Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solving Women's Employment Problems in Corrections:

This paper explores the occupational problems faced . - by women corrections officers who work in male institutions, tracing them to the practice of differential assignments for men and women that has been allowed, and sometimes required, by the courts. This practice of legally-sanctioned inequality has served as a barrier to women's full integration into the correctional work force. The potential for further litigation to remove this barrier is explored. The role of the law in removing the more informal barriers of male opposition and harassment is also discussed. The author argues that there are some serious limits on the progress to be achieved through legal action, and that if the situation for women is to improve through legal action and that if the situation for women is to improve substantially, prison administrators must take the lead in voluntarily developing policies and programs to make sexual integration more successful.
This Birth and That: Surrogacy and Stratified Motherhood in India

In 2006, i came across a short newspaper article about the emergence of a new industry in India—the industry of paid birth or commercial surrogacy. People from all over the world could now hire Indian women to give birth to babies for them, for a fraction of the cost of surrogacy elsewhere and with no government regulations. After some digging around, I quickly realized that there was scarcely any objective, academic research about this new industry, and so began my ethnographic journey to the first clinic in not just India but in fact in the entire Global South to have a flourishing trade in both national and transnational surrogacy.1 Academic inquiry into surrogacy arrangements is adequately interdisciplinary and has generated feminist, ethical, legal, and social debates for more than three decades (see, for example, Andrews 1987; Anderson 1990; Bailey 2011; Brennan and Noggle 1997; Hochschild 2012; Markens 2007; Oliver 1989; Ragoné 1994; Pande 2011; and Teman 2010). While defenders of surrogacy advocate it as a manifestation of women’s freedom and choice, much of the scholarship has displayed intense anxiety about this practice (Corea 1986 ; Dworkin 1983; Harding 1991; Neuhaus 1988; Raymond 1993; Roberts 1998b; and Rothman 1988). One view is that surrogacy reduces women to a mere breeder class, to the class of prostitutes, and another is that it is just another form of baby selling. Others consider the development of such reproductive technologies as a form of class and gender-based exploitation of women’s bodies. Two additional trends in this scholarship are worth emphasizing. First,
Optimising Information Presentation for Spoken Dialogue Systems

We present a novel approach to Information Presentation (IP) in Spoken Dialogue Systems (SDS) using a data-driven statistical optimisation framework for content planning and attribute selection. First we collect data in a Wizard-of-Oz (WoZ) experiment and use it to build a supervised model of human behaviour. This forms a baseline for measuring the performance of optimised policies, developed from this data using Reinforcement Learning (RL) methods. We show that the optimised policies significantly outperform the baselines in a variety of generation scenarios: while the supervised model is able to attain up to 87.6% of the possible reward on this task, the RL policies are significantly better in 5 out of 6 scenarios, gaining up to 91.5% of the total possible reward. The RL policies perform especially well in more complex scenarios. We are also the first to show that adding predictive "lower level" features (e.g. from the NLG realiser) is important for optimising IP strategies according to user preferences. This provides new insights into the nature of the IP problem for SDS.
Source (or Part of the following Source): Type Article Title Great Expectations: Specific Lexical Anticipation Influences the Processing of Spoken Language Author(s) Great Expectations: Specific Lexical Anticipation Influences the Processing of Spoken Language

Copyright It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content licence (like Creative Commons). UvA-DARE is a service provided by the library of the University of Amsterdam (http://dare.uva.nl) Abstract Background: Recently several studies have shown that people use contextual information to make predictions about the rest of the sentence or story as the text unfolds. Using event related potentials (ERPs) we tested whether these on-line predictions are based on a message-level representation of the discourse or on simple automatic activation by individual words. Subjects heard short stories that were highly constraining for one specific noun, or stories that were not specifically predictive but contained the same prime words as the predictive stories. To test whether listeners make specific predictions critical nouns were preceded by an adjective that was inflected according to, or in contrast with, the gender of the expected noun.
Integrating Environmental Sustainability in Software Product Quality

Recently, sustainability in software engineering and especially in requirements engineering is an emerging field. Especially, increasing demand for energy and intensive use of software and software-related services are the key motivators for designing software products with environmental requirements. In this study, we identify the software practitioners perception of the energy-related impact of software quality in order to develop environmentally sustainable software product. We present the result of a survey study that is conducted with 53 software practitioners in 7 different companies. Through this survey, we aim to explore the correlation between software quality and energy efficiency. We found out that there are significant negative correlations between functional suitability and compatibility; performance efficiency and security; reliability and compatibility with respect to energy efficiency. We built regression models by using energy efficiency and resource efficiency. Regression models show that performance efficiency, reliability and usability attributes have significant energy-related impact on the quality of the environmentally sustainable software product. We believe that our analysis gives insights to software practitioners to consider energy efficiency in making requirements prioritization decisions.
Fuel and stand conditions in an isolated, unmanaged forest landscape in central Oregon

Abstract• Mature, unmanaged forests in western North America provide important reference conditions for managers, yet little is known about fuel composition and the factors that influence fuel accumulation in such stands. Our objectives were to characterize fuels in a passively managed landscape of dry forests in central Oregon and identify environmental factors influencing fuel accumulation. • Ordination techniques and analysis of variance revealed no statistical differences in total fuel loads across a wide range of environmental conditions. • Individual fuel size classes, however, did vary by stand location and composition. Interior stands had more 1- to 100-h fuels and snags than stands at or near the edge, stands dominated by ponderosa pine had fewer small-diameter fuels and snags, lodgepole pine stands had more 1-h fuels and snags, and white fir stands had more 10-h fuels, duff, and snag basal area. • Tree species, density and age, and years since last fire were the most important environmental variables, explaining 23% of the variation in fuels. • Our results present further evidence that fuel composition is highly variable at many spatial and temporal scales. They also provide useful baseline information for managers of fire-prone western forests. Résumé• Les forêts matures et non gérées de l’Ouest Américain fournissent des situations de référence importantes pour les gestionnaires. Cependant, il n’y a que peu d’informations sur la nature des combustibles et des facteurs qui influent sur l’accumulation de combustible dans ces peuplements. Nos objectifs étaient de caractériser la charge en combustible dans un paysage forestier non géré du centre de l’Oregon et d’identifier les facteurs environnementaux modulant l’accumulation de combustible. • Des techniques d’ordination et une analyse de variance n’ont révélé aucune différence statistique des charges de combustibles dans un large éventail de conditions stationelles. • Les charges en combustible variaient cependant suivant la localisation des peuplements et leur composition. Les zones internes des peuplements présentaient plus de charge en combustible de dimensions moyennes et de souches que les lisières. Les peuplements dominés par Pinus ponderosa présentent moins de combustible de faible diamètre et de chicots par rapport à ceux de Pinus contorta. Enfin, les peuplements d’Abies concolor ont plus de combustibles de faible diamètre, et de chicots. • Les espèces d’arbres, la densité et l’âge et le délai depuis le dernier incendie ont été les variables les expliquant la plus forte part de la variabilité de charge en combustible (23 %). • Nos résultats démontrent une fois de plus que la composition du combustible est très variable à plusieurs échelles spatiales et temporelles. Ils fournissent également des données de référence utiles pour les gestionnaires des forêts de l’ouest sujettes aux incendies.
Prevalence, Distribution and Functional Significance of the −237C to T Polymorphism in the IL-12Rβ2 Promoter in Indian Tuberculosis Patients

Cytokine/cytokine receptor gene polymorphisms related to structure/expression could impact immune response. Hence, the −237 polymorphic site in the 5′ promoter region of the IL-12Rβ2 (SNP ID: rs11810249) gene associated with the AP-4 transcription motif GAGCTG, was examined. Amplicons encompassing the polymorphism were generated from 46 pulmonary tuberculosis patients, 35 family contacts and 28 miscellaneous volunteers and sequenced. The C allele predominated among patients, (93.4%, 43/46), and in all volunteers and contacts screened, but the T allele was exclusively limited to patients, (6.5%, 3/46). The functional impact of this polymorphism on transcriptional activity was assessed by Luciferase-reporter and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). Luciferase-reporter assays showed a significant reduction in transcriptional efficiency with T compared to C allele. The reduction in transcriptional efficiency with the T allele construct (pGIL-12Rb2-T), in U-87MG, THP-1 and Jurkat cell lines, were 53, 37.6, and 49.8% respectively, compared to the C allele construct (pGIL-12Rb2-C). Similarly, densitometric analysis of the EMSA assay showed reduced binding of the AP-4 transcription factor, to T compared to the C nucleotide probe. Reduced mRNA expression in all patients (3/3) harboring the T allele was seen, whereas individuals with the C allele exhibited high mRNA expression (17/25; 68%, p = 0.05). These observations were in agreement with the in vitro assessment of the promoter activity by Luciferase-reporter and EMSA assays. The reduced expression of IL-12Rβ2 transcripts in 8 patients despite having the C allele was attributed to the predominant over expression of the suppressors (IL-4 and GATA-3) and reduced expression of enhancers (IFN-α) of IL-12Rβ2 transcripts. The 17 high IL-12Rβ2 mRNA expressers had significantly elevated IFN-α mRNA levels compared to low expressers and volunteers. Notwithstanding the presence of high levels of IL-12Rβ2 mRNA in these patients elevated IFN-α expression could modulate their immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Low power GPGPU computation with imprecise hardware

Massively parallel computation in GPUs significantly boosts performance of compute-intensive applications but creates power and thermal issues that limit further performance scaling. This paper demonstrates significant GPGPU power savings by relaxing application accuracy requirements and enabling the use of low power imprecise hardware (IHW). A synthesized set of novel imprecise floating point arithmetic units is presented. GPGPU-Sim and GPUWattch are used to estimate impacts of IHW units on output quality and system-level power consumption, providing a quality-power tradeoff model for application-specific optimization. Experimental results for a 45 nm process show up to 32% power savings with negligible impacts on output quality.
Psychiatric aspects of epilepsy.

THE LAST 10 years have been marked by progress in the study of epilepsy. A new international classification of epilepsy has been put forward (Gastaut et al., 1964). Succinamides have been introduced for the treatment of petit mal (Heathfield & Jewsbery, 1961) and have become an established treatment, while sulthiame (Fenton, Serafetinedes & Pond, 1964; Liu, 1966) and carbamazepine (Bird et al., 1966) have been tried though their final place in therapy is uncertain. The social aspects of epilepsy have become more important and have been investigated thoroughly (Juul-Jensen, 1963). There has been an improvement in the attitude of the general public to epileptic patients. This hopeful trend was noted by Caveness et al. (1965) in the U.S.A. They found a decreasing incidence of prejudice not only in relation to employment but also to social intercourse in general over the years 1949-64. A full and coherent account of all aspects of epilepsy is given in the two-volume work by Lennox, Epilepsy and Related Disorders, published in 1960. However, this condition still presents many problems, particularly in relation to its psychological aspects and it is some of these that are chosen for discussion here. In the chapter 'The Epilepsies' in Clinical Psychiatry by Mayer-Gross, Slater & Roth (1960) many aspects are discussed but here attention is placed on the following themes: psychiatric and psychological effects of ictal disturbances, the schizophrenia-like psychoses, non-psychotic disorders, temporal lobectomy for psychiatric disorder and some aspects of brain damage and epilepsy in childhood.
Planned nerve preservation to reduce positive surgical margins during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE The main objective of radical prostatectomy (RP) is optimal oncologic resection with preservation of sexual function (SF). During our initial experience with robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RLRP), we noted a high rate of posterolateral location of positive surgical margins (PSM) with nerve preservation (NP). With its magnified view of the surgical field and improved instrument precision, one potential advantage of RLRP is the ability to tailor the degree of NP. We evaluated the effect of a protocol for side-specific NP based on preoperative variables on PSM rates and SF outcomes. METHODS Between June and November 2006, 150 consecutive RLRPs were performed using a surgical protocol to select side-specific NP techniques (interfascial [IF], partial extrafascial [pEF], and wide extrafascial resection [WEFR]) based on preoperative risk factors (clinical stage, biopsy Gleason score, percentage of positive cores and maximal core cancer percentage, and preoperative PSA). Pathologic and SF outcomes in these patients were compared with those of a control group of 245 consecutive RLRPs in whom non-selective IF dissection was performed. All data were prospectively collected. RESULTS Mean patient age, PSA, clinical stage, biopsy Gleason score and positive core involvement, pathologic Gleason score, and stage were comparable among the two groups. The overall PSM rate (12.6% nu 20.4%; P = 0.04) and posterolateral location of PSMs (37% nu 70%; P = 0.04) were significantly lower in the study group. At 12 months, potency was reported in 80%, 67%, and 11% of men undergoing bilateral IFNP, partial extrafascial nerve preservation (pEFNP), and WEFR, respectively (P = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS Planning side-specific NP during RLRP, according to selected preoperative variables, can significantly reduce overall and posterolateral PSM rates. Furthermore, partial nerve sparing (pEFNP) also appears to confer favorable early SF outcomes.
Altruism, Egoism, and Genetic Fitness: Economics and Sociobiology

ECONOMISTS generally take tastes as "given" and work out the consequences of changes in prices, incomes, and other variables under the assumption that tastes do not change. When pressed, either they engage in ad hoc theorizing or they explicitly delegate the discussion of tastes to the sociologist, psychologist, or anthropologist. Unfortunately, these disciplines have not developed much in the way of systematic usable knowledge about tastes. Although economists have been reluctant to discuss systematically changes in the structure of tastes, they have long relied on assumptions about the basic and enduring properties of tastes. Self-interest is assumed to dominate all other motives,' with a prominent place also assigned to benevolence toward children2 (and occasionally others), and with self-interest partly dependent on distinction and other aspects of one's position in society.3 The dominance of self-interest and the persistence of some benevolence have usually been explained by "human nature," or an equivalent evasion of the problem. The development of modern biology since the mid-nineteenth century and of population genetics in the twentieth century made clear that "human nature" is only the beginning, not the end of the answer. The enduring traits of human (and animal) nature presumably were genetically selected under very different physical environments and social arrangements as life on earth evolved during millions of years. It is not difficult to understand why self-interest has high survival value under very different circumstances,4 but why should altruistic behavior, sometimes observed among animals as well as human beings, also survive? This kind of question has been asked by some geneticists and other biologists especially during the last two decades. Their work has recently been christened "sociI For example, Adam Smith said, "We are not ready to suspect any person of being defective in selfishness" [9, 1969, p. 446], and "it is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest" [10, 1937, p. 14]. 2According to Alfred Marshall, ". men labor and save chiefly for the sake of their families and not for themselves" [6, 1920, p. 228]. 3Nassau Senior said, "the desire for distinction . may be pronounced to be the most powerful of human passions" [8, 1938, p. 12]. 4Ronald Coase argues convincingly that Adam Smith, especially in his Moral Sentiments, was groping toward an explanation of the importance of selfinterest in terms of its contribution to viable social and economic arrangements (see Coase [5, 1976]).
Sexual selection and trust games

Decisions about whom to trust are biased by stable facial traits such as attractiveness, similarity to kin and perceived trustworthiness. Research addressing the validity of facial trustworthiness or its basis in facial features is scarce and has inconsistent results. We measured male trustworthiness operationally in Trust Games where participants had options to collaborate for mutual financial gain or exploit for greater personal gain. We also measured facial (bizygomatic) width (scaled for face height) as this is a sexually dimorphic, testosterone-linked trait predictive of male aggression. We found that men with greater facial width were more likely to exploit the trust of others and that other players were less likely to trust male counterparts with wide rather than narrow faces (independent of their attractiveness). Moreover, manipulating this facial width ratio with computer graphics controlled attributions of trustworthiness, particularly for subordinate female evaluators.
Use of multiple informant data as a predictor in psychiatric epidemiology

Multiple informant reports of psychopathology are often collected in studies of psychiatric epidemiology. Previous reports have primarily focused on methods for handling multiple informant information when it is used to measure a psychiatric outcome in a regression model. Here we deal with methods for incorporating multiple informant reports as predictor variables (covariates) in regression modelling. In general, there is no single appropriate analytic strategy in this setting. Approaches seen in the literature include separate analyses by informant, inclusion of both reports in the model, or combination of the reports (using the ‘OR’ rule or use of concordant reports). Other approaches include use of measurement error models and latent class analysis. We review these approaches, discuss their relative advantages and disadvantages and illustrate them with an example where dichotomous reports of psychopathology are used to predict mental health service utilization in a community‐based sample. Copyright © 1999 Whurr Publishers, Ltd.
Hemodynamic and Neurohumoral Effects of Selective Endothelin A (ETA) Receptor Blockade in Chronic Heart Failure: The Heart Failure ETA Receptor Blockade Trial (HEAT)

Background—The endothelin (ET-1) system is activated in chronic heart failure (CHF). Whether, what type, and what degree of selective ET blockade is clinically beneficial is unknown. We investigated hemodynamic and neurohumoral effects of 3 weeks of treatment with various dosages of the orally available ETA antagonist darusentan in addition to modern standard therapy in patients with CHF. Methods and Results—A total of 157 patients with CHF (present or recent NYHA class III of at least 3 months duration), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ≥12 mm Hg, and a cardiac index ≤2.6 L · min−1 · m−2 were randomly assigned to double-blind treatment with placebo or darusentan (30, 100, or 300 mg/d) in addition to standard therapy. Short-term administration of darusentan increased the cardiac index, but this did not reach statistical significance compared with placebo. The increase in cardiac index was significantly more pronounced after 3 weeks of treatment (P <0.0001 versus placebo). Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and right atrial pressure remained unchanged. Heart rate, mean artery pressure, and plasma catecholamines remained unaltered, but systemic vascular resistance decreased significantly (P =0.0001). Higher dosages were associated with a trend to more adverse events (including death), particularly early exacerbation of CHF without further benefit on hemodynamics compared with moderate dosages. Conclusions—This study demonstrates for the first time in a large patient population that 3 weeks of selective ETA receptor blockade improves cardiac index in patients with CHF. However, long-term studies are needed to determine whether ETA blockade is beneficial in CHF.