Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Search for gravitational waves from low mass binary coalescences in the first year of LIGO’s S5 data

We have searched for gravitational waves from coalescing low mass compact binary systems with a total mass between 2 and 35 Msun and a minimum component mass of 1 Msun using data from the first year of the fifth science run (S5) of the three LIGO detectors, operating at design sensitivity. Depending on mass, we are sensitive to coalescences as far as 150 Mpc from the Earth. No gravitational wave signals were observed above the expected background. Assuming a compact binary objects population with a Gaussian mass distribution representing binary neutron star systems, black hole-neutron star binary systems, and binary black hole systems, we calculate the 90%-confidence upper limit on the rate of coalescences to be 3.9 \times 10^{-2} yr^{-1} L_{10}^{-1}, 1.1 \times 10^{-2} yr^{-1} L_{10}^{-1}, and 2.5 \times 10^{-3} yr^{-1} L_{10}^{-1} respectively, where $L_{10}$ is $10^{10}$ times the blue solar luminosity. We also set improved upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescences per unit blue-light luminosity, as a function of mass.
Biogeochemical cycling and microbial diversity in the thrombolitic microbialites of Highborne Cay, Bahamas

Thrombolites are unlaminated carbonate build‐ups that are formed via the metabolic activities of complex microbial mat communities. The thrombolitic mats of Highborne Cay, Bahamas develop in close proximity (1–2 m) to accreting laminated stromatolites, providing an ideal opportunity for biogeochemical and molecular comparisons of these two distinctive microbialite ecosystems. In this study, we provide the first comprehensive characterization of the biogeochemical activities and microbial diversity of the Highborne Cay thrombolitic mats. Morphological and molecular analyses reveal two dominant mat types associated with the thrombolite deposits, both of which are dominated by bacteria from the taxa Cyanobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria. Diel cycling of dissolved oxygen (DO) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were measured in all thrombolitic mat types. DO production varied between thrombolitic types and one morphotype, referred to in this study as ‘button mats’, produced the highest levels among all mat types, including the adjacent stromatolites. Characterization of thrombolite bacterial communities revealed a high bacterial diversity, roughly equivalent to that of the nearby stromatolites, and a low eukaryotic diversity. Extensive phylogenetic overlap between thrombolitic and stromatolitic microbial communities was observed, although thrombolite‐specific cyanobacterial populations were detected. In particular, the button mats were dominated by a calcified, filamentous cyanobacterium identified via morphology and 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Dichothrix sp. The distinctive microbial communities and chemical cycling patterns within the thrombolitic mats provide novel insight into the biogeochemical processes related to the lithifying mats in this system, and provide data relevant to understanding microbially induced carbonate biomineralization.
Restoring safe school communities

Introduction: Safe school communities Bullying, violence and alienation Alienation, shame and humiliation Beyond ignorance, bandaids and zero tolerance Restorative Justice Responsive regulation Practicing restorative justice in schools: The evidence Responsive implementation, sustainability and development: A regulatory framework Reflections and revelations on being responsive and restorative Appendix 1: Principles of restorative justice: As applied in a school settingAppendix 2: Responsible citizenship program: Building respect, consideration and participation in schools ReferencesIndex
The effectiveness of benzyl benzoate and different chemicals as acaricides

Several observations have indicated that house‐dust mites (HDM) play an important role in allergic diseases. Thus, the primary form of treatment should aim at reducing exposure to HDM for these patients. Allergenavoidance measures in homes have been demonstrated to be beneficial in decreasing the risk of sensitization, severity of symptoms, bronchial reactivity, and basophil sensitivity. Various chemical methods, as well as physical measures, have been tried to eliminate mite allergens from house dust. However, none have gained wide acceptance because of the lack of effectiveness and safety, and the high cost. It is clear that new approaches are required for effective long‐term control of HDM allergens. This study compared the acaricidal activities of phenyl salicylate. tea leaf extract (high tannic acid content), and essential oils (eucalyptus and laurel) with that of benzyl benzoate. The contact, short‐duration persistence, and residual effects of various concentrations of these chemicals and benzyl benzoate were assessed in laboratory conditions with specially designed wells. Our data suggest that benzyl benzoate may not be effective when applied according to the manufacturer's instructions, but may be effective when applied more frequently (i.e., three to four times a year) and for longer periods (up to 24 h) even with lower concentrations (0.4%).
A numerical study of compressible turbulent boundary layers

Compressible turbulent boundary layers with free-stream Mach number ranging from 2.5 up to 20 are analyzed by means of direct numerical simulation of the Navier–Stokes equations. The fluid is assumed to be an ideal gas with constant specific heats. The simulation generates its inflow condition using the rescaling-recycling method. The main objective is to study the effect of Mach number on turbulence statistics and near-wall turbulence structures. The present study shows that supersonic/hypersonic boundary layers at zero pressure gradient exhibit close similarities to incompressible boundary layers and that the main turbulence statistics can be correctly described as variable-density extensions of incompressible results. The study also shows that the spanwise streak’s spacing of 100 wall units in the inner region y + 15 still holds for the considered high Mach numbers. The probability density function of the velocity dilatation shows significant variations as the Mach number is increased, but it can also be normalized by accounting for the variable-density effect. The compressible boundary layer also shows an additional similarity to the incompressible boundary layer in the sense that without the linear coupling term, near-wall turbulence cannot be sustained. © 2011 American Institute of Physics. doi:10.1063/1.3541841
Role of heavy ion co-implantation and thermal spikes on the development of dislocation loops in nanoengineered silicon light emitting diodes

Microstructural and electroluminescence measurements are carried out on boron implanted dislocation engineered silicon light emitting diodes (LEDs) co-implanted with the rare earth thulium to provide wavelength tuning in the infra-red. Silicon LEDs operating in the range from 1.1–1.35 μm are fabricated by co-implantation of boron and thulium into n-type Si (100) wafers and subsequently rapid thermally annealed to activate the implants and to engineer the dislocation loop array that is crucial in allowing light emission. Ohmic contacts are applied to the p and n regions to form conventional p-n junction LEDs. Electroluminescence is obtained under normal forward biasing of the devices. The influence of implantation sequence (B or Tm first), ion dose, and the post-implantation annealing on the microstructure and electroluminescence from the devices is studied. A clear role of the heavy-ion Tm co-implant in significantly modifying the boron induced dislocation loop array distribution is demonstrated. We also .
Exendin-4 Improves Glycemic Control, Ameliorates Brain and Pancreatic Pathologies, and Extends Survival in a Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease

OBJECTIVE—The aim of this study was to find an effective treatment for the genetic form of diabetes that is present in some Huntington's disease patients and in Huntington's disease mouse models. Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine expansion within the huntingtin protein. Huntington's disease patients exhibit neuronal dysfunction/degeneration, chorea, and progressive weight loss. Additionally, they suffer from abnormalities in energy metabolism affecting both the brain and periphery. Similarly to Huntington's disease patients, mice expressing the mutated human huntingtin protein also exhibit neurodegenerative changes, motor dysfunction, perturbed energy metabolism, and elevated blood glucose levels. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Huntington's disease mice were treated with an FDA-approved antidiabetic glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, exendin-4 (Ex-4), to test whether euglycemia could be achieved, whether pancreatic dysfunction could be alleviated, and whether the mice showed any neurological benefit. Blood glucose and insulin levels and various appetite hormone concentrations were measured during the study. Additionally, motor performance and life span were quantified and mutant huntingtin (mhtt) aggregates were measured in both the pancreas and brain. RESULTS—Ex-4 treatment ameliorated abnormalities in peripheral glucose regulation and suppressed cellular pathology in both brain and pancreas in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. The treatment also improved motor function and extended the survival time of the Huntington's disease mice. These clinical improvements were correlated with reduced accumulation of mhtt protein aggregates in both islet and brain cells. CONCLUSIONS—Targeting both peripheral and neuronal deficits, Ex-4 is an attractive agent for therapeutic intervention in Huntington's disease patients suffering from diabetes.
Self-esteem, shyness, and sociability in adolescents with specific language impairment (SLI).

PURPOSE To determine if lower global self-esteem, shyness, and low sociability are outcomes associated with SLI in adolescence. Possible concurrent predictive relationships and gender differences were also examined. METHOD Fifty-four adolescents with SLI, aged between 16 and 17 years, were compared with a group of 54 adolescents with typical language abilities on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965) and the Cheek and Buss Shyness and Sociability scales (Cheek & Buss, 1981). RESULTS The SLI group had significantly lower global self-esteem scores than the group with typical language abilities. The adolescents with SLI were more shy than their peers, but the groups did not differ in their sociability ratings. Regression analysis found that language ability was not concurrently predictive of self-esteem but shyness was. Mediation analysis suggested that shyness could be a partial but significant mediator in the relationship between language ability and global self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS Older adolescents with SLI are at risk of lower global self-esteem and experience shyness, although they want to interact socially. The relationship between language ability and self-esteem at this point in adolescence is complex, with shyness potentially playing an important mediating role.
Effects of Exenatide Alone and in Combination With Daclizumab on β-Cell Function in Long-Standing Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE In patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes, we investigated whether improved β-cell function can be achieved by combining intensive insulin therapy with agents that may 1) promote β-cell growth and/or limit β-cell apoptosis and 2) weaken the anti–β-cell autoimmunity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS For this study, 20 individuals (mean age 39.5 ± 11.1 years) with long-standing type 1 diabetes (21.3 ± 10.7 years) were enrolled in this prospective open-label crossover trial. After achieving optimal blood glucose control, 16 subjects were randomized to exenatide with or without daclizumab. Endogenous insulin production was determined by repeatedly measuring serum C-peptide. RESULTS In 85% of individuals with long-standing type 1 diabetes who were screened for participation in this trial, C-peptide levels ≥0.05 ng/ml (0.02 nmol/l) were found. Residual β-cells responded to physiological (mixed-meal) and pharmacological (arginine) stimuli. During exenatide treatment, patients lost 4.1 ± 2.9 kg body wt and insulin requirements declined significantly (total daily dose on exenatide 0.48 ± 0.11 vs. 0.55 ± 0.13 units · kg−1 · day−1 without exenatide; P = 0.0062). No signs of further activation of the underlying autoimmune disease were observed. Exenatide delayed gastric emptying, suppressed endogenous incretin levels, but did not increase C-peptide secretion. CONCLUSIONS In long-standing type 1 diabetes, which remains an active autoimmune disease even decades after its onset, surviving β-cells secrete insulin in a physiologically regulated manner. However, the combination of intensified insulin therapy, exenatide, and daclizumab did not induce improved function of these remaining β-cells.
The Creative Ethos of the African Diaspora: Performance Aesthetics and the Fight for Freedom and Identity

The critical importance of the artist to the anti-slavery agency of the enslaved, is observable in one verse of a song by the enslaved in the USA: Got one mind for the boss to see; Got another mind for what I know is me. The Jamaican expression for this thought is “Plie fuul fi kech wiz”. The philosophy of praxis which these two examples denote, are rooted in an aestheticism in which performance became a critically important modus operandi for Black agency during, and indeed after slavery; The social being the enslaved described themselves to be having one mind for the slaveholder to see and another mind for what they knew them selves. to be, denotes a social being who consciously constructs a (feigned)personality out of the cultural and intellectual fabric of White supremacy to protect and to mask the real personality and intentions of the enslaved through performance rituals of flattery, mimicry and deception and other forms of creative improvisational socio-political acts of becoming.
Family Italian listed firms

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to underscore the impact of the family variable on performance. The authors were interested in understanding whether the differences between Family Firms (FFs) and Non-Family Firms (NFFs), on the one hand, and between large FFs and medium-sized FFs, on the other, were reflected in the performance achieved. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper a sample of 80 industrial companies listed on the Italian Stock Market (FTSE MIB and STAR indexes) were considered, and mixed criteria to distinguish FFs and NFFs (Smyrnios-Romano et al., 1998) were used. The empirical method allowed the development of some research hypotheses by exploiting the Pearson correlation. Findings – There are two main categories of FFs, which correspond to two different strategic and organizational categories, namely, the FFs listed on the large capitalized companies index (FTSE MIB) and the FFs listed on the medium-capitalized companies index (STAR). Each kind of FFs (large FFs and medium-sized.
Assisted conception following poor ovarian response to gonadotrophin stimulation

is imperative to minimise the risk of certain complications. Therefore with more experience the incidence of complications will probably decrease. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists introduccd levels of difficulty in laparoscopic procedures4: level 1 starts with diagnostic laparoscopy and the highest level 4 the most difficult operations (e.g. suspension operations). This stratification of training (under supervision) and experience in each level, will probably decrease the incidence of complications in the future. Furthermore, not all levels of surgery should be performed by all surgeons. It remains essential to gain more insight into the relationship between certain complications on one hand and the experience of the surgeon on the other. National registration of complications can be an instrument to obtain this information.
State Space Models and the Kalman-Filter in Stochastic Claims Reserving: Forecasting, Filtering and Smoothing

This paper gives a detailed overview of the current state of research in relation to the use of state space models and the Kalman-filter in the field of stochastic claims reserving. Most of these state space representations are matrix-based, which complicates their applications. Therefore, to facilitate the implementation of state space models in practice, we present a scalar state space model for cumulative payments, which is an extension of the well-known chain ladder (CL) method. The presented model is distribution-free, forms a basis for determining the entire unobservable lower and upper run-off triangles and can easily be applied in practice using the Kalman-filter for prediction, filtering and smoothing of cumulative payments. In addition, the model provides an easy way to find outliers in the data and to determine outlier effects. Finally, an empirical comparison of the scalar state space model, promising prior state space models and some popular stochastic claims reserving methods is performed.
Endogenous Regulator of G-Protein Signaling Proteins Regulate the Kinetics of Gαq/11-Mediated Modulation of Ion Channels in Central Nervous System Neurons

Slow synaptic potentials are generated when metabotropic G-protein-coupled receptors activate heterotrimeric G-proteins, which in turn modulate ion channels. Many neurons generate excitatory postsynaptic potentials mediated by G-proteins of the Gαq/11 family, which in turn activate phospholipase C-β. Accessory GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) are thought to be required to accelerate GTP hydrolysis and rapidly turn off G-proteins, but the involvement of GAPs in neuronal Gαq/11 signaling has not been examined. Here, we show that regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins provide necessary GAP activity at neuronal Gαq/11 subunits. We reconstituted inhibition of native 2-pore domain potassium channels in cerebellar granule neurons by expressing chimeric Gα subunits that are activated by Gαi/o-coupled receptors, thus bypassing endogenous Gαq/11 subunits. RGS-insensitive variants of these chimeras mediated inhibition of potassium channels that developed and recovered more slowly than inhibition mediated by RGS-sensitive (wild-type) chimeras or native Gαq/11 subunits. These changes were not accompanied by a change in agonist sensitivity, as might be expected if RGS proteins acted primarily as effector antagonists. The slowed recovery from potassium channel inhibition was largely reversed by an additional mutation that mimics the RGS-bound state. These results suggest that endogenous RGS proteins regulate the kinetics of rapid Gαq/11-mediated signals in central nervous system neurons by providing GAP activity.
Correlation of imaging and histopathology of thrombi in acute ischemic stroke with etiology and outcome: a systematic review

Background and purpose Studying the imaging and histopathologic characteristics of thrombi in ischemic stroke could provide insights into stroke etiology and ideal treatment strategies. We conducted a systematic review of imaging and histologic characteristics of thrombi in acute ischemic stroke. Materials and methods We identified all studies published between January 2005 and December 2015 that reported findings related to histologic and/or imaging characteristics of thrombi in acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion. The five outcomes examined in this study were (1) association between histologic composition of thrombi and stroke etiology; (2) association between histologic composition of thrombi and angiographic outcomes; (3) association between thrombi imaging and histologic characteristics; (4) association between thrombi imaging characteristics and angiographic outcomes; and (5) association between imaging characteristics of thrombi and stroke etiology. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. Results There was no significant difference in the proportion of red blood cell (RBC)-rich thrombi between cardioembolic and large artery atherosclerosis etiologies (OR 1.62, 95% CI 0.1 to 28.0, p=0.63). Patients with a hyperdense artery sign had a higher odds of having RBC-rich thrombi than those without a hyperdense artery sign (OR 9.0, 95% CI 2.6 to 31.2, p<0.01). Patients with a good angiographic outcome had a mean thrombus Hounsfield unit (HU) of 55.1±3.1 compared with a mean HU of 48.4±1.9 for patients with a poor angiographic outcome (mean standard difference 6.5, 95% CI 2.7 to 10.2, p<0.001). There was no association between imaging characteristics and stroke etiology (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.32 to 4.00, p=0.85). Conclusions The hyperdense artery sign is associated with RBC-rich thrombi and improved recanalization rates. However, there was no association between the histopathological characteristics of thrombi and stroke etiology and angiographic outcomes.
Class in Czechia

This essay discusses the use of class in Czech sociology. Czech social stratification research has used the concept of class as part of its standard vocabulary. The approach to class was distinctively shaped by postcommunist legacies. As an analytical concept, socio-economic status was preferred over class, particularly in the 1990s. The middle class played a prominent role as a subject of research and also a rallying cry. An important legacy that shaped the approach was the intellectual formation of Czech sociologists through the critique of the social stratification system in state socialism. This specific form of anticommunism shaped the type of questions typically asked in the stratification research and its subject matter. Moreover, the anticommunist legacy shaped interpretations of the broader implications of the stratification mechanisms and class effects, giving rise to an overly functionalist approach to the class system.
Functional Comparison between Pollicization and Toe-to-Hand Transfer for Thumb Reconstruction

The functional results of two methods of thumb reconstruction, pollicization, and toe transplantation were evaluated in four groups of patients: Group I, those missing the thumb but with four other normal digits; Group II, those missing the thumb with partially mutilated or amputated other digits; Group III, those with a metacarpal hand; and Group IV, those with a distal thumb amputation. In each group, results were compared in six categories: mobility, strength, sensibility, cosmetic appearance, pinch accuracy, and grasping power. In Group I, pollicization provided superior sensibility and mobility, but grasping power was best achieved by transfer of the big toe. Second toe transfer and pollicization both resulted in some weakness, compared with the normal hand. Pinch accuracy, related to the quality of sensibility, was better achieved by pollicization than by any free transfer. In Group II, although pollicization of a mutilated digit is more controversial, a very good functional level was reached in some cases, directly related to the amount of preoperative sensibility and the mobility of the proximal interphalangeal joint in the transferred digit. Reduction of strength and prehension depended on the number and quality of the remaining nontransferred digits. Toe transfer yielded better results in all six categories, as the severity of digit mutilation increased. In Group III, pollicization of the second metacarpal achieved a very rudimentary pinch, with toe transfer allowing for much greater prehension possibilities. In Group IV, distal thumb amputations were treated with distal digital pollicization as well as with partial toe transplantation. Both methods did well; however, indications for pollicization were extremely limited. Comparing results of big and second toe transfer for thumb reconstruction, big toe transfer achieved superior results, in both functional and cosmetic aspects.