Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
From vision to touch : the cortical and behavioural effects of viewing others in pain

The observation and experience of actions, emotions, touch, and pain activates overlapping cortical regions. However, the aetiology and function of these so-called “mirrored” representations is unclear. By focusing on the effects of viewing others in pain, this thesis extends our understanding of both the underlying mechanisms and behavioural consequences of vicarious cortical activity. We used multi-voxel pattern analysis to explore whether the type of viewed pain, for example stinging or stabbing pain, was represented by the observer. Our findings demonstrate that only the general experience of pain, rather than the precise sensory consequences of an action, can be accurately identified in regions outside of visual cortex. We predicted that viewing others in pain goes beyond cortical representation, to selective behaviour change in the observer. In a series of experiments, participants viewed a hand either grasp, or avoid, objects that were potentially painful or not painful, whilst detecting tactile stimulation delivered to their right index finger. Participants were faster and more biased to report touch on their own body when viewing someone else in pain. Two further control experiments demonstrated that the “painful grasp effect” was both sensory specific, and could not be explained by attentional effects. These data suggest that shared representations of pain enable the prediction of the sensory consequences of a painful grasp, leading to potentially adaptive behaviour change in the observer. Interestingly, the effects of viewing others in pain are not automatic, but are mediated by tasks demands and relevance of the stimuli to self. Only when participants made judgements about the appropriateness of an action (engaging self referential thought), or viewed the actions from a first person perspective, was the “painful grasp effect” revealed. In contrast to understanding the actions of others, our data support a system that utilises one’s own motor repertoire to represent actions similar to, or relevant to, self.
Old Clothes and an Older Look

Social cognition models (SCMs) have been described by Ingham as old clothes fit only for the jumble, yet their use in investigations of health behaviour performance in recent years has proliferated rather than declined. In a critique of the literature, this paper highlights a range of theoretical, methodological and performance-based limitations of the SCM approach and demonstrates that a ceiling has now been reached whereby more than half the variance in health behaviour performance is routinely unexplained, despite all efforts to improve the models. A major conceptual flaw within the SCM approach is identified and it is argued that `health behaviours', as generally defined, do not exist and that health-related activities only acquire meaning and significance on the basis of their relationship to the broader social prac- tices of which they form a part. A `new look' is proposed for research in this field which takes this alternative conceptualization into account.
The Framing of Decisions: A New Look at Old Problems

Abstract The term framing is used to refer to the various ways decision situations are presented that lead decision makers to construct markedly different representations of such situations. In two experiments using Asian disease-like decision problems, we tested for the persistence of framing effects dependent on the amount and quality of information presented. In standard wordings these problems are not fully described, yet it is hardly ever reported that information is missing. Additionally, we investigated the perceived ambiguity of the values presented in the problem descriptions. Variation of missing items of information produced markedly different framing effects: With fully described problems, no framing effects emerged. With standard wording, the framing effect was most pronounced in the negative framing condition. While risk-aversion with positive framing was not very strong, with some of the problems worded in a novel fashion we found a reversal of the standard framing effect. The problems were interpreted by subjects as ambiguous to a considerable degree, but ambiguity was not related to subjects′ choices. The results are discussed in a framework explicitly distinguishing domain effects from framing effects. Unlike earlier attempts with prospect theory, or, more recently, with fuzzy-trace theory, we propose that probabilistic mental models theory explains framing effects.
How moral arguments influence economic decisions and organizational legitimacy—the case of offshoring production

How do moral arguments influence economic decisions? This study reconstructs five discussions about offshoring production to low-cost countries to understand how moral arguments attack the legitimacy of economic strategies. From these case studies about offshoring, I derive three mechanisms by which moral arguments influence economic decisions. Firstly, moral arguments appeal to values, influencing what their addressee defines as economically rational. Secondly, denouncing management decisions as immoral can deprive managers of valuable social capital and legitimacy within their company, thereby exerting economic pressure. Thirdly, depicting management decisions as immoral can destroy a company’s public legitimacy, further exerting economic pressure. Apart from highlighting the social mechanisms underlying moral influence, this article also shows the limits of influence-seeking through moral arguments. It contributes to the existing literature on legitimacy and economic decision-making, especially with regard to offshoring. The article concludes by developing insights about how moral arguments and interest-seeking interact in capitalism based on the empirical material.
Polarization and Ethnic Conflict in a Widened Strategic Setting

Ethnic groups and conflicts often transcend country borders, indicating that notions of relative strength and resolve may also surpass such borders. This study focuses on the association between ethnic polarization and conflict in a widened strategic environment, encapsulating each state that experiences ethnic conflict and its neighboring states, and involving contagion processes. Two claims are presented. First, when a state experiences ethnic conflict, neighboring states that are ethnically polarized are more likely to also experience ethnic conflict. Second, when a group involved in ethnic conflict has a kinship tie to a group in a neighboring state, the latter group is increasingly likely to be inspired to challenge the government and end up in ethnic conflict. This should be especially likely if the group resides in a state characterized by ethnic polarization. To evaluate these claims, this article employs logit regression on a global dataset covering the period from 1989 to 2004. The empirical analysis supports the first claim; polarized states are indeed associated with an increased likelihood of contagion processes. The findings also demonstrate that kinship links make contagion more likely; however, this effect is not conditioned by the level of ethnic polarization. The results are robust to a series of alternative specifications. In conclusion, these findings point to the importance of incorporating a widened strategic setting in the analysis when examining the association between ethnic polarization and civil conflict.
Temperature has a major influence on cardiac natriuretic peptide in salmon

1 Natriuretic peptides have a major role in fluid and electrolyte homeostasis in vertebrates. Ambient temperature has a major influence on physiological processes in ectothermic animals. Here we have studied the mechanisms of regulation of a natriuretic peptide, sCP (salmon cardiac peptide), in salmon (Salmo salar) acclimatised and acclimated to varying temperatures. 2 The circulating and cardiac levels of sCP were found to be markedly upregulated in warm‐acclimatised and warm‐acclimated salmon. The release of sCP from isolated in vitro perfused salmon ventricle was, however, not increased by acclimation to higher temperatures, either in basal conditions or when stimulated by mechanical load. 3 Concomitant measurements of circulating sCP and the biologically inert N‐terminal fragment of pro‐sCP showed that the upregulation of circulating sCP at warm ambient temperature results from decreased elimination rather than increased secretion of sCP. This is the first direct evidence that changes in the elimination of a natriuretic peptide are used for important physiological regulation. 4 We found a paradoxical increase in cardiac sCP mRNA levels at cold temperatures which coincided with hypertrophy of the heart. sCP gene expression may therefore serve as a marker of cardiac hypertrophy in salmon, in analogy to that of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide (ANP and BNP, respectively) in mammals. 5 These results show that temperature has a major influence on the regulation of natriuretic peptide production and clearance in salmon. Salmon CP offers a novel model for the study of the endocrine function of the heart.
Contrasts in Presidential Campaign Commercials of 1992

This impressionistic study is based on interviews with the advertising creators and coordinators as well as on analysis of the 1992 presidential television ads themselves. In focusing on strategies used in campaigns by the three major general election contenders—Bush, Clinton, and Perot—the author describes numerous important advertising spots in detail. To relay perceptions of decision makers in their groundbreaking efforts, he quotes extensively from campaign insiders, both on the ads and on the surrounding political and emotional climate.
Complementor embeddedness in platform ecosystems: The case of google apps

Platforms and their marketplaces with complementarities are prominent in the software industry. As the proprietary platform itself exhibits elementary or generic functionality, platform owners depend on a complementor ecosystem populated by third-parties. At present, little is known about mechanisms at play in proprietary ecosystems. Addressing this deficiency, this paper investigates the Google Apps ecosystem through statistical and network analysis. Results show that the Google Apps ecosystem is sparsely connected, the majority of complementors develops one application (83%) and does not have visible relationships (73%). Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between the number of applications a complementor develops and the number of relationships it establishes. The research method and results presented can be used by practitioners as a reference to evaluate their structural position in the ecosystem, while it provides researchers with a quantification of ecosystem characteristics.
Permeation and Activation of the M2 Ion Channel of Influenza A Virus*

The M2 ion channel protein of influenza A virus is essential for mediating protein-protein dissociation during the virus uncoating process that occurs when the virus is in the acidic environment of the lumen of the secondary endosome. The difficulty of determining the ion selectivity of this minimalistic ion channel is due in part to the fact that the channel activity is so great that it causes local acidification in the expressing cells and a consequent alteration of reversal voltage, Vrev. We have confirmed the high proton selectivity of the channel (1.5–2.0 × 106) in both oocytes and mammalian cells by using four methods as follows: 1) comparison of Vrev with proton equilibrium potential; 2) measurement of pHin and Vrev while Na+ out was replaced; 3) measurements with limiting external buffer concentration to limit proton currents specifically; and 4) comparison of measurements of M2-expressing cells with cells exposed to a protonophore. Increased currents at low pHout are due to true activation and not merely increased [H+]out because increased pHout stops the outward current of acidified cells. Although the proton conductance is the biologically relevant conductance in an influenza virus-infected cell, experiments employing methods 1–3 show that the channel is also capable of conducting NH4 +, probably by a different mechanism from H+.
Coping with SLE: just in case vs. just in time: Nurse’s Perspective

This paper considers the experiences of people with lupus in comparison with those with diabetes, and discusses the impact of lupus specialist nurses in information-giving and education under the guise of ‘just in case’ vs. ‘just in time’. Now recognized as a difficult condition to diagnose, lupus can lead to significant worry and distress especially during delays to diagnosis and times of high disease activity. Providing appropriate, individualized information to people with lupus is embedded in specialist nursing practice and enables individuals to use the tools of self-management approaches in gaining control over everyday symptoms.
High School Students’ Perceptions of Coping With Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying can have a variety of negative effects on student mental health (Internet Safety Technical Task Force, 2008). An understanding of students’ coping with cyberbullying could help researchers and professionals to determine ways to alleviate and/or prevent the negative effects of cyberbullying. Qualitative methods were used to provide an in-depth examination of coping with cyberbullying. The results revealed three primary coping themes as follows: reactive coping, preventive coping, and no way to prevent cyberbullying. Reactive coping included avoiding the cyberbully situation by deleting or ignoring messages. Preventive coping strategies included talk in person and increased security and awareness. Some students reported that there was no way to reduce cyberbullying. These strategies were interpreted in terms of current theories of coping and findings suggested a need for a new comprehensive model of coping with cyberbullying. In addition, implications for future research and practice were discussed.
Interference and negative priming in normal aging and in mild Alzheimer's disease

Most studies that have administered interference and negative priming tasks to patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy elderly subjects have demonstrated inhibitory dysfunction in AD patients, and mixed results in the elderly. In the present study, we re-explored these two effects in these populations by administering two tasks that allow assessing interference and negative priming effects. Results on both tasks showed (1) the presence of an interference effect in AD and elderly adults, that can be explained by cognitive slowing in the case of elderly controls; (2) the preservation of negative priming abilities in the two groups. These surprising results for AD patients were interpreted by proposing that AD patients have a preserved ability to suppress the representation of a distracter, but specific inhibitory deficits when they have to resolve a selection conflict at the stage of response production (i.e., when competing stimuli have been fully processed).
National Personality Profiles and Innovation: The Role of Cultural Practices

This study investigates the relationship between personality factors, cultural practices, and innovativeness on the national level. Hitherto no study has been done which considers these factors simultaneously. We argue that the relationship between national aggregated personality factors and the level of national innovation is mediated by national cultural practices. Our model is based on three arguments: First, Five Factor theory and cultural theory state that the national personality profile of a country influences its cultural practices. Second, person‐environment‐fit theory argues that personality factors can best manifest themselves in an appropriate environment. Third, in contrast to the individual level, we argue that on the national level cultural practices may not act as a moderator but as a mediator. Based on the triangulation of three datasets, we subsequently test our model on a sample of N = 33 countries. Our results demonstrate that innovation‐relevant national personality profiles are closely linked with innovation‐relevant national cultural practices. Further, we show that national cultural practices mediate the relationship between national personality profiles and national innovativeness. Additionally, we reveal that the recently proposed relationship between nationally aggregated personality profiles and national innovativeness virtually disappears as soon as national cultural practices are integrated into the model.
The Discontents of Reform: Boundary Work and Welfare Stigma at Mixed Elder Homes in China

Abstract During the 1990s’ welfare reforms in China, which highlighted budgetary cuts and decentralisation, local governments in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, placed self-financing elders in public welfare homes or sent the ‘Three Nos’ (no children, no income and no relatives) elders on public assistance to the emerging non-governmental elder institutions, so as to strategise their public spending. Using ethnographic data collected at the reformed mixed elder homes, this article examines how physical, social and cultural boundary work is constructed and maintained during the everyday interactions of the paying elders and the public clients on welfare. The self-financing customers, through their efforts of distinction, stigmatise the ‘Three Nos’ elders as incompetent, irresponsible and dependent individuals of low quality, and condemn their incompatibility with the regional market prosperity. The elders on public welfare, although marginalised at the institutions, adopt the ideals of collectivity, equality and reciprocity under state socialism as their persistent yet weak resistance. While previous research hails the welfare reforms for introducing diverse funding mechanisms and innovative service models, this study of the antagonistic boundary work at mixed welfare institutions calls for an assessment of the class hierarchy and social inequality that have appeared in the post-reform era.
The development of cardiac surgery in West Africa-the case of Ghana

West Africa is one of the poorest regions of the world. The sixteen nations listed by the United Nations in this sub-region have some of the lowest gross domestic products in the world. Health care infrastructure is deficient in most of these countries. Cardiac surgery, with its heavy financial outlay is unavailable in many West African countries. These facts notwithstanding, some West African countries have a proud history of open heart surgery not very well known even in African health care circles. Many African health care givers are under the erroneous impression that the cardiovascular surgical landscape of West Africa is blank. However, documented reports of open-heart surgery in Ghana dates as far back as 1964 when surface cooling was used by Ghanaian surgeons to close atrial septal defects. Ghana's National Cardiothoracic Center is still very active and is accredited by the West African College of Surgeons for the training of cardiothoracic surgeons. Reports from Nigeria indicate open-heart surgery taking place from 1974. Cote D'Ivoire had reported on its first 300 open-heart cases by 1983. Senegal reported open-heart surgery from 1995 and still runs an active center. Cameroon started out in 2009 with work done by an Italian group that ultimately aims to train indigenous surgeons to run the program. This review traces the development and current state of cardiothoracic surgery in West Africa with Ghana's National Cardiothoracic Center as the reference. It aims to dispel the notion that there are no major active cardiothoracic centers in the West African sub-region.
The Fit of Thinking Style and Situation: New Measures of Situation-Specific Experiential and Rational Cognition

Decades of research provide strong evidence that consumers process information in two distinct and qualitatively different ways, rational and experiential. However, little research has addressed situational influences on thinking style, and there have been no attempts to simultaneously measure and validate two-dimensional situation-specific thinking. We develop and validate a new instrument for measuring situation-specific thinking style using performance tasks, consumer Web activities, and differing motivations. We establish differences in thinking style across types of tasks and motivations, and congruence effects related to the fit of situation-specific thinking style and the nature of the task on performance and attitudinal outcomes. (c) 2008 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc.
The Truth about Interviewing Elites

This article reviews the small literature on how to interview elites. It examines the veracity of three sets of assumptions embedded in the literature: about the nature of truth; dishonest respondents; and sophisticated but powerless researchers. It suggests ways forward, including ensuring that researchers place their work in more explicit philosophical and reflexive frameworks. This would result in more rigorous research and improved pedagogy.
Learning and performance in multidisciplinary teams: The importance of collective team identification

In multidisciplinary teams in the oil and gas industry, we examined expertise diversity's relationship with team learning and team performance under varying levels of collective team identification. In teams with low collective identification, expertise diversity was negatively related to team learning and performance; where team identification was high, those relationships were positive. Results also supported nonlinear relationships between expertise diversity and both team learning and performance. Finally, team learning partially mediated the linear and nonlinear relationships between diversity and performance. Findings broaden understanding of the process by which and the conditions under which expertise diversity may promote team performance.
Soluble human leucocyte antigen‐G molecules in peripheral blood haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a specific role to prevent acute graft‐versus‐host disease and a link with regulatory T cells

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is often complicated by the life‐threatening graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) which consists of an allogeneic reaction of the graft cells against the host organs. The aim of this study was to investigate the putative involvement of soluble human leucocyte antigen (sHLA) class I molecules, and particularly sHLA‐G molecules, in the occurrence and/or prevention of acute GVHD (aGVHD) in allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell (PSC) transplantation. Whole sHLA class I molecules seem to be involved in aGVHD pathogenesis because detection of a high concentration of these molecules in the first month post allograft is correlated with aGVHD occurrence. Conversely, a high level of sHLA‐G molecules before and after allograft could indicate good prognosis in PSC allograft transplantation. sHLA‐G molecules seem to be involved in aGVHD prevention, not only because they are enriched in plasma of patients without aGVHD, but also because: (i) a positive correlation has been found between sHLA‐G level and CD4+ CD25+ CD152+ natural regulatory T cell (Treg) frequency in the blood of transplanted patients; and (ii) the presence of CD4+ CD25+ CD152+ natural Treg is correlated with increased sHLA‐G expression in in vitro mixed leucocyte reaction cultures. Altogether, these results support the immunomodulatory function of sHLA‐G molecules that might create a regulatory network together with the natural Treg to foster the induction of a tolerogenic environment and improve PSC transplantation favourable outcome.