Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incarceration, identity and resilience : understanding the long-term psychological impacts of racial trauma on Japanese Americans who were imprisoned during World War II

The purpose of this exploratory study was to deepen the understanding around the impacts of racial trauma and civil rights violations on Japanese Americans’ enduring sense of belonging and legitimacy in the United States. The study used semi-structured interviews with 13 Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during WWII to gather qualitative data around their experiences, in order to explore the long-term psychological impact of imprisonment and additionally, how the psychological effects are related to the current social environment. The major findings of this study are that formerly incarcerated Japanese Americans experience longterm psychological consequences as a result of their imprisonment experiences and that these psychological effects shape their perception of modern day political and social contexts. The major findings from the study fell into five major categories: 1) decreased feelings of safety 2) solidarity across racial lines 3) repetition of history 4) increased activism and community empowerment 5) present-day demagoguery and xenophobia. These findings contribute to the existing literature by expanding on the understanding of how Japanese Americans’ incarceration trauma response interacts with modern day social and political contexts. This study articulates that Japanese Americans’ incarceration trauma response is triggered by witnessing prejudice experienced by other minority groups in the United States and also by a xenophobic political and social climate. However, this study formulates that in addition to these negative impacts, Japanese Americans’ also experience positive outcomes, including increased empathy between oppressed groups. INCARCERATION, IDENTITY AND RESILIENCE: UNDERSTANDING THE LONGTERM PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF RACIAL TRAUMA ON JAPANESE AMERICANS WHO WERE IMPRISONED DURING WORLD WAR II A project based upon an independent investigation, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work. Kyla Marika Jitsuye Lew Smith College School for Social Work Northampton, Massachusetts 01063 2016
Coding Specificity in Cortical Microcircuits: A Multiple-Electrode Analysis of Primate Prefrontal Cortex

Neurons with directional specificities are active in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during tasks that require spatial working memory. Although the coordination of neuronal activity in PFC is thought to be maintained by a network of recurrent connections, direct physiological evidence regarding such networks is sparse. To gain insight into the functional organization of the working memory system in vivo, we recorded simultaneously from multiple neurons spaced 0.2–1 mm apart in monkeys performing an oculomotor delayed response task. We used cross-correlation analysis and characterized the effective connectivity between neurons in relation to their spatial and temporal response properties. The majority of narrow (<5 msec) cross-correlation peaks indicated common input and were most often observed between pairs of neurons within 0.3 mm of each other. Neurons recorded at these distances represented the full range of spatial locations, suggesting that the entire visual hemifield is represented in modules of corresponding dimensions. Nearby neurons could be activated in any epoch of the behavioral task (stimulus presentation, delay, response). The incidence and strength of cross-correlation, however, was highest among cells sharing similar spatial tuning and similar temporal profiles of activation across task epochs. The dependence of correlated discharge on the functional properties of neurons was observed both when we analyzed firing from the task period as well as from baseline fixation. Our results suggest that the coding specificity of individual neurons extends to the local circuits of which they are part.
Reptation 6.1 Introduction

Reptation theory describes the rheological behaviour of linear polymers in highly mutually entangled conformations. Entanglements are created only when the density of polymers is high enough. This means that the polymeric liquid we will be considering here is a melt or a highly concentrated solution. A second important condition for entanglements to arise is a large molecular weight. The notion of entanglements first arose in the molecular theory of rubber elasticity. The linear response to deformations of an elastic solid is characterised by the elastic modulus G 0 , τ xy = G 0 γ. This modulus is proportional to kT times the number of degrees of freedom per unit volume that do not relax subsequent to the deformation. Early molecular-based theories of rubber elasticity describe the rubber as composed of ghost-chains. A strand between crosslinks is modelled to have the same amount of configuration space available, as if no neighbouring chains are present. Because ghost-chains are not restricted when sampling phase space, the number of non-relaxed degrees of freedom equals the number of crosslinks per unit volume. The relaxation modulus is thus proportional to the number of crosslinks. For systems where the polymer strands between crosslinks are long, the elastic mod-ulus calculated in this way is much smaller than experimentally observed values. The reason for this is the entanglement of chains with neighbouring chains. This entangled state makes it impossible for a strand (between crosslinks) to sample as large a piece of phase space as a polymer without neighbours. The entanglements give rise to topolog-ical constraints. The neighbours do not only hinder the movement of the strand, they actually make it impossible for the chain to sample as large a space as a ghost-chain. This results in a reduction of the entropy and consequently the elastic modulus is influenced. For a highly entangled state the number of degrees of freedom that can not relax to equilibrium, after a deformation is applied, is proportional to the number of entanglements. Thus G 0 = kT c N e , (6.1) 175
Low-Frequency Stimulation of Afferent Aδ-Fibers Induces Long-Term Depression at Primary Afferent Synapses with Substantia Gelatinosa Neurons in the Rat

Impulses in primary afferent nerve fibers may produce short- or long-lasting modifications in spinal nociception. Here we have identified a robust long-term depression (LTD) of synaptic transmission in substantia gelatinosa neurons that can be induced by low-frequency stimulation of primary afferent Aδ-fibers. Synaptic transmission between dorsal root afferents and neurons in the substantia gelatinosa of the spinal cord dorsal horn was examined by intracellular recording in a transverse slice dorsal root preparation of rat spinal cord. Conditioning stimulation of dorsal roots with 900 pulses given at 1 Hz (10 V, 0.1 msec) produced LTD of EPSP amplitudes in substantia gelatinosa neurons to 41 ± 10% of control that lasted for at least 2 hr. When A- and C-fibers were recruited, conditioning stimulation was as effective as A-fiber stimulation alone. After LTD, synaptic strength could be increased to its original level by applying a second, high-frequency tetanic stimulus to the dorsal root, indicating that LTD is reversible and not attributable to damage of individual synapses. Bath application of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline and glycine receptor antagonist strychnine did not affect LTD. When NMDA receptors were blocked by bath application ofd-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid, LTD was abolished or strongly reduced. Loading substantia gelatinosa neurons with Ca2+ chelator BAPTA also blocked or reduced LTD. After incubation of slices with calyculin A, a selective and membrane permeable inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, LTD was not attenuated. We propose that this form of LTD may be relevant for long-lasting segmental antinociception after afferent stimulation.
Social interaction and attitudes towards Australian Muslims: 'we' and 'they' constructions

The negative stereotypes of Muslims discussed in this paper underlie some broadly experienced and perceived negative social attitudes towards Australian Muslims. These attitudes are understood as key contributors to experiences of social and cultural exclusion. This paper is based on a small qualitative research study (n=14) which sought to examine ways in which attitudes towards Muslim Australians are socially constructed. It focuses on the particular dimension of social interaction where perceptions of general social attitudes become referential. It seeks to apply Alfred Schutz’s (1964) typology of social relationships as a filter of comprehension, offering an alternative to the common filter of ‘Othering’. This paper discusses the way in which social interactions, particularly perceptions of common social attitudes construct and normalise the stereotypes that inform negative attitudes. It discusses the development of inclusive and exclusive social collectivities – ‘they-relations’ – through perceptions of general attitudes. The paper shows that social interactions, particularly personal interactions with Muslims and experiences with different ethnic groups, are extremely important for the construction of inclusive social collectivities. These types of personal interactions act to develop a ‘werelation’ that challenges a dominant construction of Australian Muslims as an ‘outgroup’.
Jaw Laterality and Related Handedness in the Hunting Behavior of a Scale-Eating Characin, Exodon paradoxus

Background Asymmetry in animal bodies and behavior has evolved several times, but our knowledge of their linkage is limited. Tanganyikan scale-eating cichlids have well-known antisymmetry in their bodies and behavior; individuals open their mouths leftward (righty) or rightward (lefty), and righties always attack the right flank of the prey, whereas lefties attack the left. This study analyzed the morphological asymmetry in a scale-eating characiform, Exodon paradoxus, and its behavioral handedness. Methodology/Principal Findings Each eight E. paradoxus was observed for 1-h with a prey goldfish in an aquarium to detect the behavioral handedness. Following the experiment, the lateral differences in the mandibles and head-inclination of these eight and ten additional specimens were analyzed. Both measurements on the morphology showed a bimodal distribution, and the laterality identified by these two methods was always consistent within a given individual, indicating that the characin has morphological antisymmetry. Furthermore, this laterality significantly corresponded to behavioral handedness; that is, lefties more often rasped scales from the right flank of the prey and vice versa. However, the correlation between laterality and handedness is the opposite of that in the cichlids. This is due to differences in the feeding apparatus and technique. The characin has cuspids pointing forward on the external side of the premaxilla, and it thrusts its dominant body side outward from its body axis on the flank of the prey to tear off scales. By contrast, the cichlids draw their dominant body side inward toward the axis or rotate it to scrape or wrench off scales with the teeth lined in the opened mouth. Conclusions/Significance This study demonstrated that the antisymmetry in external morphology and the corresponding behavioral handedness have evolved in two lineages of scale-eating fishes independently, and these fishes adopt different utilization of their body asymmetry to tear off scales.
Preliminary findings of antistreptococcal antibody titers and basal ganglia volumes in tic, obsessive-compulsive, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have provided preliminary serological evidence supporting the theory that symptoms of tic disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be sequelae of prior streptococcal infection. It is unclear, however, whether previously reported associations with streptococcal infection were obscured by the presence of diagnostic comorbidities. It is also unknown whether streptococcal infection is associated in vivo with anatomical alterations of the brain structures that have been implicated in the pathophysiology of these disorders. METHODS Antistreptococcal antibody titers were measured in 105 people diagnosed as having CTD, OCD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and in 37 community controls without a disorder. Subjects were unselected with regard to their history of streptococcal exposure. Basal ganglia volumes were measured in 113 of these subjects (79 patients and 34 controls). RESULTS A DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD was associated significantly with titers of 2 distinct antistreptococcal antibodies, antistreptolysin O and anti-deoxyribonuclease B. These associations remained significant after controlling for the effects of CTD and OCD comorbidity. No significant association was seen between antibody titers and a diagnosis of either CTD or OCD. When basal ganglia volumes were included in these analyses, the relationships between antibody titers and basal ganglia volumes were significantly different in OCD and ADHD subjects compared with other diagnostic groups. Higher antibody titers in these subjects were associated with larger volumes of the putamen and globus pallidus nuclei. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the prior reports of an association between antistreptococcal antibodies and either CTD or OCD may have been confounded by the presence of ADHD. They also support the hypothesis that in susceptible persons who have ADHD or OCD, chronic or recurrent streptococcal infections are associated with structural alterations in basal ganglia nuclei.
Challenges and problems in release management process: A case study

The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is the most widely used IT service management framework and a de facto standard. ITIL provides instructions for IT service providers and organizations how to design, manage and support IT services. However, adopting best practices of ITIL can be difficult for many IT companies. The main contribution of this paper is to present challenges and problems that were identified during a case study focusing on improvement of the release management process. Key challenges included the lack of process description, too high release distribution rate, and poor traceability between incident records and release records.
An Efficiency and Fast Algorithm Based on Gene Expressing Data Biclustering

Biclustering the gene expressing data is an important task in bioinformatics. A parallel biclustering algorithm for gene expressing data is presented. The algorithm starts from the data sets containing pair of rows and columns of the data matrix, and gets the biclusters by gradually adding columns and rows on the data sets. A pruning technique is also proposed to reduce computing time. Experimental results show that our algorithm has superiority to other similar algorithms in terms of processing speed and quality of clustering.
Multiple Congenital Granular Cell Epulis: Case Report and Immunohistochemical Profile with Emphasis on Vascularization

Congenital granular cell epulis is a rare benign soft tissue lesion arising from the alveolar ridge in neonates. A rare case of multiple congenital granular cell epulis is reported, alongside a description of its vascular immunohistochemical profile. A female newborn presented with two exophytic pedunculated red nodules located on the alveolar ridge between the future eruption sites of the incisors and canines of the mandible and maxilla. A conservative surgical excision was performed on the second day of life. Histology revealed proliferation of round granular cells containing an abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm with basophilic nuclei, ranging from round to oval in shape. Numerous blood vessels were also seen. Immunohistochemical analysis of the granular cells revealed positivity for CD68, D2-40, Ki67, VEGF, and FGF and negativity for S100, CD34, and CD105. Immunostaining for CD34, CD105, and D2-40 confirmed the presence of a large number of blood and lymphatic vessels. Although rare, an understanding of this lesion is paramount for correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. In the present report, the immunohistochemical profile confirmed increased vascularization, proving that these lesions are composed of not only new and preexisting blood vessels, but also lymphatic vessels.
(How) Will the Euro Affect Inflation in the Czech Republic? A contribution to the current debate

In the present study we analyse relevant macro- and microeconomic forces driving inflation in the Czech Republic with a particular focus on how these channels are likely to change in the wake of euro adoption. We employ an ARDL model combined with the Bayesian Model Averaging technique. In order to carry out this analysis, we also estimate the time-varying natural rate of interest purged from the risk premium. Our results suggest that the costs arising from the discontinuation of nominal trend appreciation of the koruna after euro adoption are likely to be rather low. In contrast, a low inflation environment and a harmonization of the business cycles between the Czech Republic and the euro area are essential for ensuring that inflation hikes will remain limited after the euro adoption. The fulfilment of the Maastricht inflation criterion should not be enforced by policy measures that would artificially reduce inflation temporarily. The potential inflationary effect of the changeover cannot be eliminated altogether but it may well be substantially reduced by applying best practices based on the experience of current euro area participants.
Genome‐wide analysis of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression in colorectal cancer tissues from patients with liver metastasis

The liver is the most frequent site of metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC), in which long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) may play a crucial role. In this study, we performed a genome‐wide analysis of lncRNA expression to identify novel targets for the further study of liver metastasis in CRC. Samples obtained from CRC patients were analyzed using Arraystar human 8 × 60K lncRNA/mRNA v3.0 microarrays chips to find differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs. The results were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). The differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs were identified through fold change filtering. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway analyses were performed using standard enrichment computational methods. In the CRC tissues from patients with liver metastasis, 2636 lncRNAs were differentially expressed, including 1600 up‐regulated and 1036 down‐regulated over two‐fold compared with the CRC tissues without metastasis. Among the 1584 differentially expressed mRNAs, 548 were up‐regulated and 1036 down‐regulated. GO and pathway analysis of the up‐regulated and down‐regulated mRNAs yielded different results. The up‐regulated mRNAs were associated with single‐organism process (biological process), membrane part (cellular component), and transporter activity (molecular function), whereas the down‐regulated mRNAs were associated with cellular process, membrane, and binding, respectively. In the pathway analysis, 27 gene pathways associated with the up‐regulated mRNAs and 51 gene pathways associated with the down‐regulated mRNAs were targeted. The significant changes in NQO2 (NM_000904) mRNA and six associated lncRNAs were selected for validation by qRT‐PCR. Aberrantly expressed lncRNAs may play an important role in the liver metastasis of CRC. The further study can provide useful insights into the biology and, ultimately, the prevention of liver metastasis.
The Incidence and Recurrence of Getting Lost in Community-Dwelling People with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Two and a Half-Year Follow-Up

Getting lost (GL) is a serious problem for people living with Alzheimer’s disease (PwAD), causing psychological distress in both PwAD and caregivers, and increasing the odds of being institutionalized. It is thus important to identify risk factors for the GL events in PwAD. Between April 2009 and March 2012, we invited 185 community-dwelling PwAD and their caregivers to participate in this study. At the baseline, 95 had experienced GL (Group B); the remaining 90 (Group A) had not. We focused on the incidence of GL events and the associated factors by way of demographic data, cognitive function assessed by the Cognitive Ability Screening Instrument (CASI), and spatial navigation abilities as assessed by the Questionnaire of Everyday Navigational Ability (QuENA). After a 2.5-year period, the incidence of GL in Group A was 33.3% and the recurrence of GL in Group B was 40%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the inattention item on the QuENA and orientation item on the CASI had independent effects on the GL incidence, while the absence of a safety range was associated with the risk of GL recurrence. During the 2.5 years, the PwAD with GL incidence deteriorated more in the mental manipulation item on the CASI than those without. We suggest that before the occurrence of GL, the caregivers of PwAD should refer to the results of cognitive assessment and navigation ability evaluation to enhance the orientation and attention of the PwAD. Once GL occurs, the caregivers must set a safety range to prevent GL recurrence, especially for younger people.
The diameter of lifted digraphs

The theory of voltage assignments enables one to construct large graphs (directed as well as undirected) as covering spaces of smaller base graphs. All properties of the large graph, called the lift, are determined by the structure of the base graph and by an assignment of voltages (elements of some group) to its arcs. In this paper we prove several upper bounds on the diameter of the lift in terms of some properties of the base graph and the voltage group.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Ghana during the Rural-to-Urban Transition: A Cross-Sectional Study

Populations in sub-Saharan Africa are shifting from rural to increasingly urban. Although the burden of cardiovascular disease is expected to increase with this changing landscape, few large studies have assessed a wide range of risk factors in urban and rural populations, particularly in West Africa. We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based survey of 3317 participants from Ghana (≥18 years old), of whom 2265 (57% female) were from a mid-sized city (Sunyani, population ~250,000) and 1052 (55% female) were from surrounding villages (populations <5000). We measured canonical cardiovascular disease risk factors (BMI, blood pressure, fasting glucose, lipids) and fibrinolytic markers (PAI-1 and t-PA), and assessed how their distributions and related clinical outcomes (including obesity, hypertension and diabetes) varied with urban residence and sex. Urban residence was strongly associated with obesity (OR: 7.8, 95% CI: 5.3–11.3), diabetes (OR 3.6, 95% CI: 2.3–5.7), and hypertension (OR 3.2, 95% CI: 2.6–4.0). Among the quantitative measures, most affected were total cholesterol (+0.81 standard deviations, 95% CI 0.73–0.88), LDL cholesterol (+0.89, 95% CI: 0.79–0.99), and t-PA (+0.56, 95% CI: 0.48–0.63). Triglycerides and HDL cholesterol profiles were similarly poor in both urban and rural environments, but significantly worse among rural participants after BMI-adjustment. For most of the risk factors, the strength of the association with urban residence did not vary with sex. Obesity was a major exception, with urban women at particularly high risk (26% age-standardized prevalence) compared to urban men (7%). Overall, urban residents had substantially worse cardiovascular risk profiles, with some risk factors at levels typically seen in the developed world.