Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Social Rejection of Former Mental Patients: Understanding Why Labels Matter

Recent research shows that the crucial factor determining the rejection of former mental patients is their behavior rather than their stigmantized status. The study reported here, based on a vignette experiment (with a design that varies patient status with the nature of behavior), challenges this conclusion. Like previous research, it indicates that a simple assessment of labelings shows little effect on a social distance scale. However, when a measure of perceived dangerousness of mental patients is introduced, strong labeling effects emerge. Specifically, the data reveal that the lable of "previous hospitalization" fosters high social distance among those who perceive mental patients to be dangerous and low social distance among those who do not see patients as a threat. It appears that past investigators have missed these effects because they have averaged excessively lenient responses with excessively rejecting ones. This suggests that labels play an important role in how former mental patients are perceived and that labeling theory should not be dismissed as a framework for understanding social factors in mental illness.
A high-performance fault-tolerant software framework for memory on commodity GPUs

As GPUs are increasingly used to accelerate HPC applications by allowing more flexibility and programmability, their fault tolerance is becoming much more important than before when they were used only for graphics. The current generation of GPUs, however, does not have standard error detection and correction capabilities, such as SEC-DED ECC for DRAM, which is almost always exercised in HPC servers. We present a high-performance software framework to enhance commodity off-the-shelf GPUs with DRAM fault tolerance. It combines data coding for detecting bit-flip errors and checkpointing for recovering computations when such errors are detected. We analyze performance of data coding in GPUs and present optimizations geared toward memory-intensive GPU applications. We present performance studies of the prototype implementation of the framework and show that the proposed framework can be realized with negligible overheads in compute intensive applications such as N-body problem and matrix multiplication, and as low as 35% in a highly-efficient memory intensive 3-D FFT kernel.
Atorvastatin Restores the Impaired Vascular Endothelium-dependent Relaxations Mediated by Nitric Oxide and Endothelium-derived Hyperpolarizing Factors but Not Hypotension in Sepsis

Sepsis has been reported to impair endothelium-dependent vasodilations mediated by nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). Although some studies demonstrate that statins can improve NO-mediated response in septic animals, little is known about its effect on the EDHF response. The present study examined the effects of atorvastatin pretreatment on sepsis-induced endothelial dysfunctions and hypotension in rats. Eighteen hours after the induction of sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture, thoracic aorta and second generation pulmonary arteries were isolated to examine acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent dilations mediated by NO and EDHF, respectively. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression for endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) was done by real-time polymerase chain reaction. NO was measured as nitrate/nitrite release using Griess method. Mean arterial pressure was measured by the invasive method. Sepsis significantly decreased (26%) the relaxation response to acetylcholine in the rat aorta. It also markedly inhibited the eNOS mRNA expression and acetylcholine-stimulated NO release in this vessel. Pretreatment of the rats with atorvastatin (10 mg/kg, orally) 48, 24, and 2 hours before induction of sepsis preserved acetylcholine-induced relaxation, eNOS mRNA expression, acetylcholine-stimulated NO release, and attenuated increase in the inducible NO synthase mRNA expression and basal NO production in the aorta. The maximal EDHF response mediated by acetylcholine was 25.30% ± 3.00% in the pulmonary artery. Sepsis abolished this response but atorvastatin restored it (22.55% ± 2.50%). Atorvastatin, however, failed to prevent sepsis-induced hypotension. These results suggest that atorvastatin can restore impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilations mediated by NO and EDHF but not hypotension in sepsis.
A User-Controlled Lightpath Provisioning System for Grid Optical Networks

Grid applications require a network to transport data between geographically distributed sites. The key characteristics of grid networks include adaptability, scalability, heterogeneity, the ability to span different administrative domains, and the support for various QoS levels. Our design objective is to support continuous large traffic flows between a set of known remote sites. We provision dedicated optical connections directly between end user premises. A solution is provided for end users to compose their virtual private networks by using network resources from different suppliers. Our network control mechanism is based on granting end users access to the management interfaces of network elements. End users can reconfigure the route and bandwidth of connections without carrier interventions. In this paper, we propose layered network management architecture for Grid optical networks. An overview of the design of a user-controlled lightpath provisioning system is presented
Engaging the Refugee Community of Greater Western Sydney.

This paper discusses the community engagement program, Refugee Action Support (RAS) at the University of Western Sydney. RAS is a partnership program between the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation, The NSW Department of Education and Training and the university. The Refugee Action Support program prepares pre-service teachers to teach and work with marginalised students in greater Western Sydney, a region of social and educational disadvantage. RAS enables young, newly arrived refugees in greater Western Sydney to develop socially as well as academically. While refugee students may be keen to engage with the regular academic and social practices within classrooms and schools, they face a dilemma in meeting the language and literacy expectations within particular curriculum content and in relation to particular pedagogical strategies. For teachers working with students in these contexts this poses tensions as they struggle to create conditions in which students can participate in mainstream classrooms, and at the same time meet these students' academic, social and linguistic needs. RAS acts as a catalyst for the rebuilding of a new social and educational world through literacy acculturation. Tutors, equipped with the skills to work with disadvantaged students are more effective in teaching content to diverse students and are more effective in assisting students to demonstrate proficiency in syllabus outcomes because they are able to appreciate the complexities faced by the second language learner in the mainstream high school. The partnership program is very important in ensuring that every person working with the refugee students knows his or her role in order to maximise and accelerate learning for these students.
Strength of TCR–Peptide/MHC Interactions and In Vivo T Cell Responses

The TCR can detect subtle differences in the strength of interaction with peptide/MHC ligand and transmit this information to influence downstream events in T cell responses. Manipulation of the factor commonly referred to as TCR signal strength can be achieved by changing the amount or quality of peptide/MHC ligand. Recent work has enhanced our understanding of the many variables that contribute to the apparent cumulative strength of TCR stimulation during immunogenic and tolerogenic T cell responses. In this review, we consider data from in vitro studies in the context of in vivo immune responses and discuss in vivo consequences of manipulation of strength of TCR stimulation, including influences on T cell–APC interactions, the magnitude and quality of the T cell response, and the types of fate decisions made by peripheral T cells.
Bayesian Methods in Graphics

Within this talk I shall describe some of the work I have been involved with at Microsoft Research Cambridge on Bayesian methods. In particular I will cover the application of Bayesian methods to certain problems relating to the field of Computer Graphics. Bayesian methods provide a rational way of making inference about problems; including learning parameters that are so often set by hand, and the incorporation of prior knowledge. The particular problems I shall address are (a) image cut out, (b) new view synthesis, (c) motion capture of articulated objects (e.g. hands) for driving avatars, (d) general 3D reconstruction. In all of these problems I hope to demonstrate that the Bayesian approach leads to new insights and methodologies that improve on existing methods.
Oxygen Sensing : Life and Death of a Cell Hypoxic preconditioning protects human brain endothelium from ischemic apoptosis by Akt-dependent survivin activation

Zhang Y, Park TS, Gidday JM. Hypoxic preconditioning protects human brain endothelium from ischemic apoptosis by Akt-dependent survivin activation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 292: H2573–H2581, 2007. First published March 2, 2007; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.01098. 2006. —Preconditioning-induced ischemic tolerance is well documented in the brain, but cell-specific responses and mechanisms require further elucidation. The aim of this study was to develop an in vitro model of ischemic tolerance in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) and to examine the roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)/Akt and the inhibitor-ofapoptosis protein, survivin, in the ability of hypoxic preconditioning (HP) to protect endothelium from apoptotic cell death. Cultured HBMECs were subjected to HP, followed 16 h later by complete oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) for 8 h; cell viability was quantified at 20 h of reoxygenation (RO) by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. HBMECs were examined at various times after HP or OGD/RO using immunoblotting and confocal laser scanning immunofluorescence microscopy for appearance of apoptotic markers and expression of phosphorylated (p)-Akt and p-survivin. Causal evidence for the participation of the PI3kinase/Akt pathway in HP-induced protection and p-survivin upregulation was assessed by the PI3-kinase inhibitor LY-294002. HP significantly reduced OGD/RO-induced injury by 50% and also significantly reduced the OGD-induced translocation of apoptosisinducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to nucleus and the concomitant cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1). PI3kinase inhibition blocked HP-induced increases in Akt phosphorylation, reversed the effects of HP on OGD-induced AIF translocation and PARP-1 cleavage, blocked HP-induced survivin phosphorylation, and ultimately attenuated HP-induced protection of HBMECs from OGD. Thus HP promotes an antiapoptotic phenotype in HBMECs, in part by activating survivin via the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway. Survivin and other phosphorylation products of p-Akt may be therapeutic targets to protect cerebrovascular endothelium from apoptotic injury following cerebral ischemia.
A Mobile Phone App to Stimulate Daily Physical Activity in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Development, Feasibility, and Pilot Studies

Background Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) demonstrate reduced levels of daily physical activity (DPA) compared to healthy controls. This results in a higher risk of hospital admission and shorter survival. Performing regular DPA reduces these risks. Objective To develop an eHealth intervention that will support patients with COPD to improve or maintain their DPA after pulmonary rehabilitation. Methods The design process consisted of literature research and the iterative developing and piloting phases of the Medical Research Council (MRC) model for complex clinical interventions and the involvement of end users. Participants were healthy adults and persons with COPD. Results The mobile phone interface met all the set requirements. Participants found that the app was stimulating and that reaching their DPA goals was rewarding. The mean (SD) scores on a 7-point scale for usability, ease of use, ease of learning, and contentment were 3.8 (1.8), 5.1 (1.1), 6.0 (1.6), and 4.8 (1.3), respectively. The mean (SD) correlation between the mobile phone and a validated accelerometer was 0.88 (0.12) in the final test. The idea of providing their health care professional with their DPA data caused no privacy issues in the participants. Battery life lasted for an entire day with the final version, and readability and comprehensibility of text and colors were favorable. Conclusions By employing a user-centered design approach, a mobile phone was found to be an adequate and feasible interface for an eHealth intervention. The mobile phone and app are easy to learn and use by patients with COPD. In the final test, the accuracy of the DPA measurement was good. The final version of the eHealth intervention is presently being tested by our group for efficacy in a randomized controlled trial in COPD patients.
An Exploration of the Alienation Experienced by African American Parents From Their Children’s Educational Environment

Current research suggests that parents are a key component to the school success of their children. However, in today’s world, parents often work long hours, have more than one job, and participate in multiple responsibilities that may limit their participation. Because of the variety of factors that impinge on parents, educators often criticize them for their nonparticipation or limited participation in the school environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of alienation, if any, that African American parents feel toward public education. A modified version of the Barriers to School Involvement Survey was administered to 421 African American parents. The questionnaire was factored into five problem categories for analysis (e.g., personal concerns, work, lack of interest, logistics, teacher/parent relationships). Although significance was found among the five problem categories and across the six research questions (e.g., problem categories, employment status, economics, special education vs. general education, family composition, and parent education levels), the findings indicate that parents did not view the five problem categories as a concern impacting their school involvement.
Les classes populaires dans un espace social à deux dimensions

Umfragen, Wahlen und Demokratie ; Vom Augenblick ihrer Einfuhrung an hat die Praxis der Meinungsumfragen im politischen System ebensowohl positive wie negative Reaktionen gezeitigt. Ihren Befurwortern zufolge gestatteten Meinungsumfragen ein besseres Funktionieren des demokratischen Lebens, weil sie imstande sind, die offentliche Meinung genauestens zu erfassen, wohingegen es sich fur deren Gegner blos entweder um eine moderne Technik politischer Manipulation, oder auf der anderen Seite um eine wissenschaftlich auserst zweifelhafte Art der Erhebung handele. Die jungste franzosische Prasidentschaftswahl war durch die Allgegenwart von Umfragen im Vorwahlzeitraum und einer nicht weniger lebhaften, darauf gerichteten Kritik gekennzeichnet. Zum Verstandnis der Beharrlichkeit dieser Debatte ist - auserhalb des engeren technischen Bereichs - der Umstand zu berucksichtigen, das durch die Diskussionen uber Meinungsumfragen in Wahrheit eine bestimmte Vorstellung des legitimen politischen Kampfes und daruber hinaus eine bestimmte Demokratieidee auf dem Spiel stehen. In der Tat wird der in demokratischen Systemen zuinnerst herrschende Widerspruch durch Meinungsumfragen in eklatanter Form ans Tageslicht gebracht.
Uniform generation of RNA pseudoknot structures with genus filtration

In this paper we present a sampling framework for RNA structures of fixed topological genus. We introduce a novel, linear time, uniform sampling algorithm for RNA structures of fixed topological genus g, for arbitrary g > 0. Furthermore we develop a linear time sampling algorithm for RNA structures of fixed topological genus g that are weighted by a simplified, loop-based energy functional. For this process the partition function of the energy functional has to be computed once, which has O(n 2 ) time complexity.
Evaluation of clinically translatable MR imaging biomarkers of therapeutic response in the TH-MYCN transgenic mouse model of neuroblastoma.

PURPOSE To evaluate noninvasive and clinically translatable magnetic resonance (MR) imaging biomarkers of therapeutic response in the TH-MYCN transgenic mouse model of aggressive, MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS All experiments were performed in accordance with the local ethical review panel and the UK Home Office Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 and with the UK National Cancer Research Institute guidelines for the welfare of animals in cancer research. Multiparametric MR imaging was performed of abdominal tumors found in the TH-MYCN model. T2-weighted MR imaging, quantitation of native relaxation times T1 and T2, the relaxation rate R2*, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging were used to monitor tumor response to cyclophosphamide (25 mg/kg), the vascular disrupting agent ZD6126 (200 mg/kg), or the antiangiogenic agent cediranib (6 mg/kg, daily). Any significant changes in the measured parameters, and in the magnitude of the changes after treatment between treated and control cohorts, were identified by using Student two-tailed paired and unpaired t test, respectively, with a 5% level of significance. RESULTS Treatment with cyclophosphamide or cediranib induced a 54% or 20% reduction in tumor volume at 48 hours, respectively (P < .005 and P < .005, respectively; P < .005 and P < .005 versus control, respectively). Treatment with ZD6126 induced a 45% reduction in mean tumor volume 24 hours after treatment (P < .005; P < .005 versus control). The antitumor activity of cyclophosphamide, cediranib, and ZD6126 was consistently associated with a decrease in tumor T1 (P < .005, P < .005, and P < .005, respectively; P < .005, P < .005, and P < .005 versus control, respectively) and with a correlation between therapy-induced changes in native T1 and changes in tumor volume (r = 0.56; P < .005). Tumor response to cediranib was also associated with a decrease in the dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging-derived volume transfer constant (P = .07; P < .05 versus control) and enhancing fraction (P < .05; P < .01 versus control), and an increase in R2* (P < .005; P < .05 versus control). CONCLUSION The T1 relaxation time is a robust noninvasive imaging biomarker of response to therapy in tumors in TH-MYCN mice, which emulate high-risk neuroblastoma in children. T1 measurements can be readily implemented on clinical MR systems and should be investigated in translational clinical trials of new targeted therapies for pediatric neuroblastoma. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL http://radiology.rsna. org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.12120128/-/DC1.
Neurotrophin‐3 enhances neurite outgrowth in cultured hippocampal pyramidal neurons

Low density dissociated cultures of embryonic rat hippocampal cells were used to study the effects of neurotrophin‐3 (NT‐3) on neuronal morphogenesis. The results obtained indicate that NT‐3 enhances neurite outgrowth and branching; this is a dose‐dependent effect, detected in approximately 50% of the neurons, and prevented by K‐252a, an inhibitor of the trk family of receptor protein kinases. NT‐3 also accelerates the development of neuronal polarity, a phenomenon preceded by a dramatic accumulation of bundles of looped microtubules within axonal growth cones; these microtubule bundles contain tyrosinated, detyrosinated, and acetylated α‐tubulin. Taken collectively, our data suggest that even though the basic shape of hippocampal neurons may be endogenously determined, critical aspects of their morphological development may be modulated by trophic factors such as NT‐3. In addition, our observations suggest that at least some of the neuritogenic effects of NT‐3 involve a stimulation of microtubule assembly and/or transport. Copyright © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Early grammatical acquisition in children adopted from China as infants/toddlers

Children adopted internationally have a special course of exposure to language as they abruptly switch from hearing the sounds of their birth language, to which they typically are not further exposed post-adoption, to the sounds of a new language (Glennen, 2002; Roberts et al., 2005). The quick transition to a new language and rapid attrition of the birth language is a challenge developmentally. This study looked at the English grammatical development of children adopted from China in comparison to that of norms based on non-adopted peers. Age at time of adoption had a significant impact on grammatical development. Children adopted from China acquired English bound morphemes in the same sequential order as non-adopted peers, but were delayed in their acquisition due to their later onset of exposure to English. The older children were at the time of adoption, the faster they acquired bound morphemes and complex sentences. However, because older children had more grammar to learn in order to catch up to non-adopted peers, they lagged further behind.
Capsaicin Binds to the Intracellular Domain of the Capsaicin-Activated Ion Channel

Capsaicin (CAP) excites small sensory neurons, causing pain, neurogenic inflammation, and other visceral reflexes. These effects have been proposed to be the result of CAP activation of a nonselective cation current. It is generally assumed that CAP binds to an extracellular domain of the membrane receptor. However, the exact binding site is not known because of the lipophilic nature of CAP. To determine whether the binding domain is extracellular or intracellular, we tested the effect of a synthetic water-soluble CAP analog, DA-5018·HCl, on current activation. CAP activated the 45 pS (at −60 mV) nonselective cation channel from either side of the membrane. However, DA-5018·HCl, which had a greater potency and efficacy than CAP, activated the channels only from the cytosolic side of the patch membrane in a capsazepine, a CAP receptor antagonist, reversible manner. When applied extracellularly, DA-5018·HCl did not, but CAP did, activate whole-cell currents in sensory neurons, as well as in oocytes expressing vanilloid receptor 1, a recently cloned CAP receptor. Hydrogen ions, reported as a possible endogenous activator of cation current, failed to elicit any current when acidic medium (pH 5.0–6.0) was applied intracellularly, indicating that H+ does not mediate the CAP effect. These results indicate that CAP and its analog bind to the cytosolic domain of the CAP receptor and suggest that an endogenous CAP-like substance other than H+ may be present in the cell.
Profound and selective loss of catalytic TrkB immunoreactivity in Alzheimer's disease.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to have trophic effects on various neurons, throughout the brain and spinal cord, via its high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptor TrkB. It has been reported that the mRNA for this neurotrophin is reduced in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. We have examined, by Western blotting, the catalytic (p145) and noncatalytic or truncated (p95) forms of TrkB and find that, in both the temporal and frontal cortex, there is a selective loss of immunoreactive-positive staining for the catalytic or kinase form compared with the truncated form. This may have important consequences for the neurotrophic support of vulnerable neurons in AD.