate the data, assemble matrices needed for different formulations, interface with existing solvers, and to compute our metrics. As this is written in MATLAB and OCTAVE we believe our contributions will allow anyone wanting to write or test a solver to work with “real life” examples without any difficulty, and concentrate on the numerical methods themselves, and get results before writing a code suitable for integration with a full featured software package.
An Eaton–Kortum Model of Trade and Growth

We combine a multi-country, continuum-good Ricardian model of Eaton and Kortum (2002) with a multi-country AK model of Acemoglu and Ventura (2002) to examine how trade liberalization affects countries' growth rates and extensive margins of trade over time. Focusing on the three-country case, we obtain three main results. First, a permanent fall in any trade cost raises the balanced growth rate. Second, trade liberalization increases the liberalizing countries' long-run fractions of exported varieties to all destinations. Third, the long-run effects of trade liberalization are different from its short-run effects, which can reverse the welfare implications of the static Eaton-Kortum model.
Three‐dimensional mapping of lingual myoarchitecture by diffusion tensor MRI

This study was performed to assess the feasibility of investigating the complex lingual myoarchitecture through segmentation of muscles from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data. The primary eigenvectors were found to be adequate for delineating the superior and inferior longitudinalis, genioglossus, and hyoglossus. The tertiary eigenvector orientations effectively revealed the homogeneous and systematic change of muscle orientation in the tongue core. In the longitudinalis near the tongue tip, the secondary eigenvectors were oriented in the radial direction. Lingual muscles were segmented using two methods: modified directional correlation (DC) and tensor coherence (TC) methods. The DC method, based on one eigenvector, was found to be inadequate for lingual muscle segmentation, whereas the TC method, based on the tensor shape and orientation, was used successfully to segment most lingual muscles. The segmentation result was used to report the diffusion tensor properties of individual lingual muscles. Also found was a continuous change in skewness of the intrinsic tongue core from negative in the anterior region to positive in the posterior region. DTI and the proposed segmentation method provide an adequate means of imaging and visualizing the complex, compartmentalized musculature of the tongue. The potential for in vivo research and clinical applications is demonstrated. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrical performances and reliability of commercial SiC MOSFETs at high temperature and in SC conditions

Commercial Silicon Carbide have been characterized under various configuration to assess their maturity and capability to replace their Silicon counterparts in 1.2kV converter applications. Static and dynamic characterization were performed between 80 and 525K. Reliability of the devices have been tested at high temperatures. Finally critical and repetitve short-circuit capability have been measured.
Recruitment of the Rod Pathway by Cones in the Absence of Rods

In mammalian retinas, rods and cones connect to distinct sets of bipolar cells. In the retina of Nrl (neural retina leucine zipper) knock-out mice, in which rods fail to form and all photoreceptors are cones, rod bipolar cells have normal morphology, pattern of staining, and lamination, but they form synaptic connections with cones. Hence, retinal interneurons are not entirely committed to the choice of their synaptic partners; also, their morphology and pattern of distribution of their processes in the synaptic layers of the retina are not instructed by the establishment of synaptic connections with cognate photoreceptor(s). These findings are of considerable relevance for our understanding of mechanisms responsible for cell recognition during development and in the context of using transplanted tissue to restore vision in retinal degeneration.
Population Growth and Economic Development in Pakistan

There is divergence of opinion regarding the consequences of population growth for economic development. Some view rapid population growth as a real problem while others assert that it is not a matter of grave concern. Cross- national evidence on the relationship between population growth and economic growth is inconsistent because the under- lying parameters and assumptions vary across countries. Country-specific studies are more useful for illuminating unique features of a country. In this article, I examine Pakistan's case of population growth and economic development. Between 1950- 2001, Pakistan's population increased 430 percent. Multivariate analyses of 1981 to 2005 data from the Pakistan Economic Survey and from the International Financial Statistics yearbooks found significant and negative relationship be- tween population growth and measures of economic advancement. These results demonstrate that rapid population growth is a real problem in Pakistan because it contributes to lower investment growth and diminishes the savings rate. Today foreign investment and export promotion have only a small impact on Pakistan's economic growth. Owing to its rapid population growth, Pakistan has among the world's highest dependency ratios. Policy makers can address these serious economic consequences of rapid population growth by investing in family planning services. Development of independent media and liberal education in educational institutions will in time also help by encouraging a smaller family size ideal.
Thermodynamic characterization of tandem mismatches found in naturally occurring RNA

Although all sequence symmetric tandem mismatches and some sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches have been thermodynamically characterized and a model has been proposed to predict the stability of previously unmeasured sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches [Christiansen,M.E. and Znosko,B.M. (2008) Biochemistry, 47, 4329–4336], experimental thermodynamic data for frequently occurring tandem mismatches is lacking. Since experimental data is preferred over a predictive model, the thermodynamic parameters for 25 frequently occurring tandem mismatches were determined. These new experimental values, on average, are 1.0 kcal/mol different from the values predicted for these mismatches using the previous model. The data for the sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches reported here were then combined with the data for 72 sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches that were published previously, and the parameters used to predict the thermodynamics of previously unmeasured sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches were updated. The average absolute difference between the measured values and the values predicted using these updated parameters is 0.5 kcal/mol. This updated model improves the prediction for tandem mismatches that were predicted rather poorly by the previous model. This new experimental data and updated predictive model allow for more accurate calculations of the free energy of RNA duplexes containing tandem mismatches, and, furthermore, should allow for improved prediction of secondary structure from sequence.
Hepatic Deletion of Smad7 in Mouse Leads to Spontaneous Liver Dysfunction and Aggravates Alcoholic Liver Injury

Background TGF-β has been known to play an important role in various liver diseases including fibrosis and alcohol-induced fatty liver. Smad7 is an intracellular negative regulator of TGF-β signaling. It is currently unclear whether endogenous Smad7 has an effect on liver function and alcoholic liver damage. Methodology/Principal Findings We used Cre/loxP system by crossing Alb-Cre mice with Smad7loxP/loxP mice to generate liver-specific deletion of Smad7 with loss of the indispensable MH2 domain. Alcoholic liver injury was achieved by feeding mice with a liquid diet containing 5% ethanol for 6 weeks, followed by a single dose of ethanol gavage. Deletion of Smad7 in the liver was associated with increased Smad2/3 phosphorylation in the liver or upon TGF-β treatment in primary hepatocytes. The majority of mice with liver specific deletion of Smad7 (Smad7liver-KO) were viable and phenotypically normal, accompanied by only slight or no reduction of Smad7 expression in the liver. However, about 30% of Smad7liver-KO mice with high efficiency of Smad7 deletion had spontaneous liver dysfunction, demonstrated as low body weight, overall deterioration, and increased serum levels of AST and ALT. Degeneration and elevated apoptosis of liver cells were observed with these mice. TGF-β-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) was accelerated in Smad7-deleted primary hepatocytes. In addition, alcohol-induced liver injury and steatosis were profoundly aggravated in Smad7 deficient mice, associated with upregulation of critical genes involved in lipogenesis and inflammation. Furthermore, alcohol-induced ADH1 expression was significantly abrogated by Smad7 deletion in hepatocytes. Conclusion/Significance In this study, we provided in vivo evidence revealing that endogenous Smad7 plays an important role in liver function and alcohol-induced liver injury.
An update on Hurwitz groups

Abstract A Hurwitz group is any non-trivial finite quotient of the (2, 3, 7) triangle group, that is, any non-trivial finite group generated by elements x and y satisfying x 2 = y 3 = (xy)7 = 1. Every such group G is the conformal automorphism group of some compact Riemann surface of genus g > 1, with the property that |G| = 84(g – 1), which is the maximum possible order for given genus g. This paper provides an update on what is known about Hurwitz groups and related matters, following up the author's brief survey in Bull. Amer. Math. Soc.23 (1990).
Physical Activity in Relation to Cardiovascular Disease and Total Mortality Among Men With Type 2 Diabetes

Background—The present study was conducted to examine the relationship of physical activity with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality among men with type 2 diabetes. CVD risk and mortality are increased in type 2 diabetes. Few epidemiological studies have investigated the effect of physical activity on these outcomes among type 2 diabetics. Methods and Results—Of the 3058 men who reported a diagnosis of diabetes at age 30 years or older in the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study (HPFS), we excluded 255 who reported a physical impairment. In the remaining 2803 men, physical activity was assessed every 2 years; 266 new cases of CVD and 355 deaths of all causes were identified during 14 years of follow-up. Relative risks of CVD and death were estimated from Cox proportional hazards analysis with adjustment for potential confounders. The multivariate relative risks of CVD incidence corresponding to quintiles of total physical activity were 1.0, 0.87, 0.64, 0.72, and 0.67 (Ptrend=0.07). The corresponding multivariate relative risks for total mortality were 1.0, 0.80, 0.57, 0.58, and 0.58 (Ptrend=0.005). Walking was associated with reduced risk of total mortality. Relative risks across quintiles of walking were 1.0, 0.97, 0.87, 0.97, and 0.57 (Ptrend=0.002). Walking pace was inversely associated with CVD, fatal CVD, and total mortality independently of walking hours. Conclusions—Physical activity was associated with reduced risk of CVD, cardiovascular death, and total mortality in men with type 2 diabetes. Walking and walking pace were associated with reduced total mortality.