Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New York Encounters: Religion, Sexuality, and the City

This paper explores questions of sexual difference and religious belief in relation to recent debates in urban studies and geography on urban encounters. Although it has been widely suggested that increased contact between members of different groups is an important driver for tolerant and respectful intergroup relations, there is need for more careful consideration of the kinds of sites that actually facilitate ‘meaningful encounters’. Specifically, we draw on empirical research in Episcopalian churches in New York City and examine how straight-identified parishioners and clergy narrate and perceive their encounters with the city's LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) population. Moving beyond the traditional focus on public space in the literature on cosmopolitan urbanism, we examine how churches serve as ‘micropublics’ which organize, facilitate, and/or limit encounters with sexual difference. To capture the tension between orthodox theological understandings of human sexuality and lived experiences in a metropolitan context where homosexuality is expressed relatively openly, the discussion focuses in particular on an evangelical case-study parish, where the church leadership is opposed to full LGBT inclusion in the church.
Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Function among Greek Cotton Industry Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Workers in cotton industry are occupationally exposed to various dust-related hazards. The nature of these agents and the respective exposure levels depend on the cotton industry specific sector. These exposures could be associated with respiratory symptoms and changes in lung function parameters. Objective: To evaluate associations between occupational exposure and respiratory function as well as reported symptoms in several groups of workers at different stages of the cotton industry in a vertical approach that covers all the major sectors—from cotton ginning to weaving and fabric production. Methods: A questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and individual as well as workplace characteristics was completed by 256 workers at the cotton industry and 148 office workers (control group). Both groups underwent spirometry. Results: Workers in cotton industry reported a higher prevalence of severe dyspnea (p=0.002) and wheezing (p=0.004) compared to the control group. Also they were found to have a lower predicted FEV1% (p<0.029) and lower FEV1/FVC (p<0.001) values. In addition, a higher prevalence of FEV1% <80% (p<0.001) and FEV1/FVC <70% (p=0.041) were found among textile workers. Similar results were found for non-smoker textile workers compared to non-smoker control group workers. Those working in cotton ginning mills recorded the highest decrease of spirometric values. Duration of employment in cotton industry and smoking use were found to be predictors of lung function decline for cotton industry workers. Conclusion: Occupational exposure to cotton dust was associated with increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms and obstructive pattern in pulmonary function test.
Multifunctional Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Diagnostics, Therapy and Macromolecule Delivery

In recent years, multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs) consisting of either metal (e.g. Au), or magnetic NP (e.g. iron oxide) with other fluorescent components such as quantum dots (QDs) or organic dyes have been emerging as versatile candidate systems for cancer diagnosis, therapy, and macromolecule delivery such as micro ribonucleic acid (microRNA). This review intends to highlight the recent advances in the synthesis and application of multifunctional NPs (mainly iron oxide) in theranostics, an area used to combine therapeutics and diagnostics. The recent applications of NPs in miRNA delivery are also reviewed.
Teddy Bear Hospital — Students' Learning in the Field of Practice with Children

The Teddy Bear Hospital is a collaborative project between council run nursery schools and a post-graduate nursing college in regional Norway. The background to this project is that students have limited possibilities to gain experience with children in hospitals during the practical training aspect of their education, a situation this project hopes to redress. In this project the students meet with healthy preschool children in nursery school on the one day and then meet them again on the following day, this time within the college's training department. The children bring their teddy bears with them who are then ‘admitted’ to the ‘Teddy Bear Hospital’, where they receive treatment and a dressing based on the symptoms the children describe. The project is a quality case study and the result were analyzed using Giorgie's phenomenological method. The discussion is based on a sociocultural approach to learning by Vygotskij, and Dewey's principle that all learning comes through experience. Analyses and triangulation of the students' written reflection notes, interviews with the nursery school staff, observations and drawings by the children, demonstrate that the students gain experience in communicating with children. The students become intrigued by how the children play. They are also able to experience meeting children in their role as hospital personnel, dressed as they are in white hospital uniform. The notes show that they reflect upon the children's maturity based upon the theory they learned in college before practice.
Intertwining of Activin A and TGFβ Signaling: Dual Roles in Cancer Progression and Cancer Cell Invasion

In recent years, a significant amount of research has examined the controversial role of activin A in cancer. Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily, is best characterized for its function during embryogenesis in mesoderm cell fate differentiation and reproduction. During embryogenesis, TGFβ superfamily ligands, TGFβ, bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and activins, act as potent morphogens. Similar to TGFβs and BMPs, activin A is a protein that is highly systemically expressed during early embryogenesis; however, post-natal expression is overall reduced and remains under strict spatiotemporal regulation. Of importance, normal post-natal expression of activin A has been implicated in the migration and invasive properties of various immune cell types, as well as endometrial cells. Aberrant activin A signaling during development results in significant morphological defects and premature mortality. Interestingly, activin A has been found to have both oncogenic and tumor suppressor roles in cancer. Investigations into the role of activin A in prostate and breast cancer has demonstrated tumor suppressive effects, while in lung and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, it has been consistently shown that activin A expression is correlated with increased proliferation, invasion and poor patient prognosis. Activin A signaling is highly context-dependent, which is demonstrated in studies of epithelial cell tumors and the microenvironment. This review discusses normal activin A signaling in comparison to TGFβ and highlights how its dysregulation contributes to cancer progression and cell invasion.
Causative pathogens of fever in neutropenic patients at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.

BACKGROUND Infections cause substantial morbidity and morbidity in neutropenic patients. In King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Gram-negative bacteria remained the most common causative pathogen of febrile neutropenia in all three studies conducted before 2002. However, Gram-positive bacteria have become more commonly isolated etiologic pathogens, and the incidence of fungal infection has been increasing since 2005. OBJECTIVE Determine the infectious etiology of fever in neutropenic patients at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD A retrospective chart review of all medical records of febrile neutropenic patients hospitalized at Department of Medicine between January 1 and December 31, 2006 in accompanying with microbiologic, radiologic, and serologic results was analyzed. RESULTS There were 125 patients (61 males and 64 females) and 172 episodes of febrile neutropenia with a mean age of 46.5 +/- 18.5 years (range: 15-81 years). The three most common primary diseases associated with neutropenia were acute myeloid leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (36.6%, 33.1%, and 10.5%). Infections could be documented microbiologically and clinically in 84 episodes (48.8%), and primary bacteremia or fungemia was the most common cause of infection (40.5%). Gram-negative bacteria were the most frequently isolated pathogens (63.9%), followed by Gram-positive bacteria (29.9%) and fungi (6.2%). Escherichia coli (46.8%) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (27.6%) were the most common isolates among Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. Among 53 episodes (30.8%) of bloodstream infections, Gram-negative bacteria were the most commonly isolated pathogens (38 episodes, 71.7%), followed by Gram-positive bacteria (19 episodes, 35.8%) and Candida tropicalis (1 episode, 1.9%). Surprisingly, invasive mold infections were noted in eight episodes (5, 1, and 2 episodes of proven, probable, and possible infections, respectively). The overall mortality was 19.2%. CONCLUSIONS Although Gram-negative bacteria are the most common etiology of fever in neutropenic patients, the occurrence of infections caused by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and molds has been increasing in comparison with the observations from previous studies in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. To authors knowledge, the present study is the first in Thailand to determine the occurrence of invasive fungal infections using the standard criteria recommended by EORTC/MSG.
Organization and physiology of posterior lateral line afferent neurons in larval zebrafish

The lateral line system of larval zebrafish can translate hydrodynamic signals from the environment to guide body movements. Here, I demonstrate a spatial relationship between the organization of afferent neurons in the lateral line ganglion and the innervation of neuromasts along the body. I developed a whole cell patch clamp recording technique to show that afferents innervate multiple direction-sensitive neuromasts, which are sensitive to low fluid velocities. This work lays the foundation to integrate sensory neuroscience and the hydrodynamics of locomotion in a model genetic system.
Expression and Function of Proteins during Development of the Basal Region in Rice Seedlings*

A differential display of proteins with a two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis approach was used to analyze protein expression changes during development of the basal region in rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare). The proteins were detected as 700 Coomassie Brilliant Blue-stained spots with pI values from around 3.5 to 9.0. A proteome reference map was established for the basal region of two-week-old seedlings. The basal region proteome map was used to analyze quantitative variations in the tissue during development from 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-week-old seedlings. During development, 31 proteins were up-regulated, and 30 proteins were down-regulated compared with the 2-week-old basal region proteome map. The main functions of these proteins were primary metabolism and protein synthesis or maintenance. Calreticulin precursor, enolase, and voltage-dependent anion channel were identified among the up- and down-regulated proteins. The twin spots of calreticulin precursor and enolase with different pI values are possibly due to post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation. In addition, seven proteins showed developmental stage-specific expression. All of the developmentally regulated proteins of the basal region were clustered by the S-system, a differential equation that fit to time course of cluster and analyzed for cluster relationships. Proteins with unknown functions were tentatively assigned to functional groups based on cluster relationships. Basal region development proteome data will be valuable for resolving questions in functional genomics. In addition, cluster analysis of the basal region proteome during development will be useful for the assessment of functional proteins.
Single n+-i-n+ InP nanowires for highly sensitive terahertz detection

Developing single-nanowire terahertz (THz) electronics and employing them as sub-wavelength components for highly-integrated THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) applications is a promising approach to achieve future low-cost, highly integrable and high-resolution THz tools, which are desirable in many areas spanning from security, industry, environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics to fundamental science. In this work, we present the design and growth of n+-i-n+ InP nanowires. The axial doping profile of the n+-i-n+ InP nanowires has been calibrated and characterized using combined optical and electrical approaches to achieve nanowire devices with low contact resistances, on which the highly-sensitive InP single-nanowire photoconductive THz detectors have been demonstrated. While the n+-i-n+ InP nanowire detector has a only pA-level response current, it has a 2.5 times improved signal-to-noise ratio compared with the undoped InP nanowire detector and is comparable to traditional bulk THz detectors. This performance indicates a promising path to nanowire-based THz electronics for future commercial applications.
Visuo-vestibular interactions in the rabbit: the role of the flocculus and its mono-aminergic inputs

This thesis deals with two gaze-stabilizing oculomotor reflexes, the vestibula-ocular reflex (VOR) and the optokinetic reflex (OKR), which serve to reduce retinal slip during movements of the head, or relative movements of the surroundings respectively. The anatomical connections related to these two reflexes have been extensively studied. Both the VOR and the OKR pathways are mainly located in brain stem circuits, indicating their early phylogenetical origins. The VOR, which is activated by vestibular stimuli, is a feedforward system, and sends its signals to the oculomotor neurons after synapting in the vestibular nuclei. The OKR, on the other hand, is activated by retinal slip, and induces a compensatory eye movement by a feedback circuit which contains a number of brain stem areas including the· vestibular nuclei (see Fig. 1.1). Both systems have been demonstrated to supply collaterals to a parallel cerebellar loop, which passes through the flocculus. These connections strongly suggest involvement of the cerebellar flocculus in the generation of the VOR and the OKR, and probably also in visuovestibular interaction and adaptive changes in the VOR gain. On the basis of anatomical and physiological experiments, it has indeed been demonstrated that the flocculus is involved in three aspects of the VOR and OKR: 1) the flocculus affects the basic dynamic characteristics of the VOR and OKR; 2) direct visuo-vestibular interaction, i.e., the immediate improvement of the VOR by vision, is under floccular control; 3) long-term adaptive changes of the VOR, which can be induced by persistent unusual combinations of visual and vestibular inputs, require an intact flocculus. This thesis presents new evidence on all of these three functions of the flocculus in VOR and OKR control
The Characteristics and Mental Health of Homeless Adolescents

A large and heterogeneous sample of 364 homeless adolescents was interviewed about residential and family histories, as well as about their experiences while homeless.They were also administered a diagnostic interview and various self-report measures of emotional and behavioral functioning. Analyses were conducted to provide a better description of these youth, with a special focus on gender and age heterogeneity. Results of analyses suggested that homeless youth came from generally troubled backgrounds and had elevated rates of psychiatric disorders. For boys, their histories typically included physical abuse during childhood, physical assault on the street, and elevated rates of externalizing disorders. For girls, histories were more often marked by sexual abuse during childhood, sexual victimization on the streets, and elevated rates of internalizing disorders. Implications of these results for service delivery are discussed.
The sampling of experiences in situ

The experience sampling method (ESM) attempts to sample randomly from people's everyday experiences Typically, subjects carry beepers and report their experiences immediately following a signal ESM stresses ecological validity and potentially permits the study of the stream of thought or behavior Within personality psychology, ESM allows for the investigation of interactions between person and situation variables without some of the limitations of other approaches A detailed presentation of the practical issues involved in the use of ESM is included, along with a discussion of some procedural and technological variants An assessment of the method discusses issues of data quality and validity, possible other areas of application for the method, as well as limitations that require the continued empirical assessment and future refinements of the method
The Teaching of Courses in the Science and Pseudoscience of Psychology: Useful Resources

Several authors have increasingly recognized the problem of pseudoscience as a major threat confronting psychology and allied disciplines. We discuss the importance of courses in science and pseudoscience to undergraduate education in psychology and provide (a) a model syllabus for courses in the science and pseudoscience of psychology, (b) a list and description of suggested primary and supplemental texts for such courses, (c) a list of useful educational videos on science and pseudoscience, and (d) suggested Web sites that offer critical evaluations of pseudoscientific claims. Finally, we briefly review the literature concerning the efficacy of courses in the science and pseudoscience of psychology and offer suggestions for future research in this area.
Academic Cheating in Austria, Portugal, Romania and Spain: A Comparative Analysis

The empirical evaluation of academic cheating has been almost exclusively focused on the US context. Little is known about cheating in European universities. This article aims to contribute further evidence on this highly relevant phenomenon afflicting higher education throughout Europe. Based on a large sample of undergraduate students of Economics and Management in Austria, Portugal, Romania and Spain, the authors estimated an econometric model and controlled for a variety of factors most likely to influence the probability of cheating (e.g. student characteristics, location, grades). It was found that (1) the likelihood of copying increases when the expected benefit from copying is positive; (2) in copying-favourable environments, the students' propensity to copy tends to be higher; (3) the greater and more serious the perceived sanctions, the fewer the incentives students have to perpetrate dishonest behaviours; (4) in schools where ‘codes of honour’ exist, the propensity to copy among students is lower; and (5) the propensity to copy seems to be influenced by the countries' education systems and social factors – for instance, Portuguese students are less prone to fraudulent behaviour, whereas Spanish students are more likely to cheat than their Austrian counterparts; no significant difference was found between Austrian and Romanian students.
Educational Implications of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences

A new approach to the conceptualization and assessment of human intelligences is described. According to Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, each human being is capable of seven relatively independent forms of information processing, with individuals differing from one another in the specific profile of intelligences that they exhibit. The range of human intelligences is best assessed through contextually based, "intelligence-fair" instruments. Three research projects growing out of the theory are described. Preliminary data secured from Project Spectrum, an application in early childhood, indicate that even 4- and 5-year-old children exhibit distinctive profiles of strength and weakness. Moreover, measures of the various intelligences are largely independent and tap abilities other than those measured by standard intelligence tests.
Emerging Resistance to Erythromycin and Penicillin among Streptococcus pyogenes Isolates in Zagazig, Egypt

Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Medicine Zagazig University, Egypt Department of Pediatrics Faculty of Medicine Zagazig University, Egypt Department of Otorhinolaryngoloy, Head and Neck Surgery Faculty of Medicine Zagazig University, Egypt Department of General Surgery Faculty of Medicine Zagazig University, Egypt Specialist Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyMinistry of health and population, Egypt *Corresponding author
The Short-Run Relationship Between Real Effective Exchange Rate and Balance of Trade in China

This paper analyzes the short-run relationship between the real effective exchange rate of Chinese Yuan and the balance of trade. We examined the causality between effective exchange rate and balance of trade using Granger-Causality Test. The findings are striking. The test suggests that in the short run balance of trade causes a change in effective exchange rate but not vice versa. The uni-directional relationship between exchange rate and balance of trade compels the use of transfer function methodology. Transfer Function estimation shows that the balance of trade has a 3-4 month delayed effect on effective exchange rate in China. Moreover, the coefficients are positive suggesting that a positive trade performance shock leads to a favorable change in exchange rate in China.
Divided or Convergent Loyalties?

This article describes findings from three successive empirical studies that examine the determinants of participation in transnational organizations by Latin immigrants in the United States, the character of the membership and activities of these organizations, and their bearing on the political incorporation of their respective communities. Results from these studies reveal that older, better-educated, and higher-status migrants are most likely to participate in transnational organizations linking them to their home countries. So are those with longer periods of US residence. Since migrants with these characteristics are precisely those with greater chances for US citizenship acquisition and participation in American politics, findings suggest that transnational activism and immigrant political integration are not at odds. Quantitative analyses of the determinants of political contact and political activism of immigrant organizations in the US indicate, unsurprisingly, that wealthier groups and those with a membership formed by better-educated and longer residents are most likely to be politically active. The societies left behind make a difference in the propensity toward political activism by different nationalities. Despite such differences, the overall trend is for immigrant transnational activism, individual and collective, not to retard political incorporation in the United States. Both processes occur simultaneously and appear, under certain circumstances, to reinforce each other. This conclusion contradicts both conventional assimilation theory and nativistic rhetoric. Contrary to assimilation expectations, older and better-educated immigrants rather than recent arrivals are those most likely to initiate and maintain ties with their home countries. Contrary to nativistic rhetoric, there is no zero-sum relationship between such activities and successful political incorporation to the United States.