Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gramsci as a Spatial Theorist

Abstract Antonio Gramsci’s philosophy of praxis is characterised by the spatialisation as well as historicisation of its analytical categories. These theoretical practices are deeply intertwined in his ‘absolute historicism’. Highlighting the spatiality of Gramsci’s analysis not only enables us to recover the many geographical themes in his work but also provides a useful counterweight to the emphasis on the historical dimensions of his historicism. In addition to obvious references to Gramsci’s use of spatial metaphors and his discussion of the Southern Question, it is shown that many of his key concepts are best interpreted from a spatio‐temporal as well as social and material perspective. After introducing the concepts of space, place and scale, the essay shows that all three are relevant to Gramsci’s analyses of issues such as language, the historical significance of the Catholic Church, the role of intellectuals, cosmopolitanism, class and class struggle, Americanism and Fordism, the nature of the Italian state, the social bases of state power, Jacobinism, passive revolution and hegemony. The essay concludes that Gramsci’s interest in place, space and scale was not merely academic but had to do with his analysis of revolutionary conjunctures.
Value-Congruent Information Processing: The Role of Issue Involvement and Argument Strength

Two experimental studies were carried out to investigate the influence of value-congruent information on information processing. We hypothesized that recipients would engage in systematic processing in value-congruent conditions, whereas heuristic processing would be used in value-incongruent conditions. One hundred participants in each experiment received a message that was framed in either environmental/altruistic or economical/egoistic terms, containing either strong or weak arguments. Results showed that value-congruent messages resulted in discrimination between strong and weak arguments, whereas for value-incongruent messages argument strength had either weak or no effects. Implications and future research are discussed.
The Relation of Connection, Regulation, and Support for Autonomy to Adolescents'Functioning

How is adolescent functioning related to experiences of connection, regulation, and supportfor autonomy at home, in school, and with peers? Using datafrom the Maryland Adolescent Growth in Context (MAGIC) study (an ongoing longitudinal study of 1,387 African Amenrican and European American adolescents and theirfamilies), it was found that: (a)family demographic characteristics helped predict only academicperformance; (b) although positive experiences on one indicator predicted positive experiences on the other two, each of the three types of experience explained a unique amount of variance in adolescentfunctioning (e.g., regulation related most strongly to externalizing behaviors; in contrast, supportfor autonomy related to all aspects offunctioning); (c) although adolescents with positive interactions in one context were likely to have positive interactions in the other contexts, characteristics of each context explained unique amounts of variance infifuctioning (e.g., experiences with siblings emerged as uniquely important predictors of mental health).
Tour Guides as Creators of Empathy: The Role of Affective Inequality in Marginalizing the Enslaved at Plantation House Museums

Criticized for ignoring or misrepresenting slavery, some docents at plantation house museums have responded by including more references to slavery, but rarely move beyond mere factual references of the enslaved. This contrasts with the emotionally evocative accounts tourists hear about the planter-class family. We refer to this disparity as affective inequality. At plantation house museums, affective inequality is created and reproduced through specific spatial and narrative practices by tour guides. By retracing docent-led tours at Destrehan Plantation, Louisiana, this article engages, conceptually and empirically, with the concept of affective inequality — how it contributes to the marginalization of the history of the enslaved community, and how it becomes reproduced within the practices of tour guides at plantation house museums in the Southern US.
Occupational exposures and lung cancer in New Caledonia

Aims: To study the associations between occupational exposures and the risk of lung cancer in New Caledonia. Methods: All cases diagnosed between January 1993 and December 1995 (228 lung cancers) and 305 population controls were included. Detailed information on lifetime job history, smoking, and other potential risk factors was collected by interview. Occupational exposures were assessed from the questionnaires by an industrial hygienist, without knowledge of case-control status. Results: No significant association was found with exposures related to nickel mining and refining, the main industrial activity in the territory. Among men, an excess risk of lung cancer was found for bus and truck drivers. Increased risks were also observed in men with the highest level of cumulative exposure to cleaning products and inorganic fertilisers. Exposure to field dust was associated with lung cancer risk in both sexes, and risk increased with cumulative exposure level. In some areas tremolite asbestos derived from local outcroppings was used as a whitewash. The association between exposure to field dust and lung cancer was limited to men and women exposed to this whitewash—that is, living in areas where the soil may contain tremolite. Conclusion: This study shows several associations between occupational exposures and lung cancer. The findings suggest that exposure to tremolite fibres from cultivated fields may increase the risk of lung cancer in New Caledonia.
Exploratory in vitro study of red blood cell storage containers formulated with an alternative plasticizer

BACKGROUND: The plasticizer di‐2‐ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is a common component in medical plastics. There is motivation to replace this component; however, DEHP is necessary to prevent excessive hemolysis in stored red blood cells (RBCs). Our objective is to evaluate a candidate replacement plasticizer (Hexamoll, di‐isononyl cyclohexane‐1,2‐dicarboxylic acid [DINCH], BASF Corp.) compared to DEHP in an in vitro feasibility study. We hypothesize that the candidate will provide at least equivalent protection against hemolysis for RBCs stored for 42 days and periodic mixing of RBCs will add additional protection against hemolysis.
Genomic Alterations in Fatal Forms of Non-Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: Identification of MED12 and RBM10 as Novel Thyroid Cancer Genes Associated with Tumor Virulence

Purpose: Patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) have a very high death rate. In contrast, deaths from non-anaplastic thyroid (NAT) cancer are much less common. The genetic alterations in fatal NAT cancers have not been reported. Experimental Design: We performed next-generation sequencing of 410 cancer genes from 57 fatal NAT primary cancers. Results were compared with The Cancer Genome Atlas study (TCGA study) of papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs) and to the genomic changes reported in ATC. Results: There was a very high prevalence of TERT promoter mutations, comparable with that of ATC, and these co-occurred with BRAF and RAS mutations. A high incidence of chromosome 1q gain was seen highlighting its importance in tumor aggressiveness. Two novel fusion genes DLG5–RET and OSBPL1A–BRAF were identified. There was a high frequency of mutations in MED12 and these were mutually exclusive to TERT promoter mutations and also to BRAF and RAS mutations. In addition, a high frequency of mutations in RBM10 was identified and these co-occurred with RAS mutations and PIK3CA mutations. Compared with the PTCs in TCGA, there were higher frequencies of mutations in TP53, POLE, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway effectors, SWI/SNF subunits, and histone methyltransferases. Conclusions: These data support a model, whereby fatal NAT cancers arise from well-differentiated tumors through the accumulation of key additional genetic abnormalities. The high rate of TERT promoter mutations, MED12 mutations, RBM10 mutations, and chromosome 1q gain highlight their likely association with tumor virulence. Clin Cancer Res; 23(19); 5970–80. ©2017 AACR.
Angiotensin-(1–7) Promotes Resolution of Eosinophilic Inflammation in an Experimental Model of Asthma

Defective apoptosis of eosinophils, the main leukocyte in the pathogenesis of asthma, and delay in its removal lead to lung damage and loss of pulmonary function due to failure in the resolution of inflammation. Here, we investigated the ability of angiotensin-(1–7) [Ang-(1–7)], a pivotal peptide of the renin–angiotensin system, to promote resolution of an allergic lung inflammatory response. Balb/c mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin and treated with Ang-(1–7) at the peak of the inflammatory process. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lungs were collected 24 h after treatment. Different lung lobes were processed for histology to evaluate inflammatory cell infiltration, airway and pulmonary remodeling, total collagen staining, and measurements of (i) collagen I and III mRNA expression by qRT-PCR; (ii) ERK1/2, IκB-α, and GATA3 protein levels by Western blotting; and (iii) eosinophilic peroxidase activity. Total number of inflammatory cells, proportion of apoptotic eosinophils and immunofluorescence for caspase 3 and NF-κB in leukocytes were evaluated in the BAL. Mas receptor immunostaining was evaluated in mouse and human eosinophils. Engulfment of human polimorphonuclear cells by macrophages, efferocytosis, was evaluated in vivo. Ang-(1–7) reduced eosinophils in the lung and in the BAL, increased the number of apoptotic eosinophils, shown by histology criteria and by increase in caspase 3 immunostaining. Furthermore, Ang-(1–7) decreased NF-kB immunostaining in eosinophils, reduced GATA3, ERK1/2, and IκB-α expression in the lung and decreased pulmonary remodeling and collagen deposition. Importantly, Ang-(1–7) increased efferocytosis. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, Ang-(1–7) activates events that are crucial for resolution of the inflammatory process of asthma and promotion of the return of lung homeostasis, indicating Ang-(1–7) as novel endogenous inflammation-resolving mediator.
Hoverfly (Syrphidae) Communities Respond to Varying Structural Retention After Harvesting in Canadian Peatland Black Spruce Forests

Abstract Variable retention harvesting (VRH), in which trees are removed at variable intensity and spatial configuration across the landscape, retains greater forest structural heterogeneity than traditional clear-cut harvesting and is being recommended as an alternative for sustainable management of the boreal forest. Little is known about its effects on forest fauna; thus, we studied the influence of one type of VRH (harvesting with advanced regeneration [HARP]) on the Syrphidae (Diptera) community in northern Ontario forests of peatland black spruce (Picea mariana). We examined the effects of varying structural retention (from unharvested through partial retention to clear-cut) on syrphid species richness and abundance, and abundance of functional assemblages. Greater species richness and population abundances were found generally in harvested than in unharvested forests. Overall species richness and the abundance of four species (Platycheirus rosarum, Toxomerus marginatus, Xylota annulifera, and X. tuberculata) and larval predators were all higher in both clear-cut sites and those with structural retention than in unharvested sites. Similarly, overall species richness and the abundance of nine species were higher in clear-cut than in unharvested sites. Species responses are discussed in an ecological context. Differences among the levels of forest retention harvesting were relatively minor compared with those of the clear-cut and unharvested area, suggesting that local habitat characteristics may play a more important role in determining the syrphid community than the landscape configuration. However, a landscape level effect was evident, suggesting that syrphids may be useful in reflecting changes in stand structure at the landscape scale.
Telling Tales Out of School: Exploring Why Former Teachers are Not Returning to the Classroom

Teacher attrition is a cost to the community and, often, to the teachers concerned. One ready potential source of teachers is those having left the profession, particularly recently, and who may be willing to return. For this article, 22 former teachers were interviewed about their journey into and out of teaching. Understanding what made teachers leave may inform us on what it might take to get them back. This paper reports on these former teachers' professional intentions in light of their changing constructs of teaching through time, comparing, where possible, their former and current constructs of teaching and of their teacher-selves. The study constitutes a series of ‘before and after’ pictures, providing stark contrast at times. The findings generate theory on factors leading to these changes. One emerging inference is that the teaching profession fails to apply some of its corporate pedagogical knowledge to its own newcomers.
Another Piece of the Puzzle : Investor Protection and Real Investment by

Understanding the relation between a country’s investor protection environment and its development is difficult without considering the impact of globalization, or real investment in a country by multinational firms. While recent studies provide important insight into the significance of a country’s investor protection environment, they have primarily focused on the relation between a country’s investor protection and either real investment by domestic firms or equity investment in the country. We attempt to fill in an important piece to this puzzle by examining the relation between investor protection and real investment by U.S. multinationals. We find a significant nonlinear relation between investor protection and cross-border real investment by U.S. multinationals, suggesting that both the relative advantages and the relative costs for multinationals vary with a country’s investor protection environment. In particular, U.S. multinationals appear to invest more in countries with below average shareholder protection, but the strength of this relation varies with certain country and industry characteristics. The differences suggest that the relation between cross-border real investment by multinationals and shareholder protection is stronger when the relative costs are high for domestic firms to adapt to a weak investor protection environment (i.e., competition is weaker) and weaker when the relative costs are low (i.e., competition is stronger). Based on these results, we discuss a potentially useful framework from which to reconcile current findings and base future research.
Silencing of Reversion-Inducing Cysteine-Rich Protein with Kazal Motifs Stimulates Hyperplastic Phenotypes through Activation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2α

Reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK, a tumor suppressor) is down-regulated by the oncogenic signals and hypoxia, but the biological function of RECK in early tumorigenic hyperplastic phenotypes is largely unknown. Knockdown of RECK by small interfering RNA (siRECK) or hypoxia significantly promoted cell proliferation in various normal epithelial cells. Hypoxia as well as knockdown of RECK by siRNA increased the cell cycle progression, the levels of cyclin D1 and c-Myc, and the phosphorylation of Rb protein (p-pRb), but decreased the expression of p21cip1, p27kip1, and p16ink4A. HIF-2α was upregulated by knockdown of RECK, indicating HIF-2α is a downstream target of RECK. As knockdown of RECK induced the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and treatment of an EGFR kinase inhibitor, gefitinib, suppressed HIF-2α expression induced by the silencing of RECK, we can suggest that the RECK silenicng-EGFR-HIF-2α axis might be a key molecular mechanism to induce hyperplastic phenotype of epithelial cells. It was also found that shRNA of RECK induced larger and more numerous colonies than control cells in an anchorage-independent colony formation assay. Using a xenograft assay, epithelial cells with stably transfected with shRNA of RECK formed a solid mass earlier and larger than those with control cells in nude mice. In conclusion, the suppression of RECK may promote the development of early tumorigenic hyperplastic characteristics in hypoxic stress.
The role of the nasal glands in the survival of ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) exposed to hypertonic saline drinking water.

The supraorbital nasal glands were removed from the duck (Anas platyrhynchos) 1 week before experimentation. When sham-operated birds were given hypertonic saline drinking water (282 mM NaCl, 6 mM KCl) for 70 h they maintained their body weights and remained in positive water balance. When the ducks lacking nasal glands were similarly treated they became severely dehydrated, lost body weight at the rate of 5.59 ± 1.1 g/h and showed significant increases in the plasma concentrations of Na+, Cl−, K+, and total osmotically active material. When the glandless birds were given hypertonic saline drinking water, the disparity between the measured plasma osmolality and the osmolality calculated on the basis of the Na+, Cl−, and K+ concentrations in plasma increased two-fold. No such change in disparity between the measured and calculated osmolalities of plasma in the sham-operated birds was observed. Forty-eight hours after their return to a diet containing fresh drinking water, the birds without nasal glands reg.
Options for determination of 2‐D distribution of collagen fibrils in transmission electron micrographs—Application to the mammalian corneal stroma

Aims: To assess methods for both measurement of and comparison between fibril spacing arrangement in transmission electron micrograph (TEM) images of collagen fibrils. Methods: Rabbit corneas were glutaraldhyde fixed, treated with osmium tetroxide and then thin sections stained with aqueous phosphotungstic acid. TEM images, at 28,000 magnification, of collagen fibrils in cross section were projected at a final magnification close to 250,000 to obtain overlays. Fibril centers were marked and the relative position of all fibrils measured either from a cluster of fibrils within a fixed region of interest (ROI) or by using a variable sequential ROI across the micrograph. The 2‐D organization of the interfibril distance (IFD) data were analyzed using a radial distribution analysis and the difference in outcome statistically compared. Results: Repeated measures of IFDs provides data on the nearest neighbor distance within a fixed or sequential ROI of close to 48 nm and provides a numerical descriptor of the radial positions of all other fibril centers. From the set of radial positions (IFD) data, simple statistical comparisons can be made to both assess location‐to‐location and sample‐to‐sample variability. The sequential use of an ROI of fibril arrays however provide a more complete and accurate numerical descriptor. Conclusions: Methods are presented that will allow for assessment of the nearest neighbors distances and the overall 2‐D pattern of collagen fibrils in electron micrographs. The sets of IFDs and their pattern can be compared using simple statistical analyses. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Maize PI/GLO Ortholog Zmm16/sterile tassel silky ear1 Interacts with the Zygomorphy and Sex Determination Pathways in Flower Development[OPEN]

The maize PI/GLO ortholog Zmm16/sts1 is a B class gene that interacts with the zygomorphy and sex determination pathways of maize. In monocots and eudicots, B class function specifies second and third whorl floral organ identity as described in the classic ABCE model. Grass B class APETALA3/DEFICIENS orthologs have been functionally characterized; here, we describe the positional cloning and characterization of a maize (Zea mays) PISTILLATA/GLOBOSA ortholog Zea mays mads16 (Zmm16)/sterile tassel silky ear1 (sts1). We show that, similar to many eudicots, all the maize B class proteins bind DNA as obligate heterodimers and positively regulate their own expression. However, sts1 mutants have novel phenotypes that provide insight into two derived aspects of maize flower development: carpel abortion and floral asymmetry. Specifically, we show that carpel abortion acts downstream of organ identity and requires the growth-promoting factor grassy tillers1 and that the maize B class genes are expressed asymmetrically, likely in response to zygomorphy of grass floral primordia. Further investigation reveals that floral phyllotactic patterning is also zygomorphic, suggesting significant mechanistic differences with the well-characterized models of floral polarity. These unexpected results show that despite extensive study of B class gene functions in diverse flowering plants, novel insights can be gained from careful investigation of homeotic mutants outside the core eudicot model species.
The Silicon:Colloidal Quantum Dot Heterojunction

A heterojunction between crystalline silicon and colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) is realized. A special interface modification is developed to overcome an inherent energetic band mismatch between the two semiconductors, and realize the efficient collection of infrared photocarriers generated in the CQD film. This junction is used to produce a sensitive near infrared photodetector.
Real-time multi-colourspace hand segmentation

This paper proposes an accurate real-time hand tracking and segmentation algorithm. A particle filter tracks the hands in time, based on colour and motion cues. This filter is able to automatically recover from failures and does not need an initialization phase. The algorithm is proven to be robust against lighting changes, and can be used in unconstrained environments. Hand segmentation is based on a Gaussian Mixture Model and refined using a combination of spatial information. Cues from both HSV and RGB colour space are used to increase robustness.
Service provision in a software technology unit

Large software organizations establish software technology units for managing the methods and tools aimed at supporting their software engineers. This division between software development and new technologies for software development establishes specialized competencies, supports standardization across software projects and departments and provides dedicated resources for innovation. However, such software technology units are faced with complex diffusion projects that are difficult and challenging to manage and that in many cases lead to unsatisfactory results. This paper reports from attempts to improve diffusion practices within a technology unit in a large software organization. Two complementary roles for software technology units, i.e. technology supplier and service provider, are presented and used for interpreting the experiences. The research suggests that technology units in large software organizations can improve their diffusion practices by complementing the traditional role as a technology supplier with that of a service provider. The paper offers lessons on how software organizations can take steps in that direction.