Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wind Power Planning Controversies and the Construction of ‘Expert’ and ‘Lay’ Knowledges

UK and Scottish planning policies include commitments to reflect the views of the public. However, this case study of one planning application for a wind farm in rural Scotland highlights the limited role played by lay knowledge within planning processes. The planning application process had two separate stages which structured the roles of lay and expert knowledge differently. Local objectors were able to influence the early planning application stage. However, this resulted in an appeals process (public inquiry) which was beyond the influence of lay people, and within which lay knowledge played only a marginal role. The early planning application stage enabled a wider range of knowledges to be relevant, perhaps even allowing lay knowledge to sideline expert knowledge. Within the inquiry such roles were reversed. Witnesses who could not back up their evidence with ‘reliable’ data or scientific reasoning were discredited as illegitimate and as having little to contribute to the inquiry process. Thus the inquiry constructed boundaries between expert and lay knowledge, in ways which diminished the role that lay knowledge might play. Whilst the construction of expert knowledge at the public inquiry played a central role in marginalising lay knowledge, it was central to all sides of the argument; the role of expert knowledge was reinforced by both the opposition group and the developers. Therefore, it is not only policy-makers and planning officials, but also lay people who act as though expert and lay knowledge can be clearly distinguished from one another.
Inflammation induces dermal Vγ4+ γδT17 memory-like cells that travel to distant skin and accelerate secondary IL-17–driven responses

Significance An attribute of adaptive immunity is the generation of memory cells that mount enhanced responses after rechallenge. While memory is best understood for αβT cell receptor-bearing lymphocytes, the properties of γδT cells in the context of a secondary challenge have been less examined. After murine skin inflammation with imiquimod, IL-17–secreting γδT cells expand in lymph nodes and traffic to skin where they persist as memory-like cells capable of rapid activation upon rechallenge. This enhanced secondary response is in part mediated by increased IL-1R1 expression. Expansion of potentially pathogenic memory cells in lymph nodes and redistribution throughout normal and inflamed skin may help explain the generalized worsening of psoriasis reported in patients undergoing localized skin treatment with imiquimod. Gamma delta (γδ) T cells represent a major IL-17 committed T-cell population (γδT17 cells) in the mouse dermis. Following exposure to the inflammatory agent imiquimod (IMQ) the Vγ4+ subset of γδT cells produce IL-17 in the skin and expand rapidly in draining lymph nodes (LNs). Local IMQ treatment in humans is known to exacerbate psoriasis skin lesion activity at distant sites. Whether expanded γδT17 cells sensitize distant sites to inflammation has been unknown. Here we show that expanded Vγ4+ γδT17 cells egress from LNs in a fingolimod (FTY720)-sensitive manner and use C-C chemokine receptor type 2 to accumulate in inflamed skin where they augment neutrophil recruitment and inflammation. They also travel to noninflamed skin and peripheral LNs and remain in elevated numbers at these distant sites for at least 3 mo. Sensitized mice show more rapid skin inflammation and greater proliferation and IL-17 production by Vγ4+ γδT cells upon imiquimod challenge. Transfer experiments confirm that memory-like Vγ4+ γδT17 cells respond more rapidly. Memory-like Vγ4+ γδT17 cells are distinguished by greater IL-1R1 expression and more proliferation in response to IL-1β. These findings establish that local skin inflammation leads to faster and stronger secondary responses to the same stimulus through long-term and systemic changes in the composition and properties of the dermal γδT-cell population.
Comparative analysis of activation induced marker (AIM) assays for sensitive identification of antigen-specific CD4 T cells

The identification and study of antigen-specific CD4 T cells, both in peripheral blood and in tissues, is key for a broad range of immunological research, including vaccine responses and infectious diseases. Detection of these cells is hampered by both their rarity and their heterogeneity, in particular with regards to cytokine secretion profiles. These factors prevent the identification of the total pool of antigen-specific CD4 T cells by classical methods. We have developed assays for the highly sensitive detection of such cells by measuring the upregulation of surface activation induced markers (AIM). Here, we compare two such assays based on concurrent expression of CD69 plus CD40L (CD154) or expression of OX40 plus CD25, and we develop additional AIM assays based on OX40 plus PD-L1 or 4-1BB. We compare the relative sensitivity of these assays for detection of vaccine and natural infection-induced CD4 T cell responses and show that these assays identify distinct, but overlapping populations of antigen-specific CD4 T cells, a subpopulation of which can also be detected on the basis of cytokine synthesis. Bystander activation had minimal effect on AIM markers. However, some T regulatory cells upregulate CD25 upon antigen stimulation. We therefore validated AIM assays designed to exclude most T regulatory cells, for both human and non-human primate (NHP, Macaca mulatta) studies. Overall, through head-to-head comparisons and methodological improvements, we show that AIM assays represent a sensitive and valuable method for the detection of antigen-specific CD4 T cells.
Age-related alterations in retinal neurovascular and inflammatory transcripts

Purpose Vision loss is one of the most common complications of aging, even in individuals with no diagnosed ocular disease. Increasing age induces structural alterations and functional impairments in retinal neurons and microvasculature linked to the activation of proinflammatory signaling pathways. Commonalities between the effects of aging and those observed with diabetes, including visual impairment, vascular dysfunction, and increased inflammatory response, have led to the hypothesis that diabetes-associated pathologies reflect an “advanced aging” phenotype. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of aging on retinal mRNA expression of neurovascular and inflammatory transcripts previously demonstrated to be regulated with diabetes. Methods The relative expression of 36 genes of interest previously identified as consistently regulated with diabetes was assessed in retinas of Young (3 month), Adult (12 month), and Aged (26 month) Fischer 344 x Brown Norway (F1) hybrid rats using quantitative PCR. Serum samples obtained at sacrifice were assayed to determine serum glucose levels. Results Eleven inflammation- and microvascular-related genes previously demonstrated to be upregulated in young diabetic rats (complement component 1 s subcomponent [C1s], chitinase 3-like 1 [Chi3L1], endothelin 2 [Edn2], guanylate nucleotide binding protein 2 [Gbp2], glial fibrillary acidic protein [Gfap], intracellular adhesion molecule 1 [Icam1], janus kinase 3 [Jak3], lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF factor [Litaf], complement 1-inhibitor [Serping1], signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 [Stat3], tumor necrosis factor receptor subfamily member 12a [Tnfrsf12a]) demonstrated progressively increasing retinal expression in aged normoglycemic rats. Additionally, two neuronal function–related genes (glutamate receptor ionotropic NMDA 2A [Grin2a] and polycomb group ring finger 1 [Pcgf1]) and one inflammation-related gene (pigment epithelium-derived growth factor [Pedf]) displayed patterns of expression dissimilar to that previously demonstrated with diabetes. Conclusions The commonalities in retinal age-related and diabetes-induced molecular alterations provide support for the hypothesis that diabetes and aging engage some common para-inflammatory processes. However, these results also demonstrate that while the retinal genomic response to diabetes and aging share commonalities, they are not superimposable phenotypes. The observed changes in retinal gene expression provide further evidence of retinal alterations in neurovascular and inflammatory processes across the adult rat lifespan; this is indicative of para-inflammation that may contribute to the functional impairments that occur with advanced age. The data also suggest the potential for an additive effect of aging and diabetes in the development of diabetic complications.
Complexity Bounds of Constant-Space Quantum Computation

We realize constant-space quantum computation by measure-many two-way quantum finite automata and evaluate their language recognition power by analyzing patterns of their exotic behaviors and by exploring their structural properties. In particular, we show that, when the automata halt "in finite steps" along all computation paths, they must terminate in worst-case liner time. In the bounded-error probability case, the acceptance of the automata depends only on the computation paths that terminate within exponentially many steps even if not all computation paths may terminate. We also present a classical simulation of those automata on two-way multi-head probabilistic finite automata with cut points. Moreover, we discuss how the recognition power of the automata varies as the automata's acceptance criteria change to error free, one-sided error, bounded error, and unbounded error by comparing the complexity of their computational powers. We further note that, with the use of arbitrary complex transition amplitudes, two-way unbounded-error quantum finite automata and two-way bounded-error 2-head quantum finite automata can recognize certain non-recursive languages, whereas two-way error-free quantum finite automata recognize only recursive languages.
Criminology and the Study of Deviance

Developments in the fields of criminology and deviance can be said to parallel the answers to two questions: one, a traditional query that organized the work of many scholars to about 1950, the other, a more contemporary concern. Traditional scholars asked: Why do criminals and deviants act the way they do. Sociologists since 1950 have more frequently asked: What is the social meaning of criminal and / or deviant acts, and why do these particular persons evoke negative sanctions? Answers to these, and derivative, questions represent a major shift in studies of crime and deviance over the past 30 years.
Israeli Adolescents’ help-seeking behaviours in relation to terrorist attacks: the perceptions of students, school counsellors and teachers

ABSTRACT Exposure to terror seriously threatens the well-being of children and adolescents. School mental health professionals cope simultaneously with the counselling needs of their clients and with their own fears and doubts. This report is based on two studies. The first study was concerned with the perceptions of Israeli adolescents of the place of terrorist attacks in their lives. It also examined adolescents’ help-seeking attitudes and behaviours in relation to terrorist attacks. The second study investigated Israeli school counsellors’ and teachers’ perceptions of their own roles and professional attitudes in relation to terror. A better understanding of the effects of terrorism on adolescents as well as potentially effective approaches to coping with its individual and organisational outcomes are proposed.
Down Syndrome, Increased Risk of Dementia and Lipid Disturbances

Abstract Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal aberration and genetically determined cause of intellectual disability. DS patients often present with some congenital defects and chronic diseases, including early onset dementia, which affects 70% of DS patients over 55 years of age and has a clinical presentation similar to Alzheimer disease (AD). The symptoms of DS originate from excessive genetic material within the “critical region” of the 21st chromosome. The “critical region” encompasses genes potentially associated with increase risk of dementia, e.g. the APP gene (amyloid beta precursor protein) which leads to excessive amyloid beta production. Post-mortem studies of DS patients’ brains revealed diffuse deposition of the insoluble form of amyloid beta (Aβ), which is a characteristic feature of AD. Moreover, those changes were commonly observed in subjects > 31 years old. The pathomechanisms of AD have not been fully elucidated and scientists are still searching for new risk factors that may contribute to the development of this common illness. Recent research proved that lipid disturbance, especially disorders in the metabolism of HDL (high density lipoprotein) may play a crucial role in this pathogenic process. There are many studies examining lipid and lipoprotein concentration in the DS population, but up to now there are insufficient studies comparing these parameters with memory impairment, which may be a useful model for better understanding of the dementia pathomechanism.
The "Unabomber" vs. the "Nail Bomber": a cross-cultural comparison of newspaper coverage of two murder trials

This study compares the newspaper coverage of the murder trials of Theodore Kaczynski (the "Unabomber") and David Copeland (the "Nail bomber"), two similar defendants being tried for similar crimes in two different countries. Both men were found guilty, but the fact that they were diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia became a central element in both trials. One hundred and thirty-three articles from the two countries were compared using a qualitative discourse analysis which found that the dominance of specific narrative frames influenced the structure of the articles. The British coverage privileged the "story of the crime" whereas the US coverage emphasized the "story of the trial". The result was that in the majority of coverage, important contextual information was lost, specifically regarding how mental illness caused these crimes in the first place, as well as how society perceives mentally ill criminals. These results demonstrate the need for more responsible reporting of trials in the hope of encouraging a public dialogue on the relationship between mental illness and criminal justice issues in society.
Null Arguments in German Child Language

Acquisition research has shown that, in German, the use of null subjects does not drop from about 50% to 5% in a very short space of time, but there is a drop from about 45% to between 10% and 20%. In the present article, I investigate this 10% to 20% Null Subject stage in 3-year-olds and show that this stage, though surprisingly long, is not final. Moreover, the children under investigation use structures in this phase that are found neither in the state of Early Null Subjects nor in adult German, namely postverbal referential null subjects. The latter result, the fact that this stage is not final, and differences to object-drop at the same time strongly suggest that the phenomenon cannot only be topic-drop. An analysis is proposed admitting competing strategies for a certain time, a topic-drop strategy (i.e., a strategy of identification via discourse), and a strategy of licensing and identifying null subjects through feature transfer under Government.
Can we use 99mTc-MIBI in functional studies of the parathyroid gland?

The usefulness of technetium-99m-sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI) in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism on haemodialysis was assessed. We studied 33 patients with parathyroid scintigraphy with i.v. (99mTc-MIBI). Static images in a scintillation camera were taken at 15 and 120 min after the injection. With P x Ca<80, we performed an inhibition test with calcitriol i.v. 2 microg, three times a week, for 2 weeks. The MIBI study and assessment of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were performed before (baseline study) and after inhibition. A 'focal positive study' corresponded to one or more areas of abnormal hypercaptation in relation to surrounding thyroid tissue seen in early images and persisting in later images, and a 'negative study' did not correspond to the previous image. In the baseline study, iPTH in the positive MIBI group was significantly greater than in the negative group. Eight positive MIBI patients had a bone biopsy; six corresponded to severe osteitis fibrosa and two to mild osteitis fibrosa. In the negative MIBI group, four of the six patients who had bone biopsy had mild forms of osteitis fibrosa (Fisher=0.03); the other two had low turnover forms. A positive inhibition test was defined when the basal uptake disappeared after calcitriol administration. In these patients, we observed a significant decrease of iPTH, not observed in the negative inhibition test. In 10 patients who had been parathyroidectomized, those with alpha positive basal MIBI result had a nodular parathyroid hyperplasia. We conclude that a scintigraphic parathyroid study with 99mTc-MIBI showed a good correlation with functional parathyroid status. With the same inhibition test, only some glands were inhibited, suggesting that this could be the expression of different vitamin D receptor densities in inhibited glands and/or a different kind of proliferation in those glands. This test would be of value in functional studies when a therapeutic decision must be made.
Versional eye tracking in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI): Effects of oculomotor training (OMT)

Abstract Objective: To evaluate a range of objective measures of versional eye movements before and after oculomotor training (OMT) in individuals with mTBI. The results were compared with placebo (P) training. Methods: Twelve individuals with mTBI (mean age = 29 ± 3 years) having oculomotor-based near-vision symptoms participated in the study. Versional eye movements were recorded objectively before and after OMT (fixation, predictable saccades, simulated reading) and P training (6 weeks each, two sessions/week, 45 minutes/session). Results: Following OMT, there was a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the horizontal fixational error. Saccadic gain increased both horizontally and vertically (p < 0.05). The saccade ratio for the simulated reading, multiple-line paradigm reduced significantly (p < 0.05). None of the measures changed significantly following the P training. Conclusions: The versional-based OMT had a significant, positive effect on most aspects of versional tracking. These findings are suggestive of improved rhythmicity, accuracy and sequencing of saccades following OMT in mTBI as a result of oculomotor learning.
Social Entrepreneurial Intention Formation of Corporate Volunteers

Abstract The current paper aims to identify the antecedents of social entrepreneurial intention formation. Applying the theory of planned behavior on an international sample of 159 entrepreneurial volunteers in a corporate framework, we find positive relationships between empathy, perceived social norms, self-efficacy, perceived collective efficacy, and social entrepreneurial intentions with mediation by perceived desirability and perceived feasibility. Overall, we contribute to the upcoming domain of social entrepreneurship research by investigating the individual and environmental antecedents of social entrepreneurial action in a corporate setting.
LocoFS: A Loosely-Coupled Metadata Service for Distributed File Systems

Key-Value stores provide scalable metadata service for distributed file systems. However, the metadata’s organization itself, which is organized using a directory tree structure, does not fit the key-value access pattern, thereby limiting the performance. To address this issue, we propose a distributed file system with a loosely-coupled metadata service, LocoFS, to bridge the performance gap between file system metadata and key-value stores. LocoFS is designed to decouple the dependencies between different kinds of metadata with two techniques. First, LocoFS decouples the directory content and structure, which organizes file and directory index nodes in a flat space while reversely indexing the directory entries. Second, it decouples the file metadata to further improve the key-value access performance. Evaluations show that LocoFS with eight nodes boosts the metadata throughput by 5 times, which approaches 93% throughput of a single-node key-value store, compared to 18% in the state-of-the-art IndexFS.
Energy Packet Networks With Energy Harvesting

We investigate the cooperation among energy prosumers (unified energy provider and consumer) through the energy packet network (EPN) paradigm, which represents both the flow of work that requires energy, and the flow of energy itself, in terms of discrete units. This paper details a stochastic model of EPNs, which is inspired from a branch of queuing theory called G-networks. The model allows us to compute the equilibrium state of a system that includes energy storage units, energy transmission networks, and energy consumers, together with the intermittent energy sources. The model is then used to show how the flow of work and energy in the system can be optimized for certain utility functions that consider both the needs of the consumers, and the desire to maintain some reserve energy for potential future needs.
Placebo, Prozac and PLoS: significant lessons for psychopharmacology

Kirsch et al. (2008, Initial severity and antidepressant benefits: a meta-analysis of data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. PLoS Med 5: e45), conducted a meta-analysis of data from 35 placebo controlled trials of four newer antidepressants. They concluded that while these drugs are statistically significantly superior to placebo in acute depression, the benefits are unlikely to be clinically significant. This paper has attracted much attention and debate in both academic journals and the popular media. In this critique, we argue that Kirsch et al.’s is a flawed analysis which relies upon unusual statistical techniques biased against antidepressants. We present results showing that re-analysing the same data using more appropriate methods leads to substantially different conclusions. However, we also believe that psychopharmacology has lessons to learn from the Kirsch et al. paper. We discuss issues surrounding the interpretation of clinical trials of antidepressants, including the difficulties of extrapolating from randomized controlled trials to the clinic, and the question of failed trials. We call for more research to establish the effectiveness of antidepressants in clinically relevant populations under naturalistic conditions, for example, in relapse prevention, in patients with co-morbidities, and in primary care settings.
Blastocyst trophectoderm biopsy and preimplantation genetic diagnosis for familial monogenic disorders and chromosomal translocations

Modern in vitro fertilization practices involve transfer of embryos as blastocysts, when anabolic metabolism is well established and pregnancy rates can be maintained while transferring embryos singly to avoid multiple pregnancies. Embryo biopsy for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), however, is generally performed on day 3, when the embryo comprises just 6 to 8 cells, one or two of which are removed for testing. Implantation rates and clinical pregnancy rates have remained relatively low and a harmful effect from losing one or more cells from such early embryos has not been excluded.