Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suicide in Trans Populations: A Systematic Review of Prevalence and Correlates

Trans people experience high rates of attempted suicide and suicidal ideation. No study to date has collated the various findings concerning correlates of trans suicide. This systematic review aimed to summarize the available data and provide recommendations based on this evidence. Articles were included if they were published before November 2016, were in English, were peer reviewed, and presented data concerning trans people’s suicide attempts or ideation. Nine databases were searched, and 30 articles were selected. Discrimination emerged as strongly related to suicidal ideation and attempts, whereas positive social interactions and timely access to interventions appeared protective. Limitations included differences in how articles defined trans people or measured suicide and in their largely cross-sectional nature, making assumptions about causality in reference to lifetime ideation or attempts impossible. However, results clearly indicated a need to work at both individual and structural levels to reduce society- and service-level discrimination, enhance peer support, and ensure access to required interventions. The review highlights the need to explore suicidality in the trans population both in relation to general suicide models and in relation to models of minority stress.
Sourcing newness: ways of inducing indeterminacy

ABSTRACT This paper engages with the question of the new as the first stage in what may, at a later time, turn into an innovation. Taking our cue from John Dewey, the new is here interpreted as a consequence of indeterminacy. We study practices that induce indeterminacy in order to ‘source’ the new. Based on findings from a collective research programme, we distinguish three ways of inducing indeterminacy: configuring situations, creating things and risking valuations. For each of these ways of inducing indeterminacy basic variations are described and discussed in greater detail. The three ways of inducing indeterminacy are shown to correspond to a present-centred concept of time that distinguishes the now from a past and a future horizon. The cases presented affirm the claim that the new is not an inevitable consequence of the increasing entanglement of technoscience and the economy but something that needs to be sought for, cared for and actively produced.
Climate and air quality trade-offs in altering ship fuel sulfur content

Aerosol particles from shipping emissions both cool the climate and cause adverse health effects. The cooling effect is, however, declining because of shipping emission controls aiming to improve air quality. We used an aerosol-climate model ECHAM-HAMMOZ to test whether by altering ship fuel sulfur content, the present-day aerosol-induced cooling effect from shipping could be preserved, while at the same time reducing premature mortality rates related to shipping emissions. We compared the climate and health effects of a present-day shipping emission scenario (ship fuel sulfur content of 2.7%) with (1) a simulation with strict emission controls in the coastal waters (ship fuel sulfur content of 0.1%) and twofold the present-day fuel sulfur content (i.e. 5.4%) elsewhere; and (2) a scenario with global strict shipping emission controls (ship fuel sulfur content of 0.1% in coastal waters and 0.5% elsewhere) roughly corresponding to international agreements to be enforced by the year 2020. Scenario 1 had a slightly stronger aerosol-induced effective radiative forcing (ERF) from shipping than the present-day scenario (−0.43 W m−2 vs. −0.39 W m−2) while reducing premature mortality from shipping by 69% (globally 34 900 deaths avoided per year). Scenario 2 decreased the ERF to −0.06 W m−2 and annual deaths by 96% (globally 48 200 deaths avoided per year) compared to present-day. Our results show that the cooling effect of present-day emissions could be retained with simultaneous notable improvements in air quality, even though the shipping emissions from the open ocean clearly have a significant effect on continental air quality. However, increasing ship fuel sulfur content in the open ocean would violate existing international treaties, could cause detrimental side-effects, and could be classified as geoengineering.
Intestinal Sodium Glucose Cotransporter 1 Inhibition Enhances Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Secretion in Normal and Diabetic Rodents

The sodium glucose cotransporter (SGLT) 1 plays a major role in glucose absorption and incretin hormone release in the gastrointestinal tract; however, the impact of SGLT1 inhibition on plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels in vivo is controversial. We analyzed the effects of SGLT1 inhibitors on GLP-1 secretion in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic rodents using phloridzin, CGMI [3-(4-cyclopropylphenylmethyl)-1-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-4-methylindole], and canagliflozin. These compounds are SGLT2 inhibitors with moderate SGLT1 inhibitory activity, and their IC50 values against rat SGLT1 and mouse SGLT1 were 609 and 760 nM for phloridzin, 39.4 and 41.5 nM for CGMI, and 555 and 613 nM for canagliflozin, respectively. Oral administration of these inhibitors markedly enhanced and prolonged the glucose-induced plasma active GLP-1 (aGLP-1) increase in combination treatment with sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor, in normoglycemic mice and rats. CGMI, the most potent SGLT1 inhibitor among them, enhanced glucose-induced, but not fat-induced, plasma aGLP-1 increase at a lower dose compared with canagliflozin. Both CGMI and canagliflozin delayed intestinal glucose absorption after oral administration in normoglycemic rats. The combined treatment of canagliflozin and a DPP4 inhibitor increased plasma aGLP-1 levels and improved glucose tolerance compared with single treatment in both 8- and 13-week-old Zucker diabetic fatty rats. These results suggest that transient inhibition of intestinal SGLT1 promotes GLP-1 secretion by delaying glucose absorption and that concomitant inhibition of intestinal SGLT1 and DPP4 is a novel therapeutic option for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
NMDA Receptor Subunit NR2b: Effects on LH Release and GnRH Gene Expression in Young and Middle-Aged Female Rats, with Modulation by Estradiol

Background/Aims: The loss of reproductive capacity during aging involves changes in the neural regulation of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons controlling reproduction. This neuronal circuitry includes glutamate receptors on GnRH neurons. Previously, we reported an increase in the expression of the NR2b subunit protein of the NMDA receptor on GnRH neurons in middle-aged compared to young female rats. Here, we examined the functional implications of the NR2b subunit on the onset of reproductive aging, using an NR2b-specific antagonist ifenprodil. Methods: Young (3–5 months) and middle-aged (10–13 months) female rats were ovariectomized (OVX), 17β-estradiol (E2) or vehicle (cholesterol) treated, and implanted with a jugular catheter. Serial blood sampling was undertaken every 10 min for 4 h, with ifenprodil (10 mg/kg) or vehicle injected (i.p.) after 1 h of baseline sampling. The pulsatile release of pituitary LH and levels of GnRH mRNA in hypothalamus were quantified as indices of the reproductive axis. Results: Our results showed effects of ifenprodil on both endpoints. In OVX rats given cholesterol, neither age nor ifenprodil had any effects on LH release. In E2-treated rats, aging was associated with significant decreases in pulsatile LH release. Additionally, ifenprodil stimulated parameters of pulsatile LH release in both young and middle-aged animals. Ifenprodil had few effects on GnRH mRNA; the only significant effect of ifenprodil was found in the middle-aged, cholesterol group. Conclusion: Together, these findings support a role for the NR2b subunit of the NMDAR in GnRH/LH regulation. Because most of these effects were exhibited on pituitary LH release in the absence of a concomitant change in GnRH gene expression, it is likely that NMDA receptors containing the NR2b subunit play a role in GnRH-induced LH release, independent of de novo GnRH gene expression.
The Brain Valuation System and its role in decision-making

Neural processes engaged in decision-making remain unclear. A decomposition of these processes might help us to understand the involved mechanisms. Indeed, first we need to assign what we will call a ‘subjective value’ to each option – i.e. the quantification of how much we like each of these options. Then, we need to compare those values to finally being able to select one of them. Assigning a value seems to be the function of an interesting brain network which overlaps the reward circuitry identified in animal studies – and which is called the Brain Valuation System (BVS). In the first study of this PhD thesis, we investigated and compared three behavioral ways to have an access to these ‘subjective values’. We found that subjective values were relatively robust to the way they were elicited. In the second study, we investigated the specific properties of the Brain Valuation System established through fMRI in humans in a large dataset of intra-EEG recordings in epileptic patients. Finally, in the last study we investigated how this brain network was involved during a binary choice in fMRI. Altogether, our findings shed light on the distinct cognitive mechanisms underlying value-based decision-making i) by exploring the neural properties of value assignment and ii) by proposing a general solution to the neural implementation of the comparison between option values. We believe this demonstration points to hidden default policies as sources of bias in choices.
The Stochastic Boundary-Layer in the Non-Newtonian Problem

Mathematical researchers are interested in the properties of visco-elastic materials in multiple-scale impact conditions. However, the research is complex especially in the auto-crash safety engineering process. In this paper, we study the stochastic boundary layer for the non-Newtonian rate type impact hardening and share thinning phenomenon by considering the distribution of the contact angles. The numerical scheme yields the convergent finite element analysis (FEA) solution and stable semi-discrete Galerkin-Runge-Kutta (G-RK) iteration. The high performance computing (HPC) tool has also been used for the passive safety analysis with engineering application.
Antisaccade performance in schizophrenia: a neural model of decision making in the superior colliculus

Antisaccade performance deficits in schizophrenia are generally interpreted as an impaired top–down inhibitory signal failing to suppress the erroneous response. We recorded the antisaccade performance (error rates and latencies) of healthy and schizophrenia subjects performing the mirror antisaccade task. A neural rise-to-threshold model of antisaccade performance was developed to uncover the biophysical mechanisms giving rise to the observed deficits in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia patients displayed greater variability in the antisaccade and corrected antisaccade latency distributions, increased error rates and decreased corrected errors, relative to healthy participants. Our model showed that (1) increased variability is due to a more noisy accumulation of information by schizophrenia patients, but their confidence level required before making a decision is unaffected, and (2) competition between the correct and erroneous decision processes, and not a third top-down inhibitory signal suppressing the erroneous response, accounts for the antisaccade performance of healthy and schizophrenia subjects. Local competition further ensured that a correct antisaccade is never followed by an error prosaccade.
Variations in Stellar Clustering with Environment: Dispersed Star Formation and the Origin of Faint Fuzzies

The observed increase in star formation efficiency with average cloud density, from several percent in whole giant molecular clouds to ~30% or more in cluster-forming cores, can be understood as the result of hierarchical cloud structure if there is a characteristic density at which individual stars become well defined. Also in this case, the efficiency of star formation increases with the dispersion of the density probability distribution function (PDF). Models with lognormal PDFs illustrate these effects. The difference between star formation in bound clusters and star formation in loose groupings is attributed to a difference in cloud pressure, with higher pressures forming more tightly bound clusters. This correlation accounts for the observed increase in the clustering fraction with star formation rate and with the observation of scaled OB associations in low-pressure environments. “Faint fuzzie” star clusters, which are bound but have low densities, can form in regions with high Mach numbers and low background tidal forces. The proposal by Burkert, Brodie & Larsen that faint fuzzies form at large radii in galactic collisional rings satisfies these constraints.
Lower concentration of hippocampal N-acetylaspartate in familial bipolar I disorder.

OBJECTIVE Previous studies attempting to identify neuropathological alterations in the hippocampus in bipolar disorder have been inconclusive. The objective of this study was to determine if the concentration of N-acetylaspartate, a neuronal and axonal marker, was lower in subjects with familial bipolar I disorder than in healthy comparison subjects, suggesting possible neuronal loss, neuronal dysfunction, or neuropil reduction in bipolar I disorder. METHOD N-acetylaspartate, choline, and creatine in the right and left hippocampus were measured in 15 euthymic male patients with familial bipolar I disorder and 20 healthy male comparison subjects by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS). RESULTS Relative to the comparison group, the patients with bipolar I disorder demonstrated significantly lower concentrations of N-acetylaspartate and creatine but normal choline concentration in both the right and left hippocampus. There were no group or lateralized differences in the percentages of different tissue types within the MRS voxels, suggesting that the hippocampal N-acetylaspartate and creatine alterations were not an artifact of variations in tissue types represented in the voxels. There was also a significant negative correlation between N-acetylaspartate concentration in the right hippocampus and illness duration, after adjustment for the effects of age. CONCLUSIONS This preliminary study provides support for the existence of neuronal loss, neuronal metabolic dysfunction, or interneuronal neuropil reduction in the hippocampal region in male patients with familial bipolar I disorder. The finding of normal hippocampal choline levels in these patients does not provide support for ongoing myelin breakdown or glial cell proliferation in this brain region in familial bipolar I disorder. The significant association between illness duration and N-acetylaspartate concentration in the right hippocampus supports the idea that neuronal pathology may increase with disease progression and that this effect may be lateralized, involving the right but not the left hippocampus.
Disclosure on Campus: Students’ Decisions to Tell Others About Unwanted Sexual Experiences, Intimate Partner Violence, and Stalking

ABSTRACT The scope of student victimization occurring on college campuses is problematic, drawing the attention of researchers and campus officials. While most researchers of the disclosure of these unwanted experiences tend to examine just 1 form of victimization, a direct comparison of the disclosure of different types of campus victimization within a singular study is missing in the literature. The current study aimed to address this issue by examining 4 types of victimization experiences (unwanted sexual contact, unwanted sexual intercourse, intimate partner violence, and stalking) in a college population. A common set of possible predictors of disclosure were examined, including both demographic (e.g., gender, race, age) and situational factors (e.g., alcohol use, level of fear, relationship with perpetrator). While patterns of similarity across all victimization experiences emerged, the impact of gender, race, age, and alcohol use on disclosure decisions varied substantially by victimization type. The findings of this study address the gap in the current literature by providing a comparison and contrast of the influence of predictors across different types of victimization. Furthermore, the findings provide needed information that could help colleges and universities develop ways to encourage support-seeking and reporting among students.
Multilevel Thresholding for Image Segmentation using the Galaxy-based Search Algorithm

In this paper, image segmentation of gray- level images is performed by multilevel thresholding. The optimal thresholds for this purpose are found by maximizing the between-class variance (the Otsu's criterion). The optimization (maximization) is conducted by a novel nature-inspired search algorithm, which is called Galaxy-based Search Algorithm or GbSA. The proposed GbSA is a metaheuristic for continuous optimization. It resembles the spiral arms of some galaxies to search for the optimal thresholds. The GbSA also uses a modified Hill Climbing algorithm as a local search. The GbSA also utilizes chaos for improving its performance, which is implemented by the logistic map. Experimental results show that the GbSA finds the optimal or very near optimal thresholds in all runs of the algorithm.
Understanding public trust in services provided by community pharmacists relative to those provided by general practitioners: a qualitative study

Objectives To apply sociological theories to understand public trust in extended services provided by community pharmacists relative to those provided by general practitioners (GPs). Design Qualitative study involving focus groups with members of the public. Setting The West of Scotland. Participants 26 purposively sampled members of the public were involved in one of five focus groups. The groups were composed to represent known groups of users and non-users of community pharmacy, namely mothers with young children, seniors and men. Results Trust was seen as being crucial in healthcare settings. Focus group discussions revealed that participants were inclined to draw unfavourable comparisons between pharmacists and GPs. Importantly, participants' trust in GPs was greater than that in pharmacists. Participants considered pharmacists to be primarily involved in medicine supply, and awareness of the pharmacist's extended role was low. Participants were often reluctant to trust pharmacists to deliver unfamiliar services, particularly those perceived to be ‘high risk’. Numerous system-based factors were identified, which reinforce patient trust and confidence in GPs, including GP registration and appointment systems, GPs' expert/gatekeeper role and practice environments. Our data indicate that the nature and context of public interactions with GPs fostered familiarity with a specific GP or practice, which allowed interpersonal trust to develop. By contrast, participants' exposure to community pharmacists was limited. Additionally, a good understanding of the GPs' level of training and role promoted confidence. Conclusion Current UK initiatives, which aim to implement a range of pharmacist-led services, are undermined by lack of public trust. It seems improbable that the public will trust pharmacists to deliver unfamiliar services, which are perceived to be ‘high risk’, unless health systems change in a way that promotes trust in pharmacists. This may be achieved by increasing the quality and quantity of patient interactions with pharmacists and gaining GP support for extended pharmacy services.
Knowledge-Based Clinical Decision Support Systems Continuance: An Integration of Physicians' Identity and System Attributes

Despite the importance of sustained use of healthcare information systems, research on the continuous use of these systems is scanty, especially for clinical decision support systems. Moreover, there is an apparent gap between information systems and healthcare research approaches in studying use. We address these gaps by creating a comprehensive model based on the composite attitude-behavior model that integrates system related constructs with physicians’ professional identity constructs to explain and model physicians’ continuous use of a pain management clinical decision support system theoretically. Using a mixed methods longitudinal study design, we investigate factors influencing continuous use of automated clinical guidelines. The potential contributions of this study include enhancing our understanding of factors influencing physicians’ continuance behavior, and providing guidance on developing effective automated knowledge-based clinical decision support.
SMART MATERIALS, STRUCTURES & NDT in AEROSPACE

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are well suited for use as linear actuators. In particular, NiTi wires as linear SMA actuators offer the advantages of light weight, a simple actuation mechanism and high force-to-weight ratio. An additional advantage is that the electrical resistance of the NiTi wires varies intrinsically as the material undergoes a phase change between martensite and austenite, and so can be used as a sensing element in controlling the actuator system. In the past, models of the resistance behaviour have been used with some success in controller design. These models are often simplified, assuming a linear change between austenite and martensite resistances. More complex models may include non-linear dependence on phase transformation, but most neglect to account for the impact of changes in temperature and stress. The focus of this work is the investigation of a more detailed electrical resistance model that accounts for these effects during Joule heating of NiTi wires. The model takes into account the effects of temperature, stress, and martensite phase fraction. Data obtained from controlled experimental trials using a 0.254mm diameter Flexinol wire is used to identify model parameters, and the model is simulated and validated experimentally. The eventual goal is to use the model for simulation during controller synthesis, and also incorporate it into online controllers. Hence, the inversion of the model and its application in controller design is also discussed.
Impact of Channel Asymmetry on Base Station Cooperative Transmission with Limited Feedback

To exploit the full benefit of base station (BS) cooperative transmission, also known as coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission, large amount of feedback is required to gather the channel information. In this paper, we analyze the impact of channel asymmetry, which is inherent in CoMP systems, on downlink coherent BS cooperative transmission using zero-forcing beamforming with limited feedback. Per-cell quantization of multicell channels is considered, which quantizes the local channel and cross channels separately and is more feasible in practice. We analyze the per-user rate of limited feedback multi-user CoMP systems, and provide approximate expressions for both the inter-cell and intra-cell residual multi-user interference introduced by the quantization errors. When the desired user is at the cell center, the former is weak, but the latter is strong and depends not only on the signal to noise ratio but also on the location of its co-scheduled users. Simulation results validate our theoretical analysis.