Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Men with intellectual disabilities with a history of sexual offending: empathy for victims of sexual and non-sexual crimes.

BACKGROUND The objectives were (a) to compare the general empathy abilities of men with intellectual disabilities (IDs) who had a history of sexual offending to men with IDs who had no known history of illegal behaviour; and (b) to determine whether men with IDs who had a history of sexual offending had different levels of specific victim empathy towards their own victim, in comparison with an unknown victim of sexual crime, and a victim of non-sexual crime, and make comparisons with non-offenders. METHODS Men with mild IDs (n=35) were asked to complete a measure of general empathy and a measure of specific victim empathy. All participants completed the victim empathy measure in relation to a hypothetical victim of a sexual offence, and a non-sexual crime, while additionally, men with a history of sexual offending were asked to complete this measure in relation to their own most recent victim. RESULTS Men with a history of sexual offending had significantly lower general empathy, and specific victim empathy towards an unknown sexual offence victim, than men with no known history of illegal behaviour. Men with a history of sexual offending had significantly lower victim empathy for their own victim than for an unknown sexual offence victim. Victim empathy towards an unknown victim of a non-sexual crime did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that it is important include interventions within treatment programmes that attempt to improve empathy and perspective-taking.
BRIDGING DIFFERENCE THROUGH DIALOGUE: A CONSTRUCTIVIST PERSPECTIVE

Differences in culture invariably underpin the communication failures and misunderstandings that lead to social conflict and dissension. In contemporary organizations, for example, conflicts in values between different occupational groups have the potential to create significant organizational dysfunction. Equally, however, bridging between these conflicts may present an opportunity for organizational learning and insight. Dialogue provides a means of bridging between such differences, but it is notoriously difficult to implement. In this article, we explore the potential of Personal Construct Theory as a way into dialogue. We illustrate our argument with the results of a workshop that involved senior managers and clinicians from a large public hospital.
The impact of insecticide-treated bed nets on malaria 1 sporozoite-infective biting hours and transmission intensities 2 in Kamuli District , Uganda : A longitudinal study 3

The impact of insecticide-treated bed nets on malaria 1 sporozoite-infective biting hours and transmission intensit ies 2 in Kamuli District, Uganda: A longitudinal study 3 Fredrick G. Kabbale , 4 E-Mail: fredrickkabbale@yahoo.co.uk 5 6 Anne M. Akol 7 E-Mail: anneakol@yahoo.com 8 9 Anne K. Miyingo 10 E-Mail: amiyingo@zoology.mak. ac.ug 11 12 John B. Kaddu 1 13 E-Mail: kaddujb@zoology.mak. ac.ug 14 15 Enock Matovu 16 E-Mail: ematovu@vetmed.mak. ac.ug 17 18 Ambrose W. Onapa 3 19 E-mail: kwibale1@yahoo.co.uk 20 21 Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Makere re University, 22 P.O Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda 23
Phonological awareness intervention for children with childhood apraxia of speech

Aims: To investigate the effectiveness of an integrated phonological awareness intervention to improve the speech production, phonological awareness and printed word decoding skills for three children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) aged 7;3, 6;3 and 6;10. The three children presented with severely delayed phonological awareness skills before intervention.Methods & Procedures: In consideration for the heterogeneity in the population with CAS, the study employed a multiple single‐subject design with repeated measures. Baseline and post‐intervention measures for speech, phonological awareness and decoding were compared. Each child received intervention for three 45‐min sessions per week for 3 weeks (approximately 7 h of individual treatment). Sessions focused on developing phoneme awareness, linking graphemes to phonemes and providing opportunities for targeted speech production practice. Phonological awareness activities were linked with each child's speech production goals.Outcomes & Results: Two p.
Precursors of formal thought: A longitudinal study

From 1984 to 1988, a longitudinal study was conducted with 104 children born in 1980. This study was devoted to the development of Piagetian concrete operational thought, using 25 classical Piagetian tasks. Seven years after the end of the study, 62 children from the original sample were again examined in relation to formal thought, general intelligence and spatial and verbal abilities. This paper analyses the data obtained and the relationships between concrete and formal thought. The main results show: (i) the low average attainment in formal thought among 15-year-old adolescents ; (ii) the reliable measurement of general intelligence provided by Piagetian tasks; and (iii) the strong relationship between early competence in number manipulation and later access to combinatorial and formal thought.
Gaussian moments for noisy independent component analysis

A novel approach for the problem of estimating the data model of independent component analysis (or blind source separation) in the presence of Gaussian noise is introduced. We define the Gaussian moments of a random variable as the expectations of the Gaussian function (and some related functions) with different scale parameters, and show how the Gaussian moments of a random variable can be estimated from noisy observations. This enables us to use Gaussian moments as one-unit contrast functions that have no asymptotic bias even in the presence of noise, and that are robust against outliers. To implement the maximization of the contrast functions based on Gaussian moments, a modification of the fixed-point (FastICA) algorithm is introduced.
Conditional deletion of β1‐integrin in astroglia causes partial reactive gliosis

Astrocytes play many pivotal roles in the adult brain, including their reaction to injury. A hallmark of astrocytes is the contact of their endfeet with the basement membrane surrounding blood vessels, but still relatively little is known about the signaling mediated at the contact site. Here, we examine the role of β1‐integrin at this interface by its conditional deletion using different Cre lines. Thereby, the protein was reduced only at postnatal stages either in both glia and neurons or specifically only in neurons. Strikingly, only the former resulted in reactive gliosis, with the hallmarks of reactive astrocytes comprising astrocyte hypertrophy and up‐regulation of the intermediate filaments GFAP and vimentin as well as pericellular components, such as Tenascin‐C and the DSD‐1 proteoglycan. In addition, we also observed to a certain degree a non‐cell autonomous activation of microglial cells after conditional β1‐integrin deletion. However, these reactive astrocytes did not divide, suggesting that the loss of β1‐integrin‐mediated signaling is not sufficient to elicit proliferation of these cells as observed after brain injury. Interestingly, this partial reactive gliosis appeared in the absence of cell death and blood brain barrier disturbances. As these effects did not appear after neuron‐specific deletion of β1‐integrin, we conclude that β1‐integrin‐mediated signaling in astrocytes is required to promote their acquisition of a mature, nonreactive state. Alterations in β1‐integrin‐mediated signaling may hence be implicated in eliciting specific aspects of reactive gliosis after injury. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sonali Shah (2008), Young Disabled People: Aspirations, Choices and Constraints . Aldershot: Ashgate. £40, pp. 124, hbk.

References Adelman, L. , Middleton, S. and Ashworth, K. (2003), Britain’s Poorest Children: Severe and Persistent Poverty and Social Exclusion, London: Save the Children. Charles, N. and James, E. (2003), ‘The gender dimensions of job insecurity in a local labour market’, Work, Employment and Society, 17: 3, 531–52. Hakim, C. (2002), ‘Lifestyle preferences as determinants of women’s differential labour market careers’, Work and Occupation, 29: 4, 428–59. Hakim, C. (2005), ‘Sex differences in work–life balance goals’, in D. M. Houston (ed.), Work–Life Balance in the 21st Century, Houndsmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Copy Number Variation and Transposable Elements Feature in Recent, Ongoing Adaptation at the Cyp6g1 Locus

The increased transcription of the Cyp6g1 gene of Drosophila melanogaster, and consequent resistance to insecticides such as DDT, is a widely cited example of adaptation mediated by cis-regulatory change. A fragment of an Accord transposable element inserted upstream of the Cyp6g1 gene is causally associated with resistance and has spread to high frequencies in populations around the world since the 1940s. Here we report the existence of a natural allelic series at this locus of D. melanogaster, involving copy number variation of Cyp6g1, and two additional transposable element insertions (a P and an HMS-Beagle). We provide evidence that this genetic variation underpins phenotypic variation, as the more derived the allele, the greater the level of DDT resistance. Tracking the spatial and temporal patterns of allele frequency changes indicates that the multiple steps of the allelic series are adaptive. Further, a DDT association study shows that the most resistant allele, Cyp6g1-[BP], is greatly enriched in the top 5% of the phenotypic distribution and accounts for ∼16% of the underlying phenotypic variation in resistance to DDT. In contrast, copy number variation for another candidate resistance gene, Cyp12d1, is not associated with resistance. Thus the Cyp6g1 locus is a major contributor to DDT resistance in field populations, and evolution at this locus features multiple adaptive steps occurring in rapid succession.
SLCO1B1 genetic polymorphism influences mycophenolic acid tolerance in renal transplant recipients.

AIMS This study aimed to determine the influence of gene candidates on mycophenolic acid (MPA) response during the first year of renal transplantation. MATERIALS & METHODS A total of 218 renal transplant recipients who received MPA from the first day of transplantation at a fixed dose of 2 g/day were genotyped for ABCB1, ABCC2, UGT2B7, UGT1A9, SLCO1B1, SLCO1B3 and IMPDH1 polymorphisms. Clinical end points were MPA-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and acute rejection episodes during the first year post-transplantation. RESULTS After correction for multiple statistical testing, SLCO1B1 (encoding the hepatic uptake transporter OATP1B1) was the only gene associated with MPA-related ADRs, showing a 75% risk reduction in favor of a protective effect of the SLCO1B1*5 allele (p = 0.002). In vitro experiments showed that MPA metabolites MPA-phenyl-glucuronide and MPA-acyl-glucuronide are substrates of OATP1B1. Their transport was decreased in the presence of the variant transporter (OATP1B1*5). CONCLUSION These results suggest for the first time that carriers of the SLCO1B1*5 allele seem to be protected from MPA-related ADRs.
The Essential Power of Group Work

SUMMARY For almost two decades, leaders in the field of social group work have been warning that the foundational principles and practice of group work as a modality are in danger of being absorbed into generalist social work practice. This paper expands upon the appeal of leaders in the social group work field to generate an environment in which group work is recognized as an integral method in social work practice and education. This paper examines group work as a powerful methodology in social work practice with a specific theoretical framework and skill base that is fundamental to the social work profession. The characteristics of group work's strengths are explored with a comprehensive overview that inspires renewed commitment to preserving, practicing and promoting social group work as a viable and integral part of social work practice.
Modelling Calibration and Validation of Contributions to Stress in the STI Process Sequence

The mathematics and mechanics of the Shallow Trench Isolation process are described. The diffusionreaction problem is posed in terms of fundamental mass balance laws. Finite strain kinematics is invoked to model the large expansion of SiO2, dielectrics are modelled as viscoelastic solids and annealing-induced density relaxation of SiO2 is incorporated as a historydependent process. A levelset framework is used to describe the moving Si/SiO2 interface. Sophisticated finite element methods are employed to solve the mathematical equations posed for each phenomenon. Mechanical properties of viscoelastic solids are extracted directly from stress-strain data, following which, parameters for the diffusion-reaction problem are obtained. Comparison with micro-Raman spectroscopy provides validation of the model.
How efficient is translational research in radiation oncology? The example of a large Dutch academic radiation oncology department

Objective: To study the efficiency of research implementation in a large radiotherapy institute, in either an internal review board-approved clinical trial or clinical routine. Methods: Scientific publications of the institute were listed. We asked clinicians from tumour expert groups whether the study had been implemented yet in a clinical trial or in clinical practice and which facilitators or barriers were relevant. An independent investigator verified all results. We calculated the implementation rates and the frequency of mentioned facilitators and barriers. Results: Resident researchers had published 234 studies over the past 4 years. Overall, 70/234 (30%) technical or preclinical studies were tested or implemented in a clinical environment in either trials or routine. In total, 45/234 (19%) studies were routinely implemented; in the 61 clinical studies, this percentage was higher: 38% (23/61). The main facilitator was the level of evidence and the main barriers were workload and high complexity. Conclusion: We were able to calculate the implementation ratio of published research into clinical practice and set benchmark figures for other radiotherapy clinics. Level of evidence was an important facilitator, while workload and high complexity of the new procedures were important barriers for implementation. Recent articles suggest that academic entrepreneurship will facilitate this process further. Advances in knowledge: This study is the first of its kind calculating implementation rates of published studies in the clinical environment and can contribute to the efficiency of translational research in radiotherapy. We propose to use this metric as a quality indicator to evaluate academic departments.
Childbearing and Wellbeing: A Comparative Analysis of the European Community

*Corresponding author, Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Address: Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ UK Phone ++441206873151, aaassve@essex.ac. uk **Department of Statistics, University of Padua, Italy Address: Department of Statistics, Via Cesare Battisti, 241, 35121, Padova Phone ++390498274192, fax ++390498274170, mazzuco@stat.unipd. it *** Faculty of Political Science, University of Florence, Italy. Address: Department of Statistics, viale Morgagni 59, 50134 Florence, phone ++390554237368, fax ++390554223265, mencarin@ds.unifi. it
Multirate Synchronous Sampling of Sparse Multiband Signals

Recent advances in electro-optical systems make them ideal for undersampling multiband signals with very high carrier frequencies. In this paper, we propose a new scheme for sampling and reconstructing of a multiband sparse signals that occupy a small part of a given broad frequency range under the constraint of a small number of sampling channels. The locations of the signal bands are not known a priori. The scheme, which we call synchronous multirate sampling (SMRS), entails gathering samples synchronously at few different rates whose sum is significantly lower than the Nyquist sampling rate. The signals are reconstructed by finding a solution of an underdetermined system of linear equations by applying a pursuit algorithm and assuming that the solution is composed of a minimum number of bands. The empirical reconstruction success rate is higher than obtained using previously published multicoset scheme when the number of sampling channels is small and the conditions for a perfect reconstruction in the multicoset scheme are not fulfilled. The practical sampling system which is simulated in our work consists of three sampling channels. Our simulation results show that a very high empirical success rate is obtained when the total sampling rate is five times higher than the total signal support of a complex signal with four bands. By comparison, a multicoset sampling scheme obtains a very high empirical success rate with a total sampling rate which is three times higher than the total signal support. However, the multicoset scheme requires 14 channels.
Multidisciplinary approach during menopausal transition and postmenopause in Brazilian women.

OBJECTIVE To identify clinical, physical, life quality and nutritional aspects of Brazilian women during menopausal transition and postmenopausal periods. METHODS 115 women agreed to participate in the study. They were divided into two groups: GI--menopausal transition (n = 48) and GII--postmenopause (n = 67). The Kupperman-Blatt Menopausal Index (IMK) and Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ), Food Frequency Questionnaire and functional capacity were used. All patients were examined and underwent clinical and gynecological examination. RESULTS There was no significant difference in IMK, WHQ and functional capacity in either group. There was a higher caloric intake, especially in sugars, in postmenopause women than in menopausal transition women. Both groups presented reduced parameters in life quality and functional capacity. CONCLUSION Our data suggests that there is no significant difference between women in menopausal transition and postmenopause, except in relation to the nutritional parameter. In both groups, the women presented low quality of life and reduced functional capacity.
Vocational Interests and Career Goals: Development and Relations to Personality in Middle Adolescence

Cross-sectional research implies a close relation of vocation interests, goals, and traits, yet little is known about their reciprocal development over time. This longitudinal study examined development of Things/People (T/P) and Data/Ideas (D/I) vocational interests and career goals in relation to Big Five personality traits among 292 Swiss adolescents with a cross-lagged panel design with two measurement points over 1 year from seventh to eighth grade. Interests and goals were significantly related within time and showed significant interactions across time. Traits related significantly and equally to interests and goals within time and predicted their development across time except for T/P goals. Goals and interests possessed incremental validity above traits in affecting each other. Implications include the need to account for dynamic processes in the development of goals and interests and their systematic relation to traits in theory and practice.
Vibrio vulnificus MO6-24/O Lipopolysaccharide Stimulates Superoxide Anion, Thromboxane B2, Matrix Metalloproteinase-9, Cytokine and Chemokine Release by Rat Brain Microglia in Vitro

Although human exposure to Gram-negative Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been reported to result in septic shock, its impact on the central nervous system’s innate immunity remains undetermined. The purpose of this study was to determine whether V. vulnificus MO6-24/O LPS might activate rat microglia in vitro and stimulate the release of superoxide anion (O2−), a reactive oxygen species known to cause oxidative stress and neuronal injury in vivo. Brain microglia were isolated from neonatal rats, and then treated with either V. vulnificus MO6-24/O LPS or Escherichia coli O26:B6 LPS for 17 hours in vitro. O2− was determined by cytochrome C reduction, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 by gelatinase zymography. Generation of cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), IL-6, and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1α)/chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 (CCL3), MIP-2/chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 (CXCL2), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1)/CCL2, and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-2alpha/beta (CINC-2α/β)/CXCL3, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), were determined by specific immunoassays. Priming of rat microglia by V. vulnificus MO6-24/O LPS in vitro yielded a bell-shaped dose-response curve for PMA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate)-stimulated O2− generation: (1) 0.1–1 ng/mL V. vulnificus LPS enhanced O2− generation significantly but with limited inflammatory mediator generation; (2) 10–100 ng/mL V. vulnificus LPS maximized O2− generation with concomitant release of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and several cytokines and chemokines; (3) 1000–100,000 ng/mL V. vulnificus LPS, with the exception of TXB2, yielded both attenuated O2− production, and a progressive decrease in MMP-9, cytokines and chemokines investigated. Thus concentration-dependent treatment of neonatal brain microglia with V. vulnificus MO6-24/O LPS resulted in a significant rise in O2− production, followed by a progressive decrease in O2− release, with concomitant release of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and generation of TXB2, MMP-9, cytokines and chemokines. We hypothesize that the inflammatory mediators investigated may be cytotoxic to microglia in vitro, by an as yet undetermined autocrine mechanism. Although V. vulnificus LPS was less potent than E. coli LPS in vitro, inflammatory mediator release by the former was clearly more efficacious. Finally, we hypothesize that should V. vulnificus LPS gain entry into the CNS, it would be possible that microglia might become activated, resulting in high levels of O2− as well as neuroinflammatory TXB2, MMP-9, cytokines and chemokines.
Flying High or Crashing Down

Largely absent from the literature on adolescent girls'extracurricular activities is exploration of the process and effects of vying for entry to extracurricular activities that are competitive and selective. This qualitative study contrasted the immediate and longer term effects of auditioning for two high school extracurricular activities (cheerleading, dance) on 18 girls who won admission and 18 who did not. One-on-one interviews collected immediately and 2 months following the selection decision reflected the significant impact of the decision on personal, social, and school identity. The findings supported the positive effects for those who were successful and illustrated the devastating and extended effects of not being selected on personal, social, and school identity.
Confronting the Past?

Cultural heritage is not a priority in Sierra Leone. As one of the poorest countries in the world and one only gradually recovering from civil war, there are more immediate concerns. Despite long-term neglect, this article considers whether there is, however, a role for Sierra Leone's cultural heritage in post-conflict recovery. It examines two arenas for the production of Sierra Leone's national past: its list of proclaimed national monuments notionally protected by a Monuments and Relics Commission, and the report of its Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Whilst the rhetoric of the TRC calls Sierra Leoneans to confront their past, history is rewritten in its report and a mythic past of `peaceful co-existence' posited. To confront Sierra Leone's `indigenous' cultural heritage is, however, to confront a long history of conflict. The article asks whether it is not better to acknowledge this difficult past rather than deny it.