Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sociological criminology and youth justice: Comparative policy analysis and academic intervention

This article is presented in two interconnected parts. It addresses issues that have arguably received insufficient attention in most sociologically oriented criminological research and commentary on youth justice and related policy and practice developments, both within the UK jurisdictions and in wider international contexts. First, it highlights the need to recognize the complexities of comparative policy analysis at international, national, regional and local levels. Second, in the light of such complexity, the article attempts to explore the challenges confronting social science in general and sociological criminology in particular, in efforts to critically inform policymaking processes. In conclusion, it is suggested that the possibilities for vibrant, critical and publicly engaged academic intervention in the youth justice policy sphere rest upon the mobilization of theoretically and empirically based analyses, together with research-informed proposals for policy formation and practice development.
Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice: The Case of Administrative Policy

The discipline of public administration could play a more constructive role in the field of administrative policy if the gap between empirical-theoretical research and the professional role of political scientists in governments were bridged. This article outlines an instrumental or “action-oriented” model which provides a theoretical framework through which to focus on formal organizational, demographic and physical structures of institutions as the possible instruments, or “steering factors” in organizational design. The model emphasizes empirical observations of the relationships between the instrumental indendent) variables and actual decision behavior (dependent variables). The author draws on studies conducted in the central governments of several countries.
N-Type Calcium Channels in the Developing Rat Hippocampus: Subunit, Complex, and Regional Expression

The expression of multiple classes of voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) allows neurons to tailor calcium signaling to functionally discrete cellular regions. In the developing hippocampus a central issue is whether the expression of VDCC subtypes plays a role in key phases such as migration and synaptogenesis. Using radioligand binding and immunoblotting, we show that some N-type VDCCs exist before birth, consistent with a role in migration; however, most N-VDCC subunit expression is postnatal, coinciding with synaptogenesis. Immunoprecipitation studies indicate that the increased expression of N-VDCCs in early development occurs without subunit switching because there is no change in the fraction of β3 subunits in the N-VDCC α1B–β3 heteromers. Fluorescence imaging of cell surface N-VDCCs during this period reveals that N-VDCCs are expressed on somata before dendrites and that this expression is asynchronous between different subfields of the hippocampus (CA3–CA4 before CA1–CA2 and dentate gyrus). Our data argue that N-VDCC expression is an important cue in the genesis of synaptic transmission in discrete hippocampal subfields.
The marketing strategies of universities in the United Kingdom

Universities in the UK are facing huge changes to their environment, in terms of both supply of funding and level of demand for their courses. One of the most dramatic recent changes has been the alteration in status of the former polytechnics to fully fledged universities. In order to find out how both old and new universities are responding to this rapidly changing environment, we sent questionnaires to a number of senior staff. Based on 131 responses (81 from old universities, 50 from new), we have been able to paint a picture of how marketing is undertaken in these two segments. We report on how these institutions perceive their marketing task, and also the extent to which these two traditionally different sectors agree on the role marketing plays in their sector. Our research clearly indicates these two groups of institutions have fundamentally different approaches to operationalising their marketing strategies.
A VHDL application for kinematic equation solutions of multi-degree-of-freedom systems

As kinematic calculations are complicated, it takes a long time and is difficult to get the desired accurate result with a single processor in real-time motion control of multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) systems. Another calculation unit is needed, especially with the increase in the degree of freedom. The main central processing unit (CPU) has additional loads because of numerous motion elements which move independently from each other and their closed-loop controls. The system designed is also complicated because there are many parts and cabling. This paper presents the design and implementation of a hardware that will provide solutions to these problems. It is realized using the Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This hardware is designed for a six-legged robot and has been working with servo motors controlled via the serial port. The hardware on FPGA calculates the required joint angles for the feet positions received from the serial port and sends the calculated angels to the servo motors via the serial port. This hardware has a co-processor for the calculation of kinematic equations and can be used together with the equipment that would reduce the electromechanical mess. It is intended to be used as a tool which will accelerate the transition from design to application for robots.
DNA mismatch repair enzyme activity and gene expression in prostate cancer.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) of short repetitive sequences in human chromosomal DNA can result from defective DNA mismatch repair function in tumor cells. We hypothesize that DNA mismatch repair (MMR) activity is down-regulated during prostatic carcinogenesis. To test this hypothesis, MMR activities and mismatch repair-related genes were analyzed in five different prostate cancer cell lines. Our results demonstrate that MMR activities were decreased as compared to MMR proficient HeLa cells. Interestingly, LNCaP, PC-3 and DU145 had much lower MMR activities as compared to DUPro and TSUPr1. The MMR-related genes (hMLH1, hPMS1, hPMS2, hMSH2, hMSH3, hMSH6) showed mRNA transcripts in all prostate cancer cell lines. However, Western blotting showed decreased or absent hMLH1 protein expression in PC-3, DU145, DUPro and TSUPr1 cells. Similarly, the hMSH2 protein expression was low or absent in DU145 and LNCaP cells. This is the first report that demonstrates decreased MMR activities is associated with low expression of hMLH1, hMSH2 and other MMR-related proteins in prostate cancer.
A NOR Emulation Strategy over NAND Flash Memory

This work is motivated by a strong market demand in the replacement of NOR flash memory with NAND flash memory to cut down the cost in many embedded-system designs, such as mobile phones. Different from LRU-related caching or buffering studies, we are interested in prediction-based prefetching based on given execution traces of application executions. An implementation strategy is proposed in the storage of the prefetching information with limited SRAM and run-time overheads. An efficient prediction procedure is presented based on information extracted from application executions to reduce the performance gap between NAND flash memory and NOR flash memory in reads. With the behavior of a target application extracted from a set of collected traces, we show that data access to NOR flash memory can be responded effectively over the proposed implementation.
Cancellation of Feedthrough Dynamics Using a Force-Reflecting Joystick

This paper reports on a set of theoretical and experimental investigations into the use of force reflection to enhance the dynamic behavior of human piloted vehicles, especially joystick-controlled vehicles such as fly-by-wire jets, bulldozers, and powered wheelchairs. Briefly, force reflection is used in the manual controls to cancel the effects of feedthrough dynamics. Feed-through dynamics refers to generation of inadvertent steering or speed command inputs due to the action of inertia forces between the pilot’s hand and manual controls. These inertia forces arise in the pilot’s body in response to vehicle accelerations. To eliminate feedthrough dynamics, a canceling force is produced on the force-reflecting joystick using a model of the pilot dynamics and the known vehicle accelerations. A custom motion platform and a commercial force-reflecting joystick are used in a set of experiments to test the idea. Parameter values for an assumed model are estimated by observing the response of the pilot’s body to known platform accelerations. Cancellation of feedthrough dynamics is demonstrated for a human subject.
Response to selection from using identified genes and quadratic indices in two-traits breeding goals

Benefits from the use of optimised selection for maximising genetic gain while constraining the rate of inbreeding were evaluated through stochastic simulation for scenarios where the breeding goal includes two negatively correlated traits. One of the traits was controlled only by polygenes and had a heritability of 0.3 while the other trait was controlled by an identified additive biallelic QTL (with an initial allele frequency of 0.15) and by polygenes and had a polygenic heritability of 0.1. Optimised selection was compared to standard truncation selection both when the information on the QTL was used and when it was ignored. Extra gains in the breeding goal were observed throughout the 10 simulated generations from the combined use of optimised contributions and QTL information although, as expected, this scheme was not the most effective for improving individual traits. By generation ten, the gain in the aggregate breeding value with optimised selection was about 12% higher than with truncation selection. Optimised selection allowed extra polygenic responses in both traits but these extra responses were negative for the trait under mixed inheritance. The use of the QTL allowed not only positive gains in the trait with the lowest heritability, but also avoided the loss of the favourable allele. The effect of selecting for the QTL on each trait depended on its relative weight in the selection index and not exclusively on the inheritance model.
Perception and the problem of access to other minds

In opposition to mainstream theory of mind approaches, some contemporary perceptual accounts of social cognition do not consider the central question of social cognition to be the problem of access to other minds. These perceptual accounts draw heavily on phenomenological philosophy and propose that others' mental states are “directly” given in the perception of the others' expressive behavior. Furthermore, these accounts contend that phenomenological insights into the nature of social perception lead to the dissolution of the access problem. We argue, on the contrary, that the access problem is a genuine problem that must be addressed by any account of social cognition, perceptual or non-perceptual, because we cannot cast the access problem as a false problem without violating certain fundamental intuitions about other minds. We elaborate the fundamental intuitions as three constraints on any theory of social perception: the Immediacy constraint; the Transcendence constraint; and the Accessibility constraint. We conclude with an outline of an account of perceiving other minds that meets the three constraints.
Targeting CD38 Suppresses Induction and Function of T Regulatory Cells to Mitigate Immunosuppression in Multiple Myeloma

Purpose: We study CD38 levels in immunosuppressive CD4+CD25highFoxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) and further define immunomodulating effects of a therapeutic CD38 mAb isatuximab/SAR650984 in multiple myeloma. Experimental Design: We evaluated percentages of CD38-expressing subsets in Tregs from normal donors and multiple myeloma patients. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were then treated with isatuximab with or without lenalidomide or pomalidomide to identify their impact on the percentage and immunosuppressive activity of Tregs on CD4+CD25− T cells (Tcons). We investigated the mechanism of increased Tregs in multiple myeloma patients in ex vivo cocultures of multiple myeloma cells with PBMCs or Tcons. Results: CD38 expression is higher on Tregs than Tcons from multiple myeloma patients versus normal donors. CD38 levels and the percentages of CD38high Tregs are increased by lenalidomide and pomalidomide. Isatuximab preferentially decreases Treg and increases Tcon frequencies, which is enhanced by pomalidomide/lenalidomide. Isatuximab reduces Foxp3 and IL10 in Tregs and restores proliferation and function of Tcons. It augments multiple myeloma cell lysis by CD8+ T and natural killer cells. Coculture of multiple myeloma cells with Tcons significantly induces Tregs (iTregs), which express even higher CD38, CD25, and FoxP3 than natural Tregs. This is associated with elevated circulating CD38+ Tregs in multiple myeloma patients versus normal donors. Conversely, isatuximab decreases multiple myeloma cell- and bone marrow stromal cell–induced iTreg by inhibiting both cell–cell contact and TGFβ/IL10. Finally, CD38 levels correlate with differential inhibition by isatuximab of Tregs from multiple myeloma versus normal donors. Conclusions: Targeting CD38 by isatuximab can preferentially block immunosuppressive Tregs and thereby restore immune effector function against multiple myeloma. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4290–300. ©2017 AACR.
Bacterial Contamination of Blood Components

SUMMARY Blood for transfusion is a potential source of infection by a variety of known and unknown transmissible agents. Over the last 20 years, astounding reductions in the risk of viral infection via allogeneic blood have been achieved. As a result of this success, bacterial contamination of blood products has emerged as the greatest residual source of transfusion-transmitted disease. This paper summarizes the current status of detection, prevention, and elimination of bacteria in blood products for transfusion.
Bias Dependence of Gate Oxide Degradation of 90 nm CMOS Transistors Under 60 MeV Proton Irradiation

This paper reports on the radiation response of 90 nm CMOS transistors to a high fluence (3times1012 p/cm2) of ~60 MeV protons. A pronounced dependence on the gate bias VGS during the exposure has been noted for the n-channel devices: while no degradation of the input and output characteristics is found for VGS=0 V and a modest degradation for floating gate conditions, a catastrophic failure can be observed when a positive gate bias of 1.2 V is applied. This behavior is found for devices with a physical gate oxide thickness of 1.5 and 2 nm and appears to be more pronounced for larger area transistors. As will be shown, the breakdown site is connected with either the source-to-gate or drain-to-gate junction, whereby the latter leads to a complete loss of functionality of the transistors. However, some of the biased nMOSFETs survive the high-energy proton exposure without degradation. A model will be proposed, explaining the gate oxide breakdown in terms of pre-existing defect sites at the source or drain junctions which develop into breakdown sites under biased irradiation
Using Ethnic Bonds in Self-Employment and the Issue of Social Capital

This paper considers the role of ethnic bonds as social capital. We use three family case studies of entrepreneurs from minority ethnic groups in the food sector in the UK to explore the complex uses of ethnicity in the pursuit of a better social and economic position. We also consider the ways in which ethnicity and ethnic bonds are often understood and used differently across gender and generation. Although the uses of ethnic bonds are multidimensional and contextual, and at times function to help actors cope with marginality, we argue that they are resources which do not usefully function as social capital unless they additionally provide ways of compensating for structural forms of disadvantage.
Enteric neural crest‐derived cells: Origin, identification, migration, and differentiation

Neurons and glial cells forming the enteric nervous system (ENS) arise from neural crest cells that migrate away from two different rostrocaudal levels of the neural axis, the vagal and sacral regions. The vagal region is defined as the post-otic hindbrain level with somites 1–7 (Le Douarin, 1982), and the sacral region is caudal to somite 28 in chick embryos and caudal to somite 24 in embryonic mice.
Inhibition of Notch rescues the angiogenic potential impaired by cardiovascular risk factors in epicardial adipose stem cells

The epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a reservoir of adipose‐derived stem cells (ASCs), with as yet unknown effects on myocardial and coronary arteries homeostasis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the angiogenic function of epicardial ASCs and their regulation by the common cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) affecting heart disease. Epicardial fat was obtained from a rodent model with clustering of CVRFs [Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF)‐Leprfa] rats and from their lean control (ZDF‐Crl) littermates without CVRFs, ASCs were isolated, and their function was assessed by proliferation and differentiation assays, flow cytometry, gene expression, and in vivo Matrigel angiogenesis analysis. Epicardial ASCs from both groups showed adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation capacity; however, epicardial ASCs from CVRF animals had a lesser ability to form tubular structures in vitro after endothelial differentiation, as well as a reduced angiogenic potential in vivo compared to control animals. Epicardial ASCs from CVRF rats showed up‐regulation of the downstream Notch signaling genes Hes7, Hey1, and Heyl compared with control animals. The inhibition of Notch signaling by conditioning epicardial ASCs from CVRF animals with a γ‐secretase inhibitor induced a reduction in Hes/Hey gene expression and rescued their angiogenic function in vivo. We report for the first time the impact of CVRF burden on the ASCs of EAT and that the defective function is in part caused by increased Notch signaling. Conditioning ASCs by blocking Notch signaling rescues their angiogenic potential. —Bejar, M. T. , Ferrer‐Lorente, R. , Peña, E. , Badimon, L. Inhibition of Notch rescues the angiogenic potential impaired by cardiovascular risk factors in epicardial adipose stem cells. FASEB J. 30, 2849‐2859 (2016). www.fasebj. org
Social influence in group recommender systems

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach to generate recommendations for groups on the basis of social factors extracted from a social network. Group recommendation techniques traditionally assumed users were independent individuals, ignoring the effects of social interaction and relationships among users. In this work the authors analyse the social factors available in social networks in the light of sociological theories which endorse individuals’ susceptibility to influence within a group. Design/methodology/approach – The approach proposed is based on the creation of a group model in two stages: identifying the items that are representative of the majority's preferences, and analysing members’ similarity; and extracting potential influence from members’ interactions in a social network to predict a group's opinion on each item. Findings – The promising results obtained when evaluating the approach in the movie domain suggest that individual opinions tend to be accommodated to grou.
Safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment of acutely ruptured aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE To study the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment of acutely ruptured aneurysms with Guglielmi detachable coils. METHODS From August 1992 until December 1995, 75 patients were referred for endovascular treatment of acutely ruptured aneurysms. There were 49 women and 26 men, with a mean age of 55 years. Patients were classified according to the Hunt and Hess grading system. There were 18 Grade I patients (24%), 13 Grade II patients (17%), 30 Grade III patients (40%), 11 Grade IV patients (15%), and 3 Grade V patients (4%). Fifty patients (66%) were treated within 48 hours, and 64 (85%) were treated within 1 week of hemorrhage. The most frequently treated aneurysms were located at the basilar bifurcation (32%), anterior communicating artery (16%), posterior communicating artery (15%), and ophthalmic segment of the carotid artery (11%). Most of the aneurysms were smaller than 15 mm (77%). Fifty-six percent of the aneurysms had small (4 mm) necks, and 44% had wide (> 4 mm) necks. Clinical follow-up was performed at 6 months, and results were classified according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Control angiograms were performed immediately, at 6 months, and yearly thereafter. RESULTS Immediate angiographic results were considered to be satisfactory in 58 patients (77%) (complete obliteration, 40%; residual neck and dog ear, 37%). Technical failures occurred in 5 patients (7%), and 12 patients experienced some residual opacification of their aneurysms (16%). The procedure-related mortality and morbidity rate was 8%. At 6 months, the outcomes were as follows: GOS score of 1, 50 patients (66.7%); GOS score of 2, 4 patients (5.3%); GOS score of 3, 4 patients (5.3%); and GOS score of 5, 17 patients (22.7%). The main causes of death and disability at 6 months were the direct effect of the initial hemorrhage (9%), delayed ischemia (6.7%), subsequent bleeding (4%), intraprocedural rupture (4%), open surgical complications (3%), and unrelated deaths (4%). Six-month angiographic follow-up data were available for 50 patients (67%). The morphological results were considered to be satisfactory in 44 of these 50 patients (88%) (complete occlusion, 46%; residual neck or dog ear, 42%). CONCLUSION Endovascular treatment of acutely ruptured aneurysms was attempted without clinically significant complication in 92% of the patients. The morphological results were unsatisfactory in 23% of the patients. Complete obliteration of the sac, with or without residual neck, is essential to prevent subsequent bleeding, which occurred in 5% of the patients. The overall outcome at 6 months was similar to that of surgical series, despite a selected group of patients with negative prognostic factors.
Toward Vignette-Based Story Generation for Drama Management Systems

Drama management is a technique by which a virtual world and computer-controlled characters within the virtual world are manipulated in order to bring about a dramatic experience for the human participant. Generative drama management systems use artificial intelligence to dynamically generate new story content in order to adapt to the participant. Story generation poses many challenges, one of which is ensuring that story content that is generated is good. In the absence of computational models of story aesthetics, we present an approach to story generation that makes use a library of vignettes – short narrative segments – that are presupposed to be “good. ” We introduce a story planning algorithm inspired by case-based reasoning that incorporates vignettes into the story being generated. The story planning algorithm requires that vignettes be in the appropriate domain. We further describe an approach for automatically translating vignettes from one domain to another, using analogical reasoning.