Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-related changes in circadian responses to dark pulses.

Aging involves many alterations in circadian rhythms, including a loss of sensitivity to both photic and nonphotic time signals. This study investigated the sensitivity of young and old hamsters to the phase advancing effect of a 6-h dark pulse on the locomotor activity rhythm. Each hamster was tested four times during a period of approximately 9 mo; periods of exposure to a 14-h photoperiod were alternated with the periods of exposure to constant light (20-80 lx), during which the dark pulses were administered. There was no significant difference in the phase shifts exhibited by the young (4-10 mo) and old hamsters (19-25 mo) or in the amount of wheel running activity displayed during each dark pulse. However, young hamsters had a significantly greater propensity to exhibit split rhythms immediately after the dark pulses. These results suggest that, although aging does not reduce the sensitivity of the circadian pacemaker to this nonphotic signal, it alters one property of the pacemaker, i.e., the flexibility of the coupling of its component oscillators.
Social Contract and Deterring Famine: First Thoughts

The links between certain kinds of political systems and protection against famine are investigated in this paper. The starting-point is a critique of Amartya Sen's observation that famines are unknown in countries with a free press and competitive elections. This holds true only in India because of a unique political history in which freedom from famine became a right, upon which political legitimacy was founded: an anti-famine 'social contract'. The rise and decline of anti-famine systems in Africa is charted. Major reasons for decay include neo-liberalism and the international humanitarian system, both of which undermine relationships of domestic political accountability that underpin effective famine prevention. A number of politically regressive tendencies in 'actually existing humanitarianism' are identified that work against any nascent anti-famine social contracts in Africa. This is possible because famine prevention has not been established as a right in Africa.
Taxation and Corporate Risk-Taking

We study whether the corporate tax system provides incentives for risky firm investment. We first model the effects of corporate tax rates and tax loss offset rules on firm risk-taking. Testing the theoretical predictions, we find that firm risk-taking is positively related to the length of tax loss periods. This result occurs because the loss rules shift a portion of investment risk to the government, inducing firms to increase their overall level of risk-taking. Moreover, the corporate tax rate has a positive effect on risk-taking for firms that can expect to use their tax losses, and a negative effect for those that cannot. Thus, the effect of taxes on risky investment decisions varies among firms, and its sign hinges on firm-specific expectations of future tax loss recovery.
Memory for Choices in Alzheimer’s Disease

Despite their cognitive impairment, patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) often make important life choices. When making choices, people frequently attempt to directly compare the features of different options, rather than evaluating each option separately. Not every feature has an analogous (or alignable) feature in the other option, however. In 2005, Mather’s group found that both younger and older adults filled in such gaps when remembering, creating features in the other option to contrast with existing features. In the present study, such effects of alignability on recognition memory were not found in patients with mild AD. This finding suggests that patients with mild AD are less likely to engage in feature-by-feature comparison processes across choice options, a change that may lead them to make qualitatively different choices than healthy older adults.
Why aren't Computers Used more in Schools?

The personal computer is the latest educational technology to fall short of its original promise. Although U.S. public schools now possess 5.8 million computers, roughly one for every nine students, they are not widely used in classroom instruction. Why not? This article argues that the most popular explanations mistakenly fix blame on recalcitrant bureaucracies and stubborn teachers. By enlisting technology in the cause of educational reform, computer advocates overlook some of the real obstacles to the use of computers in classrooms, obstacles rooted in organizational constraints of the school system and the nature of teachers' and students' work.
Race-Related Stress and Racial Identity as Predictors of African American Activism

The purpose of this study was to examine three forms of race-related stress (i.e., cultural, institutional, and individual) and six racial identity dimensions (i.e., Pre-Encounter Assimilation, Miseducation, and Self-Hatred, Immersion-Emersion Anti-White, and Internalization Afrocentricity and Multiculturalist Inclusive) as predictors of involvement in African American activism in a sample of 185 African American undergraduate women and men. When examined concurrently, these race-related variables accounted for more than one fourth of the variance in involvement in African American activism scores. Results indicated that cultural race-related stress, Immersion-Emersion Anti-White, Internalization Afrocentricity, and Internalization Multiculturalist Inclusive were the only significant and unique positive predictors of involvement in African American activism. In addition, Internalization Afrocentricity attitudes mediated the cultural race-related stress → activism link and both Immersion-Emersion Anti-White and Internalization Afrocentricity attitudes mediated the institutional race-related stress → activism link.
Ageing in Rural Communities: Family Contacts and Community Integration

ABSTRACT Based on a study of the elderly in rural communities, the paper makes comparisons with data from more urban studies in the U.K. The findings indicate that while availability of and contact with family members is comparable, satisfaction with the amount of contact is considerably higher in the rural context. This higher level of satisfaction holds even for retired migrants who have less contact. It is suggested that satisfaction may be higher because needs for contact are met by a greater variety of other forms of association and support. The data demonstrate that the rural elderly do in fact have higher levels of contact with neighbours; are more likely to belong to voluntary associations; are more likely to belong to a religious group and to be visited by the clergy, and are more likely to become involved in sparetime activities which enhance the likelihood for social contact. Dependency on family, therefore, appears to be lower. While rural communities do not appear to preserve family cohesion, opportunities for community integration are enhanced and are reflected in higher levels of satisfaction.
A new quantitative model to predict SILC-related disturb characteristics in flash E/sup 2/PROM devices

A new quantitative model is developed that allows an excellent prediction of the disturb behavior of tunnel oxide flash E/sup 2/PROM devices after write/erase cycling and provides a well-understood and consistent cell optimization procedure. This model requires as only input a measurement of the oxide quality on capacitors and transistors, and some basic cell characteristics.
Effects of diet quality on urea fates in sheep as assessed by refined, non-invasive [15N15N] urea kinetics

The effect of diet quality on urea production, entry into the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and subsequent diversion to anabolic or catabolic fates was examined in four sheep (mean live weight 49.5 kg). The animals received, in a crossover design, each of two rations, hay-grass pellets (1:1 HG) and a mixed concentrate-forage (CF). Measurements were made of N balance and urea kinetics based on a 4 d continuous intravascular infusion of [15N15N]urea. Enrichments of [15N15N]- and [14N15N]urea in the urine, and faecal 15N content were determined each day. After 24 h of infusion, urinary [15N15N]urea enrichments reached constant enrichment but a further 24 h was required before [14N15N]urea enrichment was at plateau. The latter is derived from hydrolysis of urea to 15NH3 in the digestive tract with subsequent absorption and reconversion to urea. The diets were not isonitrogenous (14.3 v. 17.1 g N supplied daily for HG and CF respectively) but showed no difference in N balance. Urea-N production was much greater (16.3 v. 11.1 g/d; P = 0.011) for CF compared with HG and more urea-N entered the GIT (9.9 v. 7.7; P = 0.07). A larger proportion of GIT entry was returned to ureagenesis (51 v. 42%; P = 0.047) for the CF diet but a smaller fraction was lost in the faeces (3.3% v. 7.1%; P = 0.013). In consequence, most of the additional urea-N which entered the GIT on the CF diet was returned to the ornithine cycle (probably as NH3) and the absolute amount available for anabolic purposes was similar between the rations (3.9 v. 4.5 g N/d).
Codon 72 polymorphism of TP53 gene is a novel prognostic marker for therapy in multiple myeloma

Despite recent advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), patients with high-risk chromosomal abnormalities, such as deletion of chromosome 17 (del 17), on which the TP53 tumour suppressor gene is localized, revealed significantly shorter survival. In addition to the dominant effect of TP53 deletion, the association between TP53 polymorphism at codon 72 and cancer risk in various types of cancers has been widely studied. Namely, the transition of the
The Prefoldin Bud27 Mediates the Assembly of the Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases in an Rpb5-Dependent Manner

The unconventional prefoldin URI/RMP, in humans, and its orthologue in yeast, Bud27, have been proposed to participate in the biogenesis of the RNA polymerases. However, this role of Bud27 has not been confirmed and is poorly elucidated. Our data help clarify the mechanisms governing biogenesis of the three eukaryotic RNA pols. We show evidence that Bud27 is the first example of a protein that participates in the biogenesis of the three eukaryotic RNA polymerases and the first example of a protein modulating their assembly instead of their nuclear transport. In addition we demonstrate that the role of Bud27 in RNA pols biogenesis depends on Rpb5. In fact, lack of BUD27 affects growth and leads to a substantial accumulation of the three RNA polymerases in the cytoplasm, defects offset by the overexpression of RPB5. Supporting this, our data demonstrate that the lack of Bud27 affects the correct assembly of Rpb5 and Rpb6 to the three RNA polymerases, suggesting that this process occurs in the cytoplasm and is a required step prior to nuclear import. Also, our data support the view that Rpb5 and Rpb6 assemble somewhat later than the rest of the complexes. Furthermore, Bud27 Rpb5-binding but not PFD-binding domain is necessary for RNA polymerases biogenesis. In agreement, we also demonstrate genetic interactions between BUD27, RPB5, and RPB6. Bud27 shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm in an Xpo1-independent manner, and also independently of microtubule polarization and possibly independently of its association with the RNA pols. Our data also suggest that the role of Bud27 in RNA pols biogenesis is independent of the chaperone prefoldin (PFD) complex and of Iwr1. Finally, the role of URI seems to be conserved in humans, suggesting conserved mechanisms in RNA pols biogenesis.
Distrust of representation: Habermas on the public sphere

L'A. analyse la theorie de la communication de masse de Jurgen Habermas et de l'Ecole de Francfort. Il etudie les traits principaux de la theorie d'Habermas, en particulier la notion de « sphere publique », et replace ses travaux dans la problematique actuelle de la communication
Sleep Paralysis Postepisode Distress

Sleep paralysis (SP) is a brief paralysis experienced when falling asleep or waking up. It is often accompanied by vivid imagery and extreme fear. In addition to the fear during episodes, people often report marked distress following episodes. With the goal of developing an integrative account of SP postepisode distress, we examined the effects of several potential determinants of postepisode distress sampled from diverse domains: characteristics of the SP episodes (reported fear and vividness of experiences during SP and frequency of episodes), psychological distress sensitivity, supernatural beliefs about SP experiences, and cognitive style. All factors made independent contributions to postepisode distress. A conceptually derived path model integrating these separate factors was tested and largely corroborated. An analytic cognitive style had both direct and indirect effects on postepisode distress. Postepisode distress was found to be approximately equally affected by contextual, cognitive, and affective variables.
InTrans Project Reports Institute for Transportation 4-2010 Biofuel CoProduct Uses for Pavement Geo-Materials Stabilization

The production and use of biofuels has increased in the present context of sustainable development. Biofuel production from plant biomass produces not only biofuel or ethanol but also co-products containing lignin, modified lignin, and lignin derivatives. This research investigated the utilization of lignin-containing biofuel co-products (BCPs) in pavement soil stabilization as a new application area. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the performance and the moisture susceptibility of two types of BCP-treated soil samples compared to the performance of untreated and traditional stabilizer-treated (fly ash) soil samples. The two types of BCPs investigated were (1) a liquid type with higher lignin content (co-product A) and (b) a powder type with lower lignin content (coproduct B). Various additive combinations (co-product A and fly ash, coproducts A and B, etc.) were also evaluated as alternatives to stand-alone co-products. Test results indicate that BCPs are effective in stabilizing the Iowa Class 10 soil classified as CL or A-6(8) and have excellent resistance to moisture degradation. Strengths and moisture resistance in comparison to traditional additives (fly ash) could be obtained through the use of combined additives (co-product A + fly ash; co-product A + coproduct B). Utilizing BCPs as a soil stabilizer appears to be one of the many viable answers to the profitability of the biobased products and the bioenergy business. Future research is needed to evaluate the freeze-thaw durability and for resilient modulus characterization of BCPmodified layers for a variety of pavement subgrade and base soil types. In addition, the long-term performance of these BCPs should be evaluated under actual field conditions and traffic loadings. Innovative uses of BCP in pavement-related applications could not only provide additional revenue streams to improve the economics of biorefineries, but could also serve to establish green road infrastructures.
Serum ferritin levels in beta-thalassaemia trait.

Both iron deficiency and iron overload have been described in subjects with 3-thalassaemia trait. ' 2 In all these studies iron status has been assessed by peripheral blood count, serum iron, and by visual quantitation of bone marrow iron stores.Serum ferritin concentrations reflect iron storage status in health and also in certain diseases.3 We have measured the concentration of serum ferritin in 69 patients with f-thalassaemia trait and compared it with the concentration in normal adult control subjects.
Airline-Driven Performance-Based Air Traffic Management: Game Theoretic Models and Multicriteria Evaluation

Defining air traffic management as the tools, procedures, and systems employed to ensure safe and efficient operation of air transportation systems, an important objective of future air traffic management systems is to support airline business objectives, subject to ensuring safety and security. Under the current model for designing air traffic management initiatives, the central authority overseeing and regulating air traffic management in a region makes trade-offs between specified performance criteria. The research presented in this paper aims instead to allow the airline community to set performance goals and thus make trade-offs between different performance criteria directly, before specific air traffic management strategies are determined. We propose several approaches for collecting inputs from airlines in a systematic way and for combining these airline inputs into implementable air traffic management initiatives. These include variants of averaging, voting, and ranking mechanisms. We also propose multiple criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of each approach, including Pareto optimality, airline profitability, system optimality, equity, and truthfulness of airline inputs. We apply a game-theoretic approach to examine the potential for strategic gaming behavior by airlines. We offer a broad evaluation of each approach, first by providing some theoretical insights, and then by simulating each of the approaches for a generic system using Monte Carlo methods, sampling values for input parameters from a wide range. We also provide an indication of how the approaches might perform in a real system by simulating ground delay programs at two airports in the New York City area. We first apply a simplified model that simulates the process of selecting only planned end times of a ground delay program, using Monte Carlo methods. Next, we apply a more detailed model that simulates the process of selecting planned end times and reduced airport arrival rates. Finally, we characterize the effectiveness of each of the considered approaches on the proposed criteria and identify the most desirable approaches. We conclude that voting schemes, which score highly on all criteria including airline profitability, system optimality, and equity, represent the most promising approaches among those considered to elicit airline preferences, thereby allowing the central authority to design air traffic management initiatives that optimize system performance while respecting the objectives of airlines.
School-Age Prework Experiences of Young People With a History of Specific Language Impairment

Young people with specific language impairment (SLI) are at risk for poorer outcomes with respect to employment in adulthood, yet little is known of how early school-age prework experiences prepare them for the job market. This study examined whether young people with SLI engage in similar types of early work experiences as their typically developing (TD) peers. A total of 139 young people with a history of SLI and 124 TD peers attending their final year of compulsory secondary education were interviewed about early work experiences, current part-time employment, career aspirations, and perceived workplace challenges. Individuals with SLI experienced different types of work placements and were more likely to aspire to manual tasks, whereas their TD peers aspired to professional roles. Differences in early prework experiences and vocational aspirations are already evident in 16-year-old young people with SLI. Several challenges and potential barriers to employment are identified.
Ernst Mach and the Fortunes of Positivism in America

B ETWEEN 1910 AND 1914, the Nobel Committee in Stockholm received a number of letters and petitions from scientists nominating Ernst Mach for the Nobel Prize in physics (see Figure 1). Among these, H. A. Lorentz praised Mach's "beautiful works," especially in acoustics and optics, which indeed have not lost their luster to this day; but he added that "all physicists" know Mach's historical and methodological books, and "a large number of physicists honor him as a master and as a guide of their thoughts. " (A few years later, in his obituary for Mach in 1916, Albert Einstein said it more strikingly: "I believe even that those who consider themselves as opponents of Mach are hardly aware of how much of Mach's way of thinking they imbibed, so to speak, with their mother's milk.") Ferdinand Braun's nominating letter indicated that while the Nobel Prize might soon have to be awarded for the new theory of space and time, it should first go to Mach, as an early advocate of ideas along the same lines as well as a major experimental physicist; but Braun, too, insisted on Mach's wider influence through philosophical clarifications and "his clear, profound historicalphysical studies. "'1 As is well known, only a few years before those letters were sent to Stockholm, Einstein-who later confessed in his Autobiography that Mach's Mechanik had "exercised a profound influence" upon him, and that Mach's example of critical reasoning had been a requirement for his discovering the key to relativity-signed one of his letters to Mach "Your admiring student. "2 Similarly, the next generation of physicists, which struggled with the problems of the new quantum mechanics (e.g., Werner Heisenberg and Wolfgang Pauli), also found in Mach guidance for their thoughts. At least among scientists, Mach was recognized as one of the most effective fighters in the empiricist challenge to notions implying "absolutes" that had in-
The Relationship between Density and Crowding

It was hypothesized that architectural features of rooms, other than room size, would affect the perceived size of the rooms as well as perceived crowdedness. This hypothesis was examined with reference to usable space, level of illumination, and expansiveness of view from room windows. It was found that these features did affect the judged size and crowdedness. It was also found that perceived size and perceived crowdedness are independent.
Script Directionality Affects Depiction of Depth in Representational Drawings

This research examined the influence of directional reading/writing habits on the representation of depth in a scene. Participants with English vs. Arabic language backgrounds were asked to represent an imagined scene containing two houses, a “near house” and a “far house. ” Nearly all participants drew the near house larger than the far house and drew the near house before drawing the far house. However, significant group differences in spatial strategies and movement biases were noted. Whereas the majority of native English readers drew the near house on the left side of the page and the far house to the right of it, native Arabic readers showed a slight right bias in placement of the near house and tended to place the far house to the left of the near house. This effect of script direction characterized right-handed and left-handed users of each group. Taken together, the findings support a cultural account of asymmetries in representational drawing reflecting biases arising from prolonged experience in.