Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Career Certainty: Differences Between Career Certain and Uncertain Engineering Students

To gain a deeper understanding of the career decisions of undergraduate engineering students, this research paper explores the differences between students who show a high degree of career certainty and those who are rather uncertain about what their professional future should look like. These analyses were based on a dataset from a nationwide survey of engineering undergraduates (n=5,819) from 27 institutions in the United States. The survey was designed with an interest in understanding engineering students’ career pathways. For the purpose of this study, students were designated as either “career uncertain” or “career certain” according to their survey answers. Those two groups were then compared against a variety of background characteristics, past experiences and personality variables. The results suggest that career uncertain and career certain students do not differ on background variables such as gender, age or family income. However, when it comes to students’ past experiences, the percentage of students who had already gained internship experiences during their time in college was significantly higher among career certain students as compared to career uncertain students. As expected, seniors were more certain about their professional future than juniors. Similarly, a higher percentage of career certain students reported talking about their professional future with other students or faculty members more frequently. Furthermore, career certain students were significantly more likely to show a higher level of innovation self-efficacy and engineering task self-efficacy. In addition, career certain students were more likely to have career goals that involved innovation and they also considered several job characteristics as more important than did uncertain students. On average, career certain engineering students were also more certain about staying in engineering one, five and ten years after graduation. Overall, the results of this research suggest that more hands-on experiences and fostering stronger beliefs in their engineering skills can contribute to undergraduates becoming more certain about their future professional careers.
Are U.K. Inflation Expectations Rational?

This paper tests for unbiasedness in inflation expectations drawn from a survey of UK employees by Gallup. It focuses on the econometric difficulties presented by having a small sample, there being overlapping forecast horizons and by trying to make inference when the data appear to be non-stationary. Applying a method of inference suggested by Inder (1993) the paper concludes that measured expectations systematically overstate inflation. The paper checks the robustness of this result by looking at alternative survey data and by using alternative techniques for modelling the long run.
Practice makes perfect? The impact of coaching and moral stories on children’s lie-telling

Children (n = 202; 4 to 7 years old) witnessed a confederate break a toy and were asked to keep the transgression a secret. Children were randomly assigned to a Coaching condition (i.e., No Coaching, Light Coaching, or Heavy Coaching) and a Moral Story condition (i.e., Positive or Neutral). Overall, 89.7% of children lied about the broken toy when asked open-ended questions about the event. During direct questions, children in the Heavy Coaching condition lied more than children in the No Coaching and Light Coaching conditions. Older children were influenced by both Heavy Coaching and Light Coaching, whereas younger children were influenced only by Heavy Coaching. Children in the Positive Story condition were less likely to maintain their lies than those in the Neutral Story condition. An interaction between Coaching and Moral Story conditions influenced lie-maintenance.
Attachment in University Students

The aim of this study was to compare the predominant attachment styles of 100 university students (50 men and 50 women) who were in a couple relationship lasting from 2 to 5 years. The instrument used was an adaptation of a scale that evaluates attachment styles (secure attachment, anxious attachment and avoidant attachment) in couple relationships (Marquez, Rivera and Reyes, 2009). Results show no significant differences between the attachment styles in relation to gender, however, positive correlations were found between anxious and avoidant attachment. In addition, anxious attachment style predominates in both male and female participants, with a minor difference also presenting significant scores in the avoidant attachment style.
Hard fast X-ray transients as possible counterparts of unidentified MeV/TeV sources

The two still unidentified MeV sources EGR J1122-5946 and AGL J2022+3622 are here tentatively associated with soft gamma-ray candidate counterparts detected through INTEGRAL/IBIS observations. On the basis of spatial proximity and/or similar transient behaviour, we propose the supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) IGR J11215-5952 and the candidate SFXT IGR J20188+3647 as possible candidate counterparts of EGR J1122-5946 and AGL J2022+3622, respectively. Our findings possibly suggest that hard fast X-ray transients could represent a new class of galactic transient MeV/TeV emitters. Additional evidence for the existence of such new class is also provided by very recent AGILE and GLAST discoveries on the galactic plane of several unidentified transient MeV sources lasting only a few days.
Towards the retrieval of tropospheric ozone with the ozone monitoring instrument (OMI)

We have assessed the sensitivity of the operational Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) ozone profile retrieval algorithm to a number of a priori and radiative transfer assumptions. We studied the effect of stray light correction, surface albedo assumptions and a priori ozone profiles on the retrieved ozone profile. Then, we studied how to modify the algorithm to improve the retrieval of tropospheric ozone. We found that stray light corrections have a significant effect on the retrieved ozone profile but mainly at high altitudes. Surface albedo assumptions, on the other hand, have the largest impact at the lowest layers. Choice of an ozone profile climatology which is used as a priori information has small effects on the retrievals at all altitudes. However, the usage of climatological a priori covariance matrix has a significant effect. Based on these sensitivity tests, we made several modifications to the retrieval algorithm: the a priori ozone climatology was replaced with a new tropopause-dependent climatology, the a priori covariance matrix was calculated from the climatological ozone variability values, and the surface albedo was assumed to be linearly dependent on wavelength in the 311.5–330 nm channel. As expected, we found that the a priori covariance matrix basically defines the vertical distribution of degrees of freedom for a retrieval. Moreover, our case study over Europe showed that the modified version produced over 10% smaller ozone abundances in the troposphere which reduced the systematic overestimation of ozone in the retrieval algorithm and improved correspondence with Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Instrument (IASI) retrievals. The comparison with ozonesonde measurements over North America showed that the operational retrieval performed better in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS), whereas the modified version improved the retrievals in the lower troposphere and upper stratosphere. These comparisons showed that the systematic biases in the OMI ozone profile retrievals are not caused by the a priori information but by some still unidentified problem in the radiative transfer modelling. Instead, the a priori information pushes the systematically wrong ozone profiles towards the true values. The smaller weight of the a priori information in the modified retrieval leads to better visibility of tropospheric ozone structures, because it has a smaller tendency to damp the variability of the retrievals in the troposphere. In summary, the modified retrieval unmasks systematic problems in the radiative transfer/instrument model and is more sensitive to tropospheric ozone variation; that is, it is able to capture the tropospheric ozone morphology better.
Regrowth of pilchard (Sardinops sagax) stocks off southern WA following the mass mortality event of 1998/99 Final FRDC Report – Project 2000/135

Regrowth of pilchard (Sardinops sagax) stocks off southern WA following the mass mortality event of 1998/99 Final FRDC Report – Project 2000/135 may be reproduced by any process, electronic or otherwise, without the specific written permission of the copyright owners. Neither may information be stored electronically in any form whatsoever without such permission. The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation plans, invests in and manages fisheries research and development throughout Australia. It is a statutory authority within the portfolio of the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, jointly funded by the Australian Government and the fishing industry. Figure 1. Extent of the 1995 and 1998/99 mass mortalities of Sardinops sagax around southern Australia from starting points along the central South Australian coast. Latitudes and longitudes are degrees south and east respectively. Figure 2. Purse seine management zones on the south (Zones 1–5) and lower west coasts (West Coast Purse Seine) of Western Australia. Zone 2 is a small inshore zone that covers King George Sound, the original location for purse seining at Albany. This zone was enacted in recognition of the need to ensure that the Albany purse seine fleet did not overexploit the inshore aggregations Figure 3. The extent of DEPM surveys carried out in purse seine management zone in south–western Australia from 2000–2006. Figure 6a. Plankton survey area (grey) and pilchard spawning areas (hatched) for DEPM surveys at the Albany region of southwestern Australia in 2001, 2003 and 2005. The larger dots depict sampling stations at which Day 0 pilchard eggs 5 Figure 6b. Plankton survey area (grey) and pilchard spawning areas (hatched) for DEPM surveys at the Bremer Bay region of southwestern Australia in 2001, 2003 and 2005. The larger dots depict sampling stations at which Day 0 pilchard eggs were found. Figure 6c. Plankton survey area (grey) and pilchard spawning areas (hatched) for DEPM surveys at the Esperance region of southwestern Australia in 2002 and 2004. The larger dots depict sampling stations at which Day 0 pilchard eggs Figure 6d. Plankton survey area (grey) and pilchard spawning areas (hatched) for DEPM surveys at the west coast region of southwestern Australia in 2000, 2002 and 2004. The larger dots depict sampling stations at which Day 0 pilchard eggs Figure 7. DEPM estimates of spawning biomass of pilchards for Albany, Bremer Bay, Esperance and west coast regions between 1991 to 2005. Results are only shown for those years …
Media Attention and Radical Right-Wing Populist Party Sympathy: Longitudinal Evidence From The Netherlands

This contribution provides evidence for the sources of sympathies for radical right-wing populist (RRP) parties in a longitudinal perspective. We extend previous knowledge by evaluating the impact of media attention on individual changes of RRP party sympathies. To test our hypotheses, we use panel data from The Netherlands and combine it with information on the saliency of RRP parties and their issues in major Dutch newspapers. Drawing on multilevel structural equation models, our findings indicate that media attention positively affects changes in RRP party sympathies. Furthermore, we find that the effect of media attention on RRP party sympathies is enhanced by perceived ethnic threat and Euroscepticism, respectively. In sum, this study shows that media attention to RRP parties is pivotal for the fortune of such parties.
Prognostic Value of Troponin I in Cardiac Risk Stratification of Cancer Patients Undergoing High-Dose Chemotherapy

Background—In patients with aggressive malignancies who are undergoing high-dose chemotherapy, even minimal elevation of troponin I (TnI) is associated with late left ventricular dysfunction. The time course of the subclinical myocardial damage and its impact on the clinical outcome have never been investigated previously. Methods and Results—In 703 cancer patients, we measured TnI soon after chemotherapy (early TnI) and 1 month later (late TnI). Troponin was considered positive for values ≥0.08 ng/mL. Clinical and left ventricular ejection fraction evaluation (echocardiography) were performed before chemotherapy, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the end of the treatment, and again every 6 months afterward. Three different TnI patterns were identified, and patients were grouped accordingly. In 495 patients, both early and late TnI values were <0.08 ng/mL (TnI−/− group); in 145, there was only an early increase (TnI+/− group); and in 63 patients, both values increased (TnI+/+ group). In the TnI−/− group, no significant reduction in ejection fraction was observed during the follow-up, and there was a very low incidence of cardiac events (1%). In contrast, a greater incidence of cardiac events occurred in TnI-positive patients, particularly in the TnI+/+ group (84% versus 37% in the TnI+/− group; P <0.001). Conclusions—TnI release pattern after high-dose chemotherapy identifies patients at different risks of cardiac events in the 3 years thereafter. This stratification allows us to differentiate the monitoring program and to plan, in selected patients, preventive strategies aimed at improving clinical outcome.
ART ET MARQUES DE LUXE: NOUVELLES PRATIQUES POUR NOUVEAUX CLIENTS; UNE ANALYSE SEMIOTIQUE PAR SHEMA TENSIF

La recherche en marketing s’interesse encore peu a un phenomene en fort developpement: les liens croissants entre l’art et les marques de luxe. Pour comprendre l’influence de l’art sur la perception des consommateurs, nous avons opte pour une methode qualitative aupres des clients traditionnels comme des nouveaux clients du luxe. Notre recherche permet de mieux comprendre, par une analyse semiotique et par l’apport de la psychologie de l’art, les mecanismes crees entre l’identite de marque et l’art, et ses differences selon les clients. Elle met en lumiere les implications pour les praticiens.
Studying Dynamic Myofiber Aggregate Reorientation in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Using In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Background—The objective of this study is to assess the dynamic alterations of myocardial microstructure and strain between diastole and systole in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy relative to healthy controls using the magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging, myocardial tagging, and biomechanical modeling. Methods and Results—Dual heart-phase diffusion tensor imaging was successfully performed in 9 patients and 9 controls. Tagging data were acquired for the diffusion tensor strain correction and cardiac motion analysis. Mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, and myocyte aggregate orientations were compared between both cohorts. Cardiac function was assessed by left ventricular ejection fraction, torsion, and strain. Computational modeling was used to study the impact of cardiac shape on fiber reorientation and how fiber orientations affect strain. In patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, a more longitudinal orientation of diastolic myofiber aggregates was measured compared with controls. Although a significant steepening of helix angles (HAs) during contraction was found in the controls, consistent change in HAs during contraction was absent in patients. Left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac torsion, and strain were significantly lower in the patients compared with controls. Computational modeling revealed that the dilated heart results in reduced HA changes compared with a normal heart. Reduced torsion was found to be exacerbated by steeper HAs. Conclusions—Diffusion tensor imaging revealed reduced reorientation of myofiber aggregates during cardiac contraction in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy relative to controls. Left ventricular remodeling seems to be an important factor in the changes to myocyte orientation. Steeper HAs are coupled with a worsening in strain and torsion. Overall, the findings provide new insights into the structural alterations in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
Voting to belong: the inevitability of systemic Islamophobia

ABSTRACT In this article, I connect Muslim American voting practices to the ‘good Muslim’ trope. Tracing participation of members of Islamic Representative Organizations (IRO’s) in election cycles from 2000 to 2016, I argue that elections have been a site for Muslim Americans to negotiate a sense of belonging in the U.S. My research reveals deep cynicism about the transformative potential of elections and a sense that systemic Islamophobia (i.e. militarism and surveillance) were perceived as inevitable. IRO members opted instead to vote as a way to articulate the presence of Muslims in the U.S.; for instance, Muslims ought to ‘make a statement’ by voting against Donald Trump or for the first woman candidate. In this way, voting can be understood as an articulation of a ‘good Muslim’ subjectivity through which IRO members seek legitimacy within, rather than a dismantling of, an Islamophobic milieu.
Ablation of Dihydroceramide Desaturase Confers Resistance to Etoposide-Induced Apoptosis In Vitro

Sphingolipid biosynthesis is potently upregulated by factors associated with cellular stress, including numerous chemotherapeutics, inflammatory cytokines, and glucocorticoids. Dihydroceramide desaturase 1 (Des1), the third enzyme in the highly conserved pathway driving sphingolipid biosynthesis, introduces the 4,5-trans-double bond that typifies most higher-order sphingolipids. Surprisingly, recent studies have shown that certain chemotherapeutics and other drugs inhibit Des1, giving rise to a number of sphingolipids that lack the characteristic double bond. In order to assess the effect of an altered sphingolipid profile (via Des1 inhibition) on cell function, we generated isogenic mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking both Des1 alleles. Lipidomic profiling revealed that these cells contained higher levels of dihydroceramide than wild-type fibroblasts and that complex sphingolipids were comprised predominantly of the saturated backbone (e.g. sphinganine vs. sphingosine, dihydrosphingomyelin vs. sphingomyelin, etc.). Des1 ablation activated pro-survival and anabolic signaling intermediates (e.g. Akt/PKB, mTOR, MAPK, etc.) and provided protection from apoptosis caused by etoposide, a chemotherapeutic that induces sphingolipid synthesis by upregulating several sphingolipid biosynthesizing enzymes. These data reveal that the double bond present in most sphingolipids has a profound impact on cell survival pathways, and that the manipulation of Des1 could have important effects on apoptosis.
Functional Brain Connectivity and Neurocognitive Functioning in Patients With Long-Standing Type 1 Diabetes With and Without Microvascular Complications

OBJECTIVE Hyperglycemia-associated microvascular disease may underlie changes in cerebral functioning and cognitive performance in patients with type 1 diabetes. Functional connectivity, an indicator of functional interactions and information exchange between brain regions, provides a measure of cerebral functioning. This study addresses functional connectivity and cognition in type 1 diabetic patients with and without proliferative retinopathy, relative to healthy control subjects, using magnetoencephalography. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Fluctuations in magnetic field at scalp for Δ, θ, lower and upper α, β, and lower and upper γ frequency bands were measured using magnetoencephalography. Synchronization likelihood, a measure of functional connectivity, was computed. Using neuropsychological tests, cognitive functioning was assessed and its associations with functional connectivity were determined. RESULTS Compared with control subjects, type 1 diabetic patients performed poorer on general cognitive ability, information processing speed, and motor speed, irrespective of their microvascular complication status. Functional connectivity, however, was lowest for type 1 diabetic patients with retinopathy, compared with type 1 diabetic patients without microvascular complications and control subjects, whereas type 1 diabetic patients without microvascular complications showed an increase relative to control subjects. Positive associations were found between functional connectivity and executive functioning, memory, information processing speed, motor speed, and attention. CONCLUSIONS Compared with healthy control subjects, functional connectivity and cognition differed in type 1 diabetic patients irrespective of microvascular complication status, indicating that chronic hyperglycemia, among other factors, may negatively affect brain functioning even before microvascular damage becomes manifest. The association found between synchronization likelihood and cognition suggests functional connectivity plays a significant role in cognitive functioning.
Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences Review and Analysis of Pothole Detection Methods

As one type of pavement distresses, potholes are important clues indicating structural defects of the asphalt road, and accurately detecting these potholes is one of important tasks for determining proper strategies of asphalt-surfaced pavement maintenance and rehabilitation. However, manually detecting and evaluating methods are expensive and time-consuming. Thus, several efforts have been made for developing a technology which can automatically detect and recognize potholes, which may contribute to improvement of survey efficiency and pavement quality through prior investigation and immediate action. In this study, we investigate and analyze pothole detection methods which have developed and propose a potential direction of developing a pothole detection method to accurately and efficiently detect potholes.
Origin of Superluminal radio jets in GRS 1915+105 and the role of the Plateau state

We have studied the accretion disk during the radio plateau state and the following superluminal relativistic radio jets and have provided a tight correlation between accretion disk and superluminal jet parameters. We find that accretion rate during the plateaux is very high and suggest that the accretion disk during the radio plateaux is always associated with radiation-driven wind. The internal shock forms in the previously generated slowly moving wind (during plateau) with $\beta$ $\le$ 0.01 as the fast moving discrete jet (usually at the end of plateau) with $\beta$ $\sim$ 1 catches up and interacts with it. The power of superluminal jet is determined by the strength and speed of these two components; the slow moving wind and the fast moving jet which are related to the accretion disk during the plateau state. Finally, we discuss the implication of this work.
Mo!Games: evaluating mobile gestures in the wild

The user experience of performing gesture-based interactions in public spaces is highly dependent on context, where users must decide which gestures they will use and how they will perform them. In order to complete a realistic evaluation of how users make these decisions, the evaluation of such user experiences must be completed "in the wild. " Furthermore, studies need to be completed within different cultural contexts in order to understand how users might adopt gesture differently in different cultures. This paper presents such a study using a mobile gesture-based game, where users in the UK and India interacted with this game over the span of 6 days. The results of this study demonstrate similarities between gesture use in these divergent cultural settings, illustrate factors that influence gesture acceptance such as perceived size of movement and perceived accuracy, and provide insights into the interaction design of mobile gestures when gestures are distributed across the body.