Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distance to Cannabis-Shops and Age of Onset of Cannabis Use

In the Netherlands, cannabis use is quasi-legalized. Small quantities of cannabis can be bought in cannabis shops. We investigate how the distance to the nearest cannabis shop affects the age of onset of cannabis use. We use a mixed proportional hazard rate framework to take account of observable as well as unobservable characteristics that influence the uptake of cannabis. We find that distance matters. Individuals who grow up within 20 km of a cannabis shop have a lower age of onset.
The Safety and efficacy of a new self-expandable intratracheal nitinol stent for the tracheal collapse in dogs

To evaluate the potential utility of a self-expandable intratracheal nitinol stent with flared ends for the treatment of tracheal collapse in dogs, endotracheal stenting therapy was performed under fluoroscopic guidance in four dogs with severe tracheal collapse. During the 4 to 7 month follow-up, after stent implantation, clinical signs, including dyspnea and respiratory distress, dramatically improved in all dogs. The radiographs showed that the implanted stents improved the tracheal collapse, and there were no side effects such as collapse, shortening or migration of the stents. In conclusion, the self-expandable intratracheal nitinol stents provided adequate stability to the trachea and were effective for attenuating the clinical signs associated with severe tracheal collapse.
Specific targeting of human peripheral blood T cells by heteroaggregates containing anti-T3 crosslinked to anti-target cell antibodies

Antibody heteroaggregates have been used to render human peripheral blood T cells lytic for specified targets. The heteroaggregates contain anti-T3 covalently linked to antibodies against nominal target cell antigens. Such heteroaggregates bind target cells directly to T3 molecules on effector cells and trigger target cell lysis. Freshly prepared human PBL, when coated with anti-T3-containing heteroaggregates, are lytic without further stimulation, although brief exposure to crude lymphokine-containing supernatants or recombinant IL- 2, but not recombinant IFN-gamma, enhances the activity. The effector cells are T8+, and when fully stimulated, their lytic activity approaches that of some cloned CTL. When T cells are treated with heteroaggregate, washed, and incubated at 37 degrees C in medium not containing heteroaggregate, they retain activity for at least 24 h. The results of this study suggest a strategy in which heteroaggregate- coated T cells could be used in vivo to mount a lytic response against pathogenic cells such as tumor cells or virus-infected cells.
Population genetic structure of Simulium degrangei (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Western Carpathians

Simulium degrangei Dorier & Grenier, 1960 was recorded in southern and central Europe and in the Crimea and Caucasus. Its distribution pattern is scattered. The variability of the mtDNA gene encoding cytochrome oxidase I was studied in populations of S. degrangei from the Western Carpathians in Slovakia and in the northern Hellenides of Greece. In the analyzed samples, 21 haplotypes were recorded, of which twenty were private and occurred in only one mountain range, but one haplotype was found in all three studied populations from the Western Carpathians. Both haplotypes from the Hellenides were private, but these were not isolated and they fit into the haplotype network of the Western Carpathians. Statistics of genetic variability, different designs of analysis of molecular variation with non-significant differences and the pair-wise genetic distances support the hypothesis that there are no differences between the analyzed populations. Similarly, using nested clade phylogeographical analysis, no genetic-geographical structure was found.
Photothermal Radiometry for Skin Research

Photothermal radiometry is an infrared remote sensing technique that has been used for skin and skin appendages research, in the areas of skin hydration, hydration gradient, skin hydration depth profiling, skin thickness measurements, skin pigmentation measurements, effect of topically applied substances, transdermal drug delivery, moisture content of bio-materials, membrane permeation, and nail and hair measurements. Compared with other technologies, photothermal radiometry has the advantages of non-contact, non-destructive, quick to make a measurement (a few seconds), and being spectroscopic in nature. It is also colour blind, and can work on any arbitrary sample surfaces. It has a unique depth profiling capability on a sample surface (typically the top 20 µm), which makes it particularly suitable for skin measurements. In this paper, we present a review of the photothermal radiometry work carried out in our research group. We will first introduce the theoretical background, then illustrate its applications with experimental results.
Differential Combinatorial Coding of Pheromones in Two Olfactory Subsystems of the Honey Bee Brain

Neural coding of pheromones has been intensively studied in insects with a particular focus on sex pheromones. These studies favored the view that pheromone compounds are processed within specific antennal lobe glomeruli following a specialized labeled-line system. However, pheromones play crucial roles in an insect's life beyond sexual attraction, and some species use many different pheromones making such a labeled-line organization unrealistic. A combinatorial coding scheme, in which each component activates a set of broadly tuned units, appears more adapted in this case. However, this idea has not been tested thoroughly. We focused here on the honey bee Apis mellifera, a social insect that relies on a wide range of pheromones to ensure colony cohesion. Interestingly, the honey bee olfactory system harbors two central parallel pathways, whose functions remain largely unknown. Using optophysiological recordings of projection neurons, we compared the responses of these two pathways to 27 known honey bee pheromonal compounds emitted by the brood, the workers, and the queen. We show that while queen mandibular pheromone is processed by l-ALT (lateral antennal lobe tract) neurons and brood pheromone is mainly processed by m-ALT (median antennal lobe tract) neurons, worker pheromones induce redundant activity in both pathways. Moreover, all tested pheromonal compounds induce combinatorial activity from several AL glomeruli. These findings support the combinatorial coding scheme and suggest that higher-order brain centers reading out these combinatorial activity patterns may eventually classify olfactory signals according to their biological meaning.
Auditory selective attention in typical development and Auditory Processing Disorder

This thesis examines auditory selective attention as a possible cause of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). APD is a diagnosis based on the clinical needs of the 5% of children who present with listening difficulties but demonstrate normal hearing. This thesis will focus on developmental APD, which affects children with no known infection, trauma or primary cause inducing their listening difficulties. It will seek to address the current lack of understanding of the root causes of APD, which leads to significant variation in clinical referral routes, resulting in inconsistent methods of diagnosis and treatment. APD has historically been approached via a bottom-up route of assessing auditory processing skills, such as temporal-spatial abilities. The inconsistent results of bottom-up studies has led to debate regarding the diagnosis and treatment of APD, resulting in extensive batteries of tests being conducted on children. However, recent evidence suggests that studies on the causality of APD should be refocused on top-down processes such as auditory attention and memory – hence the focus of this thesis on auditory selective attention. The thesis begins by assessing a new test of auditory selective attention, the Test of Attention in Listening (TAiL), to ensure that it measures auditory rather than supramodal attention. Having established the modality-specificity of TAiL, the thesis examines the development of auditory selective attention to both spatial and non-spatial auditory stimulus features, across tasks of varying levels of perceptual demand. Finally, the thesis assesses the selective attention ability of children with listening difficulties. Specifically, listeners’ selective attention is assessed in both the auditory and visual domains, using both spatially- and non-spatially-based tasks. If auditory selective attention deficits are found in those with listening difficulties, this will provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of APD to be constructed and managed from a psychological viewpoint rather than an audiological one.
Behavior Change Support Systems: The Next Frontier for Web Science

new generation of the web has opened up opportunities for developing new kinds of information systems for influencing users. For instance, one of the most prominent areas for future healthcare improvement is the role of the web in fostering improved health and healthier lifestyles. The success or failure of web information systems seems to rely on their social features. For this reason, a better understanding of the techno-social aspects of web information systems and the way they influence people is needed. This article is conceptual and theory-creating by its nature. It introduces the concept of a behavior change support system and suggests it as a key construct for web science research. The behavior change support systems are characterized by their persuasive purpose.
The Tonsils Revisited: Review of the Anatomical Localization and Histological Characteristics of the Tonsils of Domestic and Laboratory Animals

This paper gives an overview of the anatomical localization and histological characteristics of the tonsils that are present in ten conventional domestic animal species, including the sheep, goat, ox, pig, horse, dog, cat, rabbit, rat, and pigeon. Anatomical macrographs and histological images of the tonsils are shown. Six tonsils can be present in domestic animals, that is, the lingual, palatine, paraepiglottic, pharyngeal, and tubal tonsils and the tonsil of the soft palate. Only in the sheep and goat, all six tonsils are present. Proper tonsils are absent in the rat, and pigeon. In the rabbit, only the palatine tonsils can be noticed, whereas the pig does not present palatine tonsils. The paraepiglottic tonsils lack in the ox, horse, and dog. In addition, the dog and cat are devoid of the tubal tonsil and the tonsil of the soft palate.
A Comparative Study of Real Options Valuation Methods : Economics-Based Approach vs . Engineering-Based Approach

It has been expected that the option valuation theory will play a much more significant role in the real estate analysis. However, potentially because of the need for understanding the advanced financial theories, the real options analysis has not been fully used in the real world. In order to attack this problem, it is highly desired to create a more practical and easily understandable calculation model for valuing flexibility. With the increasing computational power of today, an interesting approach to valuing flexibility arises from the field of engineering systems. This approach does not require the understanding of advanced financial theories, and aims to assess the value of flexibility built into the project design. Although the perspective of this approach may be slightly different from that of traditional real options valuation approach, this approach might be an alternative method as a simpler model for valuing flexibility. The comparative study of the economics-based approach and the engineeringbased approach revealed that the latter approach has one critical problem in estimating the value of flexibility; the usage of a single risk-adjusted discount rate leads to either underestimation or overestimation of the real options value. Based on the results of a case study, this thesis proposes to use the engineering-based approach together with the economics-based approach. With its ability of comprehensive analysis and graphic presentation, the engineering-based approach has a great probability to make it easier for average practitioners to intuitively understand the value of flexibility. Thesis Supervisor: David Geltner Title: Professor of Real Estate Finance, Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Eyetracking based approach to objective image quality assessment

This paper presents an approach to predict perceived quality of compressed images while incorporating real visual attention coordinates. Information about the visual attention is not usually taken into account in models for image quality assessment. The idea of implementing gaze information into the image quality assessment system lies in that the artefacts are more disturbing to human observer in the region with higher saliency than in other parts of an image. Impact of the region of interest on estimation accuracy of a simple image quality metric is investigated. The gaze coordinates were calculated using calibrated electro-oculogram records of human observers while watching a number of test images. The same images were used for subjective image quality assessment. Obtained mean opinion scores of perceived image quality and eye tracking data were used to verify potential improvement of assessment accuracy for a simple image quality metric.
Breaking the silence: A qualitative critical autoethnography of a principal's lived experience with having courageous conversations about race

This qualitative critical autoethnography represents a highly personalized account of the intricacies and reflections of a Black female educational leader engaging in courageous conversations about race with a predominately White staff. Using myself as the subject and the researcher, my personal experiences with race, racism, and intolerance in a White socially constructed educational system is depicted autoethnographically as I learned to have courageous conversations about race. Exploring the development of my critical consciousness affected how I see race as a Black, female administrator. Singleton’s (2015) Courageous Conversations about Race was the foundation for this critical autoethnography. As a Black female educational leader of a Midwestern early learning center, I reveal my story as an insider-outsider.trapped; as I tried to figure out how I fit at the Aranbe Learning Center (ALC, pseudonym), where the staff was 87% White and the students were 90% of color, as it related to having courageous conversations. This critical autoethnography reflects my lived experience as an administrator trying to engage, sustain, and deepen interracial dialogue about race. My commitment to stay engaged, experience discomfort, speak my
High levels of rule-bending in a minimally religious and largely egalitarian forager population

ABSTRACT Our species’ biological success is unsurpassed – an achievement largely accredited to our remarkable capacity to cooperate. Large-scale cooperation, however, remains a puzzle. Recent work suggests that belief in the existence of omnipresent and omnipotent moralistic deities may have contributed to the emergence and maintenance of cooperation in large-scale societies. This study examines the relationship between religiosity and cooperation in the Hadza, one of the few remaining hunter-gatherer populations in the world. Hadza were surveyed about their religious beliefs and participated in two incentivized economic games, designed to measure rule-bending in favor of one’s campmates (game 1) and self (game 2) at the expense of Hadza living in other camps. Consistent with previous ethnographic descriptions, the Hadza engage in few religious practices and lack a strong belief in the existence of powerful and moralizing deities. The Hadza also show very high levels of rule-bending. There is, however, little evidence that belief in moralistic deities is associated with decreased rule-bending within the Hadza. Instead, the findings suggest that rule-bending for one’s campmates increases as the proportion of kin in one’s camp increases. Also, Hadza living in a geographic region close to markets and increased tourism exhibit greater rule-bending in favor of self compared to more isolated Hadza. The high levels of rule-bending and low levels of religiosity observed in the Hadza are discussed in light of the strong norms of sharing and egalitarianism that characterize their lives.
Association of NR1I2 gene polymorphisms and time of progression to AIDS

BACKGROUND The time of progression towards AIDS can vary greatly among seropositive patients, and may be associated with host genetic variation. The NR1I2 (PXR) gene, a ligand-activated transcription factor, regulates the transcription immune pathway genes and can therefore be targets of viral replication mechanisms influencing time of progression to AIDS. OBJECTIVE To verify the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs3814057, rs6785049, rs7643645, and rs2461817 in the NR1I2 (PXR) gene with progression to AIDS in HIV-1 infected patients. METHODS Blood samples were obtained from 96 HIV-1 positive individuals following informed consent. DNA was isolated and genotyped through real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of SNPs in the NR1I2. Questionnaires on socio-demographic features and behaviors were answered and time of progression to AIDS was estimated based on medical chart analysis. FINDINGS Patients with the GG genotype for rs7643645 were shown to be related with a more rapid disease progression when compared to GA and AA genotypes. This result was maintained by the Multivariate Cox Regression considering sex, ethnicity, and presence of HLA-B*57, HLA-B*27, and CCR5del32 polymorphisms. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Recent studies reported the expression of the nuclear receptors in T-Lymphocytes, suggesting their possible role in the immune response. In addition, nuclear receptors have been shown to inhibit the HIV replication, although no such mechanism has been thoroughly elucidated to date. This is the first time an association between NR1I2 polymorphism and time of progression to AIDS is reported and supports an apparent relationship between the gene in the immune response and identifies another genetic factor influencing AIDS progression.
Morphological changes in the testis after long-term valproate treatment in male Wistar rats

Uncertainty exists about the effect of antiepileptic drugs on gonadal function. In females, long-term valproate treatment has been shown to induce endocrine disturbances and an increased number of ovarian cysts. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether valproate can also induce morphological changes in the testis of male animals. In addition, possible morphological changes in the liver, heart, lungs, lymphatic nodes, pancreas, kidney or brain were studied. The carcinogenic implications were evaluated by the measurement of p53. Male Wistar rats were fed perorally with valproate mixture 200 mg kg(-1)(n= 15) or 400 mg kg(-1)(n= 20), or control solution (n= 15) twice daily for 90 days. Serum concentrations measured 4-6 hours after the last dose were 105 and 404 micromol l(-1)in low- and high-dose valproate treated animals respectively. There was a highly significant, 51% decrease (P< 0.001) in testicular weight in the high-dose treated valproate rats with no changes in the other groups. There was widespread testicular atrophy with histologically verified spermatogenic arrest in 15/20 of the high-dose valproate treated animals. No changes in the testis were seen in the low-dose valproate treated rats, nor in the control rats. There were no morphological changes in the other investigated organs. None of the groups showed over-expression of p53. In conclusion, a dose-dependent effect of chronic valproate treatment was found on testicular morphology in rats. Caution must be taken before these results can be applied to humans.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PROBLEMATIC INTERNET USE AND LONELINESS AMONG TURKISH AND KOREAN PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS

The main aim of this study is to compare the problematic internet use and its relation to loneliness among two nations’ prospective teachers, Turkey and South Korea. Five hundred and ninety five prospective teachers from three universities, two from Turkey and one from South Korea participated in the study. Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 and UCLA Loneliness Scale were used to collect data. Some of the major findings are as follows: a) No differences were found between the problematic Internet use of Turkish and Korean prospective teachers; b) Male Turkish prospective teachers found to have more problematic use of internet than female counterparts on the other hand no differences were found among South Korean prospective teachers by means of sex; c) Positive but low correlations between problematic Internet use and loneliness levels of prospective teachers of both nations; d) There is a significant difference between Turkish and Korean prospective teachers. South Korean prospective teachers were found to be in higher levels of loneliness than Turkish counterparts.
Generating Simpler CNF Formulae for SAT-Based LTL Model Checking Informatics

Since its introduction, Bounded Model Checking has been a motivating factor for the development of SAT solvers and considerable research has been directed towards them. However, while great advances have been made, other factors determining the overall runtime of the model-checking process have been afforded less attention. The process by which the CNF representation is obtained has a major effect on the time required to find a solution, as does the difficulty of the original propositional formula before this conversion. It has long been considered that the difficulty of a formula is directly related to its size, but it is only in recent times that ways of reducing this metric have been investigated within the framework of bounded model checking. This paper presents a comparison of some of this research, with the aim of highlighting its long overlooked importance, while noting that smaller formulae do not always require less time to solve.
"Are you going to put some statistics in there?" The challenges of a being qualitative researcher in a quantitative world, and how to politely say no!

Some disciplines remain firmly loyal to their historical roots, for example construction management research steadfastly remains a ‘science’. Grounded in realist ontology and positivist epistemology, the majority of construction management research is empirical and quantitative. For technical and scientific aspects of construction management this is not an issue, however concern is raised when this theoretical approach is applied to the social aspects of construction, specifically to people in construction. People are critical to construction; projects are carried out in social settings and through highly complex social interactions, yet to examine them as if they were a steel beam is highly limiting. It has been argued that alternative approaches, as found in the social sciences, must be employed to further the understanding of those who work and manage people in construction. Yet research forays from such interpretive, qualitative and constructionist perspectives are often met with criticism; that they are ’anti-scientific’ and, even worse, ‘bad research’. This paper presents an ethnographical tale; how the author negotiated these choppy waters, how she nearly capsized, and how she was eventually able to navigate safely home. This lived experience is supported by examination of the wider philosophical debates within the field, which are stripped back to their ontological roots and an enduring love for Sir Isaac Newton. Methodological critique as part of the research journey is also discussed, and arguments developed to help support researchers seeking to set out on a qualitative quest within a hostile and unfriendly quantitative world.