Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Professional Cultures in Schools With High and Low Rates of Bullying

Most research on bullying in schools has focussed on characteristics of bullies or victims, and their families. Relatively little has investigated the school's contribution to pupil bullying. Information was obtained from teachers in 22 Norwegian primary schools on bullying and 3 aspects of professional culture. The school highest in bullying had significantly worse scores on all professional culture variables than the school lowest on bullying. The results are discussed with reference to the possibility that improvement in professional culture may contribute to less bullying and overall improvement in behaviour. In turn, these may be prerequisites for improvement in academic standards.
I Want the Opposite of What You Want: Summary of a Study on the Reduction of Fixed-Pie Perceptions in Online Negotiations

Negotiating is a complex task in which negotiators typically try to maximize their own interests without realizing that most conflict situations contain potential for solutions that benefit both parties involved in the dispute. It seems that negotiators typically refrain from exchanging and processing information about their own and the opponent’s interests which results in the erroneous belief that their interests are diametrically opposed. These fixed-pie perceptions often impede integrative agreements. According to the negotiation literature, several techniques improve negotiations. In order to test whether these negotiation strategies actually contribute to a reduction in fixed-pie perceptions and hence result in more effective conflict resolution, two experiments have been conducted. The results demonstrate that people reduce their fixed-pie perceptions over the course of a negotiation. This effect seems to be the result of the negotiation itself rather than the negotiation techniques. However, providing negotiators with a negotiation technique was found to lead to an increase in the likelihood of achieving an agreement. The implementation of negotiation techniques in an online environment, the most important findings of the two studies as well as their implications are summarized in the present paper.
A novel approach to syncopal patients: association analysis of polymorphisms in G-protein genes and tilt outcome.

AIMS G-proteins signal transduction pathways play a basic role in cardiovascular reflexes. We hypothesized that the predisposition to reflex-mediated syncope may be associated with genetic variations in G-protein genes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three single-nucleotide polymorphisms in G-protein genes on tilting outcome in syncopal patients. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 217 syncopal patients free from any other disease were genotyped and examined related to tilting results. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism in gene encoding the Gs-protein alpha-subunit (polymorphism C393T), the G-protein beta 3 subunit--GNB3 (polymorphism C825T)--and for the cardiac regulator of G-protein signalling RGS2 (polymorphism C1114G). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the homozygotes 825TT GNB3 (OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.14-0.97; P < 0.05) and body mass index (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.78-0.97; P = 0.005) were independently associated with a lower chance of positive tilting results. No relationship was found between Vasovagal Syncope International Study type of syncope and the studied genotypes or the carriage of the polymorphic alleles. CONCLUSIONS An association between tilting results and C825T GNB3 polymorphism in syncopal patients was found. The syncopal homozygotes 825TT GNB3 had a significantly lower chance of syncope during tilt testing.
Emotional Intelligence Differences: Could Culture Be the Culprit?

Studies have indicated that emotional intelligence (EI) influences managerial success in the hospitality industry and that cultural backgrounds impact EI behaviors. This study indicates significant differences in EI levels of hospitality undergraduate students based on their cultural grouping and provides credence that native culture should be considered when hospitality educators and trainers develop EI enhancement programs. Tailoring education for those groups that are less comfortable recognizing and expressing emotions expected by guests could aid the development of individuals in adapting and adjusting their behavior to achieve positive results at both work in the service industry and in their personal life.
Work in progress — Interdisciplinary integration in Philosophy of Technology

Engineering Education is devoting more attention to key areas of concern such as global awareness, environmental impact, social and political considerations in decision making, and professional ethical issues. One strand of this inquiry is Philosophy of Technology, which treats social, political, and ethical issues embedded in technologies themselves. Another is Liberal Studies, in which socio-economic and sociopolitical issues that bear on engineering and technology are investigated. In an effort to organize and merge some of the ideas related to these fields, realities, and concerns, the Interdisciplinary Group on Philosophy, Engineering and Technology was established. The Group's objectives and a description of its activities, including collaborations with other efforts and future projects, are presented.
Research on the combination rules of the D-S evidence theory and improvement of extension to fuzzy sets

As a popular information fusion method and easy to be combined with other intelligent methods, the Dempster-Shafter (D-S) Evidence Theory is more widely usable and can be extended very well in the future. For dealing with the deficiency of the evidence conflict, the combination rules of the D-S Evidence Theory are improved considering both coherent and incoherent information obtained from multiple sources. The corresponding experiments and theoretical analysis validate the improved rules can process both highly conflicting and coherent evidence effectively, and reasonable results with better convergence efficiency are given than other rules in the case of highly conflicting evidence sources. To analyze fuzzy data in uncertain evidential reasoning, the D-S evidence theory was extended to fuzzy sets. This paper describes a new definition of the similarity degree between two fuzzy sets and the improved extension combination rules of the evidence theory on fuzzy sets. Compared with other generalizing combination rules, the results of the numerical experiments show that the new combination rule in this paper can acquire more changing information to the change of fuzzy focal elements more effectively, and it overcomes the insufficiencies of other existing combination rules and enhances the robustness of fusion decision systems effectively.
Network models provide insights into how oriens–lacunosum-moleculare and bistratified cell interactions influence the power of local hippocampal CA1 theta oscillations

Hippocampal theta is a 4–12 Hz rhythm associated with episodic memory, and although it has been studied extensively, the cellular mechanisms underlying its generation are unclear. The complex interactions between different interneuron types, such as those between oriens–lacunosum-moleculare (OLM) interneurons and bistratified cells (BiCs), make their contribution to network rhythms difficult to determine experimentally. We created network models that are tied to experimental work at both cellular and network levels to explore how these interneuron interactions affect the power of local oscillations. Our cellular models were constrained with properties from patch clamp recordings in the CA1 region of an intact hippocampus preparation in vitro. Our network models are composed of three different types of interneurons: parvalbumin-positive (PV+) basket and axo-axonic cells (BC/AACs), PV+ BiCs, and somatostatin-positive OLM cells. Also included is a spatially extended pyramidal cell model to allow for a simplified local field potential representation, as well as experimentally-constrained, theta frequency synaptic inputs to the interneurons. The network size, connectivity, and synaptic properties were constrained with experimental data. To determine how the interactions between OLM cells and BiCs could affect local theta power, we explored how the number of OLM-BiC connections and connection strength affected local theta power. We found that our models operate in regimes that could be distinguished by whether OLM cells minimally or strongly affected the power of network theta oscillations due to balances that, respectively, allow compensatory effects or not. Inactivation of OLM cells could result in no change or even an increase in theta power. We predict that the dis-inhibitory effect of OLM cells to BiCs to pyramidal cell interactions plays a critical role in the resulting power of network theta oscillations. Overall, our network models reveal a dynamic interplay between different classes of interneurons in influencing local theta power.
Relationship Closeness and Self-reported Willingness to Falsely Take the Blame.

One reason people falsely confess is to protect the true perpetrator. The current study examined whether relationship closeness influences people's self-reported willingness to falsely take the blame. Utilizing theoretical work from the prosocial area, three potential mediators were investigated. Participants (N = 131) were randomly assigned to think of either a close or a casual friend and then read one of two scenarios that described a minor offense committed by the friend. Participants' willingness to take the blame was assessed, as well as their perceptions of reciprocity, feelings of empathy, and distress concerns related to their relationship with the offending friend. Results showed that, in both scenarios, participants more often took the blame in the close friend condition than in the casual friend condition. Reciprocity and empathy each uniquely and independently mediated relationship closeness, whereas distress concerns did not. Differences in the two scenarios, which describe different offenses, are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationship between living arrangements and the psychological well‐being of older people in Hong Kong

Objectives: This study explored the relationship between three types of living arrangements, namely living alone, living with family, and living in a hostel, and the psychological well‐being of older people in Hong Kong. The impact of various sociodemographic factors on the choice of living arrangements of older people was also studied.
Determination of Stroke Volume and Cardiac Output During Exercise: Comparison of Two-Dimensional and Doppler Echocardiography, Fick Oximetry, and Thermodilution

Simultaneous estimates of cardiac output were made during graded upright maximal exercise in 10 male subjects by means of Doppler velocity spectrum of ascending aortic flow, apical two-dimensional echocardiograms, thermodilution, and Fick oximetry. In 15 subjects, aortic annular and root diameters were measured during similar exercise from parasternal two-dimensional echocardiograms. The linear correlation between Doppler, two-dimensional echocardiography, and the invasive estimates ranged from r = . 78 to r = . 92. Both echocardiographic techniques were able to predict changes in invasive flow estimates with reasonable accuracy. Two-dimensional echocardiographic flow estimates underestimated invasive values by about 60%. The accuracy of Doppler flow estimates varied with the method of estimating aortic cross-sectional area. Greatest accuracy was obtained with areas calculated from diameters measured at the aortic value anulus with the leading edge-to-leading edge method of measurement. Correlation coefficients comparing Doppler and thermodilution flow estimates were generally higher (r = .75 to .96, mean .86) for individuals than for the group, but accuracy of the Doppler estimates in single subjects was quite variable. Aortic diameters did not increase from rest to moderate levels of upright exercise. A 3% to 5% increase in resting aortic diameter was noted in the upright posture as compared with the supine. Doppler flow estimates were obtained in all subjects to maximal exertion but in only a minority of subjects with two-dimensional echocardiography or thermodilution. Thus two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography offer a noninvasive means of estimating cardiac output during vigorous exercise. The Doppler technique is technically more suitable to the study of exercise than two-dimensional echocardiography. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Data journalism in the UK: a preliminary analysis of form and content

More than two years ago Sir Tim Berners-Lee made the pronouncement that ‘Journalists need to be data-savvy … but now it's also going to be about poring over data and equipping yourself with the tools to analyse it and picking out what's interesting’. 5This new form of data-driven journalism appears to have been enthusiastically adopted – at least in the rhetoric of news discourse, according to which it is ‘rapidly becoming part of the establishment’. This analysis is a preliminary survey of data-based stories being presented in the national news in the UK, and lays the groundwork for an analysis and typology of the forms and formats of data journalism as a media practice. The analysis shows that while superficial data journalism is being practiced, it is limited in scope and format. No evidence was found of a commitment to data projects among the news outlets examined, and only one instance of recourse to the Freedom of Information Act was seen. Most data presented were superficial, and sourced from traditional outlets. Data journalism is practiced as much for its visual appeal as for its investigative qualities, and the overall impact, especially in the tabloid format is as much decorative as informative.
Experiments on the effects of a continuous 16.7 Hz magnetic field on melatonin secretion, core body temperature, and heart rates in humans

The present study investigated the hypothesis that a strong extremely low frequency magnetic field partially suppresses the synthesis of melatonin and subsequently elevates the core body temperature. Seven healthy young men (16–22 years) took part in a control and in an exposure session. Three men experienced first the control and then the exposure session, four men experienced the sessions in reverse order. Control sessions were performed as constant routines, where the participants spent 24 hour periods continuously in bed while air temperature was 18°C, illumination less than 30 lux, and the sound pressure level 50 dBA. The exposure sessions differed from that protocol only between 6 pm and 2 am when a strong extremely low frequency magnetic field was continuously applied (16.7 Hz, 0.2 mT). Assuming that the participants were unable to perceive the field consciously, they were blind against the actual condition. Salivary melatonin levels were determined hourly; body core temperatures and heart rates were registered continuously throughout. Neither of these parameters revealed alterations that can be related to the influence of the magnetic field. The present results, taken together with other investigations using that particular field, lead to the hypothesis that the effects most likely, occur, only after repetitive exposures to intermittent fields. Bioelectromagnetics 22:581–588, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sports Participation and the ‘Obesity/Health Crisis’

There has been growing concern in recent years about the emergence of a supposed ‘health crisis’ — in the form of an ‘obesity epidemic’ — among young people, one of the maincauses of which, it is assumed, is their declining levels of involvement in sport and physical activity. This brief paper offers some critical comments on the taken-for-granted relationship between these two emergent ‘crises’ and argues that, in contrast to popular opinion, young people are, in fact, doing more sport and physical activity than at any other time in the past, but that this process has co-occurred, and continues to co-occur, with increasing levels of obesity and overweight. In order to begin to adequately explain these co-occurring processes, it is argued that we need to examine young people’s lives in their total context, while noting, in particular, the continuing significance of broader social processes and the networks of relationships in which they are involved.
Human Intervention Study to Assess the Effects of Supplementation with Olive Leaf Extract on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Gene Expression

Olive leaf extract (OLE) has been used for many years for its putative health benefits, but, to date, scientific evidence for the basis of these effects has been weak. Although recent literature has described a link between ailments such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer and a protective effect of polyphenols in the OLE, the mode of action is still unclear. Here, we describe a double-blinded placebo (PBO)-controlled trial, in which gene expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy male volunteers (n = 29) were analysed to identify genes that responded to OLE, following an eight-week intervention with 20 mL daily consumption of either OLE or PBO. Differences between groups were determined using an adjusted linear model. Subsequent analyses indicated downregulation of genes important in inflammatory pathways, lipid metabolism and cancer as a result of OLE consumption. Gene expression was verified by real-time PCR for three genes (EGR1, COX-2 and ID3). The results presented here suggest that OLE consumption may result in health benefits through influencing the expression of genes in inflammatory and metabolic pathways. Future studies with a larger study group, including male and female participants, looking into direct effects of OLE on lipid metabolism and inflammation are warranted.
An Elephant in the Room: Okavango Safari Hunting as Ecotourism?

Abstract Safari hunters’ acute awareness of the widely held negative perceptions of their practice has led to their development of strong justifications and defensive assertions in favour of hunting. Far from being a primarily destructive practice, they claim that safari hunting in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, can be seen as an exemplary form of ecotourism, which benefits local communities, facilitates environmental conservation and provides the ultimate nature experience for participants. While research supports their claims to an extent, the ethical quandaries evinced by hunters themselves, the complex dialectic between local and global controls, and the elite, racialised and gendered nature of hunting speaks to a more complex and conflicted situation.
Role for P2X Receptors in Long-Term Potentiation

ATP receptors participate in synaptic transmission and intracellular calcium signaling in the hippocampus by providing a component of the excitatory input to CA1 pyramidal neurons. The activation of P2X purinoreceptors generates calcium influx that does not require cell depolarization, but this response desensitizes at increased rates of stimulation. Here we show that inhibition of P2X receptors dramatically facilitates the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP). High-frequency stimulation (HFS) (1 sec) induced LTP in CA1, whereas brief HFS (0.2 sec) caused only short-term potentiation. However, when P2X receptors were inhibited by PPADS (pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′-4′-disulphonic acid) or desensitized by the nonhydrolyzable ATP analog α,β-methyleneATP, brief HFS reliably induced LTP. Inhibition of P2X receptors had no facilitatory effect on LTP when NMDA receptors were blocked. We hypothesized that P2X receptors affect the threshold for LTP by altering Ca2+-dependent inactivation of NMDA receptors. In isolated pyramidal CA1 neurons and hippocampal slices, activation of P2X receptors did cause inhibition of NMDA receptor-mediated current. We suggest that, by controlling the background calcium and thus the activity of NMDA receptors at low firing frequencies, P2X receptors act as a dynamic low-frequency filter so that weak stimuli do not induce LTP.
The Combined Propranolol/TSST Paradigm – A New Method for Psychoneuroendocrinology

Upon perception of a stimulus as stressful, the human brain reacts with the activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), to mobilize energy resources to better cope with the stressor. Since the perception of the stressor is the initial stimulus, a synchronicity between the subjective perception of stress and the physiological stress reactivity should be expected. However, according to a recent meta-analysis, these associations are weak and inconsistent. The goal of the current study was to investigate the interaction between the SNS, HPA and subjective stress perceptions, by introducing an experimental manipulation of this interaction. For this purpose, we combined the SNS inhibitor propranolol with the Trier Social Stress Test, and measured endocrinological and psychological responses to the stressor. Thirty healthy male participants were recruited and randomly assigned to either a propranolol (PROP; n = 15) or placebo (PLC; n = 15) group. All subjects were administered 80 mg of propranolol 60 minutes prior to exposure to psychosocial stress. Salivary cortisol and alpha amylase (sAA), heart rate, blood pressure and subjective stress responses were assessed throughout the study. We observed significantly reduced sAA levels and heart rate increases in the PROP group in response to stress, with no effects of the drug on systolic or diastolic blood pressure changes. In line with previous studies, a significant increase in cortisol was seen in response to the stress exposure. Importantly, the cortisol increase was significantly higher in the PROP group. A typical increase in subjective stress could be seen in both groups, with no significant group differences emerging. Complementing previous work, this study further demonstrates a significant interaction between the HPA and the SNS during acute stress. The HPA activity was found to be elevated in the presence of a suppressed SNS in reactivity to the TSST.
Global Aphasia without Hemiparesis

This case report describes a patient with global aphasia with little or no hemiparesis. Initially, computed tomography (CT) revealed a petechial hemorrhagic infarction anteriorly and another infarction posteriorly in the left hemisphere. Subsequently, CT showed a large confluent infarction in the territory of the left middle cerebral artery. At the end of 12 months, speech recovery was poor. Key Words: Global aphasia—Hemiparesis—Computed tomography.