Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
«African American» as a new social representation

The use of African American as a new denomination for a group previously referred to as Black has rapidly become standard practice in American society. This paper analyzes how the introduction of African American in our ordinary language marks the elaboration of a new social reality. As the concept becomes part of our social life, it is transformed into a real “phenomenon” of social representation that formalizes behaviour and orients communication. Such a transformation requires that the new term infiltrates people's everyday lives sufficiently to concretize it into a common reality. The analysis presented here outlines three key processes in the emergence and formation of the social representation of African American. The first one is anchoring which familiarizes the new object by linking it with preexisting categories in our minds. The second process is objectification which assures the crystallization of the object. A figurative core is created to allow the projection of images. At this point people can talk about the object, and through communication the object takes on meaning. This naturalization is the third process to conclude the transformation of the object into a social reality. These steps have allowed African American to become the carrier for a modification of cognitions and broadening of attitudes concerning the group.
The transverse vibration of a rotating beam with tip mass: The method of integral equations

An integral equation method is used to obtain improvable lower bounds for the second eigenvalue of the second-order "reduced" problem obtained from the problem described in the title by singular perturbation methods. These lower bounds are compared with results obtained directly by invariant embedding. The computational aspects of the integral equation method are stressed. The method is shown to be quite general and can be applied to a variety of boundary-value problems including those in which the eigenvalue parameter appears in the boundary conditions as well as in the differential operator.
Clonality, founder mutations, and field cancerization in human ulcerative colitis-associated neoplasia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The clonality of colitis-associated neoplasia has not been fully determined. One previous report showed polyclonal origins with subsequent monoclonal outgrowth. We aimed to assess the clonality and mutation burden of individual crypts in colitis-associated neoplasias to try to identify gatekeeping founder mutations, and explore the clonality of synchronous lesions to look for field effects. METHODS Individual crypts (range, 8-21 crypts) were microdissected from across 17 lesions from 10 patients. Individual crypt adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), p53, K-RAS, and 17p loss of heterozygosity mutation burden was established using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis. Serial sections underwent immunostaining for p53, beta-catenin, and image cytometry to detect aneuploidy. RESULTS In most lesions an oncogenic mutation could be identified in all crypts across the lesion showing monoclonality. This founder mutation was a p53 lesion in the majority of neoplasms but 4 tumors had an initiating K-RAS mutation. Some nondysplastic crypts surrounding areas of dysplasia were found to contain clonal p53 mutations and in one case 3 clonal tumors arose from a patch of nondysplastic crypts containing a K-RAS mutation. CONCLUSIONS This study used mutation burden analysis of individual crypts across colitis-associated neoplasms to show lesion monoclonality. This study confirmed p53 mutation as initiating mutation in the majority of lesions, but also identified K-RAS activation as an alternative gatekeeping mutation. Local and segmental field cancerization was found by showing pro-oncogenic mutations in nondysplastic crypts surrounding neoplasms, although field changes are unlikely to involve the entire colon because widely separated tumors were genetically distinct.
Young carers as co-designers of a web-based support system – the views of two publics

Aim The aim of the study was to reveal young carers' views of design of a web-based support system (WBSS) directed to them and the differences between their views and the views of project representatives (PRs), in a participatory design process. Methods Eight young people, 17–24 years, were involved in either a work or a test group. The work group participated in video-recorded design meetings with representatives of the project. Content analysis and Dewey's concept of public were applied on the data. The test group worked from their homes and data were collected via test forms and used as supplemental data. Results Four themes were revealed, constituting key parts in the design of the WBSS: Communicating the message, Ideational working principles, User interaction and User interface. Furthermore, decisive differences between the views of participants and PRs were found. Conclusion The four key parts should be considered in a WBSS directed to young carers. The study also suggests that early user involvement and critical reflection in the design process itself may be crucial to discern differences in perspective between designers and users.
Contrôle cortico-spinal des mouvements volontaires du coude

According to a dominant theory, the motor cortex is directly involved in pre-programming motor outcome in terms of movement trajectories and electromyographic (EMG) patterns. In contrast, the equilibrium point theory suggests that the motor cortex sets and resets the spatial thresholds, i.e., the positions of body segments at which muscles and reflexes begin to act. Movement parameters thereby emerge without pre-programming, depending on the difference between the actual and the threshold position of the body segments. To choose between these two theories of motor control, we investigated corticospinal influences associated with voluntary changes in elbow joint angle in healthy individuals using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the brain site projecting to motoneurons of the elbow muscles. In order to minimize the influence of motoneuronal excitability on the evaluation of corticospinal influences, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by TMS were obtained during the EMG silent period produced by a brief muscle shortening prior to the TMS pulse. MEPs were obtained at a flexion and an extension elbow angle actively established by subjects. MEPs were recorded from 2 elbow flexors (biceps and brachioradialis) and 2 extensors (medial and lateral heads of triceps). Flexor MEP amplitude was bigger at the elbow flexion position in the case of the biceps and extensor MEPs were bigger at the extension position in both extensors studied (reciprocal pattern). MEPs observed in the brachioradialis did not differ at the two elbow orientations. A similar difference in corticospinal influences at the two elbow positions was often preserved when the tonic activity of elbow muscles was equalized by compensating the passive muscle forces at the two positions with a torque motor. Thus, corticospinal influences and EMG activity were de-correlated and it can be concluded that the corticospinal system is not involved in pre-determining the magnitude of motor commands to muscles. Results suggest that the corticospinal system resets the spatial thresholds for muscle activation when segments move from one position to another. This implies that deficits in spatial threshold control may underlie different neurological motor problems (e.g., hypotonia and spasticity).
Fall detection using history triple features

Accurate identification and timely handling of involuntary events, such as falls, plays a crucial part in effective assistive environment systems. Fall detection, in particular, is quite critical, especially in households of lonely elderly people. However, the task of visually identifying a fall is challenging as there is a variety of daily activities that can be mistakenly characterized as falls. To tackle this issue, various feature extraction methods that aim to effectively distinguish unintentional falls from other everyday activities have been proposed. In this study, we examine the capability of the History Triple Features technique, based on the Trace transform, to provide noise robust and invariant to different variations features for the spatiotemporal representation of fall occurrences. The aim is to effectively detect falls among other household-related activities that usually take place indoors. For the evaluation of the algorithm the video sequences from two realistic fall detection datasets of different nature have been used. One is constructed using a ceiling mounted depth camera and the other is constructed using an RGB camera placed on arbitrary positions in different rooms. After forming the feature vectors, we train a support vector machine using a radial basis function kernel. Results show a very good response of the algorithm achieving 100% on both datasets indicating the suitability of the technique to the specific task.
Two‐Dimensional Materials for Halide Perovskite‐Based Optoelectronic Devices

Halide perovskites have high light absorption coefficients, long charge carrier diffusion lengths, intense photoluminescence, and slow rates of non‐radiative charge recombination. Thus, they are attractive photoactive materials for developing high‐performance optoelectronic devices. These devices are also cheap and easy to be fabricated. To realize the optimal performances of halide perovskite‐based optoelectronic devices (HPODs), perovskite photoactive layers should work effectively with other functional materials such as electrodes, interfacial layers and encapsulating films. Conventional two‐dimensional (2D) materials are promising candidates for this purpose because of their unique structures and/or interesting optoelectronic properties. Here, we comprehensively summarize the recent advancements in the applications of conventional 2D materials for halide perovskite‐based photodetectors, solar cells and light‐emitting diodes. The examples of these 2D materials are graphene and its derivatives, mono‐ and few‐layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), graphdiyne and metal nanosheets, etc. The research related to 2D nanostructured perovskites and 2D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskites as efficient and stable photoactive layers is also outlined. The syntheses, functions and working mechanisms of relevant 2D materials are introduced, and the challenges to achieving practical applications of HPODs using 2D materials are also discussed.
ZEN: a directive-based language for automatic experiment management of distributed and parallel programs

This paper describes ZEN, a directive-based language for the specification of arbitrarily complex program executions by varying the problem, system, or machine parameters for parallel and distributed applications. ZEN introduces directives to substitute strings and to insert assignment statements inside arbitrary files, such as program, input, script, or make-files. The programmer thus can invoke experiments for arbitrary value ranges of any problem parameter, including program variables, file names, compiler options, target machines, machine sizes, scheduling strategies, data distributions, etc. The number of experiments can be controlled through ZEN constraint directives. Finally, the programmer may request a large set of performance metrics to be computed for any code region of interest. The scope of ZEN directives can be restricted to arbitrary file or code regions. We implemented a prototype tool for automatic experiment management that is based on ZEN. We report results for the performance analysis of an ocean simulation application and for the parameter study of a computational finance code.
Balloon dilation compared to stenting of dominant strictures in primary sclerosing cholangitis

OBJECTIVE:In some patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a localized, high-grade (dominant) stricture may be the principal cause of symptoms and hyperbilirubinemia. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the beneficial effects and risk of balloon dilation alone versus dilation followed by stenting in PSC patients with dominant strictures.METHODS:Charts from a group of 1009 patients with PSC seen over 10 yr were reviewed to identify those patients who had undergone endoscopic or percutaneous therapeutic intervention. Procedural and clinical data were recorded.RESULTS:A total of 71 PSC patients, median age of 49 yr (range 18–78 yr) were identified. Thirty-four patients were treated with endoscopic balloon dilation alone, and 37 patients were treated with balloon dilation plus stent placement. Stents were placed percutaneously (n = 19), endoscopically (n = 14), or using both interventions (n = 4). Both groups were comparable at baseline with regards to age, symptoms, and bilirubin level. The median duration of follow-up after intervention was similar in both groups. The number of intervention-related complications (30 vs 6, p = 0.001) as well as the incidence of acute cholangitis (p = 0.004) were more common in the stent group compared to the balloon dilation group. There were more complications related to percutaneous stent placement than endoscopic placement (23 vs 7, p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups with regards to improving cholestasis.CONCLUSIONS:There was no additional obvious benefit from stenting after balloon dilation in the treatment of dominant strictures in PSC patients. Stenting was associated with more complications, and its role after dilation should be assessed in a randomized trial rather than being accepted as routinely indicated in this setting.
Systematic Review of Management Strategies for Middle Ear Myoclonus

Objective. Middle ear myoclonus is a rare condition with distinct characteristics at presentation. Diagnosis is based primarily on history, clinical examination, and long-time-based tympanometry. No consensus exists regarding treatment at present. This review was designed to identify relevant studies on current investigation and management. Data Source. A systematic electronic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Trials register, and Web of Science was conducted for articles describing middle ear myoclonus through to May 2011. English- and non-English-language articles that focused on investigation and treatment were considered for review. Review Method. Two authors independently reviewed the articles for study design, treatment, intervention, and outcome. Data from human and experimental studies were considered. Results. A total of 21 articles were identified for this review. Most studies were found to be case reports or small case series. In general, there was no evidence of a conclusive diagnostic test or treatment for middle ear myoclonus. Conclusion. There is a need for high-quality prospective controlled trials to determine the most effective management of middle ear myoclonus. The authors describe a treatment algorithm based on the data available and clinical knowledge.
Rewriting history: The biasing effects of attitudes on memory.

The present study examines whether people's memories for events are distorted to become more consistent with their attitudes and beliefs. It was hypothesized that this distortion might occur as a result of reconstructive memory processes at the time of retrieval. That is, when people are asked to remember an event, they may employ their attitudes and beliefs about a topic to reconstruct their memories of the relevant incident. In the process of reconstructing the incident, they may introduce new information and distort old information. Subjects, after responding to a questionnaire about their attitudes toward nuclear power, read a story describing a fire at a nuclear power plant. They were then given a recognition test over the material, either immediately or at 1- or 2-week delays. At the immediate test, there was no relationship between subjects' attitudes and their recognition performance. At both delays, however, subjects were more likely to recognize belief-consistent information; this was true both .
Development, Implementation, and Compliance of Treatment Pathways in Radiation Medicine

Introduction: While much emphasis on safety in the radiation oncology clinic is placed on process, there remains considerable opportunity to increase safety, enhance outcomes, and avoid ad hoc care by instituting detailed treatment pathways. The purpose of this study was to review the process of developing evidence and consensus-based, outcomes-oriented treatment pathways that standardize treatment and patient management in a large multi-center radiation oncology practice. Further, we reviewed our compliance in incorporating these directives into our day-to-day clinical practice. Methods: Using the Institute of Medicine guideline for developing treatment pathways, 87 disease specific pathways were developed and incorporated into the electronic medical system in our multi-facility radiation oncology department. Compliance in incorporating treatment pathways was assessed by mining our electronic medical records (EMR) data from January 1, 2010 through February 2012 for patients with breast and prostate cancer. Results: This retrospective analysis of data from EMR found overall compliance to breast and prostate cancer treatment pathways to be 97 and 99%, respectively. The reason for non-compliance proved to be either a failure to complete the prescribed care based on grade II or III toxicity (n = 1 breast, 3 prostate) or patient elected discontinuance of care (n = 1 prostate) or the physician chose a higher dose for positive/close margins (n = 3 breast). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that consensus and evidence-based treatment pathways can be developed and implemented in a multi-center department of radiation oncology. And that for prostate and breast cancer there was a high degree of compliance using these directives. The development and implementation of these pathways serve as a key component of our safety program, most notably in our effort to facilitate consistent decision-making and reducing variation between physicians.
Nerve Terminal Degeneration Is Independent of Muscle Fiber Genotype in SOD1G93A Mice

Background Motor neuron degeneration in SOD1G93A transgenic mice begins at the nerve terminal. Here we examine whether this degeneration depends on expression of mutant SOD1 in muscle fibers. Methodology/Principal Findings Hindlimb muscles were transplanted between wild-type and SOD1G93A transgenic mice and the innervation status of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) was examined after 2 months. The results showed that muscles from SOD1G93A mice did not induce motor terminal degeneration in wildtype mice and that muscles from wildtype mice did not prevent degeneration in SOD1G93A transgenic mice. Control studies demonstrated that muscles transplanted from SOD1G93A mice continued to express mutant SOD1 protein. Experiments on wildtype mice established that the host supplied terminal Schwann cells (TSCs) at the NMJs of transplanted muscles. Conclusions/Significance These results indicate that expression of the mutant protein in muscle is not needed to cause motor terminal degeneration in SOD1G93A transgenic mice and that a combination of motor terminals, motor axons and Schwann cells, all of which express mutant protein may be sufficient.
Clinical Isolates of Human Coronavirus 229E Bypass the Endosome for Cell Entry

ABSTRACT Human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E), a causative agent of the common cold, enters host cells via two distinct pathways: one is mediated by cell surface proteases, particularly transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), and the other by endosomal cathepsin L. Thus, specific inhibitors of these proteases block virus infection. However, it is unclear which of these pathways is actually utilized by HCoV-229E in the human respiratory tract. Here, we examined the mechanism of cell entry used by a pseudotyped virus bearing the HCoV-229E spike (S) protein in the presence or absence of protease inhibitors. We found that, compared with a laboratory strain isolated in 1966 and passaged for a half century, clinical isolates of HCoV-229E were less likely to utilize cathepsin L; rather, they showed a preference for TMPRSS2. Two amino acid substitutions (R642M and N714K) in the S protein of HCoV-229E clinical isolates altered their sensitivity to a cathepsin L inhibitor, suggesting that these amino acids were responsible for cathepsin L use. After 20 passages in HeLa cells, the ability of the isolate to use cathepsin increased so that it was equal to that of the laboratory strain; this increase was caused by an amino acid substitution (I577S) in the S protein. The passaged virus showed a reduced ability to replicate in differentiated airway epithelial cells cultured at an air-liquid interface. These results suggest that the endosomal pathway is disadvantageous for HCoV-229E infection of human airway epithelial cells; therefore, clinical isolates are less able to use cathepsin. IMPORTANCE Many enveloped viruses enter cells through endocytosis. Viral spike proteins drive the fusion of viral and endosomal membranes to facilitate insertion of the viral genome into the cytoplasm. Human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) utilizes endosomal cathepsin L to activate the spike protein after receptor binding. Here, we found that clinical isolates of HCoV-229E preferentially utilize the cell surface protease TMPRSS2 rather than endosomal cathepsin L. The endosome is a main site of Toll-like receptor recognition, which then triggers an innate immune response; therefore, HCoV-229E presumably evolved to bypass the endosome by entering the cell via TMPRSS2. Thus, the virus uses a simple mechanism to evade the host innate immune system. Therefore, therapeutic agents for coronavirus-mediated diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), should target cell surface TMPRSS2 rather than endosomal cathepsin.
Effect of prior exercise on postprandial lipemia: an updated quantitative review (705.14)

Reducing postprandial triglycerides (TG) can lower the risk for cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to perform a meta‐analytic review of the literature to estimate the effect of prior exercise on postprandial lipemia. A total of 121 effects were found from 76 studies for the total TG response and 70 effects from 44 studies for the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) TG response. The weighted mean effect was moderate for the total TG response, Cohen’s d = ‐0.60 (P < 0.0001), and for the iAUC response, Cohen’s d = ‐0.59 (P < 0.0001). Moderator analysis revealed women exhibited a larger reduction (P < .01) in the total TG response following exercise (d = ‐0.96) than men (d = ‐0.57); high‐intensity interval training induced a larger reduction (P < .05) in the iAUC response (d = ‐1.49) than aerobic (d = ‐0.58) or resistance (d = ‐0.13) exercise; and, participants maintaining an energy deficit following exercise exhibited a greater reduction in the iAUC response (d = ‐0.67) compared to participants in energy balance (d = ‐0.28). This quantitative review found that prior acute exercise causes a moderate‐to‐large reduction in postprandial lipemia, with the magnitude of effect influenced by sex, type of exercise and maintenance of an energy deficit following exercise.