Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
'You can judge them on how they look…': Homelessness officers, medical evidence and decision-making in England

> Abstract_ Unusually in the international context, in England the landmark Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 provided a set of justiciable rights to homeless people. Local authorities have a duty to assist homeless people who meet a set of eligibility criteria set out in the Act. One of the criteria, ‘vulnerability’, often requires consideration of medical evidence. Homelessness officers are the key actors in deciding whether or not an applicant is ‘vulnerable’. Previous research has often contended that there is both bias against some high need groups and inconsistency in the decisions made by local authorities in relation to vulnerability under English homelessness law. This paper builds on those critiques by examining decision-making in relation to the use of medical evidence in homelessness cases in England. It explores how homelessness officers assess the ‘expert’ medical evidence that is put to them, how far they rely on their own intuition and judgement, and the other factors that influence their ultimate decision. The study was able to investigate the intersection between law, administration, and medicine and add to the evidence base in the operation of English homelessness legislation.
Nonprofit social enterprise: Social change in a new economic paradigm

Changes are afoot in the nonprofit sector of the economy (James, 2003). Nonprofit leaders are adopting entrepreneurial business models to sustain or expand the scope of their mission work. This change is part of a counter-hegemonic shift toward a new economic paradigm in which blended business models create both social and financial value (Sabeti, 2009; Sahakian & Dunand, 2013). The current study explored how nonprofit leaders understand the shift toward a more enterprising and entrepreneurial nonprofit sector. Qualitative methods, along with a grounded theory framework were used to elicit leaders’ perspectives on the emergence of social enterprise in nonprofits and the characteristics of successful nonprofit social enterprise. Findings include five themes of social enterprise understanding that offer structure for further research and professional discourse on the subject, including: 1) Social enterprise as a necessary and inevitable evolution of the nonprofit organization; 2) Social enterprise as a means of achieving a social mission; 3) Social enterprise as a true blending of business and social impact models; 4) Social enterprise as a business principle applied to a social mission context; and 5) Social enterprise as a market-driven approach to financial and social value creation. A secondary analysis points to the emergence of a social enterprise synergy effect in which the social and financial value generated by nonprofit social enterprises yield a third effect that is greater than the sum of the individual parts. The implications of these findings are limited to nonprofit social enterprises, but contribute to our understanding of this nascent field.
Detection of aberrant p16INK4A methylation in sera of patients with HCV-related liver diseases: An Egyptian study.

BACKGROUND The present study was performed to estimate the frequency of methylated p16INK4A in the sera of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related chronic active hepatitis (CAH), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to evaluate the role of p16INK4A as a tumor marker of HCC. MATERIAL/METHODS The sera of 17 CAH, 20 LC, and 25 HCC patients were examined in this study. The methylation status of p16INK4A was evaluated by methylation-specific PCR of the serum samples. RESULTS Methylated p16INK4A was detected in 47.1% (8/17) of the CAH patients, 5% (4/20) of the LC patients, and in 92% (23/25) of the HCC patients. HBV markers were detected in (4/25) of HCC patients; all had methylated p16INK4A. No association was demonstrated between p16INK4A methylation and serum AFP level in the HCC group. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate that aberrant DNA methylation contributes to hepatocarcinogenesis and it may be an early event during hepatocarcinogenesis. As the status of p16INK4A methylation was not associated with serum AFP level, it may have a complementary role with AFP as a tumor marker of HCC.
Pallidotomy for hemiballismus: Efficacy and characteristics of neuronal activity

A patient with unremitting, medically intractable hemiballismus underwent a pallidotomy that abolished his involuntary movements. Firing rates of cells in the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi) recorded during this procedure were significantly lower than those observed during pallidotomy for Parkinson's disease, either “on” or “off” medication. Firing patterns in hemiballismus were characterized by low‐frequency modulation of the firing rate. These results are consistent with the hyperkinetic model, which suggests that hemiballismus results from decreased inhibition of the pallidal relay nucleus of the thalamus by the GPi. The efficacy of surgery in the case of hemiballismus demonstrates that pallidotomy can be an effective treatment for this condition and suggests that patterned neuronal activity in the GPi is important in the mechanism of hyperkinetic disorders.
Policy Priorities in Puget Sound: An Analysis of MPA Implementation

Policy Priorities in Puget Sound: An Analysis of MPA Implementation Jonathan Kyle Masters Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Patrick Christie School of Marine and Environmental Affairs Currently there are 110 officially recognized marine protected areas (MPAs) in Puget Sound that cover approximately 15% of the marine environment. This analysis focuses on how the natural resource management agencies of Washington State have implemented MPA policy and the degree to which experts perceive them to be effective. The large number of MPAs and multiple governing agencies involved in their management indicate different goals are being pursued. This study used a combination of purposive and snowball sampling to develop a candidate pool of informants. Thirty-four qualitative interviews were conducted in 2014 of federal and state policy managers, staffers, scientists, as well as nonprofit experts and members of the epistemic community. Interview transcripts were analyzed in conjunction with a Sabatier-Mazmanian policy implementation framework to identify gaps. Results indicate that some Puget Sound MPAs suffer from an inadequate or consistent justification for their existence, resource limitations stemming from the negative perceptions of senior leaders hampering monitoring and outreach, and the challenging, legally-mandated co-management process. This suggests
Vacuolar uptake of host components, and a role for cholesterol and sphingomyelin in malarial infection

Erythrocytes, which are incapable of endocytosis or phagocytosis, can be infected by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We find that a transmembrane protein (Duffy), glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)‐anchored and cytoplasmic proteins, associated with detergent‐resistant membranes (DRMs) that are characteristic of microdomains in host cell membranes, are internalized by vacuolar parasites, while the major integral membrane and cytoskeletal proteins are not. The internalized host proteins and a plasmodial transmembrane resident parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM) protein are detected in DRMs associated with vacuolar parasites. This is the first report of a host transmembrane protein being recruited into an apicomplexan vacuole and of the presence of vacuolar DRMs; it establishes that integral association does not preclude protein internalization into the P.falciparum vacuole. Rather, as shown for Duffy, intracellular accumulation occurs at the same rate as that seen for a DRM‐associated GPI‐anchored protein. Furthermore, novel mechanisms regulated by the DRM lipids, sphingomyelin and cholesterol, mediate (i) the uptake of host DRM proteins and (ii) maintenance of the intracellular vacuole in the non‐endocytic red cell, which may have implications for intracellular parasitism and pathogenesis.
Behavior in Light-Dark Cycles of Drosophila Mutants That Are Arrhythmic, Blind, or Both

Certain of the rhythm mutations in Drosophila melanogaster lead to arrhythmic locomotor activity (and aperiodic eclosion) in constant conditions. In light-dark (LD) cycles, however, such mutants exhibit clear fluctuations between high levels of activity when the lights are on and much lower ones when they are off. Our data, in contrast to some previous conclusions, strongly suggest that period0 (per0 ) adults are, in LD conditions, merely being "forced" into exhibiting periodic behavior. These experiments involved application of 8-, 12-, 16-, and 24-hr LD cycles, in which the arrhythmic mutant could have any of these periodicities imposed upon it, whereas wild-type flies tended to exhibit periods of about 24 hr in cycling conditions whose T values were >8 hr different from 24. In phase-shift experiments, it was found that Drosophila expressing genotypes associated with rhythmicity achieved a 5-hr advance over a 2-day period following an advanced lights-on; per0 adults altered the phase of their locomotor peaks more rapidly. Against a background of the fact that eyeless or blind flies exhibit normal entrainment, it was hypothesized that double-mutant flies— carrying such visual mutations and per0 as well—should not synchronize to LD cycles, if the forced rhythms seen in the latter single-mutant type are mediated solely by light input through the external photoreceptors. Since an appreciable proportion of the double mutants did synchronize (to LD 12:12), it is thus suggested that the visual cues involved in forcing rhythmicity could be input through the same extraocular photoreceptors that, in general, subserve the fly's rhythm system.
Breast cancer vaccines

The objective of this study was to review issues involved in the search for a breast cancer vaccine. A review of the recent literature (2004–2007) was undertaken, with earlier literature included as appropriate for background, to assess 1) current approaches being used to create a therapeutic breast cancer vaccine, and 2) potential strategies for a preventive vaccine targeting either an infectious agent or tumor‐associated antigen. Several approaches to the development of a therapeutic vaccine show promise, including tumor cell/dendritic cell fusion and DNA vaccines based on single purified antigens or DNA fragments from whole cells. Most of these experimental vaccines have either not moved beyond preclinical testing or have not shown a significant clinical response. Strategies involving host factors that mitigate immune response against tumors also show promise. Interest has increased in developing a preventive vaccine that can be administered to immunocompetent patients with minimal or no evidence of disease. Prophylactic vaccines typically target infectious agents, but the evidence for an infectious etiology for breast cancer is largely descriptive and difficult to interpret. A second strategy for a preventive breast cancer vaccine is to target tumor‐associated antigens. Ongoing clinical trials are utilizing this approach, with preliminary results that are encouraging. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
HOPE Study Impact on ACE Inhibitors Use

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are used to treat cardiovascular diseases, major causes of death in Canada. The HOPE (Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation) study showed that ramipril benefits patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease. We analyzed ACE inhibitor use and costs in Canada before and after publication of HOPE. METHODS: We obtained pharmacy and hospital sales data for 1985–2001 from IMS Canada for all ACE inhibitors (Anatomical Therapeutic Category code C09A0) and for the 3 largest provinces (i.e., British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario). Prescription numbers, total costs, cost/prescription, and market share of individual ACE inhibitors were plotted over time and analyzed using regression. Canadian dollars were used to report costs. RESULTS: We examined 10 drugs; captopril was the first, introduced in 1985. Overall, prescriptions increased consistently from 356 000 in 1985 to 11.5 million in 2001, representing an annual increase of 660 000 (y = 661 410x–510 360; r2 = 0.99). Total costs increased linearly from 1985 ($14.5 million) to 2001 ($513 million): Y = 29.3•106x − 29.9•106; r2 = 0.99. Provincial utilization patterns were also similar. Ramipril's national use increased dramatically from 1999 (822 000 prescriptions, 9.2% of all ACE inhibitors) to 2001 (3.8 million, 32.8% of all ACE inhibitors). National costs for ramipril increased exponentially (y = 1.08e0.6248x) to a total of $157 million in 2001, with the 3 major provinces accounting for 78.9%. Costs per prescription followed no observable trend (range $39.45–46.20). CONCLUSIONS: The number of prescriptions and the total cost of ACE inhibitors increased over the period studied. Ramipril use increased in concert with publication of the HOPE trial, while the growth rates of other ACE inhibitors remained constant.
Introduction of Complementary Feeding in 5 European Countries

Objectives: Little is known about the practice of introducing complementary feeding across Europe. We aim at describing times of solid introduction in healthy infants in 5 European countries. Materials and Methods: Between October 2002 and June 2004, 1678 healthy term infants were either breast-fed (BF) for at least 4 months (n = 588) or study formula–fed (FF) (n = 1090) with different protein contents. Three-day-weighed food protocols were obtained at ages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12 completed months. Results: Solids were introduced earlier in FF infants (median 19 weeks, interquartile range 17–21) than BF infants (median 21 weeks, interquartile range 19–24). Some 37.2% of FF infants and 17.2% of BF infants received solid foods at 4 completed months, which is earlier than recommended in Europe. Solids had been introduced at 7 completed months in 99.3% of FF infants and 97.7% of BF infants, respectively. Belgium had the highest percentage of solids feeding in FF infants at 3 (15.8%) and 4 (55.6%) completed months, and in BF infants at 4 (43%) and 5 (84.8%) completed months. Multiple regression showed low maternal age, low education level, and maternal smoking to predictors an early introduction of solids at 3 and 4 completed months. Conclusions: Complementary feeding is introduced earlier than recommended in a sizeable number of infants, particularly among FF infants. Country- and population-specific approaches to adequately inform parents should be explored.
Robust underwater target recognition using auditory cepstral coefficients

Feature vector extraction is measured as major step in development of underwater target recognition. To improve robustness of the performance of feature vector extraction, we proposed a novel approach for robust underwater target recognition applying the auditory cepstral coefficients (ACC) based on auditory filter and cubic-log compression instead of Mel filter and logarithmic compression in Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC). Our experimental results show that the ACC feature represents considerably better than conventional acoustic features, and the ACC feature is used for underwater target recognition system to yield promising recognition performance.
Visual function in 6 to 7 year‐old children born extremely preterm: a population‐based study

Purpose: Progress in neonatal care has caused an increased survival of children born extremely preterm. The aims of this study were to examine the long‐term visual function and ocular development in an unselected cohort of extremely preterm infants and relate the results to neonatal morbidity and long‐term neurodevelopmental outcome.
Research of Software Trusted Dynamic Measurement Based on Support Vector Machine

The research of software dynamic trusted measurement is one of the hot spots in trusted computing fields. To the existing problems of methods and theories in the credibility of the dynamic measurement for software, this paper puts forward to use dynamic extracting function return addresses in call stacks for obtaining system call short sequences. On this basis, the short sequences as the basic unit to construct software trusted dynamic measurement model based on support vector machine.
Channel capacity characteristics of multi-user MIMO systems in urban area

Introduction Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output(MIMO) and Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) systems have been expected to improve the channel capacity over a limited bandwidth of existing networks [1], [2]. The effects on channel capacity of Single-User MIMO (SU-MIMO) systems in urban scenarios have been previously studied [3]. It has been clarified that the larger number of antennas cannot contribute the improvement on the channel capacity in urban SU-MIMO scenarios due to very high spatial correlation. In this paper, we focus on the MU-MIMO transmission because it can discriminate multiple users by the difference of Angle of Arrival (AoA). We compare the Multi Access Channel (MAC) capacity in uplink with the channel capacity in SU-MIMO by setting the total numbers of transmitting and receiving antennas of SU-MIMO and MU-MIMO to be the same. When the same numbers of antenna elements are used, the better performance is obtained with MU-MIMO in urban scenarios, unlike identical independent distributed (I.I.D.) channels which are generally assumed in MIMO transmission. We also clarify an interesting relationship between the channel capacity improvement of MU-MIMO compared with SU-MIMO and a path visibility.
A small ubiquitin binding domain inhibits ubiquitin-dependent protein recruitment to DNA repair foci

The rapid ubiquitination of chromatin surrounding DNA double-stranded breaks (DSB) drives the formation of large structures called ionizing radiation-induced foci (IRIF), comprising many DNA damage response (DDR) proteins. This process is regulated by RNF8 and RNF168 ubiquitin ligases and is thought to be necessary for DNA repair and activation of signaling pathways involved in regulating cell cycle checkpoints. Here we demonstrate that it is possible to interfere with ubiquitin-dependent recruitment of DDR factors by expressing proteins containing ubiquitin binding domains (UBDs) that bind to lysine 63-linked polyubiquitin chains. Expression of the E3 ubiquitin ligase RAD18 prevented chromatin spreading of 53BP1 at DSBs, and this phenomenon was dependent upon the integrity of the RAD18 UBD. An isolated RAD18 UBD interfered with 53BP1 chromatin spreading, as well as other important DDR mediators, including RAP80 and the BRCA1 tumor suppressor protein, consistent with the model that the RAD18 UBD is blocking access of proteins to ubiquitinated chromatin. Using the RAD18 UBD as a tool to impede localization of 53BP1 and BRCA1 to repair foci, we found that DDR signaling, DNA DSB repair, and radiosensitivity were unaffected. We did find that activated ATM (S1981P) and phosphorylated SMC1 (a specific target of ATM) were not detectable in DNA repair foci, in addition to upregulated homologous recombination repair, revealing 2 DDR responses that are dependent upon chromatin spreading of certain DDR factors at DSBs. These data demonstrate that select UBDs containing targeting motifs may be useful probes in determining the biological significance of protein–ubiquitin interactions.
Major mental disorders and criminal violence in a Danish birth cohort.

BACKGROUND This epidemiological investigation was designed to examine the relationships between each of the major mental disorders and criminal violence. Specifically, we assessed whether a significant relationship exists between violence and hospitalization for a major mental disorder, and whether this relationship differs for schizophrenia, affective psychoses, and organic brain syndromes. METHODS Subjects were drawn from a birth cohort of all individuals born between January 1, 1944, and December 31, 1947, in Denmark (N = 358 180). Because of the existence of accurate and complete national registers, data were available on all arrests for violence and all hospitalizations for mental illness that occurred for individuals in this cohort through the age of 44 years. RESULTS There was a significant positive relationship between the major mental disorders that led to hospitalization and criminal violence (odds ratios 2.0-8.8 for men and 3.9-23.2 for women). Persons hospitalized for a major mental disorder were responsible for a disproportionate percentage of violence committed by the members of the birth cohort. Men with organic psychoses and both men and women with schizophrenia were significantly more likely to be arrested for criminal violence than were persons who had never been hospitalized, even when controlling for demographic factors, substance abuse, and personality disorders. CONCLUSIONS Individuals hospitalized for schizophrenia and men hospitalized with organic psychosis have higher rates of arrests for violence than those never hospitalized. This relationship cannot be fully explained by demographic factors or comorbid substance abuse.
Thermodynamics of Peptide and Non-Peptide Interactions with the Human 5HT1a Receptor

The human serotonin 1a receptor (H5HT1aR) is a highly studied member of the 7 transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors. This model receptor, negatively coupled to adenylyl cyclase via Gi, is linked to physiological processes such as cognition and mood regulation and to associated disorders like anxiety and depression. Gibb’s free energies, enthalpies, and entropies were calculated for the agonist [3H]8-OH-DPAT in the presence of synthetic peptides derived from sequences of intracellular loops 2 and 3 of the H5HT1aR. For comparative purposes, the thermodynamic parameters were also determined in the presence of a limited number of ligand-binding site substances (the partial agonist dipropyltryptamine [DPT], and the full agonist [3H]8-OH-DPAT alone). All of these thermodynamic measurements were based on binding data accumulated over a range of temperatures (0–35°C). Representative examples of binding constant experiments and van’t Hoff plots are shown to establish the thermodynamic variables. Although differences exist between the peptides themselves and the non-peptide agonists, in all situations the binding events are highly entropy driven. Differences between this information and published data for rat 5HT1aR are discussed, as are relationships to other receptor systems. Overall, the conclusions should be useful in further defining a comprehensive model of 5HT1aR, and for future development of binding-site and non-binding-site directed agents for the receptor.
Use of Frequency-Selective Surface for Suppressing Radio-Frequency Interference from Wireless Charging Pads

Wireless charging is an emerging technology that involves multidisciplinary research. Power converters driving the planar wireless charging pads generate radio-frequency interference (RFI) that can degrade the signal transmission and reception of portable communication devices such as mobile phones. In this paper, the practical evidence of the RFI arising from the switching electronics in a wireless charging pad is provided and the use of a frequency-selective surface (FSS) is proposed for reducing the RFI. The basic principle of using the FSS design, previously used for stealth applications, is explained and practically verified for suppressing the RFI in wireless charging pads. The FSS structures show good RFI blocking performance with negligible effect on the charging energy efficiency. Practical tests have confirmed that the maximum sensitivity of the phone can be improved by 6.5-8.4 dB in GSM900 and by 2.3-6.3 dB in GSM850 when a double-sided FSS is employed. Moreover, the total isotropic sensitivity is improved by 3.3-5.6 dB in GSM900 and 0.2-3.3 dB in GSM850. The proposed FSS can become a low-cost accessory to the wireless charging pads for portable electronics.