Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Middle-Class Formation and Class Alliance

The fact that white-collar workers share relatively similar experiences of economic hardship and proletarianization across nations but develop clearly different types of trade unionism renders the theoretical relevance of formalist and economist approaches to the class location and class character of whitecollar workers questionable. According to this perspective, notwithstanding ideological and logical variants, social class reflects an occupational conglomerate, and class constituents' consciousness, disposition, and action are determined by their position in the social structure. Analysis of social class becomes a simple task of filling empty strata with workers and debate centers on the demarcation lines within the occupational structure, generating theories of class structure without attention to class agents (Bourdieu 1984). By contrast, historico-cultural, ethnographic approaches to social class, pioneered by E. P. Thompson's monumental work in 1963, turn formalist, economist theories on their head by bringing class agents back in. The process by which workers become class members is considered complex, contingent, and relational: lifestyles, dispositions, modes of collective action, and political orientations blend at a historical juncture in such a way that a class character substantially distinct and sustained enough forms and becomes an important dimension of social structure.
Value added as an indicator of educational effectiveness in Dutch senior secondary vocational education

This study investigates the possibilities of estimating value added as a performance indicator in senior secondary vocational education. Value added is interesting in this context because it is considered as a reliable tool for comparing the effectiveness of educational institutions. Although value added indicators have been developed since the 1980s for both primary and secondary educations, the research on school effectiveness has largely neglected vocational education because of its complexity. For estimating value added in this study, data concerning almost 90,000 students in Dutch senior secondary vocational education are used. Factors such as ethnicity, living in problematic neighbourhoods and students’ prior educational attainment appear to be significant predictors of student outcomes. The results indicate considerable differences in the effectiveness among clusters of training programmes, whereas there are hardly any differences between the educational institutions. Of the total variance among the student outcomes, 14% is related to the training programme clusters.
Experimental analysis of waveguide based metamaterial structures

This paper reports the experimental left-handed behavior of two transmission lines in waveguide technology based on split ring resonators. Two miniaturized waveguide-encapsulated structures have been analyzed in terms of their left-handed behavior and especially in terms of losses. They are respectively implemented in a ! Inline technology combining single split ring resonators (S-SRRs) and short-circuiting wires for the first and in waveguide technology using double-SRRs combined with inductive windows for the second. Experimental evidence of the left handed behavior of both guiding systems is achieved via the analysis of the frequency dependence of phase offset between two different length lines. A careful analysis of the EM behavior of these structures reveals differences in terms of their EM operation as well as similarities in terms of loss considerations. Making use of these novel frequency selective lines, very compact devices in terms of the longitudinal dimensions can be synthesized in order to take advantage of their negative refractive index
Redes sociais virtuais: premissas teóricas ao estudo em ciência da informação

Este artigo revisa trabalhos cientificos de pesquisadores dedicados ao estudo das redes sociais - principalmente das redes sociais virtuais -, com enfoque em pontos relevantes ao campo da ciencia da informacao. Descreve teoricamente as redes sociais, as redes sociais virtuais, os sites de redes sociais virtuais e as comunidades virtuais. Conceitua os elementos de analise em redes sociais e em redes sociais virtuais. Caracteriza a informacao circulante no contexto das redes sociais virtuais, bem como o usuario da informacao online, o fluxo informacional e os elementos constituintes do capital social compartilhado em redes sociais formadas no ciberespaco. Apresenta constatacoes teoricas basicas ao estudo da informacao em sites de redes sociais virtuais, dentre outros apontamentos.Palavras-chave: Comunidade virtual. Informacao. Redes sociais. Usuario.
Involvement of Pex13p in Pex14p Localization and Peroxisomal Targeting Signal 2–dependent Protein Import into Peroxisomes

Pex13p is the putative docking protein for peroxisomal targeting signal 1 (PTS1)-dependent protein import into peroxisomes. Pex14p interacts with both the PTS1- and PTS2-receptor and may represent the point of convergence of the PTS1- and PTS2-dependent protein import pathways. We report the involvement of Pex13p in peroxisomal import of PTS2-containing proteins. Like Pex14p, Pex13p not only interacts with the PTS1-receptor Pex5p, but also with the PTS2-receptor Pex7p; however, this association may be direct or indirect. In support of distinct peroxisomal binding sites for Pex7p, the Pex7p/Pex13p and Pex7p/ Pex14p complexes can form independently. Genetic evidence for the interaction of Pex7p and Pex13p is provided by the observation that overexpression of Pex13p suppresses a loss of function mutant of Pex7p. Accordingly, we conclude that Pex7p and Pex13p functionally interact during PTS2-dependent protein import into peroxisomes. NH2-terminal regions of Pex13p are required for its interaction with the PTS2-receptor while the COOH-terminal SH3 domain alone is sufficient to mediate its interaction with the PTS1-receptor. Reinvestigation of the topology revealed both termini of Pex13p to be oriented towards the cytosol. We also found Pex13p to be required for peroxisomal association of Pex14p, yet the SH3 domain of Pex13p may not provide the only binding site for Pex14p at the peroxisomal membrane.
Antibiotic treatment of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis. A review of 119 cases.

: Clinical and bacteriological information of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis was reviewed in 119 cases from all over Denmark. Overall mortality was 71%. Survival correlated with antistaphylococcal treatment, short duration from onset of infection to start of treatment, and long duration of treatment. In spite of relevant treatment, mortality was significantly lower in cases infected with penicillin-susceptible strains than when penicillin-resistant strains were isolated. There were no differences in the effect of various anti-staphylococcal treatment regimens; in particular, there were no differences in mortality with regard to beta-lactam antibiotics alone as compared to beta-lactam antibiotics in combination with aminoglycosides. However, embolic manifestations occurred more often after start of treatment with combination therapy than with beta-lactam antibiotics alone.
Targeting the Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood. Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to overcome cytotoxic resistance. We hypothesized that antiapoptotic signals contribute to resistance and that treatment with proapoptotic agents could increase the efficacy of conventional therapies. A PCR array was used to assess the status of the apoptotic signaling pathway in medulloblastoma cells after treatment with cytotoxic chemotherapy. Treatment with cisplatin led to the upregulation of antiapoptotic signals, including inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP), in medulloblastoma cells. We subsequently investigated the synergistic effect of a small-molecule IAP inhibitor, LBW242, in combination with cisplatin and/or radiotherapy in three human medulloblastoma cell lines and 5 short term primary patient medulloblastoma cultures. The addition of LBW242 to chemotherapy resulted in significantly increased antitumor activity with a similar effect observed in combination with radiotherapy. Measurement of caspase-8 and -9 activity indicated that the synergy resulted from induction of both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Apoptosis was confirmed by Annexin V staining and activation of caspases 3/7. Xenograft models were used to evaluate the mechanism of action and efficacy in vivo. The combination therapy significantly reduced the tumor burden in a medulloblastoma xenograft model and TUNEL analysis in a medulloblastoma orthograft confirmed in vivo induction of apoptosis. These findings support the strategy of targeting IAPs in combination with cytotoxic therapy as a novel treatment strategy for patients with medulloblastoma. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(12); 2654–63. ©2012 AACR.
Leveraging the power of online social networks: a contingency approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine online community loyalty through an extension of the theory of planned behaviour by incorporating motivational drivers of enjoyment and compatibility and the moderating role of consumer traits. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using an online survey of 382 Facebook users in Malaysia. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the hypothesised relationships. Findings – Findings reveal that individuals’ attitude towards social network usage is associated with three factors: social influence, compatibility and enjoyment; attitude and usage behaviour are the determinants of online community loyalty. In addition, moderating effects are found in innovativeness and social network user experience. Research limitations/implications – Generalisation of the results to other contexts or populations should be made with caution given the study's focus on Facebook and its use of non-probability sampling. Future research can cross-validate or extend.
Neurotoxicology: what the neurologist needs to know

Asearch of internet sites offering detoxification programmes for the elimination of toxins from the body and the regeneration or rejuvenation of the immune system, the nervous system as well as blood, liver, and kidney, reveals three features of current popular thinking on toxins: a terrible ignorance of basic science, a poor understanding of the organisation and function of the human body, and an irrational fear of the ‘‘chemicals’’ that prevent us from living to our full potential. Whatever our private thoughts on the expression and exploitation of these fears, we tend to forget that the most complete text on experimental and clinical neurotoxicology lists more than 350 compounds (synthetic and naturally occurring) known to cause functional or structural damage to the nervous system. 1 We should also note that a recent survey of the body load of a number of toxic chemicals in human subjects revealed widespread accumulation of a number of known toxins of considerable clinical interest, including organochlorines, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethylene (DDE), 2 and the continuing concern of many people over the perceived neurological damage caused, for example, by participation in military operations in the Gulf. Many of the subjects who consider themselves neurologically damaged by exposure to ‘‘toxins’’, ‘‘chemicals’’, or other environmental agents will seek confirmation and reassurance that their concerns are valid, that they have a definable illness, and that their condition will be treated. Considerable numbers are referred to a neurologist or psychiatrist for help. In this article we define a neurotoxin and the science of neurotoxicology, discuss some of the factors involved in the development of the signs and symptoms of neurotoxic damage, and offer advice on the examination of the patient, the diagnosis, and the construction of a management programme (see also Blain and Harris 3
The cultural animal

Primitive mythologies testify to the enduring fascination of man with the problem of his own relationship to the natural world. For Homo is burdened with being sapiens, and one thing this sapientia drives him to is a ceaseless and almost passionate enquiry about his status what T. H. Huxley aptly called An enquiry iiito’ma-n&dquo;s place in nature. And like Darwin and Huxley, the primitive seeks an answer to the eternal paradox: We are obviously part of nature, and in particular we are part of the animal world, and yet we are set apart from nature by the very fact of knowing that we are part of it. Not only does no other animal know it is going to die, but no other animal knows it is alive in any sense in which we would normally use the word &dquo;know&dquo;.
Working Paper No. 14-31 Credit, Bankruptcy, and Aggregate Fluctuations Makoto Nakajima Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Credit, Bankruptcy, and Aggregate Fluctuations * Makoto Nakajima Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

We ask two questions related to how access to credit affects the nature of business cycles. First, does the standard theory of unsecured credit account for the high volatility and procycli-cality of credit and the high volatility and countercyclicality of bankruptcy filings found in U.S. data? Yes, it does, but only if we explicitly model recessions as displaying countercyclical earnings risk (i.e., rather than having all households fare slightly worse than normal during recessions, we ensure that more households than normal fare very poorly). Second, does access to credit smooth aggregate consumption or aggregate hours worked, and if so, does it matter with respect to the nature of business cycles? No, it does not; in fact, consumption is 20 percent more volatile when credit is available. The interest rate premia increase in recessions because of higher bankruptcy risk discouraging households from using credit. This finding contradicts the intuition that access to credit helps households to smooth their consumption. We have benefited from the comments of many people in the long and protracted story of this paper, especially those of Roberto Perotti, who discussed an earlier version of this paper. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, or the Federal Reserve System.
The Study of Values in Psychotherapy: A Critique and Call for an Alternative Method

The indelible role of values in the process of psychotherapy has been noted by many psychotherapy researchers and clinicians. Unfortunately, attempts to examine such values systematically have produced conflicting results, with little to advance our understanding of the interplay of values and psychotherapy. The present author argues that this state of affairs results from a dualist distinction between value and action, as well as an atomist conceptualization of values. Following a brief critical review of extant research, an alternative approach to the study of values is introduced. This hermeneutic approach, grounded in the philosophical writings of Heidegger and Wittgenstein, views values as relational and engaged orientations rather than as static, independent entities. The implications of this view for psychotherapy research are discussed, and an alternative method based in decision research and hermeneutics is proposed. An example of psychotherapy research along these lines is presented.
Performance analysis of content matching intrusion detection systems

Although network intrusion detection systems (nIDS) are widely used, there is limited understanding of how these systems perform in different settings and how they should be evaluated. This paper examines how nIDS performance is affected by traffic characteristics, rulesets, string matching algorithms and processor architecture. The analysis presented in this paper shows that nIDS performance is very sensitive to these factors. Evaluating a nIDS therefore requires careful consideration of a fairly extensive set of scenarios. Our results also highlight potential dangers with the use of workloads based on combining widely-available packet header traces with synthetic packet content as well as with the use of synthetic rulesets.
Vitamin C and Heart Health: A Review Based on Findings from Epidemiologic Studies

Vitamin C is a powerful dietary antioxidant that has received considerable attention in the literature related to its possible role in heart health. Although classical vitamin C deficiency, marked by scurvy, is rare in most parts of the world, some research has shown variable heart disease risks depending on plasma vitamin C concentration, even within the normal range. Furthermore, other studies have suggested possible heart-related benefits to vitamin C taken in doses beyond the minimal amounts required to prevent classically defined deficiency. The objective of this review is to systematically review the findings of existing epidemiologic research on vitamin C and its potential role in cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is well established that vitamin C inhibits oxidation of LDL-protein, thereby reducing atherosclerosis, but the cardiovascular outcomes related to this action and other actions of vitamin C are not fully understood. Randomized controlled trials as well as observational cohort studies have investigated this topic with varying results. Vitamin C has been linked in some work to improvements in lipid profiles, arterial stiffness, and endothelial function. However, other studies have failed to confirm these results, and observational cohort studies are varied in their findings on the vitamin’s effect on CVD risk and mortality. Overall, current research suggests that vitamin C deficiency is associated with a higher risk of mortality from CVD and that vitamin C may slightly improve endothelial function and lipid profiles in some groups, especially those with low plasma vitamin C levels. However, the current literature provides little support for the widespread use of vitamin C supplementation to reduce CVD risk or mortality.
Enhancing an Enviroment for Knowledge Acquisition based on Web Resource Automatic Tag Type Identification

Resource based learning is a form of demand-oriented learning where learners close knowledge gaps by self-directed knowledge acquisition. The WWW is commonly used as a major source for knowledge acquisition. Resource based learning requires a good resource management for persisting and reusing of research results. One possibility for resource management are tagging systems. This paper describes our research and learning environment supporting resource based learning on the basis of a semantic tagging concept. This concept enhances pure tagging by describing tags semantically by their type. From the evaluation, we conclude that there is a need for identifying the tag type automatically, thus we develop an algorithm for automatic tag type identification.
Antiangiogenic Activity of Flavonoids from Melia azedarach

Three flavonoid glycosides, 1 (rutin: quercetin 3-O-rutinoside), 2 (kaempferol 3-O-robinobioside) and 3 (kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside) were isolated from the subcritical water extracts of Melia azedarach leaves. Strong antiangiogenic activity of these compounds was observed in the in vivo assay using the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) from growing chick embryos.
Retinal nerve fiber layer axonal loss and visual dysfunction in optic neuritis

Axonal loss is thought to be a likely cause of persistent disability after a multiple sclerosis relapse; therefore, noninvasive in vivo markers specific for axonal loss are needed. We used optic neuritis as a model of multiple sclerosis relapse to quantify axonal loss of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and secondary retinal ganglion cell loss in the macula with optical coherence tomography. We studied 25 patients who had a previous single episode of optic neuritis with a recruitment bias to those with incomplete recovery and 15 control subjects. Optical coherence tomography measurement of RNFL thickness and macular volume, quantitative visual testing, and electrophysiological examination were performed. There were highly significant reductions (p < 0.001) of RNFL thickness and macular volume in affected patient eyes compared with control eyes and clinically unaffected fellow eyes. There were significant relationships among RNFL thickness and visual acuity, visual field, color vision, and visual‐evoked potential amplitude. This study has demonstrated functionally relevant changes indicative of axonal loss and retinal ganglion cell loss in the RNFL and macula, respectively, after optic neuritis. This noninvasive RNFL imaging technique could be used in trials of experimental treatments that aim to protect optic nerves from axonal loss. Ann Neurol 2005
Screening and facilitating further assessment for cognitive impairment after stroke: application of a shortened Montreal Cognitive Assessment (miniMoCA)

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the performance of a shortened version of the MoCA (miniMoCA), as a clinical cognitive impairment screening tool in stroke rehabilitation patients. Methods: Cognitive status was assessed using the MoCA and Cognistat in 72 patients. Agreement between the tests was assessed using the Kappa statistic. The sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of a miniMoCA to a MoCA score <26 was also examined. Results: A significant level of agreement was found between the MoCA and miniMoCA to the Cognistat in classifying patients by level of cognitive function. The miniMoCA showed a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 92% (PPV 98%, NPV 75%) to abnormal MoCA scores (<26). Conclusions: This study extends the utility of the miniMoCA as an optimal brief screening tool for cognitive impairment in stroke patients. Further research is needed to determine the validity of the miniMoCA against a neuropsychological test. Implications for Rehabilitation Although the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a recommended tool to screen for cognitive impairment in stroke patients, its lengthy administration can lead to inconsistent screening of patients for post-stroke cognitive function. In the current work, a shortened version of the MoCA (miniMoCA) was administered in a sample of stoke inpatients, utilizing only five of the eight original subtests. The proposed miniMoCA was found to streamline the administration of this screen test, while maintaining a heightened level of sensitivity for accurately identifying which patients do not require a more in-depth cognitive assessment.
Concept Mapping as a Tool for Learning: Broadening the Framework for Student-Centered Instruction

An approach to teaching that is centered on students represents a major departure from the traditional lecture-based, passive college learning environment. Felder and Brent (1996) have presented useful guidelines for implementing a student-centered approach. They advocate getting students actively involved in learning, using a vari ety of tasks (e.g., team-based learning, problem solving, application simulations), and reflecting upon, organizing, and ap plying what they have learned. Specifical ly, Felder and Brent (1996) offer their guidelines as a framework to enhance a variety of qualitative outcomes including motivation to learn, depth of understand ing, and retention of knowledge. Although the ideas of Felder and Brent (1996) have the potential to enhance the quality of college teaching, their guide lines do not address the conceptual knowledge that is to be taught. Based upon recent developments in the litera ture, our concern is that teachers empha size the conceptual knowledge to be learned in order to produce the student outcomes targeted by the student-cen tered instructional framework.