Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Land Use and Land Cover Change Dynamics across the Brazilian Amazon: Insights from Extensive Time-Series Analysis of Remote Sensing Data

Throughout the Amazon region, the age of forests regenerating on previously deforested land is determined, in part, by the periods of active land use prior to abandonment and the frequency of reclearance of regrowth, both of which can be quantified by comparing time-series of Landsat sensor data. Using these time-series of near annual data from 1973–2011 for an area north of Manaus (in Amazonas state), from 1984–2010 for south of Santarém (Pará state) and 1984–2011 near Machadinho d’Oeste (Rondônia state), the changes in the area of primary forest, non-forest and secondary forest were documented from which the age of regenerating forests, periods of active land use and the frequency of forest reclearance were derived. At Manaus, and at the end of the time-series, over 50% of regenerating forests were older than 16 years, whilst at Santarém and Machadinho d’Oeste, 57% and 41% of forests respectively were aged 6–15 years, with the remainder being mostly younger forests. These differences were attributed to the time since deforestation commenced but also the greater frequencies of reclearance of forests at the latter two sites with short periods of use in the intervening periods. The majority of clearance for agriculture was also found outside of protected areas. The study suggested that a) the history of clearance and land use should be taken into account when protecting deforested land for the purpose of restoring both tree species diversity and biomass through natural regeneration and b) a greater proportion of the forested landscape should be placed under protection, including areas of regrowth.
Pathways through Sex Work: Childhood Experiences and Adult Identities

Jane Dodsworth is a Lecturer in Social Work at the University of East Anglia. She worked previously as the Inter-Agency Development Officer for Norfolk Area Child Protection Committee and is a former social worker with experience in residential care and in generic and child and family social work teams. She teaches social work practice skills to qualifying and post-qualifying social workers. Her current research interests are in child sexual exploitation and women involved in sex work, the analysis of Serious Case Reviews and the evaluation of the implementation of a web-based service to improve communication with and Abstract Drawing on a qualitative study exploring the stories of twenty-four women involved in sex work in the UK, this paper discusses whether it is possible to identify key risk and pro- tective factors influencing involvement. It argues that, although age at first involvement is an important factor in influencing outcome, so also are experiences of childhood and adult adversity. Early damaging experiences, which may increase the likelihood of invol- vement, also affect the ability to deal with the experience of sex work and simul- taneously 'manage' other life experiences. What is crucial in identifying who is likely to be the most vulnerable are the accumulation of risk factors in early childhood and the personal and ecological resources available to individuals across the lifespan to manage that pathway. How these factors are managed determines the degree of victim- hood or agency, vulnerability or resilience individuals perceive they have and the route taken through sex work as a consequence. The study identified three different groups of women who reported different pathways, reflecting different sources of support and coping strategies. This analysis suggests that there is a need to facilitate the provision of 'secure base' interventions for women involved in sex work, whatever their age, which have meaning for them.
Effect of Intraperitoneal Administration of Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin on Plasma Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor Levels in CAPD Patients

We investigated the systemic effect of intraperitoneal low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients by measuring plasma total tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) levels, regarding the fact that the levels of plasma TFPI increases 2- to 4-fold after subcutaneous and intravenous administration of unfractioned heparin or LMWH. Eleven men and 6 women who had been on CAPD for 32 ± 26 months and 15 healthy controls were included in the study. After administration of intraperitoneal enoksiparin in dialysate, plasma samples were obtained 4 h later. TFPI levels were significantly higher in CAPD patients (207.8 ± 55 ng/ml) compared to the healthy subjects (72.5 ± 29 ng/ml) (p < 0.0001). Both TFPI levels (225.9 ± 47 vs. 207.8 ± 55 ng/ml) (p < 0.54) and plasma factor Xa (anti-FXa assay) (0.097 ± 0.14 vs. 0.093 ± 0.16 U/ml) (p < 0.54) levels did not show any statistical difference before and after intraperitoneal administration of LMWH. By these findings we might suggest that intraperitoneal LMWH does not have any systemic effect.
Faculty Publications Physical Activity and Public Health Comparison of Two Approaches to Structured Physical Activity Surveys of Adolescents Comparison of Two Approaches to Structured Physical Activity Surveys for Adolescents Nih Public Access Comparison of the Two Instruments for Reporting Specific

Purpose—To compare the test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and overall feasibility/ usability of activity-based (AB) and time-based (TB) approaches for obtaining self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from adolescents. Methods—Adolescents (206 females and 114 males) completed two 3-d physical activity recalls using the AB and TB surveys, which contained identical lists of physical activities. The participants wore an MTI Actigraph ® accelerometer for the same period. Results—The TB instrument took about 3 min longer to complete (P = 0.022). Overall 2-d test-retest correlations for MVPA were similar for the two surveys (r = 0.676 and 0.667), but the girls had higher reliability on the AB survey than the boys (girls: r = 0.713; boys: r = 0.568). The overall 3-d correlations for MVPA surveys and Actigraph counts varied by gender (girls: AB = 0.265 vs TB = 0.314; boys: AB = 0.340 vs TB = 0.277). Correlations for vigorous physical activity and Actigraph counts were higher for the AB than for the TB (r = 0.281 vs 0.162). As the interval between completing the surveys and the days being recalled increased, reliability and validity were lower, especially for the AB survey. Conclusion—For both genders, either approach is acceptable for obtaining MVPA information on a single day, but the TB approach appears to be slightly favored over the AB approach for obtaining multiple days of MVPA. A 3-d recall period appears to be too long for accurate recall of MVPA information from either instrument. For both genders, the surveys overestimated activity levels; thus, self-reports should be supplemented with objective data. There are a number of self-report questionnaires used to obtain information on physical activity patterns in adolescents. Surveys that examine daily physical activity patterns have used various cues to assist respondents in completing the forms. One approach is a time-based (TB) recall strategy. The TB approach, used by the Previous Day Physical Activity Recall (PDPAR) (25,29) and 3-Day Physical Activity Recall (3DPAR) (18), requires the respondent to report physical activity performed during each of the previous 3 d, beginning with the most recent day and working backward. Each day is divided into half-hour time blocks with the dominant activity for that period chosen from a list of common activities. The person is prompted to report the type and intensity of the activity using time queues as the day progressed. An alternative approach for surveys is an activity-based (AB) self-report measure, an example being …
Don’t stand so close to me: psychopathy and the regulation of interpersonal distance

Psychopathy is characterized by callous and unemotional personality traits, such as reduced empathy and remorse, and a tendency toward deviant interpersonal behaviors. It has been suggested that subtle behavioral cues in individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits may betray their personality during interpersonal interactions, but little research has addressed what these clues might be. In this study, we investigated whether psychopathic traits predict interpersonal distance preferences, which have been previously linked to amygdala functioning. 46 healthy participants performed a behavioral task in which the distance they preferred to maintain between themselves and an experimenter was measured across a series of trials. Psychopathic traits, including Coldheartedness, Fearless Dominance, and Self-centered Impulsivity were assessed using the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (Lilienfeld and Widows, 2005). Results demonstrated that Coldheartedness predicted preferred interpersonal distance, with more coldhearted participants preferring shorter distances. These findings suggest that interpersonal distance preferences may signal psychopathic traits, particularly callousness, supporting accounts of amygdala dysfunction in psychopathy.
The Social Construction of a Contraceptive Technology: An Investigation of the Meanings of Norplant:

This essay looks at Norplant qua technology and uses analytic frameworks from the social construction of technology to explain the trajectory of its brief history. The author contend that there were multiple uses of Norplant, in terms of rhetorical strategies, symbolic representations, and contraceptive intentions, constructed by reproductive scientists, population control advocates, pharmaceutical manufacturers, doctors, birth control clinic staffers, government regulators, legislators, judges, women’s health activists, potential users, and actual users. However, while relevant social groups shaped the discourse surrounding Norplant in the 1990s, its ultimate fate was determined by choices made by potential users. At the ‘‘consumption junction’’ of the late twentieth-century contraceptive marketplace, American women ignored the meanings constructed for Norplant by developers, producers, providers, and policy makers and made their decisions based on what Norplant meant to them. Individuals’ decisions to c.
The capabilities approach: Rethinking agency, freedom, and capital in early education*

This article presents an overview of the human capital approach to human development and how it has been used for evaluating early education programs. It critiques the human capital approach by considering how its focus on measurable returns on economic investments limits an understanding of the full and complex contribution of early education to young children’s development and well-being. The capabilities approach described by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum provides a more thorough framework for understanding the influence of early education on young children’s development and well-being. The article proposes that integrating the human capital approach within the capabilities approach addresses the critiques of the human capital approach and provides a more inclusive context for understanding and assessing the full contribution of early education to children’s development and well-being. It concludes with the implications that such integration has for assessment practices in early childhood.
Runtime predictability of loops

To obtain the benefits of aggressive, wide-issue, architectures, a large window of valid instructions must be available. While researchers have been successful in obtaining high accuracies with a range of dynamic branch predictors, there still remains the need for more aggressive instruction delivery. Loop bodies possess a large amount of spatial and temporal locality. A large percentage of a program's entire execution can be attributed to code found in loop bodies. If we retain this code in a buffer or the cache, we do not have to refetch this code on subsequent loop iterations. , Loops tend to iterate multiple times before exiting, thus providing us with the opportunity to speculatively issue multiple iterations. While some loops can be unrolled by a compiler many contain conditional branches. The number of times a loop iterates may be dependent on a program variable. These issues can hinder our ability to speculatively issue multiple iterations of a loop. If we are able to profile loops during runtime, we can use this information to more accurately issue speculative paths through loop bodies. In this paper we present a characterization of loop execution across the SPECint2000 benchmark suite. We intend for this study to serve as a guide in the selection of design parameters of a loop path predictor We characterize the patterns exhibited during multiple visits to a loop body. We present the design of a table that records path-based loop execution history and allows us to predict multiple loop iterations dynamically.
The antioxidant and Flavonoids contents of Althaea officinalis L. flowers based on their color

Objective: There has been a growing interest in finding plants with biological active ingredients for medicinal application. Materials and Methods: Three colors of petals of Althaea officinalis (A. officinalis) flowers, i.e., pink, reddish pink, and white were examined for total antioxidant activity and ﬂavonoids content. Results: The reddish pink flowers of A. officinalis have more antioxidant activity and the power of antioxidant activity was reddish pink > pink > white. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the dark color can serve as an indicator of antioxidant content of the plant. Flavonoid content was highest in white flower thus this result indicated that flowers with light color can be considered for medicinal uses.
The Effect of Exertion and Sex on Vertical Ground Reaction Force Variables and Landing Mechanics

Abstract Bell, DR, Pennuto, AP, and Trigsted, SM. The effect of exertion and sex on vertical ground reaction force variables and landing mechanics. J Strength Cond Res 30(6): 1661–1669, 2016—The purpose of this investigation was to determine how exertion and sex affected a variety of vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) parameters during a jump-landing task, including peak VGRF, peak VGRF asymmetry, loading rate, and loading rate asymmetry. Additionally, we wanted to determine whether landing mechanics changed after exertion as measured by the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS). Forty recreationally active participants (20 men and 20 women) completed jump landings from a 30-cm-high box onto force plates before and after repeated bouts of an exercise circuit until a specific rating of perceived exertion was achieved. Three-way (sex × time × limb) analyses of variance were used to analyze variables pre-exertion to postexertion. No significant 3-way interactions were observed for peak VGRF (p = 0.31) or loading rate (p = 0.14). Time by sex interactions were observed for peak VGRF (p = 0.02) and loading rate (p = 0.008). Post hoc analysis revealed that men increased landing force and loading rate after exertion while women did not. Landing mechanics, as assessed by total LESS score, were worse after exertion (p < 0.001) with increased frequency of errors for knee flexion <30° at initial contact, lateral trunk flexion, and not flexing the hip during landing. Women may be more resistant to exertion compared with men and use different joint controls' strategies to cope with VGRF after exertion. However, VGRF asymmetry is not affected by sex and exertion. Limiting peak VGRF and addressing landing postures, especially after exertion, should be components of injury prevention strategies.
Prevalence of Intervillous Thrombi is Increased in Placentas from Pregnancies Complicated by Diabetes

Intervillous thrombus (IVT) is a placental pathology of unclear cause. One possible cause is that IVT protects against fetomaternal transfusion due to trophoblastic disruption. A role for hyperglycemia in trophoblast apoptosis has been suggested. We sought to determine whether placentas from pregnancies complicated by diabetes had an increased incidence of IVT. Medical records of 206 patients with type 1 diabetes (n = 39), type 2 diabetes (n = 37), and gestational diabetes (GDM, n = 130) at the Massachusetts General Hospital were identified. Placental pathology reports were reviewed to determine prevalence of IVT. Gestational and maternal age-matched controls were selected from the pathology archives consisting of placentas examined only for the indication of group B streptococcus screen positivity; controls were confirmed euglycemic and reviewed for IVT. Fisher exact test was used for statistical analysis. An increased incidence of IVT was present in all diabetics (type 1, type 2, and GDM; 32 of 206; 15.5%; P = 0.04) and GDM exclusively (22 of 130; 16.9%; P = 0.03) versus controls (7 of 99; 7.1%). IVT were also increased in patients with type 1 diabetes (4 of 39; 10.3%) and type 2 diabetes (6 of 37; 16.2%) compared to controls (7 of 99; 7.1%), but the results did not attain statistical significance (P = 0.73 and 0.19, respectively). The incidence of IVT was increased in the placentas of patients with diabetes as a group (type 1, type 2, and GDM), and in patients with GDM in particular. This is the first report of an association between diabetes and an increased incidence of placental IVT.
Low-Expression Variant of Fatty Acid–Binding Protein 4 Favors Reduced Manifestations of Atherosclerotic Disease and Increased Plaque Stability

Background—Fatty acid–binding protein 4 (FABP4 or aP2 in mice) has been identified as a key regulator of core aspects of cardiometabolic disorders, including lipotoxic endoplasmic reticulum stress in macrophages. A functional promoter polymorphism (rs77878271) of human FABP4 gene has been described resulting in reduced FABP4 transcription. Methods and Results—We investigated the effects of this low-expression variant of FABP4 on cardiovascular morbidity and carotid atherosclerosis on a population level (n=7491) and in patient cohorts representing endarterectomized patients with advanced carotid atherosclerosis (n=92) and myocardial infarction (n=3432). We found that the low-expression variant was associated with decreased total cholesterol levels (P=0.006) with the largest reduction in variant allele homozygotes. Obese variant allele carriers also showed reduced carotid intima-media thickness (P=0.010) and lower prevalence of carotid plaques (P=0.060). Consistently, the variant allele homozygotes showed 8-fold lower odds for myocardial infarction (P=0.019; odds ratio, 0.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.003–0.801). Within the carotid plaques, the variant allele was associated with a 3.8-fold reduction in FABP4 transcription (P=0.049) and 2.7-fold reduction in apoptosis (activated caspase 3; P=0.043). Furthermore, the variant allele was enriched to patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis (P=0.038). High FABP4 expression in the carotid plaques was associated with lipid accumulation, intraplaque hemorrhages, plaque ulcerations, and phosphoactivated endoplasmic reticulum stress markers. Conclusions—Our results reveal FABP4 rs77878271 as a novel variant affecting serum total cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk. A therapeutic regimen reducing FABP4 expression within the atherosclerotic plaque may promote lesion stability through modulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling, and attenuation of apoptosis, lipid burden, and inflammation.
EXACT SEPARATION OF EIGENVALUES OF LARGE DIMENSIONAL SAMPLE COVARIANCE MATRICES

Let B n = (1/N)T 1/2 n X n X* n T n 1/2 where X n is n × N with i.i. d. complex standardized entries having finite fourth moment, and T n 1/2 is a Hermitian square root of the nonnegative definite Hermitian matrix T n . It was shown in an earlier paper by the authors that, under certain conditions on the eigenvalues of T n , with probability 1 no eigenvalues lie in any interval which is outside the support of the limiting empirical distribution (known to exist) for all large n. For these n the interval corresponds to one that separates the eigenvalues of T n . The aim of the present paper is to prove exact separation of eigenvalues; that is, with probability 1, the number of eigenvalues of B u and T n lying on one side of their respective intervals are identical for all large n.
Building decision tree classifier on private data

This paper studies how to build a decision tree classifier under the following scenario: a database is vertically partitioned into two pieces, with one piece owned by Alice and the other piece owned by Bob. Alice and Bob want to build a decision tree classifier based on such a database, but due to the privacy constraints, neither of them wants to disclose their private pieces to the other party or to any third party.We present a protocol that allows Alice and Bob to conduct such a classifier building without having to compromise their privacy. Our protocol uses an untrusted third-party server, and is built upon a useful building block, the scalar product protocol. Our solution to the scalar product protocol is more efficient than any existing solutions.
The Relationship Process in Healthy Couple Relationships: A Grounded Theory

This research focuses on the experiences of couples who self-identify as being part of a healthy relationship. Grounded theory, a form of qualitative research, was used to uncover the underlying relationship process in couple interactions. Six couples were interviewed for this study, using two rounds of interviews and a member check process. Results found that couples who were interviewed described their relationship in the context of security. Their relationship process consists of a circular relationship where one’s perceptions influence one’s expectations and how one interacts. When interactions meet the expectations in the relationship, the interactions confirm and strengthen the perceptions.
Hydrothermal waves and corotating rolls in laterally heated convection in simple liquids

Abstract The stability of a liquid layer with an undeformable interface open to the atmosphere, subjected to a horizontal temperature gradient, is theoretically analysed. Buoyancy and surface tension forces give rise to a basic flow for any temperature difference applied on the system. Depending on the liquid depth, this basic flow is destabilised either by an oscillatory instability, giving rise to the so-called hydrothermal waves, or by a stationary instability leading to corotating rolls. Oscillatory perturbations are driven by the basic flow and therefore one must distinguish between convective and absolute thresholds. The instability mechanisms as well as the different regimes observed in experiments are discussed. The calculations are performed for a fluid used in recent experiments, namely silicone oil of 0.65 cSt (Pr = 10). In particular, it is shown that two branches of absolute instability exist, which may be related to the two types of hydrothermal waves observed experimentally.
Human‐Induced Changes in Holocene Nitrogen Cycling in North China: An Isotopic Perspective From Sedimentary Pyrogenic Material

Reactive nitrogen (N) deposition from human activity significantly impacts temperate vegetation in areas where low natural N availability limits vegetative productivity. However, the ecosystem response to anthropogenic N deposition remains elusive owing to the scarcity of long‐term empirical observations. Here a N isotope of a pyrogenic material was used to investigate long‐term N availability evolution in a forest‐steppe ecosystem in North China. The N availability was found to have significantly increased since circa 7,400 years BP when primitive agriculture began. Different N availability changes were observed under primitive agriculture (6,600–3,500 cal. years BP) and Sui‐Tang traditional agriculture (AD 581–907), implying dependency on the agricultural mode. A 220‐year N availability recovery period after Sui‐Tang agriculture was observed. On this basis, a minimum of several hundred years is projected for the restoration of the temperate ecosystem if the modern N cascade were to be stopped.