Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Young Girls and Urban Parks: Planning for Transition Through Adolescence

Urban parks are an important resource for young people, providing spaces to explore and develop their social and individual identities. However, planning open spaces for adolescents is often challenging due to the perceived inconsistencies in their need for and use of space. Young girls in particular have been shown to be less visible in parks due to issues such as low self-esteem, perceived lack of safety, and the presence of young males (James, 1995). In order to optimize the use of urban parks to support the developmental needs of adolescent girls, park professionals must first understand the role of these spaces in their lives and how this role evolves as girls make the transition through adolescence to adulthood. This paper reports findings from a study that examined the role of local neighborhood parks in the lives of 11 teenage girls aged 14 to 18 years, living in Brisbane, Australia. An analysis of qualitative data revealed that parks supported two of the main developmental processes of adolescence: “social-relatedness” and “individuation. ” Parks were important settings for “social interaction” when the girls were in early adolescence but were used more often as sites for “retreat” in middle and late adolescence. At this time the girls sought to escape from the increasing structure in their lives. Far from avoiding local parks, the girls’ stories showed that they were active users of these spaces throughout adolescence. Certain characteristics made parks more attractive and accessible to teenage girls: social safety, sociability, and nature. It is recommended that further research on the needs and preferences of teenage girls in relation to open space during this life phase is conducted. This information can then be articulated more clearly in the processes of park planning, design, and management.
Kidney function and aortic valve and mitral annular calcification in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

BACKGROUND Aortic valve calcification (AVC) and mitral annular calcification (MAC) are highly prevalent and predictive of mortality in end-stage renal disease populations. Whether less severe kidney dysfunction is associated with AVC and MAC is uncertain. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS Ethnically diverse middle-aged adults without clinically apparent cardiovascular disease who participated in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. PREDICTOR Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), cystatin C, and microalbuminuria. OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS AVC and MAC were determined by means of computed tomography. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association of kidney function with AVC and MAC. RESULTS Of 6,785 participants, 10% had an eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (<1.0 mL/s/1.73 m(2)), mean cystatin C level was 0.9 +/- 0.2 mg/L, 7% had microalbuminuria (albumin >or= 30 mg/g), 15% had diabetes, 13% had AVC, and 9% had MAC. In adjusted analyses for AVC, eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (adjusted odds ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.99 to 1.14) and greater cystatin C concentrations (per SD increase; adjusted odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.99 to 1.14) had modest associations. Microalbuminuria was not associated independently with AVC (adjusted odds ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.89 to 1.40). For the MAC end point, associations of eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and greater cystatin C level differed by diabetes status (P for interaction = 0.1 and 0.02, respectively). In persons with diabetes, eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (adjusted odds ratio, 2.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.26 to 3.25) and greater cystatin C level (adjusted odds ratio, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.68) were associated strongly, whereas no association was observed in subjects without diabetes (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2): adjusted odds ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.49; cystatin C: adjusted odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 0.93 to 1.13). The association of microalbuminuria with MAC (adjusted odds ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 1.76) did not differ by diabetes status (P for interaction = 0.2). LIMITATIONS There were few participants with severe kidney disease. CONCLUSIONS Impaired kidney function had only a modest association with AVC, whereas its association with MAC was observed only in persons with diabetes. Future studies should evaluate whether associations of kidney impairment with dystrophic calcification differ by diabetes status in other clinical settings and vascular beds.
Health status of southern Arizona border counties: a Healthy Border 2010 midterm review.

OBJECTIVE The region on the United States (US) side of the US-Mexico border consists of 44 counties in four states; populations on both sides of the border have similar health problems. Healthy Border 2010: An Agenda for Improving Health on the US-Mexico Border (HB 2010) is a binational agenda of health promotion and disease prevention for individuals in the region. This study reports on the health status of the four southern Arizona border counties. METHODS Data on health indicators for Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Yuma Counties were collected from the Arizona Department of Health Services Vital Records and Statistics. Progress was calculated as a percentage made toward or away from the 2010 target. Comparisons were made between the border counties and Arizona. RESULTS Progress toward the HB 2010 targets varied among the border counties. All border counties made progress toward the targets with the cervical cancer, hepatitis A, and teenage birthrate objectives. Most border counties moved toward the goals for breast cancer, diabetes mortality, tuberculosis, motor vehicle crashes, infant mortality from congenital abnormalities, and prenatal care. Border counties moved away from the target with the human immunodeficiency virus and infant mortality objectives. CONCLUSIONS Assessment of the HB 2010 objectives provided a comprehensive description of the health status of the population. Although the southern Arizona border counties have shown improvement in some areas, monitoring is still needed to identify the disparities that remain.
Top-Down Controlled Alpha Band Activity in Somatosensory Areas Determines Behavioral Performance in a Discrimination Task

The brain receives a rich flow of information which must be processed according to behavioral relevance. How is the state of the sensory system adjusted to up- or downregulate processing according to anticipation? We used magnetoencephalography to investigate whether prestimulus alpha band activity (8–14 Hz) reflects allocation of attentional resources in the human somatosensory system. Subjects performed a tactile discrimination task where a visual cue directed attention to their right or left hand. The strength of attentional modulation was controlled by varying the reliability of the cue in three experimental blocks (100%, 75%, or 50% valid cueing). While somatosensory prestimulus alpha power lateralized strongly with a fully predictive cue (100%), lateralization was decreased with lower cue reliability (75%) and virtually absent if the cue had no predictive value at all (50%). Importantly, alpha lateralization influenced the subjects' behavioral performance positively: both accuracy and speed of response improved with the degree of alpha lateralization. This study demonstrates that prestimulus alpha lateralization in the somatosensory system behaves similarly to posterior alpha activity observed in visual attention tasks. Our findings extend the notion that alpha band activity is involved in shaping the functional architecture of the working brain by determining both the engagement and disengagement of specific regions: the degree of anticipation modulates the alpha activity in sensory regions in a graded manner. Thus, the alpha activity is under top-down control and seems to play an important role for setting the state of sensory regions to optimize processing.
Transgenic Expression of Insulin Receptor Substrate 2 in Murine B Cells Alters the Cell Density-Dependence of IgE Production In Vitro and Enhances IgE Production In Vivo1

Previous studies have shown that insulin receptor substrate (IRS)1 and IRS2 mediate proliferative and antiapoptotic signaling through the IL-4R in 32D cells; however their role in regulating normal B cell responses is not clear. To investigate the role of IRS2 in normal B cell function, we developed IRS2 transgenic (Tg) mice on the C57BL/6 background. Western blot analysis revealed a 2-fold elevation in IRS2 protein levels in Tg+ mice compared with littermate controls and a 3-fold increase in basal tyrosine phosphorylated IRS2 in the absence of IL-4 stimulation. IL-4-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS2 was elevated in Tg+ B cells, whereas IL-4-induced phosphorylation of STAT6 was similar between Tg+ and Tg− B cells. Tg expression of IRS2 had little effect on IL-4-mediated proliferation and no effect on protection from apoptosis. However, production of IgE and IgG1 by Tg+ B cells using standard in vitro conditions was diminished 50–60%. Because Ig production in vitro is known to be highly cell concentration-dependent, we performed experiments at different cell concentrations. Interestingly, at very low B cell concentrations (1000–5000 B cells/well), IgE and IgG1 production by Tg+ B cells was greater than that of controls, whereas at higher cell concentrations (10,000–20,000 cells/well) Ig production by Tg+ B cells was less than controls. Furthermore, in vivo immunization with OVA-alum or goat anti-IgD resulted in elevated serum IgE levels in the Tg+ mice. These results indicate that overexpression of IRS2 alters the B cell intrinsic density-dependence of IgE and IgG1 production in vitro and enhances IgE responses in vivo.
The formal semantics of programming languages - an introduction

"The Formal Semantics of Programming Languages" provides the basic mathematical techniques necessary for those who are beginning a study of semantics and logics of programming languages. Although the treatment is elementary, several of the topics covered are drawn from recent research, including the vital area of concurrency. Starting with basic set theory, structural operational semantics is introduced as a way to define the meaning of programming languages along with associated proof techniques. Denotational and axiomatic semantics are illustrated on a simple language of while-programs, and full proofs are given of the equivalence of the operational and denotational semantics and soundness and relative completeness of the axiomatic semantics. A proof of Goedel's incompleteness theorem, which emphasizes the impossibility of achieving a fully complete axiomatic semantics, is included. It is supported by an appendix providing an introduction to the theory of computability based on while-programs. Following a presentation of domain theory, the semantics and methods of proof for several functional languages are treated. The simplest language is that of recursion equations with both call-by-value and call-by-name evaluation. This work is extended to languages with higher and recursive types, including a treatment of the eager and lazy lambda-calculi. Throughout, the relationship between denotational and operational semantics is stressed, and the proofs of the correspondence between the operation and denotational semantics are provided. The treatment of recursive types - one of the more advanced parts of the book - relies on the use of information sytems to represent domains. The book concludes with a chapter on parallel programming languages, accompanied by a discussion of methods for specifying and verifying non-deterministic and parallel programs.
Hierarchical wireless networks: capacity bounds using the constrained multiple-access relay channel model

A wireless ad hoc network is modeled as a three-tier hierarchical network comprised of low-power source nodes that communicate with a wired access-point via an intermediate relay node. Such a model is appropriate for hybrid ad hoc networks where cooperation between the sources may not be possible or desirable. It is shown that constraining the relay to transmit and receive in either different time slots or frequency bands for a fixed total time and bandwidth yields the same capacity bounds. The rates achieved by cooperative strategies are compared with the rates achieved by traditional multi-hopping and are shown to be substantially better than for certain channels and geometries.
On the Estimation of Time Dependent Lift of a European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) during Flapping Flight

We study the role of unsteady lift in the context of flapping wing bird flight. Both aerodynamicists and biologists have attempted to address this subject, yet it seems that the contribution of unsteady lift still holds many open questions. The current study deals with the estimation of unsteady aerodynamic forces on a freely flying bird through analysis of wingbeat kinematics and near wake flow measurements using time resolved particle image velocimetry. The aerodynamic forces are obtained through two approaches, the unsteady thin airfoil theory and using the momentum equation for viscous flows. The unsteady lift is comprised of circulatory and non-circulatory components. Both approaches are presented over the duration of wingbeat cycles. Using long-time sampling data, several wingbeat cycles have been analyzed in order to cover both the downstroke and upstroke phases. It appears that the unsteady lift varies over the wingbeat cycle emphasizing its contribution to the total lift and its role in power estimations. It is suggested that the circulatory lift component cannot assumed to be negligible and should be considered when estimating lift or power of birds in flapping motion.
IgE actions on CD4+ T cells, mast cells, and macrophages participate in the pathogenesis of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) activates mast cells (MCs). It remains unknown whether IgE also activates other inflammatory cells, and contributes to the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). This study demonstrates that CD4+ T cells express IgE receptor FcεR1, at much higher levels than do CD8+ T cells. IgE induces CD4+ T‐cell production of IL6 and IFN‐γ, but reduces their production of IL10. FcεR1 deficiency (Fcer1a−/−) protects apolipoprotein E‐deficient (Apoe−/−) mice from angiotensin‐II infusion‐induced AAAs and reduces plasma IL6 levels. Adoptive transfer of CD4+ T cells (but not CD8+ T cells), MCs, and macrophages from Apoe−/− mice, but not those from Apoe−/− Fcer1a−/− mice, increases AAA size and plasma IL6 in Apoe−/− Fcer1a−/− recipient mice. Biweekly intravenous administration of an anti‐IgE monoclonal antibody ablated plasma IgE and reduced AAAs in Apoe−/− mice. Patients with AAAs had significantly higher plasma IgE levels than those without AAAs. This study establishes an important role of IgE in AAA pathogenesis by activating CD4+ T cells, MCs, and macrophages and supports consideration of neutralizing plasma IgE in the therapeutics of human AAAs.
Dual-stage model predictive control for Flying Capacitor Converters

In this work, we propose a dual-stage control approach for a three-phase four-level Flying Capacitor Converter. The key idea of this proposal is to combine two control strategies to govern this converter. Thus, if the system state (output currents and floating voltages) is far from the desired reference, Finite-Control-Set Model Predictive Control is used to quickly lead the system towards the reference. Once the system state reaches a neighborhood of the reference, the propose control strategy switches to a PWM-based linear controller to finally achieve the desired reference in a gentle manner.
Mood and health judgements : does the Affect Infusion Model hold?

This thesis reports an investigation into the applicability of Forgas's (1992a, 1992c, 1994a, 1995b) Affect Infusion Model (AIM) to health judgments made by healthy people. According to the AIM, the extent of mood influence on judgments depends on the information processing strategy used and the length of processing time. Findings of mood-congruence for some health judgments (Salovey & Birnbaum, 1989) suggested that complex stimuli requiring elaborate processing could be expected to be particularly influenced by mood and hence result in mood-congruent judgments (Forgas, 1994a). A preliminary experiment established suitable audiovisual and autobiographical methods of inducing happy, neutral and sad moods. A programme of seven experiments was conducted which tested the AIM, and more particularly tested the hypothesis that people in an induced sad mood would take longer to process information and make more pessimistic judgments than people in an induced happy mood. In three experiments, happy or sad (and in two of these experiments neutral) moods were induced and health judgments made. The findings lacked consistency with the AIM. Possible methodological issues were examined and ruled out as explanations for lack of affect infusion. A replication of Salovey and Birnbaum's (1989) Experiment 3 on health judgments was run with the addition of the health items developed for the experiments reported in this thesis. There was partial confirmation of Salovey and Birnbaum's findings of reduced optimistic bias for people in a sad mood making judgments of negative health events. A final experiment involved the breaking down of the items of this study into four subtypes to establish under what circumstances affect infused judgments. Processing times were assessed separately for negative and positive items, enabling testing of the processing time aspect of the AIM, in relation to Salovey and Birnbaum's finding of mood effects with negative health judgments. Results again provided partial confirmation of Salovey and Birnbaum's mood-congruence findings. However, even when mood congruence was demonstrated, this was not associated with differences in processing time as predicted by the AIM, either for Salovey and Birnbaum's items or for those developed for this series of experiments. The lack of finding of an association between processing time and mood congruence, when it occurred, indicates difficulties for the AIM. The predictions of the model do not apply in a straightforward way to health judgments made by healthy people. It is suggested that an optimistic bias might sometimes result in motivated processing reducing the likelihood of mood effects in health judgments. An examination of Forgas's model in relation to the Interacting Cognitive Subsystems model (Barnard & Teasdale, 1991) is proposed as an area for further research.
A Consensus Map in Cultivated Hexaploid Oat Reveals Conserved Grass Synteny with Substantial Subgenome Rearrangement

We constructed a hexaploid oat consensus map from 12 populations representing 19 parents. The map represents the most common physical chromosome arrangements in oat. Deviations from the consensus map may indicate physical rearrangements. Large chromosomal translocations vary among different varieties. There is regional synteny with rice but considerable subgenome rearrangement.
Face to face collaborative learning supported by mobile phones

The use of handheld computers in educational contexts has increased considerably in recent years and their value as a teaching tool has been confirmed by many positive experiences, particular within collaborative learning systems (MCSCL). The cost of the devices has hindered widespread use in schools, however, and cell phones have emerged as an attractive alternative. To test the functionality of cell phones as a platform for collaborative educational activities, the authors adapted an existing PDA application for use on cell phones equipped with Wi-Fi. This article examines the problems of developing applications for this alternative technology and reports on a usability analysis of a collaborative classroom activity for teaching physics. The results confirm the viability of the cell phone platform, with due account taken of the device’s processing, network and interface limitations. With an appropriate design, users quickly master the technology, though a certain decline in efficiency relative to PDAs was observed. This work was partially funded by FONDECYT-CONICYT grant No. 1080100
Child Physical Abuse Among Urban Secondary School Pupils in Zimbabwe

The study had two main objectives: (a) to examine the nature and prevalence of child physical abuse among urban secondary school pupils in Zimbabwe; and (b) to investigate pupils' views on the causes of child physical abuse among urban secondary school pupils in Zimbabwe. An anonymous retrospective self-rating questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of 212(114 males, 98 females; age = 15 to 17 years; mean = 16 years) Form three pupils in Gweru urban secondary schools. Results reported an overall prevalence rate of 79.2% with males (81.6%) slightly more likely to be physically abused than females (76.5%). The most common forms of CPA were being hit or beaten (78.9%), threatened (55.2%) and chased (47.2%). Economic hardships, abuse of power by adults, alcohol abuse, and lack of education were mentioned as the major causes of CPA. The study recommends the introduction of Child Rights Education and use of alternative methods of firm discipline that do not involve physical violence.
An Agent Based Model of Switching : The Case of Boulogne S / mer Fish Market Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation

The question of efficiency of market organization is an important one in economics. When theoretical results suggest the dominance of auctions, empirical studies present more mitigated results putting forward that the global efficiency depends on agents' characteristics and market environment. The Boulogne s/mer fish market is organized in a particular way. Both buyers and sellers can daily choose to exchange through an auction mechanism or through a negotiated one. First empirical results reveal that, at a macro level, this organization is a stable one: the negative pricequantity relation is verified, suggesting a global rationality, even if this relation is not verified for all the individuals. At a micro-level, empirical evidence points out that the agents purchase most of the time on one same market (auctions or negotiated) and this market corresponds to the best choice for them, in terms of prices and quantities sold. A second result then suggests that the performance of a mode of organization depends on the characteristics of the traders and on the features of the good sold. Empirical study also reveals that most of the agents regularly switch from one market to the other. To understand the reasons for this switching, we consider this market as a complex system and simulate an agent based model where limited rational individuals are endowed with simple learning rules (noisy or myopic strategies). The auction sub-market plays a benchmark role, the only strategic possibility for sellers is to decide to go (or not) on the negotiated sub-market. A third result is that macro stability results from the aggregate behaviour of limited rational individuals and this, without any need of central coordinator. A fourth result is that agents daily choose their sub-market according to the global quantities sold on the whole market.