Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inmate women as participants in education in Queensland correctional centres

This paper reports on research with women inmates undertaking prison education in two Queensland correctional facilities: Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre and Helena Jones Community Corrections Centre. Data collection spanned the period of relocation of Brisbane Women’s from Annerley to Wacol, from a traditional lock-and-key establishment to a keyless unit. This study investigated inmate women’s accounts of education using interview data and analysis of policy. While the study drew upon feminist criminology theory and conversation analysis to provide a theoretical dialogue for investigating prison education, this paper investigates more broadly five key themes. They are categorised as a culture of containment and surveillance, types of education, access to education, pedagogical issues and the role of support groups in education. Women’s prisons and their rituals have been constructed by men for men, sometimes with concessions made for women and criminal laws have been drawn with reference to the way that men define women and perpetuate the dependence of women on more powerful male others. The structural and interactional features of oral texts such as interviews were examined to understand the educational experiences of women inmates. The research found that women’s involvement in prison education is framed by a culture of containment and surveillance. In the keyless prison, heightened electronic security reported increases in internal body searches and routinized head counts were found to exacerbate the difficulties women inmates experience in prison education. This work recommends as a research policy imperative a longitudinal case study to investigate women inmates’ educational access and experiences.
Keynes and ‘Stream of Consciousness’ or What Keynes Could Have Learnt From Virginia Woolf

Keynes was a member of the Bloomsbury group, a group that took its credo in some measure from the philosophy of G.E. Moore. However Keynes was unable to follow through the implications of this early influence into his economics cumbered as he was with his ‘Marshallian baggage’. Virginia Woolf, as another member of the Bloomsbury group, shared with Keynes habits of perception and conduct inspired by Moore. The paper explores the relationship between the methods of the two authors. It is argued that Keynes insufficiently incorporated consciousness into his schema, an entity essential to Moore’s critique of idealism. Woolf more completely imbibed Moore’s insight that perception does not bear any simple correspondence with the external world. Secondly, there is Moore’s distinction between personal and universal modes of perception. Woolf’s novels present not just one person whose consciousness is rendered but many people with incessant shifts from one to the other. For his part, Keynes’s work contains only the germs of a philosophy of probability according to which probability can be viewed as the degree of intersubjective belief of a group.
Shape retrieval based on dynamic programming

We propose a shape matching algorithm for deformed shapes based on dynamic programming. Our algorithm is capable of grouping together segments at finer scales in order to come up with appropriate correspondences with segments at coarser scales. We illustrate the effectiveness of our algorithm in retrieval of shapes by content on two different two-dimensional (2-D) datasets, one of static hand gesture shapes and another of marine life shapes. We also demonstrate the superiority of our approach over traditional approaches to shape matching and retrieval, such as Fourier descriptors and geometric and sequential moments. Our evaluation is based on human relevance judgments following a well-established methodology from the information retrieval field.
Solving software module clustering problem by evolutionary algorithms

Well organized software is easy to maintain but software modularization is complicated because of the number of modules. Automated software module clustering is transformed to a search-based problem. This paper describes the experiments on real-world problems of software module clustering by metaheuristic search methods such as genetic algorithms. This paper introduces the Grouping Genetic Algorithm (GGA) to the benchmarks. The fitness function measures a module granularity which is cohesion and coupling. Empirical result reports that the GGA outperforms a genetic algorithm with string representation.
Hearing Voices: Embodiment and Experience

The hearing of voices is generally regarded as a pathological phenomenon - a form of mental illness. This title challenges the assumption in psychiatry and psychology that hearing voices has a pathological basis, and contains information from people who hear voices but who have found traditional clinical approaches unhelpful. It also provides information on an alternative approach to hearing voices.
Study on energy metabolism in perioperative infants.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate resting energy expenditure (REE) in surgical infants and define the effects of the degree of stress on its level. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Between June 1999 and June 2003 forty-five infants awaiting surgery (boys/girls: 32/13) from the Department of Pediatric Surgery were entered in the study. Indirect calorimetry was used to measure the REE of all the patients before operation and 1 - 7 days after operation. Clinical data were collected, including age, weight, height, diagnosis, operative method, site and duration, and first day postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. RESULTS The REE before operation did not differ significantly from the postoperative values (paired t-test, p > 0.05). The predicted REE was significantly higher than the measured REE even before and after the operation (p < 0.01). REE values in the first three postoperative days were lower in the mild stress group than in the severe surgical stress group. CONCLUSIONS REE variation among the patients is relatively large. Changes in REE may be related to the degree of stress. Predicted REE values may be not a good reflection of measured REE.
Four-wave mixing-based phase sensitive amplification with pulsed signal input

The four-wave mixing (FWM)-based phase sensitive amplification (PSA) with pulsed signal input is investigated. A set of exact analytical solutions for the output amplitude and phase of PSA is derived, taking into account the pump depletion and the self- and cross-phase modulation (SPM and XPM) from pumps, signal and idler. Simplified analytical expression of output idler power is obtained, which shows that, the amplified signal/idler pulse will be compressed firstly due to the phase distortion of input signal, then will be broadened due to pump-depletion.
Hepatitis C Virus-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunctions

Chronic hepatitis C is characterized by metabolic disorders and a microenvironment in the liver dominated by oxidative stress, inflammation and regeneration processes that lead in the long term to hepatocellular carcinoma. Many lines of evidence suggest that mitochondrial dysfunctions, including modification of metabolic fluxes, generation and elimination of oxidative stress, Ca2+ signaling and apoptosis, play a central role in these processes. However, how these dysfunctions are induced by the virus and whether they play a role in disease progression and neoplastic transformation remains to be determined. Most in vitro studies performed so far have shown that several of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins localize to mitochondria, but the consequences of these interactions on mitochondrial functions remain contradictory, probably due to the use of artificial expression and replication systems. In vivo studies are hampered by the fact that innate and adaptive immune responses will overlay mitochondrial dysfunctions induced directly in the hepatocyte by HCV. Thus, the molecular aspects underlying HCV-induced mitochondrial dysfunctions and their roles in viral replication and the associated pathology need yet to be confirmed in the context of productively replicating virus and physiologically relevant in vitro and in vivo model systems.
Cardiac Glycosides Induce Cell Death in Human Cells by Inhibiting General Protein Synthesis

Background Cardiac glycosides are Na+/K+-pump inhibitors widely used to treat heart failure. They are also highly cytotoxic, and studies have suggested specific anti-tumor activity leading to current clinical trials in cancer patients. However, a definitive demonstration of this putative anti-cancer activity and the underlying molecular mechanism has remained elusive. Methodology/Principal Findings Using an unbiased transcriptomics approach, we found that cardiac glycosides inhibit general protein synthesis. Protein synthesis inhibition and cytotoxicity were not specific for cancer cells as they were observed in both primary and cancer cell lines. These effects were dependent on the Na+/K+-pump as they were rescued by expression of a cardiac glycoside-resistant Na+/K+-pump. Unlike human cells, rodent cells are largely resistant to cardiac glycosides in vitro and mice were found to tolerate extremely high levels. Conclusions/Significance The physiological difference between human and mouse explains the previously observed sensitivity of human cancer cells in mouse xenograft experiments. Thus, published mouse xenograft models used to support anti-tumor activity for these drugs require reevaluation. Our finding that cardiac glycosides inhibit protein synthesis provides a mechanism for the cytotoxicity of CGs and raises concerns about ongoing clinical trials to test CGs as anti-cancer agents in humans.
Utilizing Text Mining on Online Medical Forums to Predict Label Change due to Adverse Drug Reactions

We present an end-to-end text mining methodology for relation extraction of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) from medical forums on the Web. Our methodology is novel in that it combines three major characteristics: (i) an underlying concept of using a head-driven phrase structure grammar (HPSG) based parser; (ii) domain-specific relation patterns, the acquisition of which is done primarily using unsupervised methods applied to a large, unlabeled text corpus; and (iii) automated post-processing algorithms for enhancing the set of extracted relations. We empirically demonstrate the ability of our proposed approach to predict ADRs prior to their reporting by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Put differently, we put our approach to a predictive test by demonstrating that our methodology can credibly point to ADRs that were not uncovered in clinical trials for evaluating new drugs that come to market but were only reported later on by the FDA as a label change.
Depressão e trabalho: ruptura de laço social

Depression emerges in the XXI century as “the malady of the century” and distress at work can eventually result in suicide. People complain about unemployment, the threat of being unemployed, and to be under pressure in order to keep their jobs. On the other hand, neither a profession nor a career assure a stable present and a promising future. Depression is one of common reactions for loss. Either loosing or being threatened to loose jobs or a structuring social context could lead to the fragmentation of psychic identity. This essay discusses the word “depression” within the singularities of contemporary occupational distress, based on current news, specialized national and international literature, as well as the author’s psychiatric clinical praxis and research on workers’ mental health.
The Association Between Lifetime Intimate Partner Violence, Social Support, And Depression Among Methamphetamine-Using Men And Women In San Diego, Ca

OF THE THESIS The Association Between Lifetime Intimate Partner Violence, Social Support, and Depression Among Methamphetamine-Using Men and Women in San Diego, CA by Alejandra M. Cabrera Master of Public Health with a Concentration in Epidemiology San Diego State University, 2015 In the United States, methamphetamine (MA) use is a growing public health concern, with particularly high rates of MA use in California. MA use has been associated with poor mental health outcomes, including depression, and an increased risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), especially among women. Evidence suggests that a woman’s social support is a protective factor that reduces the risk of adverse mental health outcomes. This crosssectional analysis examined the relationship between lifetime physical and sexual IPV, social support and depression. Baseline data of female (n=207) and male (n=219) MA users enrolled in the FASTLANE II Study, an HIV behavioral prevention intervention in San Diego, CA, were used for the analysis. All participants were 18 years or older, tested negative for HIV, selfidentified as heterosexual, had at least one opposite sex partner in the past 2 months, and recently used meth (i.e., snorted, smoked or injected meth) at least once in the past two months. A multivariable logistic regression was performed in order to examine the relationship between IPV and depression, and the interaction between IPV and social support. This sample was ethnically diverse with a majority of women self-identifying as White (38%) and a majority of men self-identifying as African American (40%). About 60% of men and 88% of women reported ever experiencing physical and/or sexual IPV. With regards to the outcome, 66% of men and 80% of women experienced depressive symptoms in the past two weeks. The median social support score among men and women was 26 (interquartile range=:7, 28) and 24 (interquartile range=:7, 28), respectively. Among male MA users, lifetime IPV was found to be associated with depression after adjusting for social support. Social support was associated with depression among men ([aOR]: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.84-0.98) and women ([aOR]: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.76-0.93). Social support was found to be a protective factor for depression among men and women. Programs and services that target MA-using individuals with depressive symptoms may benefit from incorporating a social support component to optimize health outcomes.
&agr;2A-Adrenergic Receptor Polymorphism Potentiates Platelet Reactivity in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease Carrying the Cytochrome P450 2C19*2 Genetic Variant

Objective—Platelet &agr;2A-adrenergic receptors (ARs) mediate platelet aggregation in response to sympathetic stimulation. The 6.3-kb variant of &agr;2A-AR gene is associated with increased epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation in healthy volunteers. The cytochrome P450 2C19*2 (CYP2C19*2) loss-of-function allele influences P2Y12-mediated platelet inhibition and hence the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events. We assessed the influence of 6.3-kb &agr;2A-AR gene variant on platelet aggregation and its interaction with CYP2C19*2 loss-of-function allele in patients with stable angina on aspirin and clopidogrel (dual antiplatelet therapy). Approach and Results—Aggregation to 5 increasing doses of epinephrine (from 0.156 to 10 &mgr;mol/L) was assessed in aggregation units by Multiplate Analyzer and platelet reactivity in P2Y12 reactivity units and % inhibition by VerifyNow P2Y12 assay before percutaneous revascularization. Gene polymorphisms were analyzed with TaqMan Drug Metabolism assay. Of 141 patients, aggregation was higher in 6.3-kb carriers (n=52) when compared with wild types (n=89) at all epinephrine doses (P<0.05) apart from 10 &mgr;mol/L (P=0.077). Percentage inhibition was lower (P=0.048) in 6.3-kb &agr;2A-AR carriers. Percentage inhibition was lower (P=0.005) and P2Y12 reactivity units was higher (P=0.012) in CYP2C19*2 allele carriers. Higher P2Y12 reactivity units (P=0.037) and lower percentage inhibition (P=0.009) were observed in carriers of both 6.3-kb &agr;2A-AR variant and CYP2C19*2 allele when compared with wild-type or with either mutation on its own. Conclusions—The 6.3-kb &agr;2A-AR variant is associated with increased platelet reactivity to epinephrine and has an additive effect along with CYP2C19*2 loss-of-function allele on P2Y12-mediated platelet responses in patients with stable angina on dual antiplatelet therapy.
Polyomavirus tumor induction in mice: influences of viral coding and noncoding sequences on tumor profiles

We determined the DNA sequences of the noncoding regions of two polyomavirus strains that differ profoundly in their abilities to induce tumors in mice. Differences between strains were found, both on the late side of the replication origin in the region containing known enhancer elements and on the early side of the origin, affecting the number and location of large-T-antigen-binding sites. By constructing and analyzing recombinant viruses between these high- and low-tumor strains, we attempted to localize determinants which affect the frequency and histotype of tumors. Seven recombinants were constructed and propagated in vitro, and the tumor profile of each was established by inoculation into newborn C3H mice. Recombinants containing noncoding sequences from the high-tumor strain and coding sequences from the low-tumor strain behaved like the latter, inducing tumors at a low frequency and strictly of mesenchymal origin. Reciprocal recombinants with noncoding sequences of the low-tumor strain linked to structural determinants from the high-tumor strain induced several types of epithelial tumors typical of the high-tumor strain but at reduced frequency, in addition to mesenchymal tumors. A high frequency and full diversity of epithelial tumors required, in addition to structural regions from the high-tumor strain, noncoding sequences on the early side of the origin also present in this strain. A high-tumor profile thus resulted from the combined effects of structural and regulatory determinants in the high-tumor strain, with the former affecting primarily the tissue tropism and the latter affecting the frequency of tumors. No differential effects of the enhancer regions from the late side of the origin in the two virus strains were seen in this study.
Effects of Physiological Internal Noise on Model Predictions of Concurrent Vowel Identification for Normal-Hearing Listeners

Previous studies have shown that concurrent vowel identification improves with increasing temporal onset asynchrony of the vowels, even if the vowels have the same fundamental frequency. The current study investigated the possible underlying neural processing involved in concurrent vowel perception. The individual vowel stimuli from a previously published study were used as inputs for a phenomenological auditory-nerve (AN) model. Spectrotemporal representations of simulated neural excitation patterns were constructed (i.e., neurograms) and then matched quantitatively with the neurograms of the single vowels using the Neurogram Similarity Index Measure (NSIM). A novel computational decision model was used to predict concurrent vowel identification. To facilitate optimum matches between the model predictions and the behavioral human data, internal noise was added at either neurogram generation or neurogram matching using the NSIM procedure. The best fit to the behavioral data was achieved with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 8 dB for internal noise added at the neurogram but with a much smaller amount of internal noise (SNR of 60 dB) for internal noise added at the level of the NSIM computations. The results suggest that accurate modeling of concurrent vowel data from listeners with normal hearing may partly depend on internal noise and where internal noise is hypothesized to occur during the concurrent vowel identification process.
From the psi to charm: the experiments of 1975 and 1976.

Exactly 25 months ago the announcement of the ψ/J particle by Professor Ting's and my groups [1,2] burst on the community of particle physicists. Nothing so strange and completely unexpected had happened in particle physics for many years. Ten days later my group found the second of the ψ's, [3] and the sense of excitement in the community intensified. The long awaited discovery of anything which would give a clue to the proper direction in which to move in understanding the elementary particles loosed a flood of theoretical papers that washed over the journals in the next year. The experiments that I and my colleagues carried through in the two years after the discovery of ψ the have, I believe, selected from all the competing explanations the one that is probably correct. It is these experiments that I wish to describe. The rapid progress is a consequence of the power of the electron-positron colliding-beam technique, and so I also want to describe this technique and tell something of my involvement in it.
The effects of long-term noninvasive ventilation in hypercapnic COPD patients: a randomized controlled pilot study

Introduction Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a well-established treatment for acute-on- chronic respiratory failure in hypercapnic COPD patients. Less is known about the effects of a long-term treatment with NIV in hypercapnic COPD patients and about the factors that may predict response in terms of improved oxygenation and lowered CO2 retention. Methods In this study, we randomized 15 patients to a routine pharmacological treatment (n = 5, age 66 [standard deviation ± 6] years, FEV1 30.5 [±5.1] %pred, PaO2 65 [±6] mmHg, PaCO2 52.4 [±6.0] mmHg) or to a routine treatment and NIV (using the Synchrony BiPAP device [Respironics, Inc, Murrsville, PA]) (n = 10, age 65 [±7] years, FEV1 29.5 [±9.0] %pred, PaO2 59 [±13] mmHg, PaCO2 55.4 [±7.7] mmHg) for 6 months. We looked at arterial blood gasses, lung function parameters and performed a low-dose computed tomography of the thorax, which was later used for segmentation (providing lobe and airway volumes, iVlobe and iVaw) and post-processing with computer methods (providing airway resistance, iRaw) giving overall a functional image of the separate airways and lobes. Results In both groups there was a nonsignificant change in FEV1 (NIV group 29.5 [9.0] to 38.5 [14.6] %pred, control group 30.5 [5.1] to 36.8 [8.7] mmHg). PaCO2 dropped significantly only in the NIV group (NIV: 55.4 [7.7] → 44.5 [4.70], P = 0.0076; control: 52.4 [6.0] → 47.6 [8.2], NS). Patients actively treated with NIV developed a more inhomogeneous redistribution of mass flow than control patients. Subsequent analysis indicated that in NIV-treated patients that improve their blood gases, mass flow was also redistributed towards areas with higher vessel density and less emphysema, indicating that flow was redistributed towards areas with better perfusion. There was a highly significant correlation between the % increase in mass flow towards lobes with a blood vessel density of >9% and the increase in PaO2. Improved ventilation–perfusion match and recruitment of previously occluded small airways can explain the improvement in blood gases. Conclusion We can conclude that in hypercapnic COPD patients treated with long-term NIV over 6 months, a mass flow redistribution occurs, providing a better ventilation–perfusion match and hence better blood gases and lung function. Control patients improve homogeneously in iVaw and iRaw, without improvement in gas exchange since there is no improved ventilation/perfusion ratio or increased alveolar ventilation. These differences in response can be detected through functional imaging, which gives a more detailed report on regional lung volumes and resistances than classical lung function tests do. Possibly only patients with localized small airway disease are good candidates for long-term NIV treatment. To confirm this and to see if better arterial blood gases also lead to better health related quality of life and longer survival, we have to study a larger population.