Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery, and Self-Making in Nineteenth-Century America

In this provocative and original exploration of racial subjugation during slavery and its aftermath, Saidiya Hartman illumines the forms of terror and resistance that shaped black identity. Scenes of Subjection examines the forms of domination that usually go undetected; in particular, the encroachments of power that take place through notions of humanity, enjoyment, protection, rights, and consent. By looking at slave narratives, plantation diaries, popular theater, slave performance, freedmen's primers, and legal cases, Hartman investigates a wide variety of "scenes" ranging from the auction block and minstrel show to the staging of the self-possessed and rights-bearing individual of freedom. While attentive to the performance of power-the terrible spectacles of slaveholders' dominion and the innocent amusements designed to abase and pacify the enslaved-and the entanglements of pleasure and terror in these displays of mastery, Hartman also examines the possibilities for resistance, redress and transformation embodied in black performance and everyday practice. This important study contends that despite the legal abolition of slavery, emergent notions of individual will and responsibility revealed the tragic continuities between slavery and freedom. Bold and persuasively argued, Scenes of Subjection will engage readers in a broad range of historical, literary, and cultural studies.
Racial Variation in the Effect of Incarceration on Neighborhood Attainment

Each year, more than 700,000 convicted offenders are released from prison and reenter neighborhoods across the country. Prior studies have found that minority ex-inmates tend to reside in more disadvantaged neighborhoods than do white ex-inmates. However, because these studies do not control for pre-prison neighborhood conditions, we do not know how much (if any) of this racial variation is due to arrest and incarceration, or if these observed findings simply reflect existing racial residential inequality. Using a nationally representative dataset that tracks individuals over time, we find that only whites live in significantly more disadvantaged neighborhoods after prison than prior to prison. Blacks and Hispanics do not, nor do all groups (whites, blacks, and Hispanics) as a whole live in worse neighborhoods after prison. We attribute this racial variation in the effect of incarceration to the high degree of racial neighborhood inequality in the United States: because white offenders generally come from much better neighborhoods, they have much more to lose from a prison spell. In addition to advancing our understanding of the social consequences of the expansion of the prison population, these findings demonstrate the importance of controlling for pre-prison characteristics when investigating the effects of incarceration on residential outcomes.
Examining the work–crime association in emerging adulthood: A longitudinal analysis based on a Dutch population sample

Social control theory links being employed with reduced criminal behaviour. In particular, the indirect social control generated by the perceived benefits of the current job are expected to underlie the work–crime association. Features specific to the emerging adult period, however, call into question the strength of the work–crime association during this new life stage. This study uses data from the Utrecht Study of Adolescent Development (USAD), a longitudinal self-report study among 669 men and women aged 18 to 24 at the start of the study to examine the extent to which working a paid job is associated with reduced levels of delinquency and crime, and the extent to which this association is conditional on individual job perceptions. We also test for gender differences in these associations. Results indicate that for men – but not for women – paid work is associated with lower levels of delinquency and crime, but only from age 24 onwards.
Reef fish structure and distribution in a south-western Atlantic Ocean tropical island.

The community structure of the reef fish fauna of Trindade Island, a volcanic oceanic island located 1160 km off the coast of Brazil, is described based on intensive visual censuses. Seventy-six species were encountered in 252 censuses, with mean ± S.E. of 99 ± 3 individuals and 15.7 ± 0.3 species 40 m(-2) transect. The average fish biomass, calculated from length-class estimation, was 22.1 kg 40 m(-2) transect. The species contributing most to biomass were, in decreasing order, Melichthys niger, Cephalopholis fulva, Kyphosus spp. , Holocentrus adscensionis, Sparisoma amplum, Sparisoma axillare, Acanthurus bahianus and Epinephelus adscensionis. Carnivorous fishes were the largest trophic group in terms of biomass, followed by omnivores and roving herbivores. The two predominant types of reef habitat, fringing reefs built by coralline algae and rocky reefs made of volcanic boulders, showed significant differences in the biomass and the abundance of the trophic guilds. Within each habitat type, significant differences in species richness, density and biomass were detected among crest, slope and interface zones. Although similar in overall species composition to coastal reefs in Brazil, the fish fauna of Trindade Island shares certain characteristics, such as a high abundance of planktivores, with other Brazilian oceanic islands. Despite comparatively high fish biomass, including the macro-carnivorous species habitually targeted by fisheries, signs of overfishing were evident. These findings highlight the urgency for a conservation initiative for this isolated, unique and vulnerable reef system.
Do Islamic Stock Returns Hedge Against Inflation? A Wavelet Approach

ABSTRACT This article makes an initial attempt to study the hedging effectiveness of Islamic stock returns against inflation for different investment horizons. We applied the wavelet analysis to measure the cross-correlations between the time series as a function of time-scales using data ranging from 2007 to early 2015. The main results tend to indicate the following: First, that for investment horizons not exceeding 3 years, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Emas Shariah Index constituent returns may potentially hedge against inflation. Additionally, the hedging ability of stock returns was absent from 2008 to 2009 following the global financial crisis. Finally, a buy-and-hold strategy exceeding 3 years may erode investments. The results are plausible and have strong policy implications.
Treatment of epidermal pigmented lesions with the frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. A controlled, single-impact, dose-response, multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND AND DESIGN The removal of benign, aesthetically important, pigmented lesions can be effectively treated with multiple modalities. Selective removal of the pigment by lasers is becoming increasingly popular. A three-center trial evaluated the effectiveness of the frequency-doubled Q-switched neodymium (Nd):YAG laser (532 nm, 2.0-mm spot size, 10 nanoseconds) in removing benign epidermal pigmented lesions with a single treatment. Forty-nine patients were treated for multiple lentigines (n = 37), for cafe au lait macules (n = 7), and for miscellaneous lesions (n = 5). Treatment areas were divided into four quadrants, irradiated with fluences of 2, 3, 4, or 5 J/cm2 and evaluated at 1- and 3-month intervals following treatment. RESULTS For lentigines, response was related to dose with a greater than 75% pigment removal achieved in 60% of those lesions treated at higher energy fluences. Responses were more variable with other lesions, with fair-to-good improvement noted in most cases. Mild, transient erythema; hypopigmentation; and hyperpigmentation were noted in several patients, but resolved spontaneously within 3 months. No other textural changes, scarring, or other side effects were noted. CONCLUSION The frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd: YAG laser (532 nm) safely and effectively treats benign epidermal pigmented lesions.
Fuzzy Optimal Control for Multistage Fuzzy Systems

In the case that a system is affected by fuzzy factors, a fuzzy optimal-control problem is proposed. A fuzzy optimal-control problem for a multistage fuzzy system is considered to optimize the expected value of a fuzzy objective function subject to a multistage fuzzy system where, at every stage, the system is disturbed by a fuzzy variable. Based on Bellman's Principle of Optimality, a recurrence equation for the problem is presented. A linear quadratic fuzzy optimal-control problem is shown to have an exact solution by the recurrence equation if the system is affected by triangular fuzzy variables. For general cases, two methods, the hybrid intelligent algorithm and the finite-search method, are established to approximate the solutions of the problem. Finally, an example is used to show that these two methods are effective to solve a fuzzy optimal-control problem for a multistage fuzzy system.
Snow damage strongly reduces the strength of the carbon sink in a primary subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest

A primary subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest in southwest China experienced a particularly extreme snowfall event during January 2015. The 2015 event enabled the quantification of the impact of the extreme meteorological event on the forest carbon balance. We analyzed five years of continuous measurements of CO2 exchange across the biosphere/atmosphere interface in the forest using an eddy covariance technique. We quantified how exposure to an extreme meteorological event affected ecosystem processes that determine gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Reco), and thus annual net carbon (C) sequestration. The forest canopy was severely damaged by the heavy snow, and the leaf area index (LAI) decreased significantly from January to July 2015. GPP, net ecosystem exchange (NEE), and Reco all sharply decreased in 2015 after the heavy snow. On average, a strong decrease of 544 g C m−2 year−1 in annual NEE in 2015 was associated with a decrease of 829 g C m−2 year−1 in annual GPP and a decrease of 285 g C m−2 year−1 in annual Reco. Overall, annual net C uptake in 2015 was reduced by 76% compared to the mean C uptake of the previous four years. A sharp increase in carbon uptake was also observed in 2016, indicating that long-term, continuous measurements should be carried out to evaluate the overall response to the disturbance.
Model-driven 3D building reconstruction based on integeration of DSM and spectral information of satellite images

Due to the recent improvements in satellite sensors and matching technology, the derivation of 3D models from space borne stereo data attached interests in various applications such as urban planning, telecommunication and tourism. Fully automatic 3D building reconstruction from space borne point cloud data is an active research topic, where the relatively low quality of Digital Surface Models (DSM) generated by stereo matching of satellite data comparing to LiDAR data. In order to establish an efficient method to achieve high quality models and complete automation from the mentioned DSM, a new method based on a model-driven strategy is proposed. For improving the results and better detection of building boundaries and corresponding ridgelines, footprints of the buildings and refined ortho-rectified panchromatic images are utilized as additional information. The presented results are promising, at least for larger buildings.
Monetary Policy Transmission to the Labour Market – Evidence From the Polish Economy

This article verifies the hypothesis of a short-run impact of undertaken monetary policy on the labour market stance, advocated by the Keynesian/monetarist strand of economic theory. The analyses are performed within a small open economy framework, using data with regards to Poland in the 2000:1–2016:5 period. The research takes into account the high volatility of economic processes in the developing economies as well as their natural business cycle fluctuations and uses Markov Switching Bayesian Structural Vector Autoregressive models. The presented results confirm that there exists a nexus between monetary policy and the levels of output, inflation and the real effective exchange rate in the Polish economy. There is however no statistically significant relation between the employment level and changes in monetary policy. In this respect, the results are in line with the monetarist theory rather than with the traditional Keynesian\new Keynesian view.
Short-Term Trajectories of Use of a Caloric-Monitoring Mobile Phone App Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Primary Care Setting

Background Self-management plays an important role in maintaining good control of diabetes mellitus, and mobile phone interventions have been shown to improve such self-management. The Health Promotion Board of Singapore has created a caloric-monitoring mobile health app, the “interactive Diet and Activity Tracker” (iDAT). Objective The objective was to identify and describe short-term (8-week) trajectories of use of the iDAT app among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a primary care setting in Singapore, and identify patient characteristics associated with each trajectory. Methods A total of 84 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from a public primary care clinic in Singapore who had not previously used the iDAT app were enrolled. The app was demonstrated and patients’ weekly use of the app was monitored over 8 weeks. Weekly use was defined as any record in terms of food entry or exercise workout entry in that week. Information on demographics, diet and exercise motivation, diabetes self-efficacy (Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form), and clinical variables (body mass index, blood pressure, and glycosylated hemoglobin/HbA1c) were collected at baseline. iDAT app use trajectories were delineated using latent-class growth modeling (LCGM). Association of patient characteristics with the trajectories was ascertained using logistic regression analysis. Results Three iDAT app use trajectories were observed: Minimal Users (66 out of 84 patients, 78.6%, with either no iDAT use at all or use only in the first 2 weeks), Intermittent-Waning Users (10 out of 84 patients, 11.9%, with occasional weekly use mainly in the first 4 weeks), and Consistent Users (8 out of 84 patients, 9.5%, with weekly use throughout all or most of the 8 weeks). The adjusted odds ratio of being a Consistent User, relative to a Minimal User, was significantly higher for females (OR 19.55, 95% CI 1.78-215.42) and for those with higher exercise motivation scores at baseline (OR 4.89, 95% CI 1.80-13.28). The adjusted odds ratio of being an Intermittent-Waning User relative to a Minimal User was also significantly higher for those with higher exercise motivation scores at baseline (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.00-3.32). Conclusions This study provides insight into the nature and extent of usage of a caloric-monitoring app among patients with type 2 diabetes and managed in primary care. The application of LCGM provides a useful framework for evaluating future app use in other patient populations.
Cells expressing the stem cell factor receptor, c-kit, contribute to neoangiogenesis in diabetes

While neoangiogenesis in diabetes is of greatest clinical significance in the retina, the pathological formation of new blood vessels also develops in other vascular beds in diabetes, including the mesentery of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat. However, the contribution of bone marrow-derived cells to this process of vasculogenesis is unknown. In this study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised to receive either streptozotocin or vehicle, and their mesenteric vasculature was examined after three weeks. Origins from bone marrow and endothelial cell differentiation were identified by immunolabelling for the stem cell factor receptor, c-kit and von Willebrand factor (vWF), respectively. Expression for the angiogenic chemokine, stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1) was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). At three weeks, rats with diabetes had a dramatic (190-fold) increase in lectin-labelled blood vessel profiles in the mesenteric bed (p<0.0001) in association with a five-fold increase in SDF-1 mRNA (p<0.01). Immunohistochemical studies identified abundant large, ovoid, lumen-forming, c-kit+ cells in the mesentery of diabetic, but not control, rats. Many of these c-kit+ cells also showed positive immunolabelling for vWF, consistent with endothelial differentiation. In conclusion, cells of bone marrow origin contribute to new vessel formation in the diabetic mesentery. This phenomenon may also apply to the neovascularisation that develops at clinically important sites such as in the retina.
Statistical Modelling, Optimal Strategies and Decisions in Two-Period Economies

Motivated by some real problems, our thesis puts forward two general two-period pricing models and explore optimal buying and selling strategies in two states of the two-period decision, when buyer/seller’s decisions in the two periods are uncertain: commodity valuations may or may not be independent, may or may not follow the same distribution, be heavily or just lightly influenced by exogenous economic conditions, and so on. For both the example of buying laptops and the example of selling houses, the connections between each example and the two-envelope paradox encourage us to explore optimal strategies based on the works of McDonnell and Abbott (2009) and McDonnell et al. (2011), which proposed optimal strategies on the condition that the amount of the first envelope is known. In the case of buying laptop whether on Black Friday, or on Boxing day, We derive an optimal strategy for minimizing the expected loss in the two-period economy when a pivotal decision needs to be made during the first time-period and cannot be subsequently reversed. In the cases of selling real estate in Punta del Este, a resort town in Uruguay, real-estate property is in demand by both domestic and foreign buyers. There are several stages of selling residential units: before, during, and after the actual construction. Different pricing strategies are used at every stage. We propose a general model to derive, under various scenarios of practical relevance, optimal strategies for setting prices within two-stage selling framework, as well as to explore the optimal timing for accomplishing these tasks in order to maximize the overall seller’s expected revenue. The optimal strategies in this model draw hints from the example of selling real estate proposed by Egozcue et al. (2013), where the ideas of McDonnell and Abbott (2009) and McDonnell et al. (2011) were applied in two states of the one-period decision scenario. All our optimal buying/selling strategies are illustrated with numerical and graphical examples using appropriately constructed parametric models.
Deficiency of the mannan‐binding lectin pathway of complement and poor outcome in cystic fibrosis: bacterial colonization may be decisive for a relationship

In cystic fibrosis (CF) prognosis concerning lung damage development is highly variable and difficult to predict. Mannan‐binding lectin (MBL) deficiency has been reported to be associated with poor outcome in CF lung disease. MBL is a recognition molecule of the MBL pathway of the complement system and is encoded by a gene characterized by a high degree of polymorphism. Some genotypes result in low serum concentrations of MBL. MBL‐associated serine protease 2 (MASP‐2) is another protein belonging to the MBL pathway. A mutation resulting in low levels of MASP‐2 in serum has been described recently. In the present study, 112 CF patients aged 4–54 years were investigated for MBL and MASP‐2 genotypes, serum levels of MBL and MASP‐2 and the MBL pathway function in serum. No correlation to reduced lung function or need for lung transplantation was seen, either for MBL deficiency, MASP‐2 gene mutation or reduced MBL pathway function. However, in the 27 patients colonized with Staphylococcus aureus, MBL‐deficient genotypes were associated with decreased lung function. As expected, MBL pathway function in serum was reduced both in MBL‐deficient patients and in patients carrying a mutant MASP‐2 allele. An unexpected finding was that CF patients had higher serum levels of MBL than healthy controls when corrected for MBL genotype. In conclusion, MBL pathway function was affected both by MBL and by MASP‐2 genotypes. However, MBL or MASP‐2 levels in serum did not affect the clinical outcome in the cohort of CF patients studied.
Spillover Effects of Community Uninsurance on Working-age Adults and Seniors: An Instrumental Variables Analysis

Background:Previous research suggests, but does not definitively establish, that a high level of uninsurance in a community may negatively affect access to and quality of health care for insured persons. Objective:To assess the effect of the level of uninsurance in a community on access to and satisfaction with care—an important dimension of quality—among insured persons. Research Design:The 1996 to 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component data linked to data from the Current Population Survey, Area Resource File, and the InterStudy Competitive Edge. Analyses include 86,928 insured adult respondents living in approximately 200 large metropolitan areas. Main Outcome Measures:Measures of whether an individual had a usual source of care, had any delay/difficulty obtaining needed care, used office-based services, used prescription drug services, and used any medical services, and measures of satisfaction with care. Results:Among privately insured adults, a higher community uninsurance rate resulted in a lower probability of having a usual source of care, having an office-based visit, having any medical expenditures, and reporting being satisfied with the quality of care provided by the usual source of care. A higher community uninsurance rate also led to a higher probability of reporting difficulty obtaining needed care. Among Medicare enrollees, a higher community uninsurance rate resulted in lower reported satisfaction with care and higher probability of experiencing difficulty or delay in getting needed care. Conclusions:Our results suggest substantial spillover effects of the community uninsurance rate on access to and satisfaction with health care among insured working-age adults and seniors. Consequently, new efforts to address the problem of the uninsured may bring significant benefits to persons who already have insurance.