Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Youth Voice and Positive Identity-Building Practices: The Case of ScienceGirls.

Through two stories of youth voice, learning, and identity development in an afterschool science program for girls only, we show the ways in which such programs can be understood as important identity-building practices. We describe key dimensions of a sociocultural approach to youth voice, learning, and identity, situated also in the context of the literature on afterschool programs. We then explore the manner in which youth voice and identity were marked by time and space. We conclude with a discussion of youth voice and ethics in collaborative research projects with youth. Resume Grâce a deux etudes de cas, nous montrons de quelle maniere un programme parascolaire des filles peut soutenir des pratiques de construction identitaire. Tout d’abord, nous decrivons quelques dimensions clefs de la voix des jeunes, de l’apprentissage et des pratiques de construction identitaire selon une approche socioculturelle, ancree dans la litterature sur les programmes parascolaires. Nous explorons ensuite la place de la voix des jeunes et le travail identitaire, ainsi que la maniere dont il est marque par le temps et l’espace. Nous concluons avec une discussion sur la voix des jeunes et des questions ethiques soulevees par de tels projets de recherche collaboratif.
Learning Your Earning: Are Labor Income Shocks Really Very Persistent?

The current literature offers two views on the nature of the income process. According to the first view, which we call the “restricted income profiles” (RIP) model (MaCurdy, 1982), individuals are subject to large and very persistent shocks, while facing similar life-cycle income profiles (conditional on a few characteristics). According to the alternative view, which we call the “heterogeneous income profiles” (HIP) model (Lillard and Weiss, 1979), individuals are subject to income shocks with modest persistence, while facing individual-specific income profiles. While labor income data does not seem to distinguish between the two hypotheses in a definitive way, the RIP model is overwhelmingly used to specify the income process in economic models, because it delivers implications consistent with certain features of consumption data. In this paper we study the consumption-savings behavior under the HIP model, which so far has not been investigated. In a life-cycle model, we assume that individuals enter the labor market with a prior belief about their individual-specific profile and learn over time in a Bayesian fashion. We find that learning is slow, and thus initial uncertainty affects decisions throughout the life-cycle allowing us to estimate the prior uncertainty from consumption behavior later in life. This procedure implies that 40 percent of variation in income growth rates is forecastable by individuals at time zero. The resulting model is consistent with several features of consumption data including (i) the substantial rise in within-cohort consumption inequality (Deaton and Paxson 1994), (ii) the non-concave shape of the age-inequality profile (which the RIP model is not consistent with), and (iii) the fact that consumption profiles are steeper for higher educated individuals (Carroll and Summers 1991). These results bring new evidence from consumption data on the nature of labor income risk.
Altered xanthine oxidase and N-acetyltransferase activity in obese children.

AIMS It is well established that oxidative and conjugative enzyme activity differs between obese and healthy-weight adults. However, the effect of obesity on drug metabolism in children has not been studied extensively. This study examined whether obese and healthy-weight children vary with respect to oxidative enzyme activity of CYP1A2, xanthine oxidase (XO) and conjugative enzyme activity of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2). METHODS In vivo CYP1A2, XO and NAT2 activity was assessed in obese (n= 9) and lean (n= 16) children between the ages of 6-10 years using caffeine (118.3 ml Coca Cola®) as probe. Urine samples were collected in 2-h increments over 8 h. Caffeine and metabolites were measured using LC/MS, and urinary metabolic ratios were determined based on reported methods. RESULTS Sixteen healthy-weight and nine obese children were evaluated. XO activity was elevated in paediatric obese volunteers compared with non-obese paediatric volunteers (XO metabolic ratio of 0.7 ± 0.06 vs. 0.6 ± 0.06, respectively, 95% CI 0.046, 0.154, P < 0.001). NAT2 activity was fivefold higher in the obese (1 ± 0.4) as compared with non-obese children (0.2 ± 0.1), 95% CI 0.26, 1.34, P < 0.05. However, no difference was observed in CYP1A2 activity between the groups (95% CI -2.72, 0.12, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that obese children have elevated XO and NAT2 enzyme activity when compared with healthy-weight controls. Further studies are needed to determine how this may impact the efficacy of therapeutic agents that may undergo metabolism by these enzymes.
Successful Adoption of E-Monitoring for Budgeting Implementation in Context of Mandatory Environment and Tri Hita Karana Culture

This study examines the successful adoption of electronic monitoring for budget implementation (E-MBI) using model of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) that modified in context of mandatory environment and Tri Hita Karana cultural. This study aim is to examine and explain factors affecting the successful adoption of electronic government in Regional Office of Religion Ministry of Bali based on local culture of Tri Hita Karana. Data was collected by survey method using questionnaire. Samples were 60 personnel of E-MBI. Data were analyzed by using partial least squares. The research proves that performance expectancy, social and cultural and information quality can affect user satisfaction to E-MBI. Meanwhile, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and system quality cannot affect the user satisfaction to E-MBI. Public education or religious cannot affect the effect of exogenous variables on endogenous variables. In addition, the results reinforce UTAUT to construct models of social and cultural factors in context of Tri Hita Karana to replace social factors construct in UTAUT model. Keywords: UTAUT, e-government, mandatory setting, Tri Hita Karana cultural
Correlations in the STAR forward pion production in dAu collisions and energy losses in black disc regime

We argue that absorption of partons produced in hard QCD interactions at high energies becomes large due to onset of the black disk limit (BDL) and leads to the suppression of Landau Pomeranchuk coherence. This new perturbative QCD regime results from important role of intermediate inelastic states. In the BDL leading partons in the hadron collisions experience fractional energy losses increasing with energy. We confront our expectations with the recent data of the STAR collaboration on the probability, P , for emission of at least one hadron with pt ≥ 0.5GeV/c, |η| ≤ 0.75 in association with production of a very forward high pt neutral pion in pp and dAu collisions. We calculate the A-dependence of P and find that the data implies a strong suppression of leading pionproduction at central impact parameters resulting in dominance of peripheral mechanisms of production of the very forward π0’s. We find no evidence of the suppression of hadrons in the recoil jet kinematics. Both of these features of the data are consistent with the onset of the BDL. We suggest new ways to analyze data which allow to improve separation between hard and soft contributions.
Effectiveness of Psychotherapeutic Treatment

Decades of research compellingly demonstrate that when aligned with a wise, skillful, sound provider, clients entering psychotherapeutic treatments can expect to reduce symptoms, accelerate natural healing processes, improve life functioning, and learn additional coping strategies. Those who seek therapy consistently have better outcomes than those who do not receive treatment (or who are on a waitlist) and a broad range of therapies have been shown to assist patients make changes that are both statistically and clinically meaningful in relatively short periods of time. For many clinical disorders, about 50% of all patients return to normal functioning in 10 to 20 sessions. An additional 25 percent of patients experience substantial improvement when dosage levels are increased to 30 to 50 sessions. With the exception of disorders that tend to recur (e. g., addiction disorders), the benefits from treatment appear to be durable as the results of follow-up studies suggest that the effects of treatment last for at least one to five years subsequent to treatment. These results seem at least partially attributable to the emphasis and efforts that psychotherapists make to provide more than support. Personality changes and re-organization of the self often occur. Changes appear to be due to factors common across theory-based treatments rather than to specific unique treatment methods.
Beyond Element-Wise Interactions: Identifying Complex Interactions in Biological Processes

Background Biological processes typically involve the interactions of a number of elements (genes, cells) acting on each others. Such processes are often modelled as networks whose nodes are the elements in question and edges pairwise relations between them (transcription, inhibition). But more often than not, elements actually work cooperatively or competitively to achieve a task. Or an element can act on the interaction between two others, as in the case of an enzyme controlling a reaction rate. We call “complex” these types of interaction and propose ways to identify them from time-series observations. Methodology We use Granger Causality, a measure of the interaction between two signals, to characterize the influence of an enzyme on a reaction rate. We extend its traditional formulation to the case of multi-dimensional signals in order to capture group interactions, and not only element interactions. Our method is extensively tested on simulated data and applied to three biological datasets: microarray data of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, local field potential recordings of two brain areas and a metabolic reaction. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that complex Granger causality can reveal new types of relation between signals and is particularly suited to biological data. Our approach raises some fundamental issues of the systems biology approach since finding all complex causalities (interactions) is an NP hard problem.
Integrating articulatory constraints into models of second language phonological acquisition

ABSTRACT Models such as Eckman's markedness differential hypothesis, Flege's speech learning model, and Brown's feature-based theory of perception seek to explain and predict the relative difficulty second language (L2) learners face when acquiring new or similar sounds. In this paper, we test their predictive adequacy as concerns native English speakers’ mastery of French /ʁ/ and Spanish /ɾ/. Based on an acoustic analysis of the learner data, we demonstrate that these three models do not account for the full range of variability nor for the developmental sequences attested, because they do not consider the degree of difficulty involved in the simultaneous mastery of multiple phonetic parameters across prosodic positions. Consequently, models of L2 phonological acquisition must not only integrate findings from markedness theory and speech perception but also incorporate phonetic constraints on production.
Examining the Features of an English Language Test: Reliability-related Issues

Most universities across Iran tend to develop English tests for placement, exit, achievement, and other purposes. Examining the various features of such tests is imperative for making informed decisions about learners' achievement level. The present study examined the features of a university-wide administered English language achievement test at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST). The characteristics of the test including reliability, item facility/difficulty, and item discrimination were examined. The reliability estimates showed that the test had a relatively acceptable level of reliability. However, it was relatively easy, and the majority of the items had a rather low discrimination power. Moreover, all the subsections of the test were found to contribute significantly to the overall achievement of the participants. It was concluded that more attention needs to be paid to the difficulty and discrimination characteristics of such achievement tests assigned on a large scale across universities. Suggestions are made about how more accountable decisions can be made to have fair tests for language achievement purposes.
On The Neural Mechanisms of Sequence Learning

Nissen and Bullemer's (1987) serial reaction time task (SRT) has proven to be a useful model task for exploring implicit sequence learning. Neuropsychological research indicates that SRT learning may depend on the integrity of the basal ganglia, but not on medial temporal and diencephalic structures that are crucial for explicit learning. Recent neuroimaging research demonstrates that motor cortical areas (primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, supplementary motor cortex), prefrontal, and parietal cortex also may be involved. This paper reviews this neuropsychological and neuroimaging research, but finds it lacking specific links between structure and function. In order to promote better functional hypotheses, the second part of the paper examines the function of these brain areas (basal ganglia, motor cortical areas, prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex) from a broader perspective. Neuroimaging and neuropsychological research with human subjects, as well as neurophysiological and lesion research with animals, suggests a number component operations that these brain mechanisms may contribute to learning in the SRT task.
Pentoxifylline Attenuates Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury in Immature Rats

Inflammatory mediators are implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic injury in immature brain. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline inhibits production of tumor necrosis factor-α and platelet-activating factor. We hypothesized that pentoxifylline treatment would attenuate hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in immature rats. Seven-day-old rats (n = 79) underwent right carotid ligation, followed by hypoxia (FiO2 = 0.08). Rats received pentoxifylline immediately before and again after hypoxia (two doses, 25–150 mg/kg/dose, n = 34), or vehicle (n = 27). In separate experiments, rats received pentoxifylline treatment (40 mg/kg/dose, n = 8), or vehicle (n = 10) immediately and again 3 h after hypoxia-ischemia. Severity of injury was assessed 5 d later by visual evaluation of ipsilateral hemisphere infarction and by measurement of bilateral hemispheric cross-sectional areas. Pentoxifylline pretreatment reduced the incidence of liquefactive cerebral infarction, from 75% in controls to 10% with pentoxifylline, 40 mg/kg/dose (p < 0.001, χ2 trend test). Quantification of hemispheric areas confirmed these findings. In contrast, posthypoxic-ischemic treatment with pentoxifylline resulted in only a modest reduction in cortical damage, without an overall reduction in incidence of infarction. Phosphodiesterase inhibition may be an effective strategy to use to decrease the severity of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Pretreatment regimens could be clinically relevant in settings in which an increased risk of cerebral ischemia can be anticipated, such as in infants undergoing surgery to correct congenital heart disease.
The Comparative Historical Analysis of Public Management Policy Cycles in France, Italy, and Spain: Symposium Introduction

In recent studies of public management reform in France, Italy, and Spain inspired by historical institutionalism, the Napoleonic tradition is cast as a causal factor whose overwhelming strength explains how these countries' reforms proceed and finish. This symposium pursues the same research interest in the politics of public management reform and goal of understanding how reforms begin, proceed, and finish in these countries. However, the features of this research project include (1) a focus on instances of public management policymaking, (2) original research on public management reform episodes in each country, and (3) explanatory research arguments that place causation within events. Based on a comparison of explanatory research arguments developed in each case study, the symposium's conclusion extends earlier institutional processualist accounts of causal tendencies of public management policymaking and offers a critique of the historical institutionalist studies mentioned earlier.
Time Strains and Psychological Well-Being

Using data from the 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce, these authors examine gender differences in feeling time strain for children, spouse, and oneself and in the association of these feelings with psychological well-being among dual-earner parents. Fathers are more likely than mothers to report feeling time deficits with their children and spouse; however, it is primarily because fathers spend more hours in paid work than mothers. Yet feelings of time deficits with children and spouse are associated with lower well-being only for mothers. In terms of time for oneself, mothers more than fathers feel strains, net of the time they spend on free-time activities. Mothers and fathers who feel a time shortage for themselves express lower well-being, although for some measures, the relationship is stronger for fathers.
Functions of Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinases in Plant Innate Immunity

An increase of cytosolic Ca2+ is generated by diverse physiological stimuli and stresses, including pathogen attack. Plants have evolved two branches of the immune system to defend against pathogen infections. The primary innate immune response is triggered by the detection of evolutionarily conserved pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP), which is called PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI). The second branch of plant innate immunity is triggered by the recognition of specific pathogen effector proteins and known as effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Calcium (Ca2+) signaling is essential in both plant PTI and ETI responses. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) have emerged as important Ca2+ sensor proteins in transducing differential Ca2+ signatures, triggered by PAMPs or effectors and activating complex downstream responses. CDPKs directly transmit calcium signals by calcium binding to the elongation factor (EF)-hand domain at the C-terminus and substrate phosphorylation by the catalytic kinase domain at the N-terminus. Emerging evidence suggests that specific and overlapping CDPKs phosphorylate distinct substrates in PTI and ETI to regulate diverse plant immune responses, including production of reactive oxygen species, transcriptional reprogramming of immune genes, and the hypersensitive response.
Phosphoproteomic Profiling of Human Myocardial Tissues Distinguishes Ischemic from Non-Ischemic End Stage Heart Failure

The molecular differences between ischemic (IF) and non-ischemic (NIF) heart failure are poorly defined. A better understanding of the molecular differences between these two heart failure etiologies may lead to the development of more effective heart failure therapeutics. In this study extensive proteomic and phosphoproteomic profiles of myocardial tissue from patients diagnosed with IF or NIF were assembled and compared. Proteins extracted from left ventricular sections were proteolyzed and phosphopeptides were enriched using titanium dioxide resin. Gel- and label-free nanoscale capillary liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution accuracy mass tandem mass spectrometry allowed for the quantification of 4,436 peptides (corresponding to 450 proteins) and 823 phosphopeptides (corresponding to 400 proteins) from the unenriched and phospho-enriched fractions, respectively. Protein abundance did not distinguish NIF from IF. In contrast, 37 peptides (corresponding to 26 proteins) exhibited a ≥2-fold alteration in phosphorylation state (p<0.05) when comparing IF and NIF. The degree of protein phosphorylation at these 37 sites was specifically dependent upon the heart failure etiology examined. Proteins exhibiting phosphorylation alterations were grouped into functional categories: transcriptional activation/RNA processing; cytoskeleton structure/function; molecular chaperones; cell adhesion/signaling; apoptosis; and energetic/metabolism. Phosphoproteomic analysis demonstrated profound post-translational differences in proteins that are involved in multiple cellular processes between different heart failure phenotypes. Understanding the roles these phosphorylation alterations play in the development of NIF and IF has the potential to generate etiology-specific heart failure therapeutics, which could be more effective than current therapeutics in addressing the growing concern of heart failure.
Transcriptional Regulation of Smooth Muscle Phenotypic Modulation

Abstract: Phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cell plays a pivotal role in the development of vascular pathology, such as atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty. We have identified the zinc finger protein BTEB2 as a DNA binding protein that regulates the nonmuscle myosin heavy chain (SMemb) promoter. BTEB2 is expressed in fetal aorta but not in adult aorta and is induced in the neointima in response to vascular injury. BTEB2 also activates a number of vascular disease‐associated genes, such as tissue factor, PAI‐1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1), and Egr‐1 gene. We have further isolated and characterized the human BTEB2 gene. Functional studies using 5′‐deletion and site‐directed mutation constructs demonstrated that phorbol ester induces Egr‐1, which can activate the BTEB2 promoter through binding to ‐32 from the transcription start site. These results suggest that phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells occurring in response to mitogen stimulation may be mediated by BTEB2 through Egr‐1 induction.