Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The trafficked child: trauma and resilience.

Human trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labour is believed to be one of the fastest growing areas of criminal activity. Child victims are particularly vulnerable but there is little systematic knowledge about their characteristics and experiences. They are often subsumed under the women and children heading without allowing for analysis of their special needs. Many writers use the word children but focus on young women - and research on trafficked boys is non-existent. Limited knowledge impedes identification of child victims of trafficking obstructs provision of appropriate effective services and limits prevention of repeat victimisation. This article presents preliminary findings from interviews with service providers in the US refugee foster care and unaccompanied minors (URM) programmes concerning 36 unaccompanied child survivors of trafficking ranging in age from 12 to 17. Twenty-six were trafficked for sexual exploitation four for domestic servitude three for a combination of sex and domestic servitude and three for labour (including the only boy). (excerpt)
RCRT: rate-controlled reliable transport for wireless sensor networks

Emerging high-rate applications (imaging, structural monitoring, acoustic localization) will need to transport large volumes of data concurrently from several sensors. These applications are also loss-intolerant. A key requirement for such applications, then, is a protocol that reliably transport sensor data from many sources to one or more sinks without incurring congestion collapse. In this paper, we discuss RCRT, a rate-controlled reliable transport protocol suitable for constrained sensor nodes. RCRT uses end-to-end explicit loss recovery, but places all the congestion detection and rate adaptation functionality in the sinks. This has two important advantages: efficiency and flexibility. Because sinks make rate allocation decisions, they are able to achieve greater efficiency since they have a more comprehensive view of network behavior. For the same reason, it is possible to alter the rate allocation decisions (for example, from one that ensures that all nodes get the same rate, to one that ensures that nodes get rates in proportion to their demands), without modifying sensor code at all. We evaluate RCRT extensively on a 40-node wireless sensor network testbed and show that RCRT achieves more than twice the rate achieved by a recently proposed interference-aware distributed rate-control protocol, IFRC [23].
Educators’ use of questioning as a pedagogical strategy in long day care nurseries

Educators’ questions can encourage children to engage in extended conversations, facilitate comprehension and stimulate thinking. Many studies of educators’ questioning have focused on children aged 3 years and older. Little is known about the manner in which educators of infants in non-parental group care settings use questioning as a pedagogical strategy. Six university-qualified early childhood educators in Sydney, Australia, were videorecorded for 40 min each in their long day care centres. Informed by systemic functional linguistic theory, the educators’ questions addressed to infants (defined as children under 2 years of age) were coded according to whether they served a pedagogical or regulatory function. Pedagogical questions were defined as questions intended to promote children’s learning, whereas regulatory questions functioned as commands and offers which were intended to manage behaviour. The educators’ pedagogical questions were then further analysed according to the response required of the infant. Confirm questions sought a yes or no response, specify questions (who, when, where, what) sought the name of a person, time, place or entity and explain questions (why or how) sought an explanation or justification. The findings demonstrated that educators differed greatly in terms of the frequency and manner in which they used questioning as a pedagogical strategy when interacting with infants. So-called open questioning, which has been shown to stimulate conversation with older children, may not be appropriate for infants whose distinctive developmental trajectories differ from those of preschool-aged children. The findings suggest the need for a more nuanced understanding of the role of questioning in promoting infants’ language, literacy and intellectual development.
Differentiation of Neurogenic and Myocardial Angiotensin II Receptors in Isolated Rabbit Atria

The effect of angiotensin on the action of tyramine was studied in isolated rabbit left atria paced by point and field stimulation to more clearly define the interaction of angiotensin with the sympathetic nervous system. Administration of angiotensin resulted in similar increases in contractility in both point- and field-stimulated atria. In point-stimulated preparations only the muscle is stimulated to contract, whereas in field-stimulated preparations both nerve and muscle are stimulated. l-Sar-8-Ala-angiotensin II completely blocked the direct inotropic effect of angiotensin in a molar dose ratio of 3:1 in both point- and field-stimulated preparations. However, angiotensin (0.05–10 ng/ml) potentiated the inotropic effect of tyramine in field-stimulated atria only. This facilitatory effect was not inhibited by l-Sar-8-Ala-angiotensin II at a molar dose ratio of 3:1; indeed, a ratio of 500:1 was necessary for complete blockade of this angiotensin-induced potentiation. This antagonist in doses of 0.1–1000 ng/ml was without contractile effect in any preparation, regardless of whether tyramine was present. The data suggest the presence of (1) a presynaptic angiotensin receptor that, in the presence of sympathetic nerve stimulation, modulates the release of norepinephrine and (2) a second angiotensin receptor in cardiac tissue that directly influences myocardial contractility.
How Competition Is Viewed Across Cultures

Competition is a pervasive aspect of human life. Yet the values and attitudes that people have concerning competition vary widely, from the belief that it underpins the social order to the belief that it corrodes positive social ties. This research examines the structural and cultural roots of these attitudes across societies. Contrasting predictions from five social theories (Marxism, system justification, Protestant ethic, postmaterialism, and individualism) were derived and tested using data from the World Values Survey. Study 1 tests the various hypotheses examining differences between societies. Using a mixed-level model, Study 2 examines the individuals' attitudes toward competition in the context of both individual-level and societal-level factors. Results indicate that competitive values are consistently related to Protestantism, both at the level of individual affiliation and cultural religious history, especially when structural factors are controlled. However, only limited support was found for the idea that attitudes toward competition vary as function of one's position in the socioeconomic structure, economic regulation, postmaterialist values, and individualism.
The Apical Localization of Na+, K+-ATPase in Cultured Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Depends on Expression of the β2 Subunit

Na+, K+-ATPase, or the Na+ pump, is a key component in the maintenance of the epithelial phenotype. In most epithelia, the pump is located in the basolateral domain. Studies from our laboratory have shown that the β1 subunit of Na+, K+-ATPase plays an important role in this mechanism because homotypic β1-β1 interactions between neighboring cells stabilize the pump in the lateral membrane. However, in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the Na+ pump is located in the apical domain. The mechanism of polarization in this epithelium is unclear. We hypothesized that the apical polarization of the pump in RPE cells depends on the expression of its β2 subunit. ARPE-19 cells cultured for up to 8 weeks on inserts did not polarize, and Na+, K+-ATPase was expressed in the basolateral membrane. In the presence of insulin, transferrin and selenic acid (ITS), ARPE-19 cells cultured for 4 weeks acquired an RPE phenotype, and the Na+ pump was visible in the apical domain. Under these conditions, Western blot analysis was employed to detect the β2 isoform and immunofluorescence analysis revealed an apparent apical distribution of the β2 subunit. qPCR results showed a time-dependent increase in the level of β2 isoform mRNA, suggesting regulation at the transcriptional level. Moreover, silencing the expression of the β2 isoform in ARPE-19 cells resulted in a decrease in the apical localization of the pump, as assessed by the mislocalization of the α2 subunit in that domain. Our results demonstrate that the apical polarization of Na+, K+-ATPase in RPE cells depends on the expression of the β2 subunit.
Endovascular Treatment of Tandem Extracranial/Intracranial Anterior Circulation Occlusions: Preliminary Single-Center Experience

Background and Purpose— Acute ischemic stroke due to tandem occlusions of the extracranial internal carotid artery and intracranial arteries has a poor natural history. We aimed to evaluate our single-center experience with endovascular treatment of this unique stroke population. Methods— Consecutive patients with tandem occlusions of the internal carotid artery origin and an intracranial artery (ie, internal carotid artery terminus, M1 middle cerebral artery, or M2 middle cerebral artery) were studied retrospectively. Treatment consisted of proximal revascularization with angioplasty and stenting followed by intracranial intervention. Endpoints were recanalization of both extracranial and intracranial vessels (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Ischemia ≥2), parenchymal hematoma, and good clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale ⩽2) at 3 months. Results— We identified 77 patients with tandem occlusions. Recanalization occurred in 58 cases (75.3%) and parenchymal hematoma occurred in 8 cases (10.4%). Distal embolization occurred in 3 cases (3.9%). In 18 of 77 patients (23.4%), distal (ie, intracranial) recanalization was observed after proximal recanalization, obviating the need for distal intervention. Good clinical outcomes were achieved in 32 patients (41.6%). In multivariate analysis, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Ischemia ≥2 recanalization, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, baseline Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT score, and age were significantly associated with good outcome. Conclusions— Endovascular therapy of tandem occlusions using extracranial internal carotid artery revascularization as the first step is technically feasible, has a high recanalization rate, and results in an acceptable rate of good clinical outcome. Future randomized, prospective studies should clarify the role of this approach.
Comparison of Tetrazolium Salt Assays for Evaluation of Drug Activity against Leishmania spp

ABSTRACT In French Guiana, leishmaniasis is an essentially cutaneous infection. It constitutes a major public health problem, with a real incidence of 0.2 to 0.3%. Leishmania guyanensis is the causal species most frequently encountered in French Guiana. The treatment of leishmaniasis is essentially drug based, but the therapeutic compounds available have major side effects (e.g., liver damage and diabetes) and must be administered parenterally or are costly. The efficacy of some of these agents has declined due to the emergence of resistance in certain strains of Leishmania. There is currently no vaccine against leishmaniasis, and it is therefore both necessary and urgent to identify new compounds effective against Leishmania. The search for new drugs requires effective tests for evaluations of the leishmanicidal activity of a particular molecule or extract. Microculture tetrazolium assays (MTAs) are colorimetric tests based on the use of tetrazolium salts. We compared the efficacies of three tetrazolium salts—3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT), and 2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (WST-8)—for quantification of the promastigotes of various species of Leishmania. We found that the capacity of Leishmania to metabolize a tetrazolium salt depended on the salt used and the species of Leishmania. WST-8 was the tetrazolium salt best metabolized by L. guyanensis and gave the best sensitivity.
Carlo Study of Criterion Validity of the Directed Lie Screening Test using the Empirical Scoring System and the Objective Scoring System Version 3

Monte Carlo methods were used to calculate normative data and criterion accuracy rates for PDD screening tests conducted using the DLST format for multi-issue examinations. Decision accuracy was significantly greater than chance for all DLST cases and for the deceptive and truthful groups. There were no significant differences in unweighted decision accuracy for two the models. The OSS-3 model produced significantly fewer inconclusive results with truthful cases compared to the ESS. Dimensional profiles of criterion accuracy, including means, standard deviations, and statistical confidence intervals are shown for test sensitivity and specificity, false-negative and false-positive errors, inconclusive rates for deceptive and truthful cases, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, the proportions of correct decisions for deceptive and truthful cases and unweighted decision accuracy. Normative lookup tables for the DLST scores with the ESS are shown in an appendix. Continued interest in the DLST, the ESS and the OSS-3 is recommended.
Biomedical named entity recognition system

We propose a machine learning approach, using a Maximum Entropy (ME) model to construct a Named Entity Recognition (NER) classifier to retrieve biomedical names from texts. In experiments, we utilize a blend of various linguistic features incorporated into the ME model to assign class labels and location within an entity sequence, and a postprocessing strategy for corrections to sequences of tags to produce a state of the art solution. The experimental results on the GENIA corpus achieved an F-score of 68.2% for semantic classification of 23 categories and achieved F-score of 78.1% on identification.
Energy-Preserving Variant of Collocation Methods 12

We propose a modification of collocation methods extending the ‘averaged vector field method’ to high order. These new integrators exactly preserve energy for Hamiltonian systems, are of arbitrarily high order, and fall into the class of B-series integrators. We discuss their symmetry and conjugate-symplecticity, and we compare them to energypreserving composition methods. c © 2010 European Society of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering
Evaluating the Law of One Price Using Micro Panel Data: The Case of the French Fish Market

This paper investigates spatial variations in product prices using an exhaustive micro dataset on fish transactions. The data record all transactions between vessels and wholesalers that occur on local fish markets in France during the year 2007. Spatial disparities in fish prices are sizable, even after fish quality, time, seller and buyer unobserved heterogeneity have been taken into account. The price difference between local fish markets can be explained to some extent by distance, but mostly by a coast effect (analogous to a border effect in the literature on the law of one price) related to separate location on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. In particular, fish and crustacean prices are 34% higher on the Mediterranean coast. The law of one price is verified for almost all species when considering only local fish markets on the Atlantic coast.
International collaborative study on the occurrence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance in Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli isolated from animals, humans, food and the environment in 13 European countries.

OBJECTIVES This study was initiated to collect retrospective information on the occurrence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) in Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli isolates in Europe and to identify the responsible genes. METHODS Databases of national reference laboratories containing MIC values for Salmonella and E. coli isolated between 1994 and 2009 in animals, humans, food and the environment from 13 European countries were screened for isolates exhibiting a defined quinolone resistance phenotype, i.e. reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and nalidixic acid. PCR and sequence analysis were performed to identify the responsible PMQR genes. RESULTS Screening of databases of 13 European countries resulted in a selection of 1215 Salmonella and 333 E. coli isolates. PMQR genes were identified in 59% of the Salmonella isolates and 15% of the E. coli isolates selected. In Salmonella, qnrS1 (n = 125) and variants of qnrB (n = 138) were frequently identified, whereas qnrA1 (n = 3) and aac(6')-1b-cr (n = 3) were rarely found. qnrD was detected in 22 Salmonella isolates obtained from humans and animals. In E. coli, qnrS1 was identified in 19 isolates and qnrB19 was found in one isolate. No qnrC or qepA genes were detected in either Salmonella or E. coli. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the occurrence and dissemination of PMQR genes in Salmonella and E. coli in Europe with a defined quinolone resistance phenotype. We also report the first detection of qnrD in Salmonella collected in Europe.
Recombinant rhodostomin substrates induce transformation and active calcium oscillation in human platelets.

Platelet activation has been a focus of numerous studies in normal and abnormal states. Morphological changes and calcium signals found with activated platelets in vitro have been well characterized. However, the rate of cell spreading on substrates and the frequency of calcium oscillation within individual platelets upon activation have not yet been reported. In this study, we first examined the ability of a recombinant fusion protein of rhodostomin (GST-rhodostomin), a snake disintegrin containing an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif, to activate platelets when GST-rhodostomin served as a substrate. Four aspects of platelet activities induced by immobilized GST-rhodostomin and fibrinogen were analyzed in parallel. Examinations of (1) translocation of P-selectin from intracellular compartments to the plasma membrane, (2) platelet adhesion to and spreading on substrates, (3) platelet contact pattern on substrates, and (4) the degree of phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase in platelets indicated that GST-rhodostomin was a better substrate for platelet activation than fibrinogen. Analysis of the rate of platelet spreading on GST-rhodostomin was examined by time-lapsed video microscopy. The spreading rate averaged 0.43 micrometer/minute, while cell spreading averaged 0.22 micrometer/minute when platelets were plated on fibrinogen and treated with thrombin. A newly developed method, using time-lapsed microscopy and the Metamorph program, was used to analyze calcium signals within platelets. We found that platelets on GST-rhodostomin evoked calcium oscillation at a frequency of 4.77 spike/cell/minute vs 2.76 spike/cell/minute on fibrinogen. The results of cell spreading and calcium oscillation were consistent with the results of microscopic and biochemical assays. We therefore conclude that the determination of the rate of platelet spreading and the frequency of calcium oscillation within platelets performed in this study provides more quantitative parameters for measuring platelet activities. Our results also suggest that GST-rhodostomin might potentially be used as a probe to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the kinetic processes of platelet activation.
Linking Geographic Dispersion, Commitment, and Job Satisfaction: the Mediating Role of Quality Relationship

This paper focuses on socio-emotional processes in order to understand how geographic dispersion could influence the quality of relationships, job satisfaction, and affective commitment of workers in a team context. In particular, we assume that geographic dispersion of team members affects Team-Member Exchange (TMX) which, in turn, affects their job satisfaction and affective commitment. A survey methodology was used to gather data and a structured questionnaire was administered to researchers of CNR Institutes located in Italy. Findings suggested the importance of TMX in determining job satisfaction and affective commitment of dispersed workers, highlighting the mediator role of it.
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the inferior frontal gyrus and thalamus and its relationship to verbal learning task performance in patients with schizophrenia: A preliminary report

Previous research has found frontal lobe involvement in memory impairment in schizophrenia. In the present study, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed in 13 young patients with schizophrenia and 13 normal control subjects. Spectra were obtained from a voxel of 2 × 2 × 1.5 cm 3 in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and thalamus. Subjects were given a verbal learning task and stimulus category repetition (SCR) was calculated from the performance of the task. Significantly reduced N‐acetylaspartate (NAA)/choline‐containing compounds ratios were found in the left inferior frontal cortex of patients compared with controls. The total number of words recalled by patients was significantly lower than that recalled by controls. In all subjects, SCR scores were positively correlated with NAA/phosphocreatine ratios of the left inferior frontal cortex, which showed a trend towards a decrease in patients. These results support the notion of metabolic abnormalities in the left inferior frontal region related to verbal memory deficits in patients with schizophrenia.
Software Performance Analysis in UML Models

An early integration of performance considerations inside the software development process has been recognized during last years as an effective approach to speed up the production of high quality and reliable software. In this paper we propose a possible solution to address software performance engineering that evolves through the following phases: system specification using an augmented UML notation, creation of an intermediate performance context model, generation of an equivalent stochastic Petri netmodel whose analytical solution provides the required performance measures. We describe all the steps of the proposed approach and present ArgoPerformance, a tool we have developed that provides a complete graphical environment for software performance evaluation. We present a simple case study and validate our results against those obtained by other authors through simulation.
Vuur: Exploring Shared Interaction with Light

As LED lighting technology becomes omnipresent, lighting environments become more advanced and allow for adjusting various parameters such as color, brightness, and saturation. This poses challenges for interaction design, particularly when lighting environments are shared between multiple users. This paper presents “Vuur”: a shared physical interface with which users can control lighting in meeting room environments through gestures on the interface’s surface. A research-through-design exploration involving five variations of an experienceable Vuur prototype revealed that the interface enabled groups of participants to explore, and reach consensus about, shared lighting preferences. The findings are presented in four themes that emerged from qualitative analysis of the performed user studies: lighting needs, continued interaction, peripheral interaction, and shared interface. This early exploration of shared interaction with light lays out opportunities and insights for tangible and gestural interaction in the emerging domain of interactive lighting systems.