Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gender contracts in Estonian coastal farming families, 1870–1939

This paper deals with families that lived on the North West coast of Estonia from 1870 to 1939. This period involved a successive transition to a monetary economy for the family farmer and an increasing need for cash to be able to pay rents and debts arising from land purchases. A farm perspective is used to show the complexity of effects of societal changes on the gender division of labour. The study highlights how practices evolve within a specific spatial context in terms of adjustment of gender contracts. It is demonstrated that husbands and wives on farms involved in fishing and seafaring negotiated flexible gender contracts, in which women were flexible and took over men's work. Such contracts evolved when the men were absent from the farm due to fishing and seafaring duties. Flexible gender contracts developed if other solutions, such as hiring farmhands, were impossible to arrange. Small farms could develop a gender contract for collaboration at sea in which women accompanied their husbands on fishing trips. The results, which are based on interviews and archive sources, indicate that the smaller the family farm, the more inclined women were to take over traditional men's work. It is argued that different gender contracts are parallel phenomena and that they often seem to be temporary, since they are evaluated in relation to the standard gender contract that acts as a norm in society.
Pathway to Democracy? The Case of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Process

We argue that Truth Commissions are relatively recent phenomena as attempts by which recently democratised societies choose to unburden their past through public acknowledgementcoupled with restitution and in search of justice. Such countries have been typically under authoritarian rule and experienced prolonged human rights abuses. They have decided on a moral basis to come to terms with their history of oppression in a way that would allow for public admission (or at least description) of the conditions that led to the excessive and systematic abuse of human rights. TRCs distinguish themselves from various other pathways to deal with systematic human rights abuses.
Propranolol's effects on the consolidation and reconsolidation of long-term emotional memory in healthy participants: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Considering the pivotal role of negative emotional experiences in the development and persistence of mental disorders, interfering with the consolidation/reconsolidation of such experiences would open the door to a novel treatment approach in psychiatry. We conducted a meta-analysis on the experimental evidence regarding the capacity of the ß-blocker propranolol to block the consolidation/reconsolidation of emotional memories in healthy adults. METHODS Selected studies consisted of randomized, double-blind experiments assessing long-term memory for emotional material in healthy adults and involved at least 1 propranolol and 1 placebo condition. We searched PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, PILOTS, Google Scholar and clinicaltrials.org for eligible studies from the period 1995-2012. Ten consolidation (n = 259) and 8 reconsolidation (n = 308) experiments met the inclusion criteria. We calculated effect sizes (Hedges g) using a random effects model. RESULTS Compared with placebo, propranolol given before memory consolidation reduced subsequent recall for negatively valenced stories, pictures and word lists (Hedges g = 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14-0.74). Propranolol before reconsolidation also reduced subsequent recall for negatively valenced emotional words and the expression of cue-elicited fear responses (Hedges g = 0.56, 95% CI 0.13-1.00). LIMITATIONS Limitations include the moderate number of studies examining the influence of propranolol on emotional memory consolidation and reconsolidation in healthy adults and the fact that most samples consisted entirely of young adults, which may limit the ecological validity of results. CONCLUSION Propranolol shows promise in reducing subsequent memory for new or recalled emotional material in healthy adults. However, future studies will need to investigate whether more powerful idiosyncratic emotional memories can also be weakened and whether this weakening can bring about long-lasting symptomatic relief in clinical populations, such as patients with posttraumatic stress or other event-related disorders.
MOTIVATION TO LEARN AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Marathi-speaking high school students were tested on English proficiency and the nature of their motivation for learning English. The results showed that they were instrumentally motivated to learn English and that instrumental motivation scores correlated significantly with English proficiency scores. They regarded the two communities, Marathi-speakers and English-speaking Indians, as their reference groups for different areas of their life, and saw themselves as based in their own cummunity but reaching out to modern ideas and life-styles.
Linear perspective and the Ponzo illusion: a comparison between rhesus monkeys and humans1

: Rhesus monkeys trained to classify bars of different lengths as “long” or “short” were tested for their bias of this classification when photographic linear perspective was superimposed on the bar. The photograph was either an upright or an upside down picture of the landscape that provided good linear perspective to human eyes. In Experiment 1, these photographs appeared together with the upward-converging lines. The rhesus monkeys reported “long” more often when the target was located above the center of the stimulus, that is, near the apex of the converging line, than when it was located below the center, irrespective of the orientation of the photograph. In Experiment 2, the photographs appeared without the converging lines. The subjects showed a bias similar to, but less than, Experiment 1 only for the upright photograph. No bias was found for the upside down photograph. It was concluded that in nonhuman primates photographic linear perspective induces the Ponzo illusion, but the effect is so small that it is overshadowed by the converging lines typically used to produce the Ponzo illusion. In Experiment 3, humans tested in a comparable procedure perceived the illusion as long as the upright picture was there, irrespective of the presence or absence of the converging lines. This suggested that linear perspective provided by natural photographs strongly induces the illusion in humans.
Toward the defined and xeno-free differentiation of functional human pluripotent stem cell–derived retinal pigment epithelial cells

Purpose The production of functional retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells from human embryonic (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in defined and xeno-free conditions is highly desirable, especially for their use in cell therapy for retinal diseases. In addition, differentiated RPE cells provide an individualized disease model and drug discovery tool. In this study, we report the differentiation of functional RPE-like cells from several hESC lines and one hiPSC line in culture conditions, enabling easy translation to clinical quality cell production under Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. Methods Pluripotent stem cells were cultured on human fibroblast feeder cells in serum-free medium. The differentiation toward RPE was induced by removing basic fibroblast growth factor and feeder cells from the serum-free conditions. RPE differentiation was also achieved using xeno-free and defined culture conditions. The RPE cell morphology and pigmentation of the cells were analyzed and the expression of genes and proteins characteristic for RPE cells was evaluated. In vitro functionality of the cells was analyzed using ELISA measurements for pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) secretion and phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments (POS). The integrity of the generated RPE layers was analyzed using transepithelial electric resistance measurements. Results We generated putative RPE cells with typical pigmented cobblestone-like morphology. The expression of RPE-specific markers was confirmed at the gene and protein level. The differentiated cells were able to phagocytose POS and secrete PEDF characteristic of native RPE cells. In addition, cultured cells formed a polarized epithelium with high integrity and exhibited excellent transepithelial electric resistance values, indicating well established, tight junctions. Moreover, we introduced an improved method to generate functional putative RPE cells without xeno-components under defined conditions. Conclusions We have developed a progressive differentiation protocol for the production of functional RPE-like cells from hESCs and hiPSCs. Our results demonstrate that putative hESC-RPE and hiPSC-RPE express genes and proteins characteristic for RPE cells, as well as being able to phagocytose POS and secrete PEDF. Furthermore, our results show that RPE-like cells can be differentiated in xeno-free and defined culture conditions, which is mandatory for Good Manufacturing Practice-production of these cells for clinical use.
Effect of low-dose cytarabine, homoharringtonine and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor priming regimen on patients with advanced myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia transformed from myelodysplastic syndrome

A total of 32 patients (25 with advanced MDS and 7 with t-AML) were enrolled in this study to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the low-dose cytarabine and homoharringtonine in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (CHG protocol) in patients with advanced myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or MDS-transformed acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML). All the patients were administered the CHG regimen comprising low-dose cytarabine (25 mg/day, intravenous continuous infusion, days 1–14), homoharringtonine (1 mg/day, intravenous continuous infusion, days 1–14), and G-CSF (300 µg/day, subcutaneous injection, days 0–14, interrupted when the peripheral white blood cell count reached >20 × 109/L). The overall response rate was 71.9% after the administration of one course of the CHG regimen. Of the 32 patients, 15 (46.9%) achieved complete remission (CR) and 8 (25%) achieved partial remission (PR). This regimen was followed by a post-remission therapy that included conventional chemotherapy, when CR was achieved. Of the patients with CR who just received post-remission regimens as homoharringtonine and cytarabine (HA) and daunorubicin and cytarabine (DA) 6 relapsed rapidly and just had a mean 6.1 months of CR. Otherwise, the other 8 out of 14 patients with CR alternatively received subsequent chemotherapy, which combined mitoxantrone, idarubicin, pirarubicin, or aclarubicin with cytarabine. The mean CR duration of the 8 patients had reached 10.6 months, and 5 of the 8 still kept a continuous CR. The median overall survival (OS) was 18.2 months. There were no statistically significant differences for CR, PR, and OS when the patients were grouped by age, blasts in bone marrow, and karyotypes, respectively. No treatment-related deaths were observed. Myelosuppression was mild to moderate, and no severe non-hematological toxicity was observed. Thus, a CHG priming regimen as an induction therapy was well tolerated and effective in patients with advanced MDS or t-AML. Stronger and alternative subsequent chemotherapy is necessary for patients with CR to maintain longer CR and better OS.
"C'mon - You Should Read This": Automatic Identification of Tone from Language Text

Information extraction researchers have recently recognized that more subtle information beyond the basic semantic content of a message can be communicated via linguistic features in text, such as sentiments, emotions, perspectives, and intentions. One way to describe this information is that it represents something about the generator’s mental state, which is often interpreted as the tone of the message. A current technical barrier to developing a general-purpose tone identification system is the lack of reliable training data, with messages annotated with the message tone. We first describe a method for creating the necessary annotated data using human-based computation, based on interactive games between humans trying to generate and interpret messages conveying different tones. This draws on the use of game with a purpose methods from computer science and wisdom of the crowds methods from cognitive science. We then demonstrate the utility of this kind of database and the advantage of human-based computation by examining the performance of two machine learning classifiers trained on the database, each of which uses only shallow linguistic features. Though we already find nearhuman levels of performance with one classifier, we also suggest more sophisticated linguistic features and alternate implementations for the database that may improve tone identification results further.
Survival Analysis of Recidivism of Male and Female Boot Camp Graduates Using Life-Course Theory

Abstract This was a five-year follow-up study of 572 male and 120 female graduates of a boot camp in the South. The purpose was to examine what elements of life-course theory predict recidivism (felony conviction or parole violation), gender differences in predictors, and some issues regarding the effects of boot camp. Special emphasis was on perceptions of the boot camp experience by inmates, and on how sexual and physical abuses during different stages of the life span predict recidivism. Cox's Proportional-Hazards Model indicated that certain favorable perceptions of the boot camp program were associated with decreased hazard rates of recidivism, even after considering factors considered to be ameliorating experiences in life-course theory. Childhood sexual abuse, sexual and physical maltreatments in adolescence, and current sexual assaults are related to increases in the hazard rates of recidivism. In support of life-course theory, ameliorating experiences, such as having a conventional partner and full-time employment, did significantly reduce the hazard rates of most predictors studied. Finally, several gender differences relevant to questions about the utility and humanity of boot camps were discussed.
Achievement of Work Values and Participative Decision-Making

The relationship between values realized in the workplace and participative decision-making was investigated for a sample of 171 nurses. The results indicated that all of the examined work values related significantly to scores on participative decision-making. Regression analyses showed that five of the values contributed 63% to the variance in decision-making: Influence over Work, Independence in Work, Influence in the Organization, Convenient Hours of Work, and Having Responsibility. The results were discussed in terms of motivation theories and concepts of participation.
Factors associated with high first year undergraduate retention rates in business departments with non-traditional student intakes

Introduction Low rates of first year undergraduate retention represent a serious problem for many English universities, especially post-1992 institutions with high intakes of students from economically deprived areas (Clare, 2005; Lipsett, 2007, 2008; Swain, 2008). Thus, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA, 2008a, 2008b) the average first-year retention rate for post-1992 universities1 that in 2005/6 recruited more than 35% of their incoming domestic students from “lower socio-economic classes” (LSECs)2 was just 69.4%, compared with an average of 91.4% for United Kingdom universities as a whole (Attwood, 2008).
Levels of Tap-1 and Tap-2 mRNA and Expression of Kd and Db on Splenic Lymphocytes Are Normal in NOD Mice

It has been reported that the level of Tap-1 (transporter associated with antigen processing) mRNA and the expression of class I on splenocytes are low in NOD mice. Class I expression at 37°C depends on an adequate supply of peptides, so a decrease in Tap could lead to lower class I levels. Since hypoexpression of class I correlated uniformly with the development of diabetes, it has also been suggested that Tap-1nod is diabetogenic. However, others report normal Tap-1 and class I levels in NOD mice. We examined Tap-1 and Tap-2 mRNA levels in NOD/Smrf mice using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction method that detects ≥25% changes in mRNA. We also assessed class I expression with three monoclonal antibodies. No difference in Tap-1 or Tap-2 mRNA levels for females of different ages or between diabetic and nondiabetic animals was observed. Tap-1 mRNA levels were identical between NOD/Smrf and BALB/cJ mice. Kd expression was significantly lower on NOD lymphocytes than in BALB/cJ cells, but the difference was due to the smaller size of the NOD splenic lymphocyte. When cells of the same size were analyzed, no difference in class I levels was observed. Class I levels were also identical in diabetic and age-matched nondiabetic NOD and BALB/c females. Both NOD Tap-1 mRNA and class I were increased by interferon-γ. We find no evidence for impaired NOD Tap gene activity or class I expression, as previously reported for this strain.
Public Support for the Prosecution of Human Rights Violations in the Former Yugoslavia

Can international criminal courts contribute to the strengthening of local human rights cultures? This article approaches this issue by conducting a comparative survey in post-war societies across the former Yugoslavia. Populations who collectively endured systematic human rights violations were more critical toward national authorities and less tolerant toward rights abuses. Findings revealed a specific pattern for communities that had been confronted with systematic violations of highly institutionalized human rights, such as war crimes. Members of such communities displayed (a) overall higher levels of support than comparable populations toward legal prosecution by international institutions across different types of human rights violations and (b) a positive relation between support for legal prosecution of human rights violations and levels of belief in a just world, as well as subjective well-being.
Definitive three-dimensional high-dose-rate brachytherapy for inoperable endometrial cancer

Purpose To report our experience on high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) in patients with stage I-III endometrial cancer unfit to surgery. Material and methods Seventeen patients underwent HDR-BT as definitive treatment. Median age was 79 years (range, 60-95), median Karnofsky performance status 90% (range, 60-100). Histology was endometrial adenocarcinoma in 14 (82%), and non-endometrial in 3 (18%) patients. In 15 (88%) patients, clinical stage was I and in remaining 2 (12%) was III. All patients were evaluated with computed tomography (CT) and endometrial biopsy. Using the Fletcher applicator, a CT-based planning HDR-BT was delivered. Local control (LC) was obtained when there was an interruption of vaginal bleeding in absence of CT-imaging progression. Results Fourteen patients underwent HDR-BT alone and three external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) combined with HDR-BT. All patients had a clinical LC, after a median follow-up of 53 months (range, 6-131), 3 and 6 years LC rates were 86% and 69%, respectively. Cancer specific survival (CSS) at 1, 2, and 6 years was 93%, 85%, and 85%, respectively. Age, stage, dose, and type of radiotherapy did not result significant prognostic factors for LC and CSS. Only histology significantly influenced LC: for high-risk histology (i.e., non-endometrial carcinoma or grade [G] 3 endometrial adenocarcinoma) LC was 73% at 1 year and 36% at 6 years; for low-risk histology (i.e., G1-2 endometrial adenocarcinoma) was 100% at 1 and 6 years (p = 0.05). Two (12%) patients had G2 acute toxicity and two others (12%) G1 late toxicity. Conclusions Although some limitations of our analysis (relatively few number of patients recruited, retrospective evaluation, and consequent suboptimal patient selection), it confirms effectiveness and safety of definitive HDR-BT for medically inoperable stage I-III endometrial cancer. The best LC was obtained in stage I low-risk histology.
Perceived Cognitive Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Objectives Dyscognition or “fibro-fog” is a top concern of individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS]; however, it is often overlooked clinically and remains relatively understudied as a symptom. This study sought to explore the multiple types of perceived dyscognition and associate each type with other clinical symptoms common to the presentation of FMS. Methods Seventy-two individuals with FMS and 24 age-matched healthy controls participated in the study. Multiple types of perceived dyscognition were assessed by the Multiple Abilities Self-Report Questionnaire. Other symptom domains included pain, fatigue, sleep problems, mood, and illness burden. Both correlation and regression modeling were used to identify unique relationships between types of dyscognition and the clinical presentation of FMS. Results Individuals with FMS scored significantly higher on all self-report measures of dyscognition than did healthy controls. In general, perceived dyscognition in FMS was most strongly associated with fatigue and mood. Pain was uniquely associated with perceived language deficits, and sleep was uniquely associated with aspects of dyscognition involving memory. Somewhat unexpected, pain was not related to attention or concentration. Conclusions These data suggest that perceived dyscognition is a multi-faceted clinical concern in individuals with FMS. When assessed, dyscognition should reflect the multi-dimensionality of the symptom in order to be valid. Treatments aimed at dyscognition should similarly consider the importance of addressing multiple types of dyscognition in order to be considered effective.
Helplessness in Children of Depressed and Nondepressed Mothers.

Helpless behaviors in 5- to 7-year-old children of depressed and nondepressed mothers were assessed through direct observation, interviews, and teacher ratings. The affective tone the mothers set in a joint puzzle task and their tendency to encourage mastery or become intrusive when their children became furstrated at the task were also assessed. Although depressed mothers set a more negative affective tone than nondepressed mothers during solvable puzzles, there were few significant differences between the 2 groups of mothers and children. Still, mothers who were more negative and hostile and less able to encourage mastery in their children had children who exhibited more helpless behaviors in the puzzle task, who were less likely to endorse active problem-solving approaches to frustrating situations, and whose teachers rated the children as less competent and more prone to helpless behaviors