92 research outputs found
Medical cannabis authorization and risk of emergency department visits and hospitalization due to psychotic disorders: A propensity score-matched cohort study
No full text: Despite evidence showing that recreational cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of psychotic disorders, this risk has not been well characterized for patients using medical cannabis. Therefore, this study assessed the risk of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalization for psychotic disorders (the study outcome) among adult patients authorized to use medical cannabis. We performed a retrospective cohort study on patients authorized to use medical cannabis in a group of Ontario cannabis clinics between 2014 and 2019. Using clinical and health administrative data, each patient was matched by propensity scores to up to 3 population-based controls. Conditional Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to assess the risk. Among 54,006 cannabis patients matched to 161,265 controls, 39 % were aged ≤50 years, and 54 % were female. Incidence rates for psychotic disorders were 3.00/1000 person-years (95%CI: 2.72-3.32) in the cannabis group and 1.88/1000 person-years (1.75-2.03) in the control group. A significant association was observed, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.38 (95%CI: 1.19-1.60) in the total sample and 1.63 (1.40-1.91) in patients without previous psychotic disorders. The results suggest that cannabis authorization should include a benefit-risk assessment of psychotic disorders to minimize the risk of events requiring emergency attention
Nota introdutória
No full textLínguas e Instrumentos Linguísticos brings in this section the initial part of the book Noções de Semantica by Pacheco da Silva Júnior, the first book on Semantics published in Brazil. It also brings the Introduction of La vie des mots by Arsene Darmesteter, author constantly present in the porduction of Pacheco Silva, since his Gramática Histórica.Línguas e Instrumentos Linguísticos traz nesta seção a parte inicial do livro Noções de Semantica de Pacheco da Silva Júnior, primeiro livro de Semântica pubicado no Brasil. Traz também a Introdução do La vie des mots de Arsene Darmesteter, autor constantemente presente na pordução de Pacheco Silva, desde sua Gramática Histórica. Línguas e Instrumentos Linguísticos traz nesta seção a parte inicial do livro Noções de Semantica de Pacheco da Silva Júnior, primeiro livro de Semântica pubicado no Brasil. Traz também a Introdução do La vie des mots de Arsene Darmesteter, autor constantemente presente na pordução de Pacheco Silva, desde sua Gramática Histórica. 
Evaluating catastrophic forgetting of state-of-the-art NLP models for predicting moral values
No full textPersonal moral values represent the motivation behind individuals' actions and opinions. Understanding these values is helpful both in predicting individuals' actions, such as violent protests, and building AI that can better collaborate with humans. Predicting moral values is a challenging problem due to the abstract and subjective essence of moral values. With the help of seven Twitter datasets corresponding to different domains, we train state-of-the-art Natural Language Processing models in predicting moral values. An interesting limitation of the models is that they all suffer from catastrophic forgetting. Catastrophic forgetting is the degree to which models worsen their performance on older data after being trained on new data. We conclude that catastrophic forgetting occurs irrespective of the models being trained and can be mitigated by not only training on new data but by training on a combination of old and new data. This is all possible under one assumption: old data is available. We deliver an evaluation of catastrophic forgetting for each model, explain the differences between the models, and suggest possible future work that can be built upon this research.CSE3000 Research ProjectComputer Science and Engineerin
Isolation and characterization of cDNAs differentially expressed between Cd8+ and Cd4+ T cell lines, 2002
No full textTo detect novel molecules involved in immune functions, a subtracted cDNA library between two closely related murine lymphoid cell lines was constructed using the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) technique. Both cells are cytotoxic T lymphocytes, however the 2C is a CD8+ cytotoxic T cell line and the 5.9 is an inflammatory CD4+T cell line (Thl). They can both secrete the cytolysin or perforin and are significantly resistant to cell-mediated lysis. When these two cell lines were subjected to prolonged exposure to reagents that deplete cells of ATP (2-deoxyglucose, sodium azide, and potassium cyanide), the 5.9 cell line became substantially susceptible, but the 2C and other CD8+ cell line still stood out as being strikingly resistant to granule- mediated lysis. A modified differential screening of colonies randomly picked from the constructed subtractive cDNA library and RNA blot analysis were used to identify cDNA clones expressed in 2C and/or 5.9 cytotoxic T cell lines. Thirteen cDNA clones were isolated, from which seven were expressed in both cell lines, and only two were expressed in 2C but not in 5.9 cell line. All the isolated cDNA clones were sequenced. A search of the Gene Bank database with the BLAST X program revealed no extensive homology of IB and 3F cDNA clones to known genes. Limited homology respectively to a zinc finger motif and the transcription factor MTF-1 were observed. Also RT-PCR analysis of cells purified from primary mixed lymphocyte reaction, demonstrated that both IB and 3F cDNA clones were expressed only in CD8+ but not in CD4+ purified cells. This approach of employing subtraction coupled with partial cDNA sequence determination can be useful for a first selection of putative functionally relevant molecules
The management of cultural adjustment: Central-South-East European ethnic minorities in the USA
No full textThe paper focuses on one particular instance in the management of change as accomplished/implemented in the USA by the ethnic minorities originally from Italy, Greece and Romania. The author presents a diachronic survey of the literature against the author’s own findings. The paper identifies common patterns in the cultural adjustment of all three ethnic groups surveyed and analyses them against the specific developmental pressures in each group. Historic, economic and sociological data contribute to outlining the distinct profile of each ethnic groups under investigation, as well as the assimilation patterns at work throughout its evolution in the new US cultural environment.ethnicity affirmed, ethnicity under attack, peripheral ethnicity
Continental Policy of Japan as Seen From France: The Vichy Regime, Franco-Thai war, and Japanese Expansion in Indochina
No full textThe article continues to analyze the little-studied aspects of the JapaneseFrench relations during the Second World War – the resistance of the French state (the Vichy regime) and the authorities of French Indochina to the military, political, economic, and propaganda expansion of Japan. The strategic goal of Japan after the military defeat of France in 1940 was to establish control over Indochina. The authoritarian Vichy regime proclaimed a policy of “preserving the empire,” but compromised with Japan because of the inequality of forces in the region and the remoteness of Indochina from the metropole.Japan exerted pressure on France with the help of its ally Thailand, pushing it to an aggressive war against Indochina. The author examines the process of developing French policy and the actions (as well as inaction) of its leaders and main performers since the autumn of 1940: Head of State Marshal Philippe Petain, heads of government as Vice Prime Minister Pierre Laval and JeanFrançois Darlan, Foreign Ministers Paul Baudouin and Pierre-Etienne Flandin, Colonial Minister Charles Platon, Governor-General of Indochina Jean Decoux, Ambassador to Japan Charles Arsene-Henry, and Ambassador to the US Gaston Henry-Haye.This article is based on documents, diaries, memoirs, and other evidence of the actors in combination with the latest historical research
Medical cannabis authorization and the risk of cardiovascular events: a longitudinal cohort study
No full textAbstract Background Cannabis is increasingly used for therapeutic purpose. However, its safety profile is not well known. This study assessed the risk of cardiovascular-related emergency department (ED) visit and hospitalization in adult patients authorized to use medical cannabis in Ontario, Canada from 2014 to 2017. Methods This is a longitudinal cohort study of patients who received medical cannabis authorization and followed-up in cannabis clinics, matched to population-based controls. The primary outcome was an ED visit or hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or stroke; and secondary outcome was for any cardiovascular event. Conditional Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the association between cannabis authorization and risk. Results 18,653 cannabis patients were matched to 51,243 controls. During a median follow-up of 242 days, the incidence rates for ACS or stroke were 7.19/1000 person-years and 5.67/1000 person-years in the cannabis and controls group, respectively- adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.44 (95% CI 1.08–1.93). When stratified by sex, the association was only statistically significant among males: aHR 1.77 (1.23–2.56). For the secondary outcome (any CV events), the aHR was 1.47 (1.26–1.72). The aHR among males and females were 1.52 (1.24–1.86) and 1.41 (1.11–1.79), respectively. Tested interaction between cannabis authorization and sex was not significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions Medical cannabis authorization was associated with an increased risk of ED visits or hospitalization for CV events including stroke and ACS
Lessons from Uganda on strategies to fight poverty
No full textCountries receiving debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative will be among the first to benefit from the new World Bank -- International Monetary Fund approach to strengthening the impact on poverty of concessional assistance in low-income countries. The new approach features a more inclusive and participatory process for helping recipient countries develop poverty reduction strategies. From these strategies, joint Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) will bring together the country's own priorities and Bank-Fund assistance to the country. In Uganda, such a strategy has existed for several years. Uganda was one of the first low-income countries to prepare a comprehensive national strategy for poverty reduction using a participatory approach. Indeed, its experience contributed substantially to the design of the PRSPs. Uganda's top leadership is heavily committed to poverty reduction. Formulation of Uganda's Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) in 1996-97 was the executive branch's effort to make that commitment and vision operational.The authors draw lessons from the drafting of Uganda's PEAP. First, the plan made extensive use of existing data and research about Uganda to refocus a range of public policies and interventions relevant to poverty reduction. Second, the government's approach was highly participatory, with central and local governments, the donor community, nongovernmental organizations and civil society, and academics invited to contribute. Third, the government was quick to translate the plan into its budget and medium-term spending framework. Public expenditures on basic services were significantly increased after adoption of the PEAP in 1997. The authors discuss the general characteristics of a poverty reduction action plan, drawing on Uganda's experience; discuss what is known about poverty in Uganda and identify shortcomings in the data; examine the macroeconomic and fiscal policies that were considered most important to poverty reduction during the participatory process; discuss the delivery of public services, especially those that directly affect the poor; and highlight problems associated with land issues, including problems with access to credit and financial services and with the security of productive assets.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Public Health Promotion,Health Economics&Finance,Services&Transfers to Poor,Poverty Assessment,Environmental Economics&Policies,Achieving Shared Growth,Governance Indicators,Health Economics&Finance
Short stories by Sławomir Sierecki. A forgotten link in retro crime fiction in the era of the People’s Republic of Poland
No full textThe main thesis of the article is an attempt to prove the existence of a forgotten element of retro crime fiction in the era of the People’s Republic of Poland on the example of Sławomir Sierecki’s stories. In this context, the author interprets the works published under the joint title Tomorrow before midnight. We find there an intertextual discourse with the works of Conan Doyle, Arsene Lupin and American crime fiction. Within them, the author refers to three types of detective novels, presenting his criminal stories from the end of 19th century to 1929. What the three stories have in common is the formula of pastiche references to the above-mentioned artists and the accompanying scenery of the Tri-City (Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia). History is not only a decoration here, but it is ideologized as part of the presentation of historical politics, most visible in Memory of Hongkong. In her interpretation of the stories, the author focuses primarily on reading the character of the criminal discourse, as it is the main determinant of this retronovel. And thanks to him, Sierecki’s stories can be considered the starting point of retro crime fiction in Polish literature. It is no coincidence that this flight into the past is connected with the crisis of the militia novel in the declining period of the People’s Republic of Poland.Główną tezą artykułu jest próba udowodnienia istnienia zapomnianego ogniwa kryminału retro w dobie PRL na przykładzie opowiadań Sławomira Siereckiego. W tym kontekście autorka interpretuje utwory, które ukazały się pod wspólnym tytułem Jutro przed północą. Znajdujemy w nich intertekstualny dyskurs z twórczością Conan Doyle’a, Arsena Lupina i kryminału amerykańskiego. Sierecki nawiązuje w ich obrębie do trzech odmian powieści detektywistycznej, prezentując kryminalne historie od końca XIX wieku aż po rok 1929. Analizowane opowiadania łączy formuła pastiszowych odniesień do wspomnianych twórców oraz towarzysząca im sceneria Trójmiasta (Gdańska, Sopotu i Gdyni). Historia nie tylko jest tu dekoracją, ale poddana zostaje ideologizacji w ramach prezentacji polityki historycznej, najbardziej widocznej w Szkatułce z Hongkongu. Autorka w swojej interpretacji opowiadań skupia się przede wszystkim na odczytaniu charakteru kryminalnego dyskursu, gdyż jest on głównym wyznacznikiem tej retropowieści i to dzięki niemu można uznać opowiadania Siereckiego za początkowe ogniwo kryminału retro w polskiej literaturze. Nieprzypadkowo ta ucieczka w przeszłość wiąże się z kryzysem powieści milicyjnej w schyłkowym okresie PRL
Additional file 1 of Medical cannabis authorization and the risk of cardiovascular events: a longitudinal cohort study
No full textAdditional file 1. Supplemental Table 1. Definitions of the primary and secondary outcomes
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