Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diffusion of particles in an expanding sphere with an absorbing boundary

We study the problem of particles undergoing Brownian motion in an expanding sphere whose surface is an absorbing boundary for the particles. The problem is akin to that of the diffusion of impurities in a grain of polycrystalline material undergoing grain growth. We solve the time dependent diffusion equation for particles in a d-dimensional expanding sphere to obtain the particle density function (function of space and time). The radius of the sphere expands as R = (Kt)α, where α is the growth exponent, K a constant and t the time. This allows the calculation of the survival rate or the total number of particles per unit volume as a function of time. We have obtained particular solutions exactly for the case where d = 3 and a parabolic expansion of the sphere. Asymptotic solutions for the particle density when the sphere expansion rate is small relative to particle diffusivity and vice versa are derived.
DIFFERENT FORMS OF HEROIN AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO COOK-UP TECHNIQUES: DATA ON, AND EXPLANATION OF, USE OF LEMON JUICE AND OTHER ACIDS

Recent reports of the use of lemon juice in the preparation of heroin for injection have failed to recognize the importance of the different forms of heroin (in the form of the salt or the base) and the impact of this on the chemical manipulation required before injection. One hundred and four opiate addicts in London were interviewed about the forms of heroin (white, brown, etc) and their relationship to cook-up techniques (use of heat and acid). White heroin was typically prepared with water and heat; brown heroin was prepared with acid (citric acid or Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) or lemon juice) and heat; pharmaceutical heroin was prepared with water only (i.e. neither acid nor heat). On the last occasion of heroin use, brown heroin had been the form most commonly used, with over 90% of the sample using citric acid or vitamin C. Lemon juice was rarely used, and heat was almost universally applied in conjunction with lemon juice.
Ragweed allergy: Pollen count and sensitization and allergy prevalence in two Italian allergy centers

Background Ragweed allergy represents a challenge for allergists due to its increase in some geographic areas, mainly northern Italy. Objectives To compare two allergy centers in northern Italy by analyzing both the pollen count and the patient characteristics (sensitization and allergy prevalence) over a 10-year period. Methods Pollen counts for 10 years (2004 –2013) were evaluated and compared in the two centers. Characteristics of patients who were sensitized and allergic to ragweed were analyzed. Results There was a significantly higher pollen count in Busto Arsizio than in Novi Ligure (p < 0.001). The patients who were seen in the Busto Arsizio center showed more frequent sensitization (p < 0.01) and allergy (p < 0.05) to ragweed than patients who were seen in the Novi Ligure center. The pollen count was significantly (p < 0.01) associated with sensitization and allergy difference. Allergic asthma was more frequent (p < 0.05) in Busto Arsizio. Conclusions The pattern of sensitization and allergy prevalence seemed to be associated with ragweed pollen pressure, such as quantity. The knowledge of the pollen count is relevant in clinical practice, mainly for the management of patients with allergy.
Evaluating the effects of ellagic acid on pSTAT3, pAKT, and pERK1/2 signaling pathways in prostate cancer PC3 cells.

OBJECTIVE One of the most common malignancies among men is prostate cancer. Ellagic acid (EA), a polyphenol antioxidant, has many pharmacological actions, especially anticancer effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of EA treatment on interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene expression, cell viability, IL-6 secretion, phosphorylated STAT3, ERK, and AKT cellular signaling proteins in human prostate cancer cells (PC3). MATERIALS AND METHODS The cytotoxic effects of the EA (0-100 µM) on PC3 cells were determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. IL-6 gene expression was down, using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The cellular concentration of phosphorylated ERK1/2, AKT, and STAT3 signaling pathways was assessed by Western blotting technic. RESULTS EA treatment of PC3 cells resulted in a reduction of cell viability and phosphorylated STAT3, ERK, and AKT signaling proteins after 72 h in a dose-dependent manner. IL-6 gene expression and IL-6 levels significantly increased (P < 0.05) in a dose-dependent pattern in treated PC3 with EA. Thus, these data suggested the essential role of signaling proteins in EA-mediated anti-proliferation of PC3 cells. CONCLUSIONS Our finding shows that EA can be considered as a potent agent that decreases cell proliferation through a reduction of phosphorylated STAT3, ERK, and AKT cellular signaling proteins.
Cost savings of patients with a MACIS score lower than 6 when radioactive iodine is not given.

OBJECTIVE To assess the cost savings if the current policy of treating patients with a MACIS (metastases, age, completeness of resection, invasion, and size) score lower than 6 using radioactive iodine (RAI) was changed to reflect the findings of recent studies. DESIGN Retrospective medical record review. SETTING Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario. PATIENTS Between January 1, 2002, and July 1, 2005, 199 consecutive patients with a MACIS score lower than 6 who received RAI treatment after total thyroidectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Patient demographics were analyzed. Costs for the dose of RAI, hospital stay, and health insurance claims were included in the calculations. RESULTS For 199 consecutive patients, the cost for sodium iodide 131 treatment totaled Can$161 588, and the required 2-day stay in isolation totaled Can$764 558. The overall cost to the health care system was Can$934 106, which translates into approximately Can$4694 per patient. CONCLUSIONS By following the recommendations of recent evidence-based studies and by ceasing to treat patients with a MACIS score lower than 6 after total thyroidectomy using RAI, cost savings can be accrued for health care systems involved in the treatment of thyroid cancer. Alternate strategies, such as treating patients who need RAI therapy on an outpatient basis and reducing the dose of RAI, can lower costs as well.
MicroRNA159 Can Act as a Switch or Tuning MicroRNA Independently of Its Abundance in Arabidopsis

The efficacy of gene silencing by plant microRNAs (miRNAs) is generally assumed to be predominantly determined by their abundance. In Arabidopsis the highly abundant miRNA, miR159, acts as a molecular “switch” in vegetative tissues completely silencing the expression of two GAMYB-like genes, MYB33 and MYB65. Here, we show that miR159 has a diminished silencing efficacy in the seed. Using reporter gene constructs, we determined that MIR159 and MYB33 are co-transcribed in the aleurone and embryo of germinating seeds. However in contrast to vegetative tissues, MYB33 is not completely silenced. Instead, miR159 appears to shape the spatio-temporal expression pattern of MYB33 during seed germination. Transcript profiling in a time course during seed germination in wild-type and a mir159 mutant in which miR159 is almost absent, revealed that transcript levels of the GAMYB-like genes were similar between these two genotypes during germination, but much higher in the mir159 mutant once germination had completed. This attenuation in the silencing of the GAMYB-like genes was not explained by a decrease in mature miR159 levels, which remained constant at all time points during seed germination. We propose that miR159 acts as a tuner of GAMYB-like levels in Arabidopsis germinating seeds and that the activity of this miRNA is attenuated in the seed compared to vegetative tissues. This implies that the efficacy of miRNA-mediated silencing is not solely determined by miRNA abundance and target transcript levels, but is being determined through additional mechanisms.
Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals

Alinsky, Saul David, 1909-1972. ツ ツ Rules for radicals : a practical primer for realistic radicals / Saul D. Alinsky. â\” Vintage Books ed. ツ ツ p. cm. ツ ツ Reprint. Originally published: New York: Random ツ ツ House, 1971. ツ ツ ISBN 0-679-72113-4 : $7.95 1. Community organization â\” United States. 2. ツ Political participation â\” United States. 3. ツ Radicalism â\” United States. I. Title. HN65.A675 1989 ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ 89-14823 303.48'4 â\” dc20 ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ ツ CIP
Progressive loss of echinocandin activity following prolonged use for treatment of Candida albicans oesophagitis.

OBJECTIVES To illustrate the progressive loss of cross-echinocandin activity on Candida albicans isolates with strong clonal homology from a patient with advanced HIV infection and chronic oesophagitis progressively resistant to uninterrupted micafungin treatment. METHODS Antifungal susceptibility profiles for different antifungal agents were determined against serial C. albicans isolates retrieved before and during therapy. Multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) was performed on each of the isolates. FKS1 mutations conferring reduced susceptibility to echinocandin drugs were determined by DNA sequence analysis. RESULTS Four C. albicans isolates showing identical allelic homology were retrieved from the patient at the initiation and during therapy with micafungin. The progressive lack of clinical response to micafungin therapy was associated with increased MICs of all three echinocandin drugs (caspofungin, micafungin and anidulafungin) in association with the acquisition of mutations in the FKS1 gene. CONCLUSIONS This report documents for the first time a progressive loss of activity of all three echinocandin drugs against clonally related C. albicans isolates following long-term clinical exposure to this new class of antifungal agents.
Making sense of the information age

This article traces the development in Britain of research on information and communications in relation to trends in Sociology and this discipline's relations with Cultural Studies. It observes at the outset the seminal contribution of Daniel Bell's conception of Post-Industrial Society, characterizing it as blending theory with empirical observation while providing an account of the most consequential features of change. Sociology in the UK during the 1980s largely ignored macro-level analysis and focused on work and employment, took its starting point as opposition to the technological determinism associated with this first wave enthusiasm for the ‘microelectronics revolution’, and produced localized and textured studies. Manuel Castells' conception of the Network Society, while distinctive, signalled a return to the scale and scope offered by Bell, notably in being a macro analysis that combined theory and empirical evidence. Castells' contribution coincided with a second wave of technological enthusiasm associated especially with the Internet. Alongside this Sociology in Britain has experienced the rise of Cultural Studies, a field that has competed for important parts of what might have been considered Sociology's terrain. Indeed, Cultural Studies has outpaced Sociology in response to recent changes in the information domain. Its emergence expressed little concern with technological determinism, embracing ‘virtuality’ and being more open to the exploration of expanding culture. Nonetheless, Cultural Studies remains methodologically flawed while, like so much sociological research on ICTs and information, seemingly incapable of combining theory and empirical evidence that identify and explain the major contours of change.
Lise Öğrencilerinin Problemli İnternet Kullanımının Cinsiyet, Sosyal Kaygı ve Akran İlişkileri Açısından İncelenmesi

This is a descriptive study conducted to examine problematic internet use in terms of gender, social anxiety and peer relations. The sample is comprised of a total of 682 students high school students (356 female (52,2%) and 326 male (47,8%) studying at the 9th , 10 th , and 11th grades during the Fall semester of the 2012-2013 Academic Year in three different high schools in Cankaya, Etimesgut, and Mamak districts of Ankara. In order to determine students’ problematic internet use, ‘Problematic Internet Use Scale-Adolescent’ developed by Ceyhan and Ceyhan (2009), to determine their social anxiety levels, ‘Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents’ developed by Aydin and Tekinsav-Sutcu (2007) and adapted to high school students by the researchers, and to determine their peer relations, ‘Peer Relations Scale’ developed by Kaner (2002). In the study, t-test and hierarchical regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The result of the study showed that male high school students have a higher level of problematic internet use compared to female high school students. Hierarchical regression analysis results, explained that fear of negative evaluation sub-dimension of social anxiety and social avoidance and nervousness in general situations have an important effect (22%) on problematic internet use; moreover, it was also determined that opening oneself sub-dimension of the peer relations variable and loyalty variable meaningfully contribute (%6) to this.
A Novel Distance Measure for Interval Data

Interval data is attracting attention from the data analysi s community due to its ability to describe complex concepts. Since clust ering is an important data analysis tool, extending these techniques to interval dat is important. Applying traditional clustering methods on interval data los es information inherited in this particular data type. This paper proposes a novel dis sim larity measure which explores the internal structure of intervals in a prob abilistic manner based on domain knowledge. Our experiments show that interval clu stering based on the proposed dissimilarity measure produces meaningful re s lts.
The Effects of Combining Positive and Negative Reinforcement During Training.

The purpose of this experiment was to compare the effects of combining negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement during teaching with the effects of using positive reinforcement alone. A behavior was trained under two stimulus conditions and procedures. One method involved presenting the cue ven and reinforcing successive approximations to the target behavior. The other method involved presenting the cue punir, physically prompting the target behavior by pulling the leash, and delivering a reinforcer. Three other behaviors were trained using the two cues contingent on their occurrence. The results suggest that stimuli associated with both a positive reinforcer and an aversive stimulus produce a different dynamic than a situation that uses positive reinforcement or punishment alone.
The social and economic roots of the scientific revolution : texts by Boris Hessen and Henryk Grossmann

1. Historical and systematic introduction by the editors, 2. Boris Hessen, "The Social and Economic Roots of Newton's Mechanics" , 3. Henryk Grossmann, "The Social Foundation of Mechanistic Philosophy and Manufacture" . 4. Henryk Grossmann: Descartes New Ideal of Science. Universal Science vs. Science of an Elite, 5. Henryk Grossmann, book review (1938) and a letter to Max Horkheimer (1935), 6. A short biography of Henryk Grossmann (by Rick Kuhn, Canberra), 7. Hessen in lieu of biography
Redes comunitarias, género y envejecimiento

Las redes sociales son un tema de significativa tradicion en la literatura social y antropologica de la region latinoamericana. No obstante, poco se ha vinculado esta tematica con el envejecimiento demografico. Algunos estudios al respecto han resaltado basicamente el apoyo familiar; en otros casos se consideraron sinonimo de las redes sociales. En realidad la investigacion sobre redes sociales descompone a esta categoria social en multiples dimensiones de dificil acceso metodologico. Una es las redes comunitarias, que para las personas mayores representan a la vista de la investigacion realizada, un espacio de desarrollo personal y colectivo, de inclusion a nivel comunitario y de resistencia a los roles de genero establecidos para hombres y mujeres mayores de estas generaciones. Este articulo representa una aproximacion a esta compleja dimension social que se vincula con la situacion de las personas mayores en la colonia Aragon dentro de la delegacion Gustavo A. Madero, en la ciudad de Mexico. Las aportaciones de este documento resaltan el papel de las redes comunitarias en la calidad de vida de las personas mayores, cuyos significados son diferentes para hombres y mujeres. Este trabajo pretende ser una orientacion para los servidores sociales, funcionarios encargados del area y coordinadores de grupos de personas mayores.
Improved Method for Predicting Software Effort and Schedule

This paper presents a set of effort and schedule estimating relationships for predicting software development projects using empirical data from 317 very recent US DoD programs. The first set predicts effort as a function of product size and application type. The second predicts the duration of software development as a function of product size and staffing levels. The estimating relationships are simpler and more viable to use for early estimates than traditional parametric cost models. Practical productivity benchmarks are also provided to guide cost analysts in normalizing and validating data. These methods are applicable to all industry sectors.
The Halloween Indicator, 'Sell in May and Go Away': Another Puzzle

We document the existence of a strong seasonal effect in stock returns based on the popular market saying 'Sell in May and go away', also known as the 'Halloween indicator'. According to these words of market wisdom, stock market returns should be higher in the November-April period than those in the May-October period. Surprisingly, we find this inherited wisdom to be true in 36 of the 37 developed and emerging markets studied in our sample. The 'Sell in May' effect tends to be particularly strong in European countries and is robust over time. Sample evidence, for instance, shows that in the UK the effect has been noticeable since 1694. While we have examined a number of possible explanations, none of these appears to convincingly explain the puzzle.
First Nations Women Workers' Speak, Write and Research Back: Child Welfare and Decolonizing Stories

This research is a similar study to Gold’s (1998) study on the promotion of physical and mental health of mainstream female social workers in child welfare. Six First Nations women Child and Family Service (CFS) Social Workers (FNWCFSSW’s) who work in First Nations agencies gathered with me to share individual and collective stories about our CFS experiences. First Nations women and I discussed the impacts of our work on our holistic health, how we coped with the work, and strategies to deal with the issues that we face. This study outlines the research process that we engaged in, and, essentially weaves together the challenges, resilience, innovations, and unique experiences of First Nations women CFS Social Workers in a First Nations setting under a delegated authority model. As a result of these discussions five major themes were identified. The five themes that emerged from this study include the stress of dual accountability, the stresses of unrealistic expectations and multiple roles, the emotional costs and benefits of the intensity of the relationships, the fact that meaningful work gives strength and how the women coped and maintained their holistic health. This study reveals the important need for future participatory research to be conducted with FNWCFSSW and First Nations peoples. Ultimately, this paper speaks to the importance of changing the nature of along-term colonial relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples within the child welfare system and in dominant mainstream research processes.
Racism and ethnicity

Turbulent social and economic changes have marked the decades of the 1970s and 1980s in New Zealand. One central change has been the evolving relationship between Maori and Pakeha. The myth that New Zealand race relations are good by world standards has been strongly challenged as the issues of biculturalism, bilingualism, and the implications of the Treaty of Waitangi have been debated. In this book, Paul Spoonley provides an introduction to these debates. He describes the growing emphasis on cultural identity and looks at state policies, from assimilation through to devolution. Readership: students of race relations with particular relation to New Zealand.
Estrogen Enhances Susceptibility to Experimental Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis by Promoting Type 1-Polarized Immune Responses1

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease caused in most cases by autoantibodies against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). It is now well documented that many autoimmune diseases, including MG, are more prevalent in women than in men, and that fluctuations in disease severity occur during pregnancy. These observations raise the question of the potential role of sex hormones, such as estrogens, as mediators of sex differences in autoimmunity. In the present study, we have analyzed the effect of 17β-estradiol (E2) on the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG), an animal model of MG. We show that treatment with E2 before Ag priming is necessary and sufficient to promote AChR-specific Th1 cell expansion in vivo. This time-limited exposure to E2 enhances the production of anti-AChR IgG2ab (specific for b allotype; e.g., B6) and IgG2b, but not IgG1, and significantly increases the severity of EAMG in mice. Interestingly, the E2-mediated augmentation in AChR-specific Th1 response correlates with an enhanced production of IL-12 by splenic APCs through the recruitment of CD8α+ dendritic cells. These data provide the first evidence that estrogen enhances EAMG, and sheds some light on the role of sex hormones in immune responses and susceptibility to autoimmune disease in women.
Black Hole Spin and Galactic Morphology

We investigate the conjecture by Sikora, Stawarz, and Lasota that the observed active galactic nuclei (AGNs) radio loudness bimodality can be explained by the morphology-related bimodality of black hole spin distribution in the centers of galaxies: central black holes (BHs) in giant elliptical galaxies may have (on average) much larger spins than black holes in spiral/disk galaxies. We study how accretion from a warped disk influences the evolution of black hole spins and conclude that within the cosmological framework, where the most massive BHs have grown in mass via merger-driven accretion, one indeed expects most supermassive black holes in elliptical galaxies to have on average higher spin than black holes in spiral galaxies, where random, small accretion episodes (e.g., tidally disrupted stars, accretion of molecular clouds) might have played a more important role.
Limitations in Drivers' Ability to Recognize Pedestrians at Night

This study quantified drivers' ability to recognize pedestrians at night. Ten young and 10 older participants drove around a closed road circuit and responded when they first recognized a pedestrian. Four pedestrian clothing and two beam conditions were tested. Results demonstrate that driver age, clothing configuration, headlamp beam, and glare all significantly affect performance. Drivers recognized only 5% of pedestrians in the most challenging condition (low beams, black clothing, glare), whereas drivers recognized 100% of the pedestrians who wore retroreflective clothing configured to depict biological motion (no glare). In the absence of glare, mean recognition distances varied from 0.0 m (older drivers, low beam, black clothing) to 220 m (722 feet; younger drivers, high beam, retroreflective biomotion). These data provide new motivation to minimize interactions between vehicular and pedestrian traffic at night and suggest garment designs to maximize pedestrian conspicuity when these interactions are unavoidable.