Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The kallikrein 14 gene is down-regulated by androgen receptor signalling and harbours genetic variation that is associated with prostate tumour aggressiveness

Abstract Kallikrein 14 (KLK14) has been proposed as a useful prognostic marker in prostate cancer, with expression reported to be associated with tumour characteristics such as higher stage and Gleason score. KLK14 tumour expression has also shown the potential to predict prostate cancer patients at risk of disease recurrence after radical prostatectomy. The KLKs are a remarkably hormone-responsive family of genes, although detailed studies of androgen regulation of KLK14 in prostate cancer have not been undertaken to date. Using in vitro studies, we have demonstrated that unlike many other prostatic KLK genes that are strictly androgen responsive, KLK14 is more broadly expressed and inversely androgen regulated in prostate cancer cells. Given these results and evidence that KLK14 may play a role in prostate cancer prognosis, we also investigated whether common genetic variants in the KLK14 locus are associated with risk and/or aggressiveness of prostate cancer in approximately 1200 prostate cancer cases and 1300 male controls. Of 41 single nucleotide polymorphisms assessed, three were associated with higher Gleason score (≥7): rs17728459 and rs4802765, both located upstream of KLK14, and rs35287116, which encodes a p.Gln33Arg substitution in the KLK14 signal peptide region. Our findings provide further support for KLK14 as a marker of prognosis in prostate cancer.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for high-grade metastatic epidural cord compression.

Purpose The standard of care of patients with high-grademetastatic epidural compression is open decompression with or without stabilization. However, many patients are unwilling or unable to undergo open surgical decompression. This study investigated the outcomes of treating patients with high-grade (Ryu/Rock radiographic grade IV and V, Spine Oncology Study Group Grade II and III) metastatic epidural spinal cord compression with spinal radiosurgery as first-line therapy in lieu of surgical decompression. Methods Utilizing the Henry Ford Spinal Tumor Database, patients with metastatic lesions causing advanced radiographical grade (IV or V) epidural spinal cord compression who received stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)with adequate clinical and radiological follow-up were identified from 2007-2011. These patients were retrospectively reviewed for clinical and radiological response to radiosurgery. Results 33 patients with 35 metastatic lesions causing Ryu/Rock radiographical grade IV or V compression were identified with a median follow-up of 435 days. Of the 34 lesions in 32 patients who were ambulatory pre-SRS, 23 (67%) were ambulatory at last follow-up. 6/33 progressed early (less than 2 months) neurologically and an additional 5 patients developed late progressive neurologic deficit. The one patient who was initially non-ambulatory was able to regain ambulatory status. Radiologically, there was a significant epidural tumor response rate of 74%. Ultimately, 9 patients (27%) eventually required surgery for neurologic compromise or mechanical instability. There was one patient who received EBRT previously who experienced radiation myelopathy as a complication of SRS. Conclusion Radiosurgery as an initial therapy for high-grade metastatic epidural compression appears to be a viable treatment paradigm for selected patients with close clinical and radiological follow-up. However, a significant minority will progress necessitating the need for rigorous monitoring. Further study is needed prospectively analyze the effectiveness of SRS with or without open surgical decompression.
The Effects of Custody in a Scottish Detention Centre on Inmates Self-Esteem

The present study assessed the effects of Detention Centre custody on levels of self-esteem, hopelessness, and custodial adjustment among 32 Scottish Young Offenders. All inmates were sentenced to a 3-month period of detention where the emphasis was on physical training, personal hygiene, keeping a tidy room and kit, and the demonstration of effort. Inmates were assessed on admission, at the mid-point of their sentence, and prior to release. The main assessment measures included the Bennett Self-Attitude Inventory, the Warr and Jackson Positive and Negative Self-Esteem Scale, Coopersmith 's Behaviour Rating Form, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and Thornton 's Custodial Adjustment Scale. In generalself-esteem increased significantly over time, while hopelessness decreased, and a significant adjustment to the custodial environment occurred. Findings are discussed with regard to the nature of the Dentention Centre regime.
The new Mikado? Tom Slater, gentrification and displacement

was pleased to see Tom Slater’s provocative article on gentrification research (2009), not least because it indicates that a concern with class and inequality in cities is alive and kicking. But, while I agree with several of his comments regarding the flaws of economic and policy-relevant research, his rhetorical and judgemental style means that many of his arguments regarding gentrification are flawed or over-simplistic and the purpose of this response is to take issue with them for those who may otherwise be seduced into seeing Slater as the Luke Skywalker of gentrification, wielding his light sabre on behalf of the true faith against Darth Vader and the evil empire of neo-liberal urban policy. Rather, it may be more appropriate to see Slater as the Mikado of gentrification research, seeking to burnish his own critical credentials and punish those who dare to question the emperor’s theoretical and political edicts (Slater, 2006). Some of his criticisms of other work in the paper may well be valid but I confine my response to his criticisms of my own work. Let me begin by stating that, like Slater, I view gentrification as essentially a classbased process whereby working-class or rundown areas of the city are transformed into middle-class residential areas often with attendant changes in commercial use. Transformation of the class and income structure of residential areas is at the heart of the process as Ruth Glass recognised 45 years ago. But, if we are to see gentrification as a class-based process, it is necessary to address the questions of where the expanded middle class come from, where the working class has gone, and what the connections are between gentrification, social class change and displacement. I do not think that gentrification always involves displacement or that displacement is the key cause of working-class decline. At the heart of Slater’s critique is that gentrification everywhere and always involves working-class displacement and anyone who denies or questions this is a neoliberal stooge. Thus, gentrification is necessarily reprehensible and must always be opposed. He argues that in recent years we have seen the de-radicalisation of gentrification research with a number of academics, myself included, allegedly backtracking on their previous work. Contrasting my early 1973 work on gentrification and improvement grants to my recent work he takes particular exception to my statement (Hamnett, 2003a) that:
Aversions to Trust

In this article, we focus on two types of "aversion" which we deem essential aspects of the notion of trust: betrayal aversion (social) and ambiguity aversion (a special case of aversion to uncertainty). Based on trust-games studies in experimental economics and neuroeconomics, our main goal is to assess the conceptual, behavioral and neurobiological connections between betrayal and ambiguity aversions. From a social and individual psychological point of view the bottom line of our trusting behavior could be our general aversion to ambiguous signals. We approach social trust in the terms of a phenomenon based on uncertainty aversion.Specifically, a reduction of the perceived uncertainty of a social interaction tends to build up a trusting climate conducive to trade by decreasing betrayal aversion.We hypothesize that betrayal aversion and ambiguity aversion bear such a negative correlation. Focusing on this potential negative correlation our approach clearly differs from more positive accounts of trust centred on altruism.
Gender, Family Structure, and Social Support among Parents.

Structure familiale et relations familiales et sociales : etude des formes et de la logique des relations sociales et familiales mises en oeuvre (famille etendue) selon le type de structure familiale (famille traditionnelle ou non, a deux parents, familles incompletes). Analyse de la caracteristique des relations parent-enfant, des relations de parente et des relations amicales dans ces differents cadres familiaux
Psychiatric disorders among American Indian and white youth in Appalachia: the Great Smoky Mountains Study.

OBJECTIVES This study examined prevalence of psychiatric disorders, social and family risk factors for disorders, and met and unmet needs for mental health care among Appalachian youth. METHODS All 9-, 11-, and 13-year-old American Indian children in an 11-county area of the southern Appalachians were recruited, together with a representative sample of the surrounding population of White children. RESULTS Three-month prevalences of psychiatric disorders were similar (American Indian, 16.7%; White, 19.2%). Substance use was more common in American Indian children (9.0% vs 3.8% in White children), as was comorbidity of substance use and psychiatric disorder (2.5% vs 0.9%). American Indian poverty, family adversity (e.g., parental unemployment, welfare dependency), and family deviance (parental violence, substance abuse, and crime) rates were higher, but the rate of family mental illness, excluding substance abuse, was lower. Child psychiatric disorder and mental health service use were associated with family mental illness in both ethnic groups but were associated with poverty and family deviance only in White children. Despite lower financial barriers, American Indian children used fewer mental health services. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that poverty and crime play different roles in different communities in the etiology of child psychiatric disorder.
The Declining Significance of Triad Societies in Transnational Illegal Activities. A Structural Deficiency Perspective

Through field observations and interviews with Chinese human smugglers and heroin traffickers in the past few years, we have come to realize that a generation of non-triad organized criminals has emerged as an active, if not dominant, force in illegal transnational enterprises. The rapid expansion of global commerce, coupled with shrinking totalitarian societies, has created many opportunities for people of all stripes to come into the illicit market place. While the American law enforcement policies and strategies are still influenced by the dated La Cosa Nostra model, this new generation of Chinese organized criminals enjoying unprecedented opportunities in their provision of illicit services and goods. Empirical studies thus far have not been able to link these transnational organized crime groups to any traditional triad societies. We present a conceptual framework here to argue that triad's entrenched culture and patterns of organization, which have served them well for centuries, are incompatible with conditions necessary for entering into present-day transnational criminal activities.
Combined effects of formalin fixation and tissue processing on immunorecognition

Abstract It is accepted that aldehyde-based fixation of cells can affect immunodetection of antigens; however, the effects of tissue processing on immunodetection have not been analyzed systematically. We investigated the effects of aldehyde-based fixation and the various cumulative steps of tissue processing on immunohistochemical detection of specific antigens. DU145 (prostate) and SKOV3 (ovarian) cancer cell lines were cultured as monolayers on microscope slides. Immunohistochemical detection of Ki67/MIB-1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was evaluated after various fixation times in 10% neutral buffered formalin and after each of the several cumulative steps of tissue processing. The effect of antigen retrieval (AR) was evaluated concomitantly as an additional variable. Our results indicate that in addition to fixation, each of the tissue processing steps has effects on immunorecognition of the epitopes recognized by these antibodies. Extensive dehydration through ethanols to absolute ethanol had only modest effects, except for the detection of Ki67/MIB-1 in SKOV-3 cells where the effect was stronger. In general, however, establishment of a hydrophobic environment by xylene resulted in the greatest decrease in immunorecognition. AR compensated for most, but not all, of the losses in staining following fixation and exposure to xylene; however, AR gave consistent results for most steps of tissue processing, which suggests that AR also should be used for staining PCNA. The cellular variations that were observed indicate that the effects of fixation and other steps of tissue processing may depend on how antigens are packaged by specific cells.
Cutting Edge: IL-16/CD4 Preferentially Induces Th1 Cell Migration: Requirement of CCR5 1

IL-16 binds to CD4 and induces a migratory response in CD4+ T cells. Although it has been assumed that CD4 is the sole receptor and that IL-16 induces a comparable migratory response in all CD4+ T cells, this has not been investigated. In this study, we determined that IL-16 preferentially induces a migratory response in Th1 cells. Because chemokine receptor CCR5 is expressed predominantly in Th1 cells and is physically associated with CD4, we investigated whether IL-16/CD4 stimulation was enhanced in the presence of CCR5. Using T cells from CCR5null mice, we determined that IL-16-induced migration was significantly greater in the presence of CCR5. The presence of CCR5 significantly increased IL-16 binding vs CD4 alone; however, IL-16 could not bind to CCR5 alone. Because CD4+CCR5+ cells are prevalent at sites of inflammation, this intimate functional relationship likely plays a pivotal role for the recruitment and activation of Th1 cells.
Circulating MicroRNAs: Molecular Microsensors in Gastrointestinal Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small molecules of single strand non-coding RNAs, which are able to regulate gene expression. miRNAs have been involved in multiple cellular processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation, thus alterations in miRNA expression have been shown to be directly linked with the pathological origin of multiple diseases, including cancer. In this way, during last few years, an increasing number of exciting advances have contributed to the understanding of miRNA roles in cancer. Moreover, researchers have exploited the special characteristics of miRNAs, such as the tissue and disease specificity or miRNA presence in blood, to explore their use as non-invasive tumour markers. In the present review, we summarize the current data on the potential usefulness of circulating miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic tools in gastrointestinal tumours.
Career Aspirations of Urban, Mexican American Adolescent Females

The gender distribution of jobs remains vastly disproportionate, especially among minority groups: Women continue to be overrepresented in traditionally femaleoccupied jobs and underrepresented in high-status, high-paying occupations. Literature on gender distribution of careers and factors affecting career choice remains sparse where ethnic minority females are concerned. The present study attempts to fill this gap and focuses on adolescent females from Mexican American backgrounds. Descriptive findings indicate the general male dominance of females’career aspirations. Compared to females aspiring to highly female-dominated careers, females aspiring to highly male-dominated careers were more acculturated, earned higher grade point averages (GPAs) and higher achievement scores in science and social studies, and held higher educational aspirations and expectations, and a greater number of this group evidenced a clear understanding of the steps needed to achieve career goals. Findings are discussed in terms of their contradiction of previous findings and Mexican cultural norms.
Meditative practices predict spirituality but mindfulness does not predict alcohol use in African-American college students

This study examines the relationships between mindfulness, alcohol use, social desirability, daily spiritual experiences, and religion in African-American college students at an Historically Black College or University. Significant positive correlations were found between mindfulness and religion as well as between spirituality and meditative practices. Results suggest that participants who reported being religious were more likely to have higher emotional intelligence and better verbal expressive abilities compared to participants who reported being nonreligious. Participants who endorsed practicing some form of meditation also were found to have a higher degree of reported spirituality compared to those who reported not practicing meditation. Findings suggest that those participants who reported being mindfully nonjudgmental also reported being more likely to be negatively reactive to their own thoughts. Findings do not suggest that mindfulness, social desirability, and religion predict alcohol use in African-American college students.
The changing window of conditions that promotes germination of two fire ephemerals, Actinotus leucocephalus (Apiaceae) and Tersonia cyathiflora (Gyrostemonaceae).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Following a period of burial, more Actinotus leucocephalus (Apiaceae) and Tersonia cyathiflora (Gyrostemonaceae) seeds germinate in smoke water. The main aim of this study was to determine whether these fire-ephemeral seeds exhibit annual dormancy cycling during burial. This study also aimed to determine the effect of dormancy alleviation on the range of light and temperature conditions at which seeds germinate, and the possible factors driving changes in seed dormancy during burial. METHODS Seeds were collected in summer, buried in soil in mesh bags in autumn and exhumed every 6 months for 24 months. Germination of exhumed and laboratory-stored (15 degrees C) seeds was assessed at 20 degrees C in water or smoke water. Germination response to light or dark conditions, incubation temperature (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 degrees C), nitrate and gibberellic acid were also examined following burial or laboratory storage for 24 months. In the laboratory seeds were also stored at various temperatures (5, 15, 37 and 20/50 degrees C) for 1, 2 and 3 months followed by germination testing in water or smoke water. KEY RESULTS The two species exhibited dormancy cycling during soil burial, producing low levels of germination in response to smoke water when exhumed in spring and high levels of germination in autumn. In autumn, seeds germinated in both light and dark and at a broader range of temperatures than did laboratory-stored seeds, and some Actinotus leucocephalus seeds also germinated in water alone. Dormancy release of Actinotus leucocephalus was slow during dry storage at 15 degrees C and more rapid at higher temperatures (37 and 20/50 degrees C); weekly wet/dry cycles further accelerated the rate of dormancy release. Cold stratification (5 degrees C) induced secondary dormancy. By contrast, no Tersonia cyathiflora seeds germinated following any of the laboratory storage treatments. CONCLUSIONS Temperature and moisture influence dormancy cycling in Actinotus leucocephalus seeds. These factors alone did not simulate dormancy cycling of Tersonia cyathiflora seeds under the conditions tested.
Combining articulatory and acoustic information for speech recognition in noisy and reverberant environments

Robust speech recognition under varying acoustic conditions may be achieved by exploiting multiple sources of information in the speech signal. In addition to an acoustic signal representation, we use an articulatory representation consisting of pseudo-articulatory features as an additional information source. Hybrid ANN/HMM recognizers using either of these representations are evaluated on a continuous numbers recognition task (OGI Numbers95) under clean, reverberant and noisy conditions. An error analysis of preliminary recognition results shows that the different representations produce qualitatively different errors, which suggests a combination of both representations. We investigate various combination possibilities at the phoneme estimation level and show that significant improvements can been achieved under all three acoustic conditions.
Predicting Adult Risk of Child Physical Abuse From Childhood Exposure to Violence: Can Interpersonal Schemata Explain the Association?

Abstract Interpersonal schemata were examined to explain the association between childhood exposure to violence—including child physical abuse (CPA), child sexual abuse, and domestic violence—and adult risk of CPA perpetration. In a sample of male and female U.S. Navy recruits (N = 4,812), all forms of childhood violence and models of the self and others were predictive of increased adult CPA risk, and their effects were additive. Interpersonal schemata did not moderate or mediate the relationship between childhood violence and adult CPA risk; instead, interpersonal schemata were independent predictors of adult risk of CPA perpetration.
Autonomy in a networked world

This special issue is a collection of articles based on papers originally presented at the 5th International Independent Learning Association Conference held in August September 2012 at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. These articles represent key topics and issues in language learner autonomy, as profiled at the conference under the central theme of Autonomy in a Networked World. The theme is evocative of the perceived juxtaposition of a more traditional understandings of autonomy as self-determination of the language learner and a new, emerging emphasis on pervasive interconnectedness and interdependence of people and systems (both natural and man-made) in today’s world of distributed computer networks and new modes of communication (Lewis 2013; Siemens 2005). This emerging focus on interconnectedness coincides with an increasing interest in sociocultural approaches to language learning, a recognition that while the individual brain is where acquisition takes place, the actual process is mediated by interaction with others as the learner gradually comes to grips with the use of the new code of the second language. Greater attention to what these interactive processes are has led to a re-evaluation of the role of the learner and in particular the agency of the learner in managing their learning. This shift in emphasis, from the individual learner to the connected learner, underlies a number of the issues raised by this collection of papers. The first is the socially mediated learning opportunities afforded by digital technologies and the role of the learner in managing these opportunities. Kop and Hill (2008) argue that in the interconnected educational environment, learners inevitably find themselves at the centre of learning experiences and that ‘[l]earners will be instrumental in determining the content of the learning, in addition to deciding the nature and levels of communication, and who can participate’ (9). This dynamic view of autonomy implies that the learner’s sense of agency and ideal self is continuously fine-tuned to optimise the balance between the individual and social self. This fine-tuning can be facilitated instructionally and experientially. Accessible multimedia online language learning environments, such as Livemocha (livemocha.com) and Duolingo (www.duolingo.com), allow learners to select tools and modes of learning that match their personal goals and preferences, adjusting and readjusting the balance between individual and social dimensions of learning. Students may opt for taking a traditional course with a tutor, interacting with other learners, adopting a teaching