Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Becoming a Social Justice Educator: Emerging from the Pits of Whiteness into the Light of Love. A Response to "Respect Differences? Challenging the Common Guidelines in Social Justice Education".

This paper addresses the limitations of social justice in institutional spaces and in rhetoric. I write in the form of a quest narrative to describe the lessons I learned from a brief sojourn in a temporary position in an urban teacher education program with a social justice focus and at a nonprofit organization with other social justice workers. My quest entails a retelling of encounters with Whiteness, the challenges of engaging social justice as a process that pushes beyond conversation, and the lessons I took away from my own sensemaking of the contradictions in social justice work. This article is a response to: Sensoy, O. , & DiAngelo, R. (2014). Respect differences? Challenging the common guidelines in social justice education. Democracy & Education, 22(2), Article 1. Available at: http://democracyeducation journal.org/home/vol22/iss2/1 Imagine you’ve just graduated with a PhD and you have student loan debt that amounts to a mortgage. Unable to land a fulltime position with a salary and health benefits, you work three different parttime jobs in order to make bill payments on time. One of those positions is at a nonprofit organization that pays little to nothing, but you believe in grassroots community building and are passionate about the work, so you look past the paycheck. The mission of the organization is to create justicecentered curriculum based on the lived experiences of people of color; the employees are people of color who open up their networks and put in more hours, energy, and passion than their checks reflect; the executive director is a White male; this story doesn’t end well. Another position is parttime and temporary, and you are hired specifically to “shake things up” in a historically elite, White institution. You are explicitly told before entering the space that it is a racially hostile environment. You accept the challenge because you are an audacious person of color who is curious to a fault, isn’t scared of anything, and wants the experience of being in the belly of a beast of an institution. Your third position is to collect data for a district needs assessment in an area that recently received a large number of public housing residents who were forced out of the city limits by racist housing development/redevelopment practices. You know that the data you collect does not speak to the shifting demographics nor to the impacts on families of being displaced and focuses largely on the success of implementing the Common Core State Standards. Kay Fujiyoshi holds a PhD in educational policy studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research and pedagogy seeks to build awareness of systemic injustices while encouraging critical and creative ways of teaching and learning. She works with the Human Restoration Project on developing resources and workshops for human rights education. A special thanks to my students who inspire me by their fearless actions toward growth and learning.
High-Frequency Contagion between the Exchange Rates and Stock Prices

This paper analyzes the co-movement of the exchange rates and the stock prices from the viewpoint of contagion among the eight countries in the region during the period of Asian currency crisis, 1997-1999. Ito and Hashimoto (2002; NBER working paper) proposed a new definition of high-frequency contagion, impacts from the crisis origin country to another country, using daily exchange rate data. This paper extends the idea to including the crisis origins in the stock market that are identified separately from the crisis origins in the foreign exchange markets. Then contagion is defined not only among the exchange rates and stock prices separately, but also between an exchange rate and a stock price of the same country or of different countries. We use a friction model and a Tobit model to analyze the impact of a negative shock in one asset price to others. It is found, among others, that there was, in general, the contagion between the exchange rates and stock prices; that the stock prices in Hong Kong were found to suffer from contagious effects from the decline in the Asian currencies; and that Indonesian, Korean and Thai currency depreciation and Hong Kong stock price declines had impacts on other currencies and stock prices in the region during the crisis period.
Prisoners Once Removed: The Impact of Incarceration and Reentry on Children, Families, and Communities

Imprisonment casts a long shadow in the United States. Currently, 1.4 million individuals are behind bars in America's state and federal prisons. For every person who goes to prison, there is a family and community left behind. Despite the huge number of affected families and children, there is little research on the impact of incarceration on American family life. In Prisoners Once Removed, the authors explore this important issue-from the psychological impact of imprisonment on prisoners and the difficulty of reentering free society to the challenges faced by communities who must integrate the prisoners once they return. They look at family functioning during a period of imprisonment, and how families are affected by the return of an incarcerated parent. Finally, they evaluate the current system and suggest ways to improve interaction between the corrections and health and human services to better serve the growing population of children, families, and communities. This book is vital reading for anyone who is concerned about foster care, child development, strengthening families, and post-prison adjustment.
A simple heuristically guided search for the timetabling problem

Domain specific heuristics have been utilised in solutions to the timetable ever since the first attempts at automation were made[foxley68, cole64]. While methods incorporating heuris-tics generally produce quite acceptable results in a very small CPU time they lack the optimisation capabilities of the more CPU intensive search methods. In this paper we will outline a simple efficient technique based on heuristics that includes a variable degree of nondeterminism to facilitate a search through the solution space. Careful use of heuristics should mean that this simple search technique will target more desirable areas of the search space. This we hope will provide a compromise between deterministic methods and full blown search methods, and also determine the benefits from using heuristics in search methods in general. In this paper we will show by experimentation that such a heuristically guided search can often outperform a pure heuristic approach (with the added benefit of backtracking) when using the same heuristic. We will also speculate on the possible advantages and disadvantages of utilising heuristics in more advanced search strategies such as Genetic Algorithms.
Three essays on the economics of preferential trade agreements: free trade areas, rules of origin and customs unions

There have been considerable discussions about why countries have interests in forming preferential trade agreements (PTAs), which typically take the forms of a “free trade area” (FTA) with Rules of Origin (ROO) and a “customs union” (CU) (World Bank, 2005). This dissertation contains three essays with three different models of trade under oligopoly to analyze various issues on preferential trade agreements. The first essay examines welfare implications of forming preferential trade arrangement (PTAs) between two asymmetric countries that differ in their market sizes. Key findings are as follows. First, when market size asymmetry between two countries is not too large and ROO requirements are not too restrictive, the formation of an FTA with effective ROO can be welfare- improving to both members. Second, the formation of a PTA is more likely to emerge between countries of similar in their market sizes, ceteris paribus. Third, compared to the pre-PTA equilibrium, there are greater reductions in external tariffs under an FTA than under a CU such that a non-member country is relatively better off under the FTA. The second essay presents a three country model of trade under Bertrand price competition to analyze differences in welfare implications between an FTA with ROO and a customs union (CU). It is shown that the maximum limit of ROO requirements over which there are welfare gains from trade for FTA members depends crucially on the degree of substitutability of final goods (or the intensity of product market competition). It is also found that member countries and their final-good exporters are better off in a CU than in an FTA. There are greater reductions in external tariffs under an FTA than under a CU such that a non-member country is relatively better off under the FTA. The third essay presents a three country model of FTA with Cournot quantity competition and derives the maximum enforceable level of ROO over which there are welfare gains from trade to each member country. It is shown that ROO and external tariffs are strategic complements such that the higher is the regional input restrictions, the higher is the external tariff necessary to induce firms to fully comply with ROO requirements. It is also shown that an FTA with effective ROO has a positive effect on the final-good trade. But the trade-diverting effect does not occur in the final-good sector. THREE ESSAYS ON THE ECONOMICS OF PREFERENTIAL TRADE AGREEMENTS: FREE TRADE AREAS, RULES OF ORIGIN
Shape dependence of Vainshtein screening

Scalar field theories that possess a Vainshtein mechanism are able to dynamically suppress the associated fifth forces in the presence of massive sources through derivative nonlinearities. The resulting equations of motion for the scalar are highly nonlinear, and therefore very few analytic solutions are known. Here, we present a brief investigation of the structure of Vainshtein screening in symmetrical configurations, focusing in particular on the spherical, cylindrical and planar solutions that are relevant for observations of the cosmic web. We consider Vainshtein screening in both the Galileon model, where the nonlinear terms involve second derivatives of the scalar, and a k-essence theory, where the nonlinear terms involve only first derivatives of the scalar. We find that screening, and consequently the suppression of the scalar force, is most efficient around spherical sources, weaker around cylindrical sources and can be absent altogether around planar sources.
Service-Level Variability of Inbound Call Centers

In practice, call center service levels are reported over periods of finite length that are usually no longer than 24 hours. In such small periods the service level has a large variability. It is therefore not sufficient to base staffing decisions only on the expected service level. In this paper we consider the classical M/M/s queueing model that is often used in call centers. We develop accurate approximations for the service-level distribution based on extensive simulations. This distribution is used for a service-level variability-controlled staffing approach to circumvent the shortcomings of the traditional staffing based on the expected service level.
Statistical study of the substorm onset: its dependence on solar wind parameters and solar illumination

Based on 1829 well-defined substorm onsets in the Northern Hemisphere, observed during a 2-year period by the FUV Imager on board the IMAGE spacecraft, a statistical study is performed. From the combination of solar wind parameter observations by ACE and magnetic field observations by the low altitude satellite CHAMP, the location of auroral breakups in response to solar illumination and solar coupling parameters are studied. Furthermore, the correspondence of the onset location with prominent large-scale field-aligned currents and electrojets are investigated. Solar illumination and the related ionospheric conductivity have significant effects on the most probable substorm onset latitude and local time. In sunlight, substorm onsets tend to occur 1h earlier in local time and 1.5° more poleward than in darkness. The solar wind input, represented by the merging electric field, integrated over 1h prior to the substorm, correlates well with the latitude of the breakup. Most poleward latitudes of the onsets are found to range around 73° magnetic latitude during very quiet times. Field-aligned and Hall currents observed concurrently with the onset are consistent with the signature of a westward travelling surge evolving out of the Harang discontinuity. The observations suggest that the ionospheric conductivity has an influence on the location of the precipitating energetic electron which causes the auroral break-up signature. Keywords. Ionosphere (Auroral ionosphere) ? Magnetospheric Physics (Current systems; Magnetosphereionosphere interactions)
The elite American press coverage of the 2009-2010 health care reform debate

Communication researchers largely condemned news coverage of the 1993-1996 health care reform debate, producing empirical proof that the American media offered citizens little useful information about the issues involved, the substance of proposed legislation, or the potential consequences of passing or not passing legislation. This study seeks to determine whether the “elite press” followed suit in its coverage of the 20092010 health care reform debate, or if it fared better. It applies paragraph-by-paragraph content analysis to investigate the framing and sourcing of fourteen months’ worth of articles in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Results show that the game frame was dominant, yet was not significantly more prominent than the issue/economic consequences frame, and the conflict frame was rare; both framing and sourcing change significantly over the course of the debate; and many significant relationships exist between specific sources and frames.
Intraperitoneal Mesenchymal Cells Promote the Development of Peritoneal Metastasis Partly by Supporting Long Migration of Disseminated Tumor Cells

The human peritoneal cavity contains a small number of free cells of mesenchymal cell lineage. Intraperitoneal mesenchymal cells (PMC) play supportive roles in metastasis formation on the peritoneum. In this study, we found that PMC, when co-cultuerd with human gastric cancer cells, MKN45, enhanced the proliferation of MKN45 when cultured at low, but not high, cellular density. Also, PMC suppressed apoptotic cell death of MKN45 only under low density culture conditions. Time-lapse videoanalysis clearly demonstrated that PMC randomly migrated more vigorously than did MKN45, and strongly enhanced the migration behavior of co-cultured MKN45. In fact, the majority of MKN45 migrated together in direct physical contact with PMC, and the sum of migration lengths from original position of co-cultured MKN45 for 48 hours was approximately 10 times longer than that of MKN45 cultured alone. Our data suggest that enhanced migration can increase the chance of direct contact or positional proximity among sparcely distributed MKN45, which may bring survival advantages to tumor cells. This may be one of the important mechanisms of peritoneal metastasis, since only a small number of tumor cells are considered to be disseminated in the early step of metastasis formation on the peritoneum.
Top management team diversity, group process, and strategic consensus

This study integrated concepts from upper echelons, group process and social cognition theories to investigate how demographic diversity and group processes influence strategic consensus within the top management team (TMT), where strategic consensus is defined as the degree to which individual mental models of strategy overlap. Data from 76 high-technology firms in the United States and Ireland were used to examine three alternative models. The results showed that while demographic diversity alone did have effects on strategic consensus the overall fit of the model was not strong. Adding two intervening group process variables, interpersonal conflict and agreement-seeking, to the model greatly improved the overall relationship with strategic consensus. For the most part, TMT diversity had negative effects on strategic consensus. The model with superior fit showed both direct and indirect effects of diversity on strategic consensus. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of tub4P287L, a β‐tubulin mutant, revealed new aspects of microtubule regulation in shade

Abstract When sun plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, are under canopy shade, elongation of stems/petioles will be induced as one of the most prominent responses. Plant hormones mediate the elongation growth. However, how environmental and hormonal signals are translated into cell expansion activity that leads to the elongation growth remains elusive. Through forward genetic study, we identified shade avoidance2 (sav2) mutant, which contains a P287L mutation in β‐TUBULIN 4. Cortical microtubules (cMTs) play a key role in anisotropic cell growth. Hypocotyls of sav2 are wild type‐like in white light, but are short and highly swollen in shade and dark. We showed that shade not only induces cMT rearrangement, but also affects cMT stability and dynamics of plus ends. Even though auxin and brassinosteroids are required for shade‐induced hypocotyl elongation, they had little effect on shade‐induced rearrangement of cMTs. Blocking auxin transport suppressed dark phenotypes of sav2, while overexpressing EB1b‐GFP, a microtubule plus‐end binding protein, rescued sav2 in both shade and dark, suggesting that tub4P287L represents a unique type of tubulin mutation that does not affect cMT function in supporting cell elongation, but may affect the ability of cMTs to respond properly to growth promoting stimuli.
Sine‐wave electrical stimulation initiates a voltage‐gated potassium channel‐dependent soft tissue response characterized by induction of hemocyte recruitment and collagen deposition

Soft tissue repair is a complex process that requires specific communication between multiple cell types to orchestrate effective restoration of physiological functions. Macrophages play a critical role in this wound healing process beginning at the onset of tissue injury. Understanding the signaling mechanisms involved in macrophage recruitment to the wound site is an essential step for developing more effective clinical therapies. Macrophages are known to respond to electrical fields, but the underlying cellular mechanisms mediating this response is unknown. This study demonstrated that low‐amplitude sine‐wave electrical stimulation (ES) initiates a soft tissue response in the absence of injury in Procambarus clarkii. This cellular response was characterized by recruitment of macrophage‐like hemocytes to the stimulation site indicated by increased hemocyte density at the site. ES also increased tissue collagen deposition compared to sham treatment (P < 0.05). Voltage‐gated potassium (KV) channel inhibition with either 4‐aminopyridine or astemizole decreased both hemocyte recruitment and collagen deposition compared to saline infusion (P < 0.05), whereas inhibition of calcium‐permeable channels with ruthenium red did not affect either response to ES. Thus, macrophage‐like hemocytes in P. clarkii elicit a wound‐like response to exogenous ES and this is accompanied by collagen deposition. This response is mediated by KV channels but independent of Ca2+ channels. We propose a significant role for KV channels that extends beyond facilitating Ca2+ transport via regulation of cellular membrane potentials during ES of soft tissue.
Cardiovascular Response to Acute Cold Stress in Non-Obese and Obese Healthy Adults

Background Obesity is a global epidemic with important health care and financial implications. The cold pressor test (CPT) which is considered to be a sympathy-excitatory manoeuvre is a simple, noninvasive and validated test. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the cardiovascular response to cold pressor test in non-obese and obese healthy adults. Methods The study included 400 subjects, of which the study group included 200 adults who had body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 Kg/m,2 and 200 non-obese adults were enrolled as controls with BMI less than 25 kg/m2. The study was conducted for a period of two months. CPT was used to assess cardiac response to acute cold exposure in the present study. Baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure recording was done using mercury sphygmomanometer during resting condition and following cold pressor test. The results were expressed as mean, standard deviation, and data were analyzed using ANOVA test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The mean change in systolic blood pressure before and after cold pressor test (CPT) was less in obese (7.12 ± 5.28) as compared to non-obese subjects (10.38 ±6.35). This was statistically significant which indicates impaired sympathetic function in otherwise healthy obese. Conclusion The study concluded that blood pressure response to cold pressor test was reduced in obese compared to non-obese subjects indicating reduced sympathetic activity in healthy obese adults.
Chlamydia trachomatis among Youth - Testing Behaviour and Incidence of Repeat Testing in Stockholm County, Sweden 2010-2012

Background Widespread testing and screening for genital Chlamydia trachomatis is often advocated as an important method to halt the epidemic. Sweden has long tradition of opportunistic screening services. Nevertheless infections rates have continued to rise over the past two decades, despite increased access to testing and treatment services. Methods In this retrospective cohort study we describe the testing behavior for genital Chlamydia trachomatis among youth in Stockholm County, with a focus on repeated testing. Specifically we (a) study positivity rates among single and repeat testers, we (b) estimate the incidence of repeat testing and the rates of infection in repeat testing episodes, and we (c) estimate time to repeat testing and factors associated with repeat testing. All youth (aged ≥12 and <26) that tested for Chlamydia trachomatis in one of 33 Youth Health Clinics in Stockholm County between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012 were included in the study. Results The cohort comprised a total of 65,951 individuals who did 119,699 tests during the study period. 42% of youth were repeat testers, the incidence of repeat testing was 35.0/100 person years. The overall baseline prevalence was 7.9%. Positivity rates of baseline tests among repeat testers were nearly twice as high among single testers of either sex. These were 17.1% and 9.8% among male repeat and single testers respectively. The corresponding rates for women were 9.4% and 4.3%. Positivity rates among repeat tests did not decline compared to the overall baseline positivity. Baseline test result and sex significantly influenced the occurrence of repeat testing. Conclusion Among repeat testers we found high rates of Chlamydia trachomatis both at baseline and at repeat tests which suggests the possibility that this group might be continuing to engage in unsafe sexual practices. Given the extent of repeat testing and the high positivity rates on repeat testing, further research among this group is required to inquire into reasons for repeated testing.
The State in Africa: The Politics of the Belly

Part 1 The genesis of the state: the shadow theatre of ethnicity the unequal state - "little men" and "big men" the bourgeois illusion the opportunity state. Part 2 Scenarios in the pursuit of hegemony: conservative modernization or social revolution? - the extreme scenarios the reciprocal assimilation of elites - the hypothesis of an intermediate scenario the formation of an historic postcolonial bloc. Part 3 Political action: entrepreneurs, factions and political networks the politics of the belly.