Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Ubuntu strategies in contemporary South African culture

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The experiences of university students with a mood disorder

Mood disorders typically materialise in young adulthood, a life-stage when many enter university. However, Padron notes that few studies have examined the experiences of students with a mood disorder. The current study offers a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with five university students who had personal experience of such a disorder. Participants described how symptoms affected their academic and social experiences of university based around the themes of: Social and family support, Powerful symptoms, Stigma and labelling, and Inter-professional dynamic. It was concluded that stigma and lack of information prevented students from obtaining sufficient support, whilst the addition of key staff such as a university-wide mental health trainer is identified as a potential way forward to help such students negotiate the higher education environment.
Law: A Tool for Measuring Human Conduct and Socialization

This article seeks to examine the meaning and content of law as perceived by some scholars to aid in the determination of whether the primary aim of law is to measure human conduct and facilitate socialization. Law is a phenomenon that has attracted several and diverse definitions from different schools of thoughts. As a social phenomenon its definition seems to be dependent and influenced by the socio-cultural experiences of the relevant proponent and thus subjective. This article critically examines various definitions of law, in a bid to unravel the true and proper meaning of law. It shows that law is not merely a tool for enforcing orders of the state or a superior being but primarily a tool for measuring human conduct and socialization.
Transurethral and Lower Tract Procedures Photoselective Vaporization with KTP 180-W Green Laser for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Symptoms Secondary to Benign Prostatic Enlargement : Effectiveness and Safety at Midterm Follow-Up

Objectives: To determine safety, efficacy, and improvement in patient’s quality of life (QoL) with 180-W green light laser prostate photovaporization in medium-term follow-up. Methods: Observational descriptive analysis. All the patients who were treated with photoselective vaporization with potassium titanyl phosphate crystal 180-W green laser between January 2012 and February 2014 were included. The primary outcome was the change of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). A descriptive analysis was conducted. Statistic inference was made using nonparametric measurements according to the findings. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied to paired data. Finally, survival curves were used to determine the effectiveness. Results: Two hundred one subjects were included. The mean follow-up was 13.1 months (2–28). Prostate volume was 75.46 ml (30–240). Mean surgical time was 73.29 – 29.74 minutes, laser time was 44.27 – 21.03 minutes, and the mean energy used was 271.5 – 140.1 kJ. Postoperative indwelling catheter time was 15.81 – 8.87 hours. IPSS decreased 12.79 points, from 19.13 – 7.79 to 6.34 – 5.91 ( p = 0.0001). QoL question of the IPSS shows improvement from 4.16 to 1.27 ( p = 0.00001). In a maximum follow-up period of 28 months, 85.2% of patients showed an improvement of four points in IPSS. Visual scale of improvement perception showed an increase from 36.49 to 89.84 ( p = 0.0001). No major complications were reported. Conclusion: Prostate photoselective vaporization with a 180-W green light laser is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with lower urinary symptoms secondary to benign prostate enlargement.
Jamming game with incomplete information about the jammer

In the present work we deal with the concept of jamming with incomplete information about the jammer. We consider two scenarios. In the first one a jammer could be either present in the environment bringing extra background noise or absent. The user has only statistical knowledge about either presence or absence of the jammer. Namely, the user knows that in the environment only a natural background noise could be with probability γ meanwhile with probability 1 - γ a jammer could come into the action distributing an extra noise of the total power J among the channels. In the second scenario the user does not know exactly the total jamming power. Namely, the user knows that with probability γ it could be J1 and with probability 1 - γ it could be J2. All the problems are modelled as non-zero sum games. The equilibrium strategies are found in closed form.
Currently used dosage regimens of vancomycin fail to achieve therapeutic levels in approximately 40% of intensive care unit patients

Objective This study aimed to assess whether currently used dosages of vancomycin for treatment of serious gram-positive bacterial infections in intensive care unit patients provided initial therapeutic vancomycin trough levels and to examine possible factors associated with the presence of adequate initial vancomycin trough levels in these patients. Methods A prospective descriptive study with convenience sampling was performed. Nursing note and medical record data were collected from September 2013 to July 2014 for patients who met inclusion criteria. Eighty-three patients were included. Initial vancomycin trough levels were obtained immediately before vancomycin fourth dose. Acute kidney injury was defined as an increase of at least 0.3mg/dL in serum creatinine within 48 hours. Results Considering vancomycin trough levels recommended for serious gram-positive infection treatment (15 - 20µg/mL), patients were categorized as presenting with low, adequate, and high vancomycin trough levels (35 [42.2%], 18 [21.7%], and 30 [36.1%] patients, respectively). Acute kidney injury patients had significantly greater vancomycin trough levels (p = 0.0055, with significance for a trend, p = 0.0023). Conclusion Surprisingly, more than 40% of the patients did not reach an effective initial vancomycin trough level. Studies on pharmacokinetic and dosage regimens of vancomycin in intensive care unit patients are necessary to circumvent this high proportion of failures to obtain adequate initial vancomycin trough levels. Vancomycin use without trough serum level monitoring in critically ill patients should be discouraged.
An algorithm for discrete state sequence and trajectory optimization for hybrid systems with partitioned state space

An algorithm for hybrid optimal control is proposed that varies the discrete state sequence based on gradient information during the search for an optimal trajectory. The algorithm is developed for hybrid systems with partitioned state space. It uses a version of the hybrid minimum principle that allows optimal trajectories to pass through intersections of switching manifolds, which enables the algorithm to vary the sequence. Consequently, the combinatorial complexity of former algorithms can be avoided, since not each possible sequence has to be investigated separately anymore. The convergence of the algorithm is proven and a numerical example demonstrates the efficiency of the algorithm.
The role of MAP kinases in the induction of iNOS expression in neutrophils exposed to NDMA: the involvement transcription factors.

PURPOSE The role of MAP kinases in the activation of AP-1 (c-Jun, c-Fos) and NF-κB p65 engaged in the regulation of iNOS expression in human neutrophils (PMNs) exposed to N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was analyzed in the study. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included a group of 20 healthy individuals. Isolated human PMN were incubated in the presence of NDMA. Selective MAP kinases inhibitors were used. The expression of proteins in the cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions was assessed using Western blot method. RESULTS The results show that NDMA intensifies iNOS, c-Jun, NF-κB p65 and IκB-α expression in the analyzed PMNs. The blocking of the p38 pathway led to lower iNOS expression, and higher expression of c-Jun and c-Fos in the cytoplasmic fraction, and also lower c-Jun expression in the nuclear fraction of PMNs exposed to NDMA. A decrease in iNOS expression in the cytoplasmic fraction, and also c-Jun in both fractions of the examined cells, was observed as a result of JNK pathway inhibition. The blocking of the ERK5 pathway led to higher iNOS, c-Jun and c-Fos expression in the cytoplasmic fraction, and higher c-Jun expression in the nuclear fraction of PMNs exposed to NDMA. The study also demonstrated that blocking of the p38 and JNK pathways resulted in higher expression of NF-κB p65 and IκB-α in the cytoplasmic fraction and their lower expression in the nuclear fraction of these cells. CONCLUSION Our data indicate the role of MAP kinases p38 and JNK in the activation of c-Jun and NF-κB p65 transcription factors engaged in the regulation of iNOS expression in human neutrophils exposed to NDMA. However ERK5 kinase is not involved in the regulation of iNOS and NO production by those cells.
An Adaptive-Focus Deformable Model Using Statistical and Geometric Information

An active contour (snake) model is presented, with emphasis on medical imaging applications. There are three main novelties in the proposed model. First, an attribute vector is used to characterize the geometric structure around each point of the snake model; the deformable model then deforms in a way that seeks regions with similar attribute vectors. This is in contrast to most deformable models which deform to nearby edges without considering geometric structure, and it was motivated by the need to establish point-correspondences that have anatomical meaning. Second, an adaptive-focus statistical model has been suggested which allows the deformation of the active contour in each stage to be influenced primarily by the most reliable matches. Third, a deformation mechanism that is robust to local minima is proposed by evaluating the snake energy function on segments of the snake at a time, instead of individual points. Various experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Essays on Mobile Advertising and Commerce

The mobile industry holds the promise of increasing connectivity, productivity, and entertainment as mobile devices become ever more ubiquitous and powerful. Many of the market structures that enable mobile commerce are still under rapid development and afford us opportunities to ask new questions about market design. This thesis examines three such markets and mechanisms that drive advertising platforms and application stores for mobile commerce. In the first essay, I analyze a mobile web advertising auction that employs a proportional allocation rule in which advertisements are shown with frequencies proportional to the bids. Proportional allocation is used to address the space constraints of the mobile environment and the accompanying ad fatigue. I show that the second-price
Validation of the Mayo Sleep Questionnaire to screen for REM sleep behavior disorder in a community-based sample.

OBJECTIVE To validate a questionnaire focused on REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) in a community-based sample. BACKGROUND RBD is a parasomnia manifested by recurrent dream enactment behavior during REM sleep. While confirmation of RBD requires the presence of REM sleep without atonia on polysomnography (PSG), a screening measure for RBD validated in older adults would be desirable for clinical and research purposes. METHODS We had previously developed the Mayo Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ) to screen for the presence of RBD and other sleep disorders. We assessed the validity of the MSQ by comparing the responses of subjects' bed partners with the findings on PSG. All subjects recruited from 10/04 to 12/08 in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging--a population-based study of aging in Olmsted County, Minnesota--who had also undergone a previous PSG were the focus of this analysis. RESULTS The study sample included 128 subjects (104 male; median age 77 years [range 67-90]), with the following clinical diagnoses at baseline assessment: normal (n = 95), mild cognitive impairment (n = 30), and mild Alzheimer disease (n = 3). Nine (5%) subjects had RBD based on history and PSG evidence of REM sleep without atonia. The core question on recurrent dream enactment behavior yielded sensitivity (SN) of 100% and specificity (SP) of 95% for the diagnosis of RBD. The profile of responses on four additional subquestions on RBD improved specificity. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the MSQ has adequate SN and SP for the diagnosis of RBD among elderly subjects in a community-based sample.
Gender mix and organisational fit: how gender imbalance at different levels of the organisation impacts on women managers

This paper explores the impact of the numerical distribution of women at different levels of the organisation on the experiences of women managers. It aims to build on work in this area which argues that gender imbalance creates an organisational culture that is hostile or resistant to women. Findings of a research project on women managers, on the significance of gender mix for barriers experienced and on women’s sense of “organisational fit” are discussed. Gender mix was found to be an important factor determining career progress. The hierarchical level at which gender imbalances occur is also considered. When gender imbalance at the top (with men in the majority) is combined with greater sex integration further down the hierarchy, women experience greater “fit” within the organisation than when that gender imbalance permeates all management levels. At the same time, an integrated top management team in terms of gender mix is possibly the single most important factor in creating a culture in which women feel comfortable and valued
Time, Temporal Capability, and Planned Change

I propose four ideal types of planned change processes, each with distinct temporal and nontemporal assumptions, and each associated with altering a distinct organizational element. These types are commanding, engineering, teaching, and socializing. I then argue that large-scale change involves an alteration of multiple organizational elements, thus requiring enactment of multiple intervention ideal types. This requires change agents to display temporal capability skills to effectively sequence, time, pace, and combine various interventions.
Vertical stratification of the foliar fungal community in the world's tallest trees.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY The aboveground tissues of plants host numerous, ecologically important fungi, yet patterns in the spatial distribution of these fungi remain little known. Forest canopies in particular are vast reservoirs of fungal diversity, but intracrown variation in fungal communities has rarely been explored. Knowledge of how fungi are distributed throughout tree crowns will contribute to our understanding of interactions between fungi and their host trees and is a first step toward investigating drivers of community assembly for plant-associated fungi. Here we describe spatial patterns in fungal diversity within crowns of the world's tallest trees, coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). METHODS We took a culture-independent approach, using the Illumina MiSeq platform, to characterize the fungal assemblage at multiple heights within the crown across the geographical range of the coast redwood. KEY RESULTS Within each tree surveyed, we uncovered evidence for vertical stratification in the fungal community; different portions of the tree crown harbored different assemblages of fungi. We also report between-tree variation in the fungal community within redwoods. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest the potential for vertical stratification of fungal communities in the crowns of other tall tree species and should prompt future study of the factors giving rise to this stratification.
Is it possible to create a politically engaged, contextual psychology of disability?

Until recently disability studies has ignored questions regarding the psychological nature of oppression. Proponents of the social model have viewed such concerns as diversionary, diluting their emphasis on material and economic barriers to inclusion. This paper argues that the discipline’s role of reflecting and interrogating disablism will remain incomplete and lacking in transformative power without undertaking a psychological conceptualisation of disabled personhood. Some prior attempts at elaborating the social model to include the psychological realm have been presented; these are critiqued, and argued to lack truly psychological conceptualisation. Preliminary ideas regarding a proposed psychology of disablism are presented. The focus of this work will be the exploration of bi-directional links between disablist ideology and disabled subjectivity, operationalised through interpersonal and institutional processes of lifelong socialisation. Reflections towards development of the under-theorised notion of internalised oppression are presented. Conclusions are that a combination of critical psychoanalytic insights and the participatory methods of liberatory and feminist psychology hold promise in driving disability transformation.
Extracting Information from Experimental Software Engineering Papers

Experiments have been conducted to investigate analysis, design, implementation, testing, maintenance, quality assurance and reuse techniques, but, a body of evidence has not yet been built that enables a project manager to know with confidence what software processes produce what product characteristics and under what conditions. This paper extends an approach we proposed earlier to extract information from papers so that systematically analyzing results from several papers is possible. It also describes an in-vitro experiment we did with graduate students to validate the approach. The results show that the approach is feasible and can be taught to less experienced researchers.
Routing with packet duplication and elimination in computer networks

Packet duplication is discussed as a means of increasing network reliability in an environment where packet loss exists. Several methods of routing the duplicates are presented, one of which-the st-numbering-is shown to have the combined advantage of using disjoint paths and more even utilization of network resources. An additional mechanism, deliberate packet elimination, is introduced as a means of controlling congestion that may result, in part, from the duplication. A comprehensive model is defined encompassing the process of packet duplication together with both forms of packet elimination. Within this model, a cost function based on average packet delay is defined. A quasi-static distributed algorithm is developed that is optimal, deadlock free, and loop free. Extension of the model to include packet retransmission is considered. >
Towards Integrating Java EE into ProtoCom

A key concept of model-driven software development is the transforma- tion of models into other models or source code. ProtoCom is such a transformation that generates a performance prototype from a Palladio Component Model (PCM) in- stance by means of a model-to-text transformation. The actual supported platform, on which the PCM instance is mapped, is Java SE. Even though related work suggests that multiple platforms should be supported, their concrete integration into ProtoCom is only conceptual. For instance, Java EE has been investigated as a possible target platform, however, ProtoCom lacks its integration as well as the consideration of the current Java EE standard. Therefore, we provide a novel conceptual mapping from PCM to Java EE, thus, allowing to implement a transformation that realizes the map- ping. As basis for this implementation, we also provide an initial Java EE reference implementation of a simple example PCM model.
A very tangled knot: Official state socialist women’s organizations, women’s agency and feminism in Eastern European state socialism

This article discusses some current research claims on gender and state socialism in Eastern Europe from 1945 to 1989. It raises questions about claims by Revisionist Feminist Scholars that official state socialist women’s organizations were ‘agents’ on behalf of women, or women’s movements, perhaps feminist, and not ‘transmission belts’ of communist parties. State socialist policies are described as ‘friendly towards women’ and ‘pro-women’. In contrast, the author claims that these organizations both were and were not agents on behalf of women, and also prevented women’s agency. Meaningful women’s agency is not actually shown to occur intermittently throughout their history, but in two contexts – before 1955 or in moments of political rupture. Scholars do not distinguish the who, when, and what – Who could be agents? When could they be agents? And what kind of agents could they be? State policies, the author claims, were also at one and the same time ‘friendly’ and ‘unfriendly’ towards women, sometimes harming women. The author explores why this research is happening now, discussing research on Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the Democratic Women’s Organization of Germany (DFD), the Democratic Association of Hungarian Women (MNDSZ), later renamed MNOT, the Romanian National Council of Women (CNF) and the Yugoslav Anti-Fascist Women’s Organization (AFZ).
SOUND AND SENSIBILITY. PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS BRIDGING PHENOMENA AND CONCEPTS

This paper reports from a 2 year empirical study of pre-service science teachers exploring the phenomenon of sound. The research design is based on the phenomenological approach to science education, starting from careful descriptions of phenomena as experienced before introducing scientific concepts. The purpose of our study is to explore how science teachers conceive the relation between a phenomenon as experienced and described and the scientific concepts explaining it. How do they experience a particular sound phenomenon, and how do they link these experiences with scientific concepts when planning a lesson? Data were generated by involving them in listening and describing a sound, then planning and presenting a lesson which linked these descriptions to scientific concepts on sound. The results show that the science end of the bridges established by pre-service science teachers was wider in the sense of being quantitatively more prevalent in their planned lessons than that end of the bridge which rested in sense perceptual lifeworld experience. The majority of participants presented lesson plans based on an illustrative- deductive approach. A minority based their plans on a genetic-inductive approach; starting from experience and proceeding to scientific concepts. This was in spite of the fact that non- scientific, more or less imaginative associations were more prevalent in the rich picture of the described sound phenomenon. This conclusion points to the need for science teachers to develop courage to use their own and their students' immediate perceptual experiences as "raw material" for building that end of the bridge which rests in the perceptual lifeworld of our common human experience.