Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dimensions of Racial Inequality: Occupational and Residential Segregation Across Metropolitan Areas in the United States

Residential and occupational segregation are two structural systems that perpetuate the disadvantaged status of blacks in American society. Despite extensive research on both these topics, there has been little empirical examination as to whether they are independent systems or both part of a larger monolithic system of racial inequality. An analysis of 1990 Census data for 261 metropolitan areas shows that there is a negative zero‐order correlation between the two forms of segregation. However, controlling for the size of the population accounts for the negative correlation. Net of this exogenous factor, the correlation between the two forms of segregation is not statistically significant. This suggests that for individuals, the issue of racial inequality is one of tradeoffs between forms of disadvantage as one moves from city to city. For policymakers, these results indicate that urban racial inequality is multidimensional, requiring different strategies for different manifestations.
Schmidt Norms for Quantum States

We consider a family of vector and operator norms which we refer to as Schmidt norms. We show that these norms have several uses in quantum information theory – they can be used to help classify k-positive linear maps (and hence entanglement witnesses), they are useful for approaching the problem of finding non-positive partial transpose bound entangled Werner states, they are related to the quantum fidelity and trace distance measures, and they are connected to the recently-defined local numerical range. We show that the vector norms can be explicitly calculated, and we derive several inequalities in order to bound the operator norms and compute them in special cases. We show that one particular entangled Werner state is bound entangled if and only if a certain norm inequality holds on a given family of projections, and we use our inequalities to study that family of projections. We also develop a family of semidefinite programs that can be used to further bound the operator norms. We extend these norms to arbitrary convex mapping cones and explore their implications with positive partial transpose states.
Type of Fistula Determines Response to Infliximab in Patients with Fistulous Crohn's Disease

OBJECTIVES:Infliximab has been shown to be efficacious for treating perianal fistulae in patients with Crohn's disease. There is limited information regarding response to infliximab in patients with other types of fistulae.METHODS:Sixty consecutive patients with fistulous Crohn's disease and at least three months of follow-up after three infliximab infusions were evaluated. Patients with enteroenteric fistulae were excluded. Complete response was defined as complete closure of the fistulae or complete cessation of fistula drainage.RESULTS:Thirty-five patients had external fistulae, 16 had internal fistulae, and 9 had mixed (both external and internal) fistulae. Complete response rates were significantly higher in patients with external fistulae (69%) compared to those with internal fistulae (13%); p = 0.001, or those with mixed fistulae (11%); p = 0.01. In the external fistula group, patients with perianal fistulae had a higher rate of complete response (78%) compared to those with abdominal wall fistulae (38%); p = 0.04. The rate of complete response to infliximab was significantly lower among 14 patients with rectovaginal fistulae (14%) compared to those with perianal fistulae (78%); p = 0.0007. In the mixed fistula group only 11% of the patients achieved complete response. This is significantly lower than the rate observed for patients with perianal fistulae (78%); p = 0.004. The Cox proportional hazards model showed that the hazard of relapse for smokers who achieved complete response was nearly twice that of nonsmokers; however, this difference did not reach statistical significance.CONCLUSIONS:There is an association between type of fistulae and complete response to infliximab in patients with fistulous Crohn's disease. External fistulae in general and perianal fistulae in particular have a higher rate of closure in response to infliximab compared to other types of fistulae.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF A RADIAL DIFUSOR AIRFLOW CONSIDERING DIFFERENT TURBULENCE MODELS AND COMPUTATIONAL PARAMETERS

In the present work are presented results from numerical simulations performed with the ANSYS-CFX code. It is studied a radial diffuser flow case, which is the main academic problem used to study the flow behavior on flat plate valves. The radial flow inside the diffuser has important behaviors such as the turbulence decay downstream and recirculation regions inside the valve flow channel due to boundary layer detachment. These flow structures are present in compressor reed valves configurations, influencing in a greater extent the compressor efficiency. The main target of the present paper was finding the simulation set-up (computational domain, boundary conditions and turbulence model) that better fits with experimental data published by Tabatabai and Pollard (1987). The local flow turbulence and velocity profiles were investigated using four different turbulence models, two different boundary conditions set-up, two different computational domains and three different flow conditions (Rein – Reynolds number at the diffuser inlet). Where used the Baseline (BSL) k-ω; the k-ε; the RNG k-ε; and the Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-ω turbulence models. The performed computational results analysis and comparison with experimental data show that the choice of the turbulence model, as well as, the choice of the other computational conditions, play an important rule on results physical quality and accuracy.
The Structure and Catalytic Mechanism of Sorghum bicolor Caffeoyl-CoA O-Methyltransferase1

The catalytic mechanism and substrate specificity of caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase from Sorghum bicolor deduced from crystal structures, site-directed mutagenesis, and kinetic and thermodynamic analyses. Caffeoyl-coenzyme A 3-O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT) is an S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent O-methyltransferase responsible for methylation of the meta-hydroxyl group of caffeoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) on the pathway to monolignols, with their ring methoxylation status characteristic of guaiacyl or syringyl units in lignin. In order to better understand the unique class of type 2 O-methyltransferases from monocots, we have characterized CCoAOMT from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor; SbCCoAOMT), including the SAM binary complex crystal structure and steady-state enzyme kinetics. Key amino acid residues were validated with site-directed mutagenesis. Isothermal titration calorimetry data indicated a sequential binding mechanism for SbCCoAOMT, wherein SAM binds prior to caffeoyl-CoA, and the enzyme showed allosteric behavior with respect to it. 5-Hydroxyferuloyl-CoA was not a substrate for SbCCoAOMT. We propose a catalytic mechanism in which lysine-180 acts as a catalytic base and deprotonates the reactive hydroxyl group of caffeoyl-CoA. This deprotonation is facilitated by the coordination of the reactive hydroxyl group by Ca2+ in the active site, lowering the pKa of the 3′-OH group. Collectively, these data give a new perspective on the catalytic mechanism of CCoAOMTs and provide a basis for the functional diversity exhibited by type 2 plant OMTs that contain a unique insertion loop (residues 208–231) conferring affinity for phenylpropanoid-CoA thioesters. The structural model of SbCCoAOMT can serve as the basis for protein engineering approaches to enhance the nutritional, agronomic, and industrially relevant properties of sorghum.
Follicular Fluid Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Outcome

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the follicular fluid (FF) malondialdehyde (MDA) levels as a free radical marker and reduced glutathione (GSH) as antioxidant and pregnancy after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A total seventy-five infertile women aged between 22-45 years(31.43 ± 5.38 years), referred to the fertility clinic in Al-Sadder teaching hospital, , and undergone intracytoplasmic sperm injection throughout period from March 2013 to January 2014,were included in this study. follicular fluid (FF) malondialdehyde was measured by spectrophotometer based on the calorimetric reaction with thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and follicular fluid glutathione was measured by spectrophotometer depends on the action of sulfhydryl groups. Out of the 75 included patients, 15 (20%) achieved pregnancy after ICSI. Pregnant women were associated with significantly higher MDA level (P < 0.05) and lower GSH (P < 0.05) . There was a significant positive correlation between MDA and the number of pronucleus ( r= 0.326 ). The best cutoff value of FF.MDA and FF GSH associated with pregnancy were 3.49 µM and 26.90 µM respectively. Higher FF MDA and lower FF GSH levels are associated with pregnancy after ICSI. Oxidative stress parameters may be markers of metabolic activity within the follicle.
Mindfulness-based interventions and the affective domain of education

Thanks largely to the work of Kabat-Zinn and associates applications of mindfulness-based practices have grown exponentially over the last decade or so, particularly in the fields of education, psychology, psychotherapy and mind–body health. Having its origins in Buddhist traditions, the more recent secular and therapeutic applications of the basic notion of impartial present-moment attention have been shown to have far-reaching implications for all aspects of learning and education. It is argued that mindfulness practice has much to contribute to the neglected area of affective education in the UK system and that – in addition to enhancing learning in the crucial sphere of the education of the emotions – it can also provide a foundation for more general cognitive development. In addition to philosophical arguments, reference is made to research studies of mindfulness-based educational practices in America and Britain.
Effects of sodium benzoate on pre-pulse inhibition deficits and hyperlocomotion in mice after administration of phencyclidine

Objective A recent clinical study demonstrated that sodium benzoate (SB), a prototype competitive d-amino acid oxidase inhibitor, was effective in the treatment of several symptoms, such as positive and negative symptoms, and cognitive impairment in medicated patients with schizophrenia. The objective of the study was to examine the effects of SB on behavioural abnormalities such as pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) deficits and hyperlocomotion in mice after a single administration of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP). Methods The effects of SB on behavioural abnormalities (PPI deficits and hyperlocomotion) in mice after PCP administration were examined. Furthermore, effects of SB on tissue levels of amino acids were also examined. Results A single oral dose of SB (100, 300, or 1000 mg/kg) attenuated PPI deficits in mice after administration of PCP (3.0 mg/kg, s.c.) in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, L-701,324 (10 mg/kg), an antagonist at the glycine site of the NMDA receptor, did not affect the effect of SB (1000 mg/kg) on PCP-induced PPI deficits. Furthermore, a single oral dose of SB (1000 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the hyperlocomotion in mice after administration of PCP (3.0 mg/kg, s.c.). However, a single oral dose of SB (1000 mg/kg) caused no changes to d-serine levels in plasma or in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum of these animals. Conclusion This study suggests that SB induced antipsychotic effects in the PCP model of schizophrenia, although it did not increase d-serine levels in the brain.
Individualisation and Personal Obligations – Social Policy, Family Policy, and Law Reform in Germany and the UK

This article examines recent reform in law and social policy in Germany and the UK, identifying and comparing developments from a family and gender perspective. The utility of the concept of individualisation to understand the reforms is put under the spotlight by an analysis that explores the relationship between individualisation and institutions regulating personal obligations to care for and maintain others. The article offers a number of arguments around change. The first is that individualisation has to be understood in a complex way. It does not do away with obligations towards family members or partners but rather reforms them. Secondly, policy and legal changes in Germany and the UK indicate that there are different individualisation processes - individualisation as a worker (decoupling the abstract individual from care obligations and family bonds) and individualisation as a person within a family or partnership with obligations to care for or to support others. Thirdly, these two forms of individualisation are happening contemporaneously and interact. This interaction is mostly overlooked in social policy analysis.
Children's perceptions and experiences of care giving: A focus group study

The stress of care giving for spouses and adult children has been extensively documented in the empirical literature. More recently attention has been paid to children's involvement in family care giving. Qualitative studies in the social welfare field have highlighted the social restrictions caring places upon children. There remains a need, however, to understand what children are thinking and feeling in an effort to cope with their care-giving demands. This study used a focus group methodology and individual interviews to explore the experiences of 17 young carers aged between 10 and 16. Thematic analysis was employed to identify themes relating to the nature of stressors, their appraisal of them, and the coping strategies they use to manage the task of caring.
DIVERSITY AND DOMINANCE IN THE ARCTIC. ETHNIC RELATIONS IN THE GREENLANDIC BUREAUCRACY

Public bureaucracies are increasingly characterized by employee diversity in terms of ethnicity. Investigating relations between ethnic groups in bureaucracies is therefore important. This article focuses on the particularly interesting case of the Greenlandic administration. Being a former Danish colony, Greenland still recruits bureaucrats from mainland Denmark. These work alongside locally hired employees resulting in an administration with different ethnicities, cultures and languages. The analysis of ethnic relations is based on 28 interviews with bureaucrats of Danish and Greenlandic origin. Even though overall relations are found to be largely harmonious, ethnicity makes a difference. Interviewees describe differences in ethnic traits and behaviour and processes of social categorization. Particularly among Greenlanders, Danes are described as dominant and this dominance is reinforced by co-variation between ethnicity, language skills and education. Finally, inter-group relations are found to vary with the numerical balance of ethnic groups in different parts of the bureaucracy.
Defining a threshold for client competence to participate in divorce mediation

The ultimate aim of court-ordered divorce mediation is to produce settlement agreements. Once ratified by the court, these agreements are legally binding and extremely difficult to modify. Courts assume that everyone is adequately equipped to mediate and, with increasing frequency, order litigants into mediation. Nonetheless, commentators have acknowledged that at least occasionally, a party may be unable to proceed. Currently, no standard exists for determining when a party lacks sufficient understanding and ability to participate in mediation, yet the legally binding outcomes of mediation are too important to leave a determination of competence up to chance. In this article, the authors propose a new legal standard, with a basis in current law and policy, for competence to participate in mediation.
Difference in Orientation towards Studying Mathematics of South African High School Students: Developing a Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics

The Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics was developed as a diagnostic measure for teachers and counsellors to help students improve their orientation towards the study of mathematics and consequently achieve at a higher level. During the standardisation 60 students from all children in secondary schools in South Africa were administered the provisional questionnaire. Analysis showed students whose mother tongues were African languages in Grades 10 and 11 in general score as external on a measure of Locus of control in mathematics classes in South Africa. They displayed more positive study habits than their English- and Afrikaans-speaking peers.
An Investigation of Cross-Modality Effects in Implicit and Explicit Memory

Three experiments are reported which investigate the effects of study/test compatibility on implicit and explicit memory performance. In the first experiment subjects either named each visually presented target item, or generated each item from a close semantic associate. They were then given either a free recall test or a visual word-stem completion task. A generation effect was evident in the free recall data (generated items were better recalled than named items) and this pattern was reversed for word-stem completion. In the second experiment subjects again named or generated items and were then given an auditory word-stem completion task. Under these conditions, cross-modal priming was found both for named and for generated items, but the reverse generation effect, which was evident in Experiment 1 with word-stem completion, was eliminated. In the final experiment, subjects were asked to name the targets, read them silently, or read them under conditions of articulatory suppression, and were then given an auditory stem completion task. Significant cross-modal priming was observed under all three conditions. The strongest priming was found in the naming condition and the weakest in the suppression condition. The results are interpreted within the transfer appropriate processing framework.
The Vibrating Body Transistor

This paper presents a hybrid resonator architecture called the vibrating body field-effect transistor (VB-FET), which combines a silicon microelectromechanical (MEM) resonator and a FET in a single device. The active device provides improved motion sensing at the mechanical resonance based on charge- and/or piezoresistive-drain-current modulations. We detail the principles of the VB-FET for a clamped-clamped-beam resonator design. The different transduction mechanisms occurring in this structure are discussed, and the benefit of the FET detection with respect to the capacitive transduction in terms of reduced motional resistance is highlighted. The experimental characteristics of the resulting devices are detailed, including a full scattering-parameter characterization and temperature characterizations. An increase in the signal transmission by more than +30 dB over the conventional capacitive transduction is demonstrated under equivalent biasing conditions at 2 MHz. Intrinsic signal amplification in a hybrid MEM resonator is another unique property of active resonators demonstrated in this paper for VB-FET resonators.
Marketing Sports Products on Facebook: The Effect of Social Influence

Abstract There has been an increase in the use of social network sites as a marketing medium for commercial products and services. The aim of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of social network sites in influencing both consumer perception of quality of sports products and consumer intention to purchase sports products. A Facebook page of a fictitious brand of sports shoes was set up. The control group (n=57) was exposed to a page with only minimal information about sports shoes while the experimental group (n=59) was presented with additional information on the wall page consisting of ‘likes’ votes and positive comments about sports shoes. The findings suggest that online social influence not only can affect consumer perception of quality of a sports brand but also consumer buying intention. However, the effect that social influence has on purchase intention is limited to consumers with a low level of sports involvement and participation.
The effects of propolis on sperm quality, reproductive organs and testicular antioxidant status of male rats treated with cyclosporine-A

This study was designed to determine the effects of propolis on the quality of sperm and reproductive organs in male rats treated with cyclosporine-A. In this study, 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats (280-300 g BW) at 8-10 weeks of age were used. The rats were randomly divided into control and 3 treatment groups. Each rat was placed into a cage. During 21 days (experimental period), Group 1 served as control group; Group 2 (CsA) was given 15 mg/kg BW/day of CsA by subcutaneously; Group 3 (P) was given 100 mg/kg BW/day of propolis by gavage; Group 4 (CsA+P) was given 15 mg/kg BW/day of CsA subcutaneously and 100 mg/kg BW/day of propolis by gavage. Administration of CsA to rats decreased sperm motility (P < 0.01) and sperm concentration (P < 0.01), and it increased total abnormal sperm rates (P < 0.05) as compared with the control group. Significant improvements were observed in the sperm motility (P < 0.01) and total abnormal sperm rates (P < 0.05) in CsA+P group. No significant differences were observed in the weights of right and left testes among all groups. The weight values of right and left epididymis were found similar to each other in CsA administrated groups. Seminal vesicle (P < 0.01) and prostat glands weights (P < 0.01) were significantly higher in CsA+P group than CsA group. As a result, it was determined that oral supplementation of 100 mg/kg of propolis had amendatory effect on the quality of sperm and reproductive organs treated with CsA administered rats. CsA treatment caused a significant increase in MDA level (P < 0.01) and significant decreases (P < 0.01) in GSH level and CAT activity when compared with the control group. Ingestion of propolis by CsA-treated rats significantly decreased the MDA level and significantly increased the GSH level when compared with the CsA alone group (P < 0.01).
Google Calendar: A single case experimental design study of a man with severe memory problems

A single case experimental design across behaviours was utilised to explore the effectiveness of Google Calendar text alerts delivered to a mobile phone as a memory aid. The participant was a 43-year-old man (JA) with severe memory problems and executive difficulties caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI). JA was initially very unwilling to use any memory aid and so a detailed assessment of his beliefs about memory aids, his cognitive difficulties and his social context was performed and a set of specifications for an aid was produced collaboratively. Six weeks of baseline data and six weeks of intervention data were collected for three target memory behaviours and three control memory behaviours. Results were analysed using nonoverlap of all pairs (NAP) analysis which showed a reduction in forgetting in the three target behaviours and no change in two of the three control behaviours. A subjective measure (the revised Everyday Memory Questionnaire) also suggested improvement. This study illustrates that Google Calendar is a highly effective memory aid and emphasises the importance of choosing a memory aid to suit the person's lifestyle and beliefs.