Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Handbook of Affect and Social Cognition Affective Influences on Stereotyping and Intergroup Relations

A major theme of recent research on emotion has been the recognition of the intimate connections between feeling and thinking. Emotions have long been conceived of as arising from a functionally separate system that is at best orthogonal to or, more likely, at odds with effective reasoning and intellectual functioning. This view has been supplanted by an emerging acknowledgement of the elaborately coordinated interactions, and indeed indispensable collaboration, between the cognitive and affective systems (e.g., Clore, Schwarz, & Conway, 1994; Damasio, 1994; Frijda, 1986; Zajonc & Markus, 1984). For example, Damasio (1994) reports compelling evidence of the dysfunctions that arise when subjective feelings are no longer available to guide reactions, dysfunctions that are especially pronounced in the sphere of social functioning. As he notes, the “social domain is the one closest to our destiny and the one which involves the greatest uncertainty and complexity” (p. 169), so it is perhaps not too surprising that it is in this domain that we most urgently need guidance from our “gut reactions” and subjective feelings. In this chapter, we will explore the role of affect in one particularly important social arena, namely intergroup perception and behavior. Examination of the growing body of research directed at this topic reveals a complex but largely coherent picture of multiple pathways by which our subjective feeling states influence the way we perceive and respond to the members of stereotyped social groups. In many respects, the major findings challenge common preconceptions about the role of affect in intergroup relations, such as the notion that negative affect is uniformly associated with patterns of intergroup bias and discrimination or the idea that positive affect is an all-purpose remedy for these same problems. Although perhaps initially surprising, the overall pattern of findings, as we shall see, does accord with more general principles being uncovered by contemporary affect researchers. The Affective Context of Intergroup Relations
How chaotic are strange non-chaotic attractors?

We show that the classic examples of quasiperiodically forced maps with strange non-chaotic attractors described by Grebogi et al and Herman in the mid-1980s have some chaotic properties. More precisely, we show that these systems exhibit sensitive dependence on initial conditions, both on the whole phase space and restricted to the attractor. The results also remain valid in more general classes of quasiperiodically forced systems. Further, we include an elementary proof of a classic result by Glasner and Weiss on sensitive dependence, and we clarify the structure of the attractor in an example with two-dimensional fibres also introduced by Grebogi et al.
Towards a practical solution to detect code reuse attacks on ARM mobile devices

In recent years, there is a growing need to protect security and privacy of the data against various attacks on software running on smart mobile devices. The attackers mostly attempt to acquire privileges to control system behaviors as they want. As of today, the code reuse attack (CRA) is known as one of the most sophisticated techniques that can be exploited in such attempts. The attackers launch CRAs to perform arbitrary computation by reusing and chaining existing code fragments, called gadgets. Prior solutions to CRAs are engineered either in software or hardware. However, both of them have their own weaknesses. Software solutions suffer from huge performance overhead because they occupy computing resources of the host CPU. On the other hand, existing hardware solutions all require invasive modifications to the CPU internal architecture. This is contradictory to the conventional application processor (AP) design principle which is to integrate off-the-shelf commodity CPU cores and other special-purpose hardware modules together to form a system. In this paper, we propose a more practical hardware solution which conforms to such design convention, thus being amenable for immediate deployment to modern mobile devices that use APs as their central computing engines. In our work, we target the devices that employ as their AP CPUs the ARM processors which are the de-facto standard CPUs for commercial mobile devices today. The key difference of ours from previous hardware solutions is that our CRA detection hardware modules have been integrated as off-core modules with the processor, strictly following the AP designing principle. We exploit the ARM debug interface to obtain the core internal information which is not directly accessible from off-core hardware modules. As a result, we were able to detect CRAs from outside the CPU without modifying the processor internal. For our preliminary experiment, we have implemented in our prototype a module to detect the attacks based on return-oriented programming (ROP) which is a representative technique used in CRAs. Empirical results show that our solution successfully detects ROP attacks with negligibly low runtime overhead and moderate area overhead.
The RNA-Binding Protein, Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein 1 (PTBP1) Is a Key Regulator of CD4 T Cell Activation

We have previously shown that the RNA binding protein, polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTBP1) plays a critical role in regulating the expression of CD40L in activated CD4 T cells. This is achieved mechanistically through message stabilization at late times of activation as well as by altered distribution of CD40L mRNA within distinct cellular compartments. PTBP1 has been implicated in many different processes, however whether PTBP1 plays a broader role in CD4 T cell activation is not known. To examine this question, experiments were designed to introduce shRNA into primary human CD4 T cells to achieve decreased, but not complete ablation of PTBP1 expression. Analyses of shPTB-expressing CD4 T cells revealed multiple processes including cell proliferation, activation-induced cell death and expression of activation markers and cytokines that were regulated in part by PTBP1 expression. Although there was an overall decrease in the steady-state level of several activation genes, only IL-2 and CD40L appeared to be regulated by PTBP1 at the level of RNA decay suggesting that PTBP1 is critical at different regulatory steps of expression that is gene-specific. Importantly, even though the IL-2 protein levels were reduced in cells with lowered PTBP1, the steady-state level of IL-2 mRNA was significantly higher in these cells suggesting a block at the translational level. Evaluation of T cell activation in shPTB-expressing T cells revealed that PTBP1 was linked primarily to the activation of the PLCγ1/ERK1/2 and the NF-κB pathways. Overall, our results reveal the importance of this critical RNA binding protein in multiple steps of T cell activation.
Epigenetics in the Nervous System

It is becoming increasingly clear that epigenetic modifications are critical factors in the regulation of gene expression. With regard to the nervous system, epigenetic alterations play a role in a diverse set of processes and have been implicated in a variety of disorders. Gaining a more complete understanding of the essential components and underlying mechanisms involved in epigenetic regulation could lead to novel treatments for a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Development of fertilizer recommendation for Fallow-T. aus-T. aman cropping pattern in Moulvibazar under AEZ 20.

Kaisar, M.O. , Choudhury, A.K. , Asaduzaman, M. and Rahman, S.M. L. 2007. Development of Fertilizer Recommendation for Fallow-T. Aus-T. Aman Cropping Pattern in Moulvibazar under AEZ 20. Int. J. Sustain. Crop Prod. 2(3): 40-43 Fallow-T. aus-T. aman cropping pattern was evaluated in Moulvibazar under AEZ 20 during 2001-2003 for developing fertilizer recommendation. Six treatments comprising soil test based inorganic fertilizer doses for moderate (ED1) and high yield goal (ED2), integrated nutrient management for high yield goal (INM), recommended fertilizer dose given in Fertilizer Recommendation Guide’97 (FRG’97), farmers’ practice (FP) and absolute control were evaluated. The highest grain yield was recorded in ED2 for both T. aus and T. aman crops (5.18 and 4.73 t/ha, respectively), which was similar to INM (5.14 and 4.65 t/ha, respectively). Straw yield was showed similar trend as grain yield. ED2 also gave the highest gross margin (Tk. 73705.35/ha) followed by INM (Tk. 70805.21/ha). The marginal benefit cost ratio over control was maximum in ED1 (8.03), which indicated the most economically profitable dose.
A Mechatronic Testbed for Revolute-Joint Prototypes of a Manipulator

This paper describes the design and development of a mechatronic testbed facility which allows high-fidelity and low-cost testing of the joint prototypes of a manipulator in a highly flexible environment. The testbed system consists of a set of load motors whose shafts are connected to those of the joint prototypes through a set of torque transducers. A controller modifies the simple dynamics of the load motors to match the nonlinear and coupled dynamics of the manipulator links. This is made possible by incorporating the measurement of joint angles, velocities, and joint torques, as well as the dynamics model of the manipulator links in a composite feedforward/feedback loop. The stability of the overall system and the fidelity of the load emulator are investigated. The testbed system is constructed to permit testing in a space-like thermal/vacuum environment. Thus, the facility is particularly useful for development and validation of new joints and actuators for space manipulators. The system is experimentally validated by comparing trajectories of the joint angles, velocities, and torques of a set of joint prototypes obtained by installing them first on an actual robot, and then on the mechatronic testbed
Small Firms and Offshore Software Outsourcing: High Transaction Costs and Their Mitigation

It seems surprising that small firms engage in offshore outsourcing given that they lack the resources that large firms possess to overcome the difficulties involved. We examine these factors using transaction cost theoryâ€™s three stages: contact costs, contract costs, and control costs. Then, using our field data from small client firms (in the United States and the United Kingdom), intermediaries, and offshore vendors, we analyze the mitigation approaches that reduce transaction costs for small firms. We identify nine such approaches: three for client firms and six for suppliers. For the small client firm, they are liaisons of knowledge flows, gaining experience, and overcoming opportunism; and, for the service providers, they are onshore presence, reducing contact costs, simplifying contracting, providing control channels, expert intermediaries, and standardization of services.
Vesicular Glutamate Transporter 2 Is Required for Central Respiratory Rhythm Generation But Not for Locomotor Central Pattern Generation

Glutamatergic excitatory neurotransmission is dependent on glutamate release from presynaptic vesicles loaded by three members of the solute carrier family, Slc17a6–8, which function as vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs). Here, we show that VGLUT2 (Slc17a6) is required for life ex utero. Vglut2 null mutant mice die immediately after birth because of the absence of respiratory behavior. Investigations at embryonic stages revealed that neural circuits in the location of the pre-Bötzinger (PBC) inspiratory rhythm generator failed to become active. However, neurons with bursting pacemaker properties and anatomical integrity of the PBC area were preserved. Vesicles at asymmetric synapses were fewer and malformed in the Vglut2 null mutant hindbrain, probably causing the complete disruption of AMPA/kainate receptor-mediated synaptic activity in mutant PBC cells. The functional deficit results from an inability of PBC neurons to achieve synchronous activation. In contrast to respiratory rhythm generation, the locomotor central pattern generator of Vglut2 null mutant mice displayed normal rhythmic and coordinated activity, suggesting differences in their operating principles. Hence, the present study identifies VGLUT2-mediated signaling as an obligatory component of the developing respiratory rhythm generator.
Functional and structural characterization of the integrase from the prototype foamy virus

Establishment of the stable provirus is an essential step in retroviral replication, orchestrated by integrase (IN), a virus-derived enzyme. Until now, available structural information was limited to the INs of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), avian sarcoma virus (ASV) and their close orthologs from the Lentivirus and Alpharetrovirus genera. Here, we characterized the in vitro activity of the prototype foamy virus (PFV) IN from the Spumavirus genus and determined the three-dimensional structure of its catalytic core domain (CCD). Recombinant PFV IN displayed robust and almost exclusively concerted integration activity in vitro utilizing donor DNA substrates as short as 16 bp, underscoring its significance as a model for detailed structural studies. Comparison of the HIV-1, ASV and PFV CCD structures highlighted both conserved as well as unique structural features such as organization of the active site and the putative host factor binding face. Despite possessing very limited sequence identity to its HIV counterpart, PFV IN was sensitive to HIV IN strand transfer inhibitors, suggesting that this class of inhibitors target the most conserved features of retroviral IN-DNA complexes.
Relation Extraction from Biomedical Text Using SVMs With Dependency Tree Kernels

Information extraction has become a useful technique in any field with that produces a lot of data. Our project has reengineered and found improvements for a protein-protien interaction extraction system to work with drug interactions. We have taken advantage of a well formatted training data set from a recently held contest to evaluate the converted system and used this as a performance benchmark for improvements that we have designed. Although our system does not hold up to the performance of the state of the art systems, we have discovered methods to improve specific types of algorithms.
Endogenously Chosen Boards of Directors and Their Monitoring of the CEO

How can boards be chosen through a process partially controlled by the CEO, yet, in many instances, still be effective monitors of him? The authors offer an answer based on a model in which board effectiveness is a function of its independence. This, in turn, is a function of negotiations (implicit or explicit) between existing directors and the CEO over who will fill vacancies on the board. The CEO'S bargaining power over the board-selection process comes from his perceived ability relative to potential successors. Many empirical findings about board structure and performance arise as equilibrium phenomena of this model. Copyright 1998 by American Economic Association.
Model averaging, asymptotic risk, and regressor groups

This paper examines the asymptotic risk of nested least‐squares averaging estimators when the averaging weights are selected to minimize a penalized least‐squares criterion. We find conditions under which the asymptotic risk of the averaging estimator is globally smaller than the unrestricted least‐squares estimator. For the Mallows averaging estimator under homoskedastic errors, the condition takes the simple form that the regressors have been grouped into sets of four or larger. This condition is a direct extension of the classic theory of James–Stein shrinkage. This discovery suggests the practical rule that implementation of averaging estimators be restricted to models in which the regressors have been grouped in this manner. Our simulations show that this new recommendation results in substantial reduction in mean‐squared error relative to averaging over all nested submodels. We illustrate the method with an application to the regression estimates of Fryer and Levitt (2013).
A Psychometric Investigation of the Personality Traits Underlying Individual Tax Morale

Abstract Why do people pay taxes? Rational choice theory has fallen short in answering this question. Another explanation, called “tax morale”, has been promoted. Tax morale captures the behavioral idea that non-monetary preferences (like norm-submission, moral emotions and moral judgments) might be better determinants of tax compliance than monetary trade-offs. Herein we report on two lab experiments designed to assess whether norm-submission, moral emotions (e.g. affective empathy, cognitive empathy, propensity to feel guilt and shame) or moral judgments (e.g. ethics principles, integrity, and moralization of everyday life) can help explain compliance behavior. Although we find statistically significant correlations of tax compliance behavior with empathy and shame, the economic significance of these correlations are low–—more than 80% of the variability in compliance remains unexplained. These results suggest that tax authorities should focus on the institutional context, rather than individual preference characteristics, to handle tax evasion.
SUPR-Q: a comprehensive measure of the quality of the website user experience

A three part study conducted over five years involving 4,000 user responses to experiences with over 100 websites was analyzed to generate an eight-item questionnaire of website quality---the Standardized User Experience Percentile Rank Questionnaire (SUPR-Q). The SUPR-Q contains four factors: usability, trust, appearance, and loyalty. The factor structure was replicated across three studies with data collected both during usability tests and retrospectively in surveys. There was evidence of convergent validity with existing questionnaires, including the System Usability Scale (SUS). The overall average score was shown to have high internal consistency reliability (a = .86). An initial distribution of scores across the websites generated a database used to produce percentile ranks and make scores more meaningful to researchers and practitioners. The questionnaire can be used to generate reliable scores in benchmarking websites, and the normed scores can be used to understand how well a website scores relative to others in the database.
Computer-assisted stylistic revision with incomplete and noisy feedback. A pilot study

We investigate how users of intelligent writing assistance tools deal with correct, incorrect, and incomplete feedback. To this end, we conduct an empirical user study around an L1 text revision task for German. Our participants should revise stylistic issues in two given texts using a novel web-based writing environment that highlights potential issues and provides corresponding feedback messages. In comparison to a control group, we find that precision plays a more important role than recall, which confirms previous findings for other languages, issue types, user groups, and experimental setups.
Drowsiness detection based on visual signs: blinking analysis based on high frame rate video

In this paper, an algorithm for drivers' drowsiness detection based on visual signs that can be extracted from the analysis of a high frame rate video is presented. A study of different visual features on a consistent database is proposed to evaluate their relevancy to detect drowsiness by data-mining. Then, an algorithm that merges the most relevant blinking features (duration, percentage of eye closure, frequency of the blinks and amplitude-velocity ratio) using fuzzy logic is proposed. This algorithm has been tested on a huge dataset representing 60 hours of driving from 20 different drivers. The main advantage of this algorithm is that it is independent from the driver and it does not need to be tuned. Moreover, it provides good results with more than 80% of good detections of drowsy states
Expression and Cellular Distribution of INHA and INHB before and after In Vitro Cultivation of Porcine Oocytes Isolated from Follicles of Different Size

Cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) were collected from small (<3 mm), medium (3–5 mm), and large (>5 mm) porcine follicles, and the INHA and INHB expression and cellular localization were studied. Developmentally competent (BCB+) COCs were cultured for 44 h. Samples of mRNA were isolated before and after in vitro maturation (IVM) from oocytes collected from follicles of different size for RQ-PCR assay. The INHA and INHB protein distribution within the oocytes was observed by confocal microscopy. INHA mRNA expression was increased in oocytes from large compared to medium and small follicles before IVM (P < 0.001), and to oocytes of small follicles after IVM (P < 0.001). The INHB expression was not different before IVM, but the IHNB mRNA level was gradually higher in oocytes from large follicles after IVM (P < 0.01). INHA was not differently expressed before IVM; however, in large follicle oocytes the protein was distributed in the peripheral area of the cytoplasm; in oocytes from small follicles it was in the entire cytoplasm. After IVM, INHA was strongly expressed in oocytes from small follicles and distributed particularly in the zona pellucida (ZP). Similarly and both before and after IVM, INHB protein was highly expressed in small follicle oocytes and within the cytoplasm. In summary, INHs can be recognized as a marker of porcine oocyte quality.
The evolution of substructure in galaxy, group and cluster haloes - I. Basic dynamics

The hierarchical mergers that form the haloes of dark matter surrounding galaxies, groups and clusters are inefficient, leaving substantial amounts of dense substructure, in the form of stripped halo cores or ‘subhaloes’, orbiting within these systems. Using a semi-analytic model of satellite dynamics, we study the evolution of haloes as they merge hierarchically, to determine how much substructure survives merging and how the properties of individual subhaloes change over time. We find that subhaloes evolve, owing to mass loss, orbital decay and tidal disruption, on a characteristic time-scale equal to the period of radial oscillations at the virial radius of the system. Subhaloes with realistic densities and density profiles lose 25–45 per cent of their mass per pericentric passage, depending on their concentration and on the circularity of their orbit. As the halo grows, the subhalo orbits also grow in size and become less bound. Based on these general patterns, we suggest a method for including realistic amounts of substructure in semi-analytic models based on merger trees. We show that the parameters in the resulting model can be fixed by requiring self-consistency between different levels of the merger hierarchy. In a companion paper, we will compare the results of our model with numerical simulations of halo formation.