Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“Permission to Speak”: A Postcolonial View on Racialized Bodies and PE in the Current Context of Globalization

The current neoliberal context of schools presents difficult challenges in addressing persistent issues of social inequalities. In this article, first, I argue that because of today's market-driven education, the rise of fitness testing in school physical education (PE) can be seriously detrimental to young people in general and to ethnic-minority young people's embodied identity in particular. Second, I explain how the racialization process circulated by the body-at-risk discourse, sustained by the media, and reproduced by high-stakes testing in PE forces ethnic-minority young people to construct their identities through White eyes, which alienates them from a consciousness of their own identity. Third, I explore the possible uses and pitfalls of Spivak's theoretical notion of “strategic essentialism” to put forward strategies to build a positive image of the “other” while attempting to avoid the erasure of difference. Fourth, I conclude the article by suggesting how Spivak's notion of strategic essentialism can be useful in rethinking current PE fitness practices.
Activation of Src kinase in primary colorectal carcinoma

The specific activity of the non‐receptor protein tyrosine kinase, Src, is increased in the majority of colon and rectal adenocarcinomas compared to normal mucosa. However, the prognostic significance of this difference is unknown. The objective of the current study was to determine if Src activity is a marker for poor clinical prognosis in colon carcinoma patients. As Src activation leads to expression of urokinase/plasminogen activator receptor (u‐PAR), expression of Src and u‐PAR were correlated with patient survival.
Tunable Schottky contacts in hybrid graphene–phosphorene nanocomposites

Combining the electronic structures of two-dimensional monolayers in ultrathin hybrid nanocomposites is expected to display new properties beyond their single components. Here, first-principles calculations are performed to study the structural and electronic properties of hybrid graphene and phosphorene nanocomposites. Our calculations show that weak van der Waals interactions dominate between graphene and phosphorene with their intrinsic electronic properties preserved. Furthermore, we found that as the interfacial distance decreases, the Dirac point of graphene moves from the conduction band to the valence band of phosphorene in hybrid graphene and phosphorene nanocomposites, inducing a transition from an n-type Schottky contact to a p-type Schottky contact at the graphene/phosphorene interface.
Sentient Sketchbook: Computer-aided game level authoring

This paper introduces the Sentient Sketchbook, a tool which supports a designer in the creation of game levels. Using map sketches to alleviate designer effort, the tool automates playability checks and evaluations and visualizes significant gameplay properties. This paper also introduces constrained novelty search via a two-population paradigm for generating, in real-time, alternatives to the author’s design and evaluates its potential against current approaches. The paper concludes with a small-scale user study in which industry experts interact with the Sentient Sketchbook to design game levels. Results demonstrate the tool’s potential and provide directions for its improvement.
Explaining ERP failure in a developing country: a Jordanian case study

Purpose – Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are increasingly being adopted by organisations in developing countries. As in industrialised countries, this adoption seems beset by significant rates of failure, leading to a large waste of investment and other resources. This paper seeks to understand why such ERP failure occurs.Design/methodology/approach – The paper moves beyond factor lists to make use of an overall “design‐reality gap” model. The model is applied to a case study of ERP failure in a Jordanian manufacturing firm, analysing the situation both before and during ERP implementation through a mix of interviews, observation and document analysis.Findings – The research finds sizeable gaps between the assumptions and requirements built into ERP system design, and the actual realities of the client organisation. It is these gaps – and the failure to close them during implementation – that underlie ERP project failure.Research limitations/implications – This study shows the relevance and ap.
A new method for sustainable development of open educational resources

Open Educational Resources (OER) seem to be a natural fit with a distance learning university: open resources are in line with the university's mission to provide access to academic education, most material is available in digital form, and even the name of distance learning universities often contains the word "open". However, in practice, it is difficult to realize sustainable OER, especially if no existing material may be used. We propose a new method to create sustainable OER based on new educational material, and compare this method with existing models for sustainable OER. The main characteristic of the method is that OER are produced as side-effect of Continuous Professional Development (CPD). As an example of this CPD method, we describe the development of a short OER course about the programming language Scala.
Volitional control of the anterior insula in criminal psychopaths using real-time fMRI neurofeedback: a pilot study

This pilot study aimed to explore whether criminal psychopaths can learn volitional regulation of the left anterior insula with real-time fMRI neurofeedback. Our previous studies with healthy volunteers showed that learned control of the blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signal was specific to the target region, and not a result of general arousal and global unspecific brain activation, and also that successful regulation modulates emotional responses, specifically to aversive picture stimuli but not neutral stimuli. In this pilot study, four criminal psychopaths were trained to regulate the anterior insula by employing negative emotional imageries taken from previous episodes in their lives, in conjunction with contingent feedback. Only one out of the four participants learned to increase the percent differential BOLD in the up-regulation condition across training runs. Subjects with higher Psychopathic Checklist-Revised (PCL:SV) scores were less able to increase the BOLD signal in the anterior insula than their lower PCL:SV counterparts. We investigated functional connectivity changes in the emotional network due to learned regulation of the successful participant, by employing multivariate Granger Causality Modeling (GCM). Learning to up-regulate the left anterior insula not only increased the number of connections (causal density) in the emotional network in the single successful participant but also increased the difference between the number of outgoing and incoming connections (causal flow) of the left insula. This pilot study shows modest potential for training psychopathic individuals to learn to control brain activity in the anterior insula.
IXODID TICKS OF CATTLE IN BORNO AND YOBE STATES OF NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA: BREED AND COAT COLOUR PREFERENCE

The prevalence of Ixodid ticks of cattle in Borno and Yobe states, Northeastern Nigeria was studied from March to October, 2010. Out of 3,150 cattle examined in these areas, 1,095 (34.8%) of them were infested with ticks. Of these, 57.1% of the infestation was among cattle in Borno State, while 42.9% was observed in Yobe State. Out of the total number of cattle examined, 2,175 (69.0) were males and 33.8% of them were infested with ticks. The number of females examined was 975 (31.0), out of which 36.9% had ticks. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the infestation of ticks between the male and female cattle. The ticks observed on the cattle in both states were Amblyomma variegatum (43.8%), followed by Hyalomma sp (24.7%), Boophilus sp (21.9%) and Dermacentor sp (9.6%). Overall, tick infestation occurred most among the White Fulani breed with a prevalence of 240 (21.9%), followed by N’ dama and Red Bororo in which the prevalence of ticks was 180 (16.4%) for each of the breeds. The least (6.8%) infestation of ticks was among the Keteku breed. The preferred sites of attachment for ticks among cattle examined in Borno state were inner thigh, dew lap, abdomen, legs, udder, dorsum, ear and hump, in this order. Cattle examined in Yobe state were infested on their dorsum, inner thigh, legs, abdomen, udder and then on the dew lap, ear and hump. The ticks observed infesting cattle in these states are of veterinary importance, because they are vectors of economically important blood protozoan parasites. Adequate control measures should therefore be adopted to protect these animals.
On compensating long actuator delays in nonlinear control

We are interested in finite-escape open-loop unstable plants that are globally stabilizable in the absence of actuator delay but require controller redesign in the presence of delay. The simplest such plant is Z(t) = Z(t)2 + U(t - D), where D is actuator delay of arbitrary length. For this system we present a control law that compensates the delay and achieves feedback linearization (of the entire ODE+delay infinite-dimensional cascade). However, even though exponential stability is achieved, the result is not global because the plant can have a finite escape with an initial condition Z(0) ges 1/D before the feedback control "reaches" it at t = D. We prove a stability result whose region of attraction is essentially Z(0) < 1/D and for which we derive an asymptotic stability bound in terms of the system norm Z(t)2 + Jt t -D U(thetas)2dthetas.
High Field Conduction and Breakdown in Solid Dielectrics

The nature of electrical conduction and breakdown in solid dielectrics has long been a target of intensive research all over the world, because of its vital technical importance for electrical insulating materials in power apparatuses, and also for the electronic application to electrostatic photography, semiconductor device isolation, etc. Since the required design stress of the insulation has been increasing due to the rise of transmission voltage, the nature of intrinsic breakdown and basic mechanism of electrical conduction in insulators also attract the attention of the practical engineer. In ideal dielectrics with the insulator type band structure, there exist no free electronic carriers (electron or hole). In actual case, however, a few free carriers exist in extended state (conduction band or valance band) due to intrinsic or extrinsic mechanism such as injection from electrodes, or thermal dissociation of impurities (donor or acceptor). The current density for these carrier density n at field E is given by
Nonfunctioning giant pituitary adenomas: Invasiveness and recurrence

Background: We report our surgical series of 35 patients with giant nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (GNFPA). We analyzed the rule of Ki-67 antigen expression in predicting recurrence. Methods: Thirty-five patients were operated between 2000 and 2010. Suprassellar extension of the tumors were classified according to Hardy and Mohr based on magnetic resonance (MR) studies. Pituitary endocrine function and MR scans were assessed preoperatively and at 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Immunohistochemical studies were based in regard to the expression of the proliferative Ki-67 index and the hormonal receptor for luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, growth hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and prolactin. Tumors specimens were obtained from 35 patients with GNFPA. Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery was the approach of choice. Results: Thirty-five patients were submitted to 49 surgeries, 44 (89.8%) were transsphenoidal and 5 (10.2%) were transcranial. The most frequent preoperative complaints were visual acuity impairment and visual field defect in 25 (71.2%) and 23 (65.7%) cases, respectively. Improvement of visual acuitiy and visual field deficit after surgery was seen in 20 (80%) and 17 (73.9%) patients, respectively. Endocrinological deficits were encountered in 20 patients (57.1%). After surgery, 18 patients (51.4%) required hormonal replacement. Three patients had visual symptoms related to pituitary apoplexy and recovered after surgery. The Ki-67 labeling index (LI) ranged from <1% to 4.8%. The rate of recurrence in tumors with Ki-67 <3% was 7.7% (2 patients), Ki-67 >3% was present in 5 patients and the recurrence committed 3 patients. Conclusion: In our series, regardless the improvement of visual function and compressing symptoms, 5 patients with expression of Ki-67 LI more than 3% experienced a recurrence.
VASP: A Volumetric Analysis of Surface Properties Yields Insights into Protein-Ligand Binding Specificity

Many algorithms that compare protein structures can reveal similarities that suggest related biological functions, even at great evolutionary distances. Proteins with related function often exhibit differences in binding specificity, but few algorithms identify structural variations that effect specificity. To address this problem, we describe the Volumetric Analysis of Surface Properties (VASP), a novel volumetric analysis tool for the comparison of binding sites in aligned protein structures. VASP uses solid volumes to represent protein shape and the shape of surface cavities, clefts and tunnels that are defined with other methods. Our approach, inspired by techniques from constructive solid geometry, enables the isolation of volumetrically conserved and variable regions within three dimensionally superposed volumes. We applied VASP to compute a comparative volumetric analysis of the ligand binding sites formed by members of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR)-related lipid transfer (START) domains and the serine proteases. Within both families, VASP isolated individual amino acids that create structural differences between ligand binding cavities that are known to influence differences in binding specificity. Also, VASP isolated cavity subregions that differ between ligand binding cavities which are essential for differences in binding specificity. As such, VASP should prove a valuable tool in the study of protein-ligand binding specificity.
Integral equation models for image restoration: high accuracy methods and fast algorithms

Discrete models are consistently used as practical models for image restoration. They are piecewise constant approximations of true physical (continuous) models, and hence, inevitably impose bottleneck model errors. We propose to work directly with continuous models for image restoration aiming at suppressing the model errors caused by the discrete models. A systematic study is conducted in this paper for the continuous out-of-focus image models which can be formulated as an integral equation of the first kind. The resulting integral equation is regularized by the Lavrentiev method and the Tikhonov method. We develop fast multiscale algorithms having high accuracy to solve the regularized integral equations of the second kind. Numerical experiments show that the methods based on the continuous model perform much better than those based on discrete models, in terms of PSNR values and visual quality of the reconstructed images.
Macrophages in Injured Skeletal Muscle: A Perpetuum Mobile Causing and Limiting Fibrosis, Prompting or Restricting Resolution and Regeneration

Macrophages are present in regenerating skeletal muscles and participate in the repair process. This is due to a unique feature of macrophages, i.e., their ability to perceive signals heralding ongoing tissue injury and to broadcast the news to cells suited at regenerating the tissue such as stem and progenitor cells. Macrophages play a complex role in the skeletal muscle, probably conveying information on the pattern of healing which is appropriate to ensure an effective healing of the tissue, yielding novel functional fibers. Conversely, they are likely to be involved in limiting the efficacy of regeneration, with formation of fibrotic scars and fat replacement of the tissue when the original insult persists. In this review we consider the beneficial versus the detrimental actions of macrophages during the response to muscle injury, with attention to the available information on the molecular code macrophages rely on to guide, throughout the various phases of muscle healing, the function of conventional and unconventional stem cells. Decrypting this code would represent a major step forward toward the establishment of novel targeted therapies for muscle diseases.
Debugging macros

Over the past two decades, Scheme macros have evolved into a powerful API for the compiler front-end. Like Lisp macros, their predecessors, Scheme macros expand source programs into a small core language; unlike Lisp systems, Scheme macro expanders preserve many desirable properties, including lexical scope and source location. Using such macros, Scheme programmers now routinely develop the ultimate abstraction: embedded domain-specific programming languages. Unfortunately, Scheme programming environments provide little support for macro development. This lack makes it difficult for programmers to debug their macros and for novices to study the behavior of macros. In response, we have developed a stepping debugger specialized to the concerns of macro expansion. It presents the macro expansion process as a linear rewriting sequence of annotated terms; it graphically illustrates the binding structure of the program as expansion reveals it; and it adapts to the programmer's level of abstraction, hiding details of syntactic forms that the programmer considers built-in.
Insertion of Horizontally Transferred Genes within Conserved Syntenic Regions of Yeast Genomes

Horizontal gene transfer has been occasionally mentioned in eukaryotic genomes, but such events appear much less numerous than in prokaryotes, where they play important functional and evolutionary roles. In yeasts, few independent cases have been described, some of which corresponding to major metabolic functions, but no systematic screening of horizontally transferred genes has been attempted so far. Taking advantage of the synteny conservation among five newly sequenced and annotated genomes of Saccharomycetaceae, we carried out a systematic search for HGT candidates amidst genes present in only one species within conserved synteny blocks. Out of 255 species-specific genes, we discovered 11 candidates for HGT, based on their similarity with bacterial proteins and on reconstructed phylogenies. This corresponds to a minimum of six transfer events because some horizontally acquired genes appear to rapidly duplicate in yeast genomes (e.g. YwqG genes in Kluyveromyces thermotolerans and serine recombinase genes of the IS607 family in Saccharomyces kluyveri). We show that the resulting copies are submitted to a strong functional selective pressure. The mechanisms of DNA transfer and integration are discussed, in relation with the generally small size of HGT candidates. Our results on a limited set of species expand by 50% the number of previously published HGT cases in hemiascomycetous yeasts, suggesting that this type of event is more frequent than usually thought. Our restrictive method does not exclude the possibility that additional HGT events exist. Actually, ancestral events common to several yeast species must have been overlooked, and the absence of homologs in present databases leaves open the question of the origin of the 244 remaining species-specific genes inserted within conserved synteny blocks.
Effect of Cochlear Implant Technology in Sequentially Bilaterally Implanted Adults

Objective: Bilateral sequential cochlear implantation outcomes are dependent on many different factors. Newer technology in the second implanted ear may also contribute to outcome. This study examines the effect of cochlear implant technology on speech recognition outcomes in a population of adult patients who have undergone bilateral sequential implantation using different technologies in each ear. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Patients: Twenty adults who underwent bilateral sequential cochlear implantation with different technologies and processing strategies in each ear were patients for this study. Control Group A included patients (n = 8) who were simultaneously implanted, and Control Group B (n = 3) were patients who were sequentially implanted with the same technology. Intervention: Bilateral sequential cochlear implantation. Outcome Measures: The outcome measure was the Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant monosyllabic word test administered in each implanted ear and in the binaural condition before and 1 year after operation. A multivariate analysis was performed to account for factors including duration of deafness, length of device usage, and severity of deafness. Results: There was significant improvement from before to 1 year after the operation in word scores for the individual ears and in the binaural condition for all groups. All patients were consistent users of both devices, and the use of different technology in the second implanted ear did not affect the patients' ability to benefit from bilateral implantation despite the use of different devices and processing strategies. Conclusion: Bilateral sequential implantation with newer and/or differing technology in the second implanted ear did not reduce the benefits of bilateral stimulation and should not be considered a deterrent to second-sided implantation.
Housing Wealth and Consumption: A Micro Panel Study

There is strong evidence that house prices and consumption are synchronised. There is, however, disagreement over the causes of this link. This study examines if there is a wealth effect of house prices on consumption. Using a household‐level panel data set with information about house ownership, income, wealth and demographics for a large sample of the Danish population in the period 1987–96, we model the dependence of the growth rate of total household expenditure with unanticipated innovations to house prices. Controlling for factors related to competing explanations, we find little evidence of a housing wealth effect.
The Process of Safer Crack Use Among Women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

In this article we discuss the findings from a grounded theory study in which we explored how women residing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) minimized some of the physical, psychological, and interpersonal harms associated with crack cocaine use, and identify the social, economic, and political factors that influence safer use. Data were collected over a 3-month period and involved group interviews with 27 women at an agency run by drug users in the DTES. A preliminary theory of safer crack use is discussed, consisting of the central phenomenon of caring for self and others. In addition, four thematic processes are described: (a) establishing a safe physical space, (b) building trusting relationships, (c) learning about safer crack use, and (d) accessing safer equipment. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to supporting women’s efforts and improving health outcomes.