Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
"A Tug of War for Our Minds:" African American High School Students' Perceptions of their Academic Identities and College Aspirations

The research examining African American high school students' perceptions of their academic identities has been limited. Yet, multitudes of other sources have contributed to the discussion on how to reverse the perennial underachievement of many African American students. This qualitative study attempts to provide a space for African American high school students to contribute to this important dialogue about their own perspectives, the influences on their academic identities, and their educational experiences in general. This qualitative study with African American students at two urban high schools revealed three key themes that influenced their academic identities: the role of parents; the perceptions of teachers and counselors; and the role of college. The viewpoints offered by the students in this study provide valuable insight into a marginalized population and tender insight into correcting persistent school failure.
Evaluation of a recovery-oriented care training program for mental healthcare professionals: Effects on mental health consumer outcomes

Objectives: To examine the effects of a recovery-oriented care training program for mental healthcare professionals on mental health consumer outcomes. Methods: The Mental Health Recovery Measure (MHRM) and the Recovery-Promoting Relationship Scale (RPRS) were administered to a sample of 142 consumers with severe mental illness. A repeated measurement design with six measurement occasions was used. Analyses: Separate analyses were performed for the MHRM and RPRS subscales. Data were analyzed by means of the software package AMOS for structural equation modeling. First, the means of the five scales were computed at each measurement occasion. Next, two series of regression analyses were conducted: the first series aimed to ascertain whether gender and age have a significant effect on the MHRM and RPRS scores, and the second series aimed to detect a systematic trend in the average scale response of the MHRM and RPRS. Results: Scores showed a significant change over time for the subscale ‘Learning & new potentials’ of the MHRM. Significant effects were also found for gender, with men scoring higher than women on the subscales ‘Self-empowerment’ and ‘Learning & new potentials’. Age had no effect on the MHRM and RPRS. The scores on the RPRS showed no significant change over time. Conclusions: One year after completion of the recovery-oriented training program for professionals, positive results were found for two subscales of the MHRM, that is, ‘Self- empowerment’ and ‘Learning & new potentials’.
Running of the Spectral Index in Noncommutative Inflation

We study the cosmological implications of the space-space noncommutative inflation and present formulae for the spectral index and its running. Our results show that deviations from the spectral index and its running depend on the space-space noncommutativity length scale. We conclude that in the slow-roll regime of a typical inflationary scenario, space-space noncommutativity has negligible effects on both the spectral index and its running. Two classes of examples have been studied and comparisons made with the standard slow-roll formulae. The results show that the correction terms to the commutative case are positive for the spectral index and negative for the running of the spectral index. Nevertheless the spectral index in noncommutative spaces is less than one owing to the very small values of the correction terms.
MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND MILD TO MODERATE DEMENTIA

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in older people. In Belgium approximately 200.000 people are affected with dementia, the larger proportion being AD (1). The bulk of the medical care for those patients will fall to the general practitioners, but many of them feel inadequately prepared to diagnose and treat dementia (2). Furthermore, in a busy family practice, fi nding the time and energy necessary to care for older patients with dementia will be an ongoing challenge. As the incidence of AD is expected to double by the year 2050, developing successful treatments to this complex disease is becoming an everincreasing priority. Approved treatments for AD the cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) and the N-methyl-Daspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist memantine offer some symptomatic relief by targeting the cholinergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems, respectively. Other therapies, such as statins, vitamin E, Ginkgo biloba extracts, cognitive therapy, and psychological treatments have also been investigated clinically. Given the relatively limited arsenal of currently approved anti-dementia drugs, it is vital for physicians to make the best use of available options and, when appropriate, combine treatments in order to maximize benefi t for the patient. Family physicians, and specialists, must be given the tools to reach this goal expertly and humanely.
Effect of Functional Group and Carbon Chain Length on the Odor Detection Threshold of Aliphatic Compounds

Odor detection thresholds (ODTs) are used for assessing outdoor and indoor air quality. They are obtained experimentally by olfactometry and psychophysical methods, and large compilations are available in the literature. A non-linear regression equation was fitted to describe the ODT variability of 114 aliphatic compounds based on the alkyl chain length for different homologous series (carboxylic acids, aldehydes, 2-ketones, esters, 1-alcohols, amines, thiols, thioethers and hydrocarbons). The resulting equation reveals an effect of the functional group, molecular size and also an interaction between both factors. Although the mechanistic interpretation of results is uncertain, the relatively high goodness-of-fit (R2 = 0.90) suggests that ODT values of aliphatic compounds can be predicted rather accurately, which is not the case for rigid molecules. This equation may serve as a basis for the development of more complex ODT models taking into account diverse structural features of odorants. The variability of power-law exponents was also investigated for the homologous series.
Analysis of the Effects of Residual Strains and Defects on Skin/Stiffener Debonding using Decohesion Elements

Delamination is one of the predominant forms of failure in laminated composites especially when there is no reinforcement in the thickness direction. To develop composite structures that are more damage tolerant, it is necessary to understand how delamination develops and how it can affect the residual performance. A number of factors such as residual thermal strains, matrix curing shrinkage, and manufacturing defects affect how damage will grow in a composite structure. It is important to develop analysis methods that are computationally efficient that can account for all such factors. The objective of the current work is to apply a newly developed decohesion element to investigate the debond strength of skin/stiffener composite specimens. The process of initiation of delaminations and the propagation of delamination fronts is investigated. The numerical predictions are compared with published experimental results.
English in action: school based teacher development in Bangladesh

In the Least Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs), School Based Teacher Development (SBTD) is sometimes advocated as a potential mechanism for improving the classroom practices experienced by millions of children in a complete school system, as quickly as possible. Robust evidence is required for approaches to be implemented with some confidence by Government development agencies, such as the UK Department for International Development (DFID). SBTD has a long history stemming from ideas of school-based curriculum development, which underlay the ideas on teacher-as-researcher, and is typically advocated in the developed world based on a view of the teacher as a professional. How might such notions play out, and to what effect, in LEDC contexts? This article examines the issues at stake in introducing SBTD in LEDCs, by examining: the nature of the evidence for various forms of teacher development, the nature of SBTD in particular and the evidence for its effectiveness. The latter issues will be illustrated through examination of English in Action (EIA, www.eiabd.com), a large-scale SBTD programme for primary and secondary English language (EL) teachers serving government schools across Bangladesh.
Masculinity, ageing bodies, and leisure

In the shift towards understanding the lived leisure experiences of women, the experiences of men have generally been left under-studied, particularly from a gendered analysis perspective. As such, we know less about the leisure experiences of men, especially the lives of older men. In response to this gap, the purpose of this research was to explore the meaning of masculinity in old age and to understand ageing for men, focusing primarily on their leisure experiences. Using constructivist qualitative methodology, 14 older men were interviewed about their experiences of ageing and as older men. A significant site or context through which ageing was experienced was during leisure, with the primary vehicle for experiencing ageing being the body. These experiences included physical limitations to activity participation and social interactions in leisure settings that reinforced identities as ‘old men’, with the end result being a narrowing of leisure activities and opportunities. The body, ageing, and leisure experiences were phenomena that were inextricably entwined as the men described their experiences of ageing. The possibility that leisure may be a site where men's traditional masculine identities are contested and identities of ‘old men’ are ascribed suggests that the experiences of leisure may be more complex than leisure has traditionally been described in literature. The importance of expanding the dimensions of leisure and paying closer attention to the body in leisure studies is discussed.
A New Species of River Dolphin from Brazil or: How Little Do We Know Our Biodiversity

True river dolphins are some of the rarest and most endangered of all vertebrates. They comprise relict evolutionary lineages of high taxonomic distinctness and conservation value, but are afforded little protection. We report the discovery of a new species of a river dolphin from the Araguaia River basin of Brazil, the first such discovery in nearly 100 years. The species is diagnosable by a series of molecular and morphological characters and diverged from its Amazonian sister taxon 2.08 million years ago. The estimated time of divergence corresponds to the separation of the Araguaia-Tocantins basin from the Amazon basin. This discovery highlights the immensity of the deficit in our knowledge of Neotropical biodiversity, as well as vulnerability of biodiversity to anthropogenic actions in an increasingly threatened landscape. We anticipate that this study will provide an impetus for the taxonomic and conservation reanalysis of other taxa shared between the Araguaia and Amazon aquatic ecosystems, as well as stimulate historical biogeographical analyses of the two basins.
The activity of Nef on HIV-1 infectivity

The replication and pathogenicity of lentiviruses is crucially modulated by “auxiliary proteins” which are expressed in addition to the canonical retroviral ORFs gag, pol, and env. Strategies to inhibit the activity of such proteins are often sought and proposed as possible additions to increase efficacy of the traditional antiretroviral therapy. This requires the acquisition of an in-depth knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying their function. The Nef auxiliary protein is expressed uniquely by primate lentiviruses and plays an important role in virus replication in vivo and in the onset of AIDS. Among its several activities Nef enhances the intrinsic infectivity of progeny virions through a mechanism which remains today enigmatic. Here we review the current knowledge surrounding such activity and we discuss its possible role in HIV biology.
Treatment of Small Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: Comparison of Surgical and Endovascular Options

Background Small intracranial aneurysms pose significant challenges to endovascular therapy. Surgical clipping is considered by many to be the preferred treatment for these lesions. We present the results of the first study comparing the 2 treatment modalities in small ruptured aneurysms. Methods and Results Between 2004 and 2011, 151 patients with small ruptured aneurysms (≤3 mm) were treated in our institution: 91 (60.3%) with endovascular therapy and 60 (39.7%) with surgical clipping. The surgical and endovascular groups were generally comparable with regard to baseline demographics, with the exception of larger mean aneurysm size in the endovascular group versus the surgical group (2.8 versus 2.5 mm, respectively; P<0.001) and a higher proportion of posterior circulation aneurysms in the endovascular group. Endovascular treatment failed in 9.9% of patients. Procedure-related complications occurred in 23.3% of surgical patients versus 9.8% of endovascular patients (P=0.01). Only 3.7% of patients undergoing endovascular therapy experienced an intraprocedural aneurysm rupture. There were no procedural deaths or rehemorrhages in either group. The rates of aneurysm recanalization and retreatment after endovascular therapy were 18.2% and 12.7%, respectively. Favorable outcomes (moderate, mild, or no disability) were not statistically different between the endovascular (67.1%) and surgical (56.7%) groups (P=0.3). Conclusions Surgical clipping was associated with a higher rate of periprocedural complications, but overall disability outcomes were similar. Endovascular therapy, if technically feasible, might be a preferred option in this setting. Inclusion of patients with small aneurysms in randomized controlled trials seems feasible and will be needed to provide definitive information on the best therapeutic approach. (J Am Heart Assoc. 2012;1:e002865 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.112.002865.)
Prevalence and Predictors of Metabolic Syndrome in Young Asymptomatic Gujarati Population

Background. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors leading to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its predictors in young and apparently healthy Gujarati individuals. Methods. This population based cross-sectional study involved a total of 1500 healthy adults of 20–40 years of age. Demographic details and clinical data such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure were measured along with the estimations of lipoprotein (a), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), total lipid, LDL/HDL ratio, TC/HDL ratio, and fasting blood glucose (FBS). Results. Overall in young Gujarati population (20–40 years) prevalence rates of MS were 16.0% (male: 21.5%; female: 10.8%) where the metabolic abnormalities increased with advanced age as 9.56% of the young population (20–30 years) had MS, in contrast to the 24.57% in the old (31–40 years). Odds ratio analysis had indicated BMI (1.120; 95% CI: 1.077–1.163; P < 0.0001) as the strongest risk factor for MS closely followed by advancing age (1.100; 95% CI: 1.061–1.139; P < 0.0001) levels. Conclusion. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in young Gujarati population reinforces the need for early life style intervention and awareness programs in this ethnic group.
Local ramp metering with distant downstream bottlenecks: A comparative study

he well-known feedback ramp metering algorithm ALINEA can be applied for local ramp metering or included as a key component in a coordinated ramp metering system. ALINEA uses real-time occupancy measurements from the ramp flow merging area that may be at most few hundred meters downstream of the metered on-ramp nose. In many practical cases, however, bottlenecks with smaller capacity than the merging area may exist further downstream for various reasons, which suggests using measurements from those further downstream bottlenecks. Recent theoretical and simulation studies indicate that ALINEA may lead to a poorly damped closed-loop behavior in this case, but PI-ALINEA, a suitable Proportional-Integral (PI) extension of ALINEA, can lead to satisfactory control performance. This paper addresses the same local ramp-metering problem in the presence of downstream bottlenecks, with a particular focus on the general capacity of PI-ALINEA with three distinct types of bottleneck that may often be encountered in practice, i.e. (1) an uphill case; (2) a lane-drop case; (3) an un-controlled on-ramp case. Extensive simulation studies are conducted using a macroscopic traffic flow model to demonstrate that the performance of ALINEA indeed deteriorates in each of these bottleneck cases, while significant improvement is obtained using PI-ALINEA in all cases. Moreover, with its control parameters appropriately tuned beforehand, PI-ALINEA is found to be universally applicable, with little fine-tuning required for field applications.
HERO: Online Real-Time Vehicle Tracking in Shanghai

Intelligent transportation systems have become increasingly important for the public transportation in Shanghai. In response, ShanghaiGrid (SG) aims to provide abundant intelligent transportation services to improve the traffic condition. A challenging service in SG is to accurately locate the positions of moving vehicles in real time. In this paper we present an innovative scheme HERO to tackle this problem. In SG, the location information of individual vehicles is actively logged in local nodes which are distributed throughout the city. For each vehicle, HERO dynamically maintains an advantageous hierarchy on the overlay network of local nodes to conservatively update the location information only in nearby nodes. By bounding the maximum number of hops the query is routed, HERO guarantees to meet the real-time constraint associated with each vehicle. Extensive simulations based on the real road network and trace data of vehicle movements from Shanghai demonstrate the efficacy of HERO.
A New Set of Standardised Verbal and Non-verbal Contemporary Film Stimuli for the Elicitation of Emotions

This study responded to a need for an updated set of film clips for the elicitation of emotion. Previous such stimuli are not only dated, but are limited in that they have been validated using participants from a narrow age range, which is problematic given conflicting reports regarding age differences in self-reported emotion elicited in a laboratory setting. The present study aimed to develop a new film stimulus set standardised on a wide age range of participants, while investigating age differences in self-reported emotion in response to film clips. An ancillary aim was to standardise film clips that were with and without dialogue. Two researchers composed a shortlist of 60 clips that were chosen to elicit six target emotions of amusement, anger, disgust, fear, happiness and sadness, as well as a neutral state. Each of the 109 participants (55 males, 54 females), aged between 18 and 88 years (M = 44.94) viewed all 60 clips. Self-reported emotional experience was measured using a computerised Visual Analogue Scale. Age differences were observed whereby participants aged 46–88 reported more intense positive and negative emotions in response to film clips than participants aged 18–45. Consistent with previous research, difficulties were found in eliciting the target emotion of anger. A success index was calculated for each film that took into consideration the mean rating on the target emotion and the degree to which the film elicited only the target emotion. We present a list of film clips recommended for future research.
Functional Analysis of BARD1 Missense Variants in Homology‐Directed Repair of DNA Double Strand Breaks

Genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) are often sequenced in search of mutations that are predictive of susceptibility to these cancer types, but the sequence results are frequently ambiguous because of the detection of missense substitutions for which the clinical impact is unknown. The BARD1 protein is the heterodimeric partner of BRCA1 and is included on clinical gene panels for testing for susceptibility to HBOC. Like BRCA1, it is required for homology‐directed DNA repair (HDR). We measured the HDR function of 29 BARD1 missense variants, 27 culled from clinical test results and two synthetic variants. Twenty‐three of the assayed variants were functional for HDR; of these, four are known neutral variants. Three variants showed intermediate function, and three others were defective in HDR. When mapped to BARD1 domains, residues crucial for HDR were located in the N‐ and C‐ termini of BARD1. In the BARD1 RING domain, critical residues mapped to the zinc‐coordinating amino acids and to the BRCA1‐BARD1 binding interface, highlighting the importance of interaction between BRCA1 and BARD1 for HDR activity. Based on these results, we propose that the HDR assay is a useful complement to genetic analyses to classify BARD1 variants of unknown clinical significance.
Contribution of Hepatic Lipase, Lipoprotein Lipase, and Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein to LDL and HDL Heterogeneity in Healthy Women

Hepatic lipase (HL) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) have been independently associated with low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) size in different cohorts. These studies have been conducted mainly in men and in subjects with dyslipidemia. Ours is a comprehensive study of the proposed biochemical determinants (lipoprotein lipase, HL, CETP, and triglycerides) and genetic determinants (HL gene [LIPC] and Taq1B) of small dense LDL (sdLDL) and HDL subspecies in a large cohort of 120 normolipidemic, nondiabetic, premenopausal women. HL (P <0.001) and lipoprotein lipase activities (P =0.006) were independently associated with LDL buoyancy, whereas CETP (P =0.76) and triglycerides (P =0.06) were not. The women with more sdLDL had higher HL activity (P =0.007), lower HDL2 cholesterol (P <0.001), and lower frequency of the HL (LIPC) T allele (P =0.034) than did the women with buoyant LDL. The LIPC variant was associated with HL activity (P <0.001), HDL2 cholesterol (P =0.034), and LDL buoyancy (P =0.03), whereas the Taq1B polymorphism in the CETP gene was associated with CETP mass (P =0.002) and HDL3 cholesterol (P =0.039). These results suggest that HL activity and HL gene promoter polymorphism play a significant role in determining LDL and HDL heterogeneity in healthy women without hypertriglyceridemia. Thus, HL is an important determinant of sdLDL and HDL2 cholesterol in normal physiological states as well as in the pathogenesis of various disease processes.
Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of quetiapine in anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE Our objective is to determine whether quetiapine was superior to placebo in increasing weight or reducing core symptoms of anorexia nervosa as assessed by the Yale-Brown-Cornell Eating Disorder Scale and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2. METHOD Participants were randomised to 8 weeks of quetiapine or placebo. RESULTS There are 21 participants who signed informed consent, 15 were randomised, 14 returned for at least one visit after receiving drug and 10 completed the study. There were no differences between drug and placebo in questionnaire scores, weight or measures of anxiety or depression. DISCUSSION There was no difference between quetiapine and placebo on weight gain or core symptoms. Small effect sizes suggest that a higher number of participants would not increase significant differences between groups.