Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does family drawing assess attachment representations of late-adopted children? A preliminary report.

BACKGROUND Attachment representations of late-adopted children have usually been measured by attachment narratives or observational procedures. Recently an attachment-based coding system for family drawings was developed by attachment researchers and it was used both with clinical and nonclinical samples, but it has never been used with adoptees. METHOD This study examined the differences between attachment representations of 29 late-adopted children aged 5-7 years (M = 6.35, 51.7% girls) and 12 non-adopted peers as assessed by family drawings, controlling for demographic variables and children's cognitive status. The attachment-based coding system of family drawings included three levels: (1) 24 individual markers, (2) eight global rating scales (1-7 points), and (3) four attachment categories (secure, avoidant, resistant, and disorganized). RESULTS Late-adopted children assessed with the family drawings were more insecure on the attachment categories and achieved lower scores on positive global ratings such as the Vitality/Creativity and Family Pride/Happiness scales, higher scores on the Role Reversal scale, and a tendency toward higher scores on the Bizarreness/Dissociation scale. No difference emerged between the two groups regarding the individual markers. CONCLUSIONS Family drawing seemed to be a useful tool for classifying attachment representations, and able to capture underlying mental states that it was hard for late-adopted children to express in words.
On the nature of input channels in visual processing.

The research reported herein was designed to assess whether the presence of noise elements in a visual display affects the detection of target letters at the perceptual or feature extraction level of processing, as well as at the decision level, and more specifically, whether (a) input or processing channels operate in an independent or interactive fashion and (b) how the spatial relation between signal and noise items affects detection performance. In order to distinguish among current theories proposed to account for the influence of noise items on visual processing, a forced-choice detection task was modified to incorporate a cueing procedure, which permitted the independent variation of signal-noise similarity, confusability, and proximity. The results provide evidence for feature-specific inhibition at the perceptual level, and a theory is proposed that assumes hierarchically organized, limited-capacity feature detectors and feature-specific inhibitory channels. There is now considerable evidence that the detectability of a designated signal is impaired by the presence of noise elements in the same visual display. The degree of impairment has been shown to vary as a function of the confusability of noise elements with the set of alternative targets (Estes, 1972; Gardner, 1973; Mclntyre, Fox, & Neale, 1970) and the spatial proximity of target and noise (Strangert & Brannstrom, 1975; Wolford & Rollingsworth, 1974). However, whether the effects of signal-noise similarity on target detection might be different than the effects of signalnoise confusability and how either of these variables might interact with signal-noise proximity has not been established; nor is it clear at what level of processing noise items impair the visual detection of signals. Evidence Edward E. Smith acted as Guest Editor for this article. The research reported was supported by Grant
Memory Consolidation during Sleep: Role of Cortisol Feedback

Abstract: Nocturnal cortisol release in humans is synergistically regulated by circadian rhythm and sleep. Cortisol concentrations typically reach a nadir during the slow wave sleep‐rich periods of early nocturnal sleep, whereas during the late night, when rapid eye movement (REM) sleep predominates, cortisol levels are enhanced. Here we review a series of our own studies examining whether and how this regulation of cortisol release affects the consolidation of memories during sleep. The studies show that increasing cortisol during early slow wave sleep‐rich periods of nocturnal sleep impairs hippocampus‐dependent declarative memory formation. Preventing the natural increase in cortisol during REM sleep‐rich sleep in the late night appears to enhance amygdala‐dependent emotional memory. The findings are consistent with the view that cortisol via activation of limbic glucocorticoid receptors generally diminishes memory consolidation.
Serum follicle-stimulating hormone in sheep as measured by radioimmunoassay.

Antiovine FSH sera, obtained from 32 different rabbits, were tested with radioiodinated ovine FSH and found to be unsuitable for the development of a specific ovine FSI-I radioimmunoassay. In contrast, when utilized with labeled human FSH, two antisera appeared to be suitable. Inhibition curves with ovine serum, crude pituitary extract, and other preparations containing FSH were parallel to the standard when analyzed with either antiserum. With the exception of two preparations containing very large amounts of LH, estimates of FSH activity obtained by either radioimmunoassay in preparations containing widely varying amounts of FSH, LH, TSH, GH, and prolactin, were in good agreement with the values obtained by bioassay or predicted on the basis of the extraction procedures employed. When a pituitary homogenate and one of the LH-rich preparations were subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, single peaks of radioimmunoassayable FSH activity, completely separated from LH and possessing a mobility comparable to that of highly purified and biologically active FSH, were found for each preparation. Complete recovery of exogenous FSH from serum demonstrated that serum components did not interfere with either assay. Serum concentrations of FSH, expressed in equivalents of NIH-FSH-S4 as ng/ml were: normal males, 60-119; castrated males, 280-975; castrated females, 205-690; females during the cycle except on estrus, 100-160; females on the day of estrus, 180-220. These results suggest that the two antiovine FSH sera can each be used in a heterologous radioimmunoassay system for the specific quantitation of ovine FSH.
The Case for Using Policy Writing in Undergraduate Political Science Courses

Abstract Traditional writing assignments only teach students to write for academic settings. Assigning students policy briefs and policy memos gives them the opportunity to practice the type of writing they will perform both inside and outside of academia while still developing critical thinking skills and an understanding of the political world. Including policy-style writing assignments in the curriculum teaches undergraduates the skills demanded by their future employers, helps future academics learn how to write grant and conference proposals, offers students practice at the highest levels of Bloom's taxonomy of learning, hones synthesis and analysis, teaches students to be client-oriented, and makes students more effective citizens.
A neuro-adaptive variable structure control for partially unknown nonlinear dynamic systems and its application

If the unknown nonlinear dynamic system is not in a controllable canonical form or of relative degree one, then the derivative of the tracking error is unknown. The controller design for these systems will be complex. In this paper, an estimator for the unknown tracking error with order equivalent to relative degree, is first designed, to obtain a sliding surface and to reduce the number of unknown nonlinear functions required to learn. In this situation, the total number of connection weight in neural-networks decreases. Furthermore, two learning laws with e-modification are employed to ensure the boundedness of estimated connection weights without the requirement of persistent excitation (PE) condition. The system performance can be better than that of other control schemes required many learning functions. In addition, stability of the overall system is verified by Lyapunov theory so that ultimate bounded tracking is accomplished. Simulation and experimental results of four-bar-linkage system are presented to confirm the usefulness of the proposed control.
Analysing and Predicting the Runtime of Social Graphs

The explosion of Social Network Analysis (SNA) in many different areas and the growing need for powerful data analysis has emphasized the importance of in-memory big data processing in computer systems. Particularly, large-scale graphs are gaining much more attention due to their wide range of application. This rise, accompanied by a massive number of vertices and edges, led computations to become increasingly expensive and time consuming. That is why there is a move towards distributed systems or Big Data cluster(s) to provide the required computational power and memory to handle such demand of huge graphs. Thus, figuring out whether a new social graph dataset can be processed successfully on a personal machine or there is a need for a distributed system or big-memory machine is still a remaining open question. In this paper, we try to address this question by providing a comparative analysis for the performance of two of the most well known SNA tools for performing commonly used graph algorithms such as counting Triads, calculating Degree Distribution and finding Clusters which can give an indication of the possibility of carrying out the work on a personal machine. Based on these measurements, we train different supervised machine learning models for predicting the execution time of these algorithms. We compare the accuracy of the different machine learning models and provided the details of the most accurate model that can be exploited by end users to better estimate the execution time expected for processing new social graphs on a personal machine.
Proteotranscriptomic Analysis Reveals Stage Specific Changes in the Molecular Landscape of Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma comprises 2 to 3% of malignancies in adults with the most prevalent subtype being clear-cell RCC (ccRCC). This type of cancer is well characterized at the genomic and transcriptomic level and is associated with a loss of VHL that results in stabilization of HIF1. The current study focused on evaluating ccRCC stage dependent changes at the proteome level to provide insight into the molecular pathogenesis of ccRCC progression. To accomplish this, label-free proteomics was used to characterize matched tumor and normal-adjacent tissues from 84 patients with stage I to IV ccRCC. Using pooled samples 1551 proteins were identified, of which 290 were differentially abundant, while 783 proteins were identified using individual samples, with 344 being differentially abundant. These 344 differentially abundant proteins were enriched in metabolic pathways and further examination revealed metabolic dysfunction consistent with the Warburg effect. Additionally, the protein data indicated activation of ESRRA and ESRRG, and HIF1A, as well as inhibition of FOXA1, MAPK1 and WISP2. A subset analysis of complementary gene expression array data on 47 pairs of these same tissues indicated similar upstream changes, such as increased HIF1A activation with stage, though ESRRA and ESRRG activation and FOXA1 inhibition were not predicted from the transcriptomic data. The activation of ESRRA and ESRRG implied that HIF2A may also be activated during later stages of ccRCC, which was confirmed in the transcriptional analysis. This combined analysis highlights the importance of HIF1A and HIF2A in developing the ccRCC molecular phenotype as well as the potential involvement of ESRRA and ESRRG in driving these changes. In addition, cofilin-1, profilin-1, nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, and fructose-bisphosphate aldolase A were identified as candidate markers of late stage ccRCC. Utilization of data collected from heterogeneous biological domains strengthened the findings from each domain, demonstrating the complementary nature of such an analysis. Together these results highlight the importance of the VHL/HIF1A/HIF2A axis and provide a foundation and therapeutic targets for future studies. (Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD003271 and MassIVE with identifier MSV000079511.)
Active Chromatin Hub of the Mouse α-Globin Locus Forms in a Transcription Factory of Clustered Housekeeping Genes

ABSTRACT RNA polymerases can be shared by a particular group of genes in a transcription “factory” in nuclei, where transcription may be coordinated in concert with the distribution of coexpressed genes in higher-eukaryote genomes. Moreover, gene expression can be modulated by regulatory elements working over a long distance. Here, we compared the conformation of a 130-kb chromatin region containing the mouse α-globin cluster and their flanking housekeeping genes in 14.5-day-postcoitum fetal liver and brain cells. The analysis of chromatin conformation showed that the active α1 and α2 globin genes and upstream regulatory elements are in close spatial proximity, indicating that looping may function in the transcriptional regulation of the mouse α-globin cluster. In fetal liver cells, the active α1 and α2 genes, but not the inactive ζ gene, colocalize with neighboring housekeeping genes C16orf33, C16orf8, MPG, and C16orf35. This is in sharp contrast with the mouse α-globin genes in nonexpressing cells, which are separated from the congregated housekeeping genes. A comparison of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) occupancies showed that active α1 and α2 gene promoters have a much higher RNA Pol II enrichment in liver than in brain. The RNA Pol II occupancy at the ζ gene promoter, which is specifically repressed during development, is much lower than that at the α1 and α2 promoters. Thus, the mouse α-globin gene cluster may be regulated through moving in or out active globin gene promoters and regulatory elements of a preexisting transcription factory in the nucleus, which is maintained by the flanking clustered housekeeping genes, to activate or inactivate α-globin gene expression.
Stature Variables as Discriminators of Foot Contact during the Squat Exercise in Untrained Females

Previous research indicates that stature variables (height [HT], torso length [TL], femur length [FL] are potent discriminators of complete foot contact with the ground during the parallel squat exercise for males in a beginning weight training program. The purpose of this study was to determine if the same variables are also potent discriminators for untrained females. Females in beginning weight training classes (n = 26, X age = 20.8 ± 2.9 years) were measured for the three stature variables. After two weeks of introductory instruction and familiarization with the exercise, each subject performed three parallel squats with a 20-kg barbell across the top of the trapezius, and with feet shoulder width apart. Those able to maintain complete foot contact with the ground were classified as successful (n = 19), and all others as unsuccessful (n = 7). A correlation matrix revealed that none of the three stature variables shared more than 53 percent common zero-order variance (r2). A full-model multiple discriminant analysis correctly classified only 77 percent of the subjects (N.S., p > 0.05). The relative contribution of each variable to the explained variance from the discriminant function include FL (49.0 percent), TL (29.8 percent) and HT (0.8 percent). These data indicated that stature variables are equally potent discriminators of proper foot contact during the squat exercise for females as for previously investigated males, but that the most potent discriminator for females (femur length) was different than that previously found for males (height). Furthermore, 20.4 percent of the variance was not explained, indicating that factors other than HT, TL or FL contribute to improper foot contact during the squat exercise with untrained females.
The Impact of Reading Self-Efficacy and Task Value on Reading Comprehension Scores in Different Item Formats

It has been hypothesized that students with low self-efficacy will struggle with complex reading tasks in assessment situations. In this study we examined whether perceived reading self-efficacy and reading task value uniquely predicted reading comprehension scores in two different item formats in a sample of fifth-grade students. Results showed that, after controlling for variance associated with word reading ability, listening comprehension, and nonverbal ability through hierarchical multiple regression analysis, reading self-efficacy was a significant positive predictor of reading comprehension scores. For students with low self-efficacy in reading, reading self-efficacy was a significant positive predictor of multiple-choice comprehension scores but not of constructed-response comprehension scores. For students with high self-efficacy in reading, reading self-efficacy did not account for additional variance in either item format. The implication that the multiple-choice format magnifies the impact of self-efficacy in assessments of reading comprehension is discussed.
The Classic Prognostic Factors Tumor Stage, Tumor Size, and Tumor Grade are the Strongest Predictors of Outcome in Synovial Sarcoma: No Role for SSX Fusion Type or Ezrin Expression

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate prognostic factors influencing the survival of synovial sarcoma, including the debated role of SYT-SSX fusion type and the newly suggested immunohistochemical marker ezrin. Patients and MethodsFrom 1984 to 2005, 45 patients—25 men (56%) and 20 women (44%) with a median age of 31 (range: 2 to 81) years—were diagnosed with a synovial sarcoma. Age at diagnosis, tumor site, tumor size, tumor histology (biphasic vs. monophasic), mitotic count, necrosis, histologic grade, SYT-SSX fusion type, and ezrin immunostaining were analyzed for influence on survival by univariate and multivariate methods. ResultsThe median follow-up for all patients was 55 (range: 2 to 238) months. Five patients had metastatic disease at the time of presentation. Five-year disease-specific survivals (DSS) were 67% overall and 72% for the 40 patients presenting with localized disease at diagnosis. Nineteen patients (48%) developed metastases during follow-up. Five-year metastasis-free survival (MFS) for the 40 patients with localized disease at diagnosis was 60% and the 10-year MFS was 52%. Disease stage at presentation, tumor size >5 cm, and histologic grade 3 were univariate significant factors associated with a worse DSS. Age ≥30 years, tumor size >5 cm, necrosis, and histologic grade were univariate significant factors associated with a worse MFS. In multivariate analysis, tumor size and tumor grade remained significant prognostic factors for DSS and MFS. A role of SYT-SSX fusion type could not be confirmed in our patient group. Ezrin showed high expression in glandular and nonglandular epithelioid components in biphasic synovial sarcoma. Variable expression was found in the mesenchymal component of monophasic and biphasic synovial sarcoma. Low versus high ezrin expression levels in monophasic and/or biphasic synovial sarcoma did not correlate with patient outcome. ConclusionsDisease stage at presentation, tumor size, and tumor grade were significant predictors of survival in synovial sarcoma. SYT-SSX fusion type was not correlated with survival in our series. Ezrin expression levels were not discriminative in predicting outcome.
ASVspoof 2015: the first automatic speaker verification spoofing and countermeasures challenge

An increasing number of independent studies have confirmed the vulnerability of automatic speaker verification (ASV) technology to spoofing. However, in comparison to that involving other biometric modalities, spoofing and countermeasure research for ASV is still in its infancy. A current barrier to progress is the lack of standards which impedes the comparison of results generated by different researchers. The ASVspoof initiative aims to overcome this bottleneck through the provision of standard corpora, protocols and metrics to support a common evaluation. This paper introduces the first edition, summaries the results and discusses directions for future challenges and research.
Positioning Stakeholders in Curriculum Leadership: How can teacher educators work with teachers to discover and create their place?

This article draws from research in an Australian Research Council (ARC) Collaborative Research Project involving personnel from Queensland University of Technology and Education Queensland. The focus was on theorising curriculum leadership for effective learning and teaching. As the project proceeded, it became evident that there are certain factors which contribute to curriculum leadership as a shared phenomenon at teaching/learning sites; and that among these factors, personal factors were important in shaping teachers' perceptions of their readiness to engage in curriculum leadership. This article also draws on some recent exploratory research which resulted from the project. In this research, the emphasis was on how space might be discovered and created for the voices of significant stakeholders in curriculum leadership. Both pieces of research raise a number of interesting questions about supporting and sustaining teachers in their engagement in curriculum leadership. These questions are explored within the context of the question posed in the article's title.
Friends in High Places: International Politics and the Emergence of States from Secessionism

Abstract State emergence is an essential dynamic of the international system, yet international relations scholars pay it little attention. Their oversight is all the more unfortunate because international politics ultimately determine which aspiring system members will succeed in becoming new states. Existing models of state emergence rely exclusively on internal or domestic-level explanations. However, the international system is inherently social; therefore any aspiring state's membership also depends on the acceptance of its peers. I present a novel, international-level model of state birth that suggests state leaders should use decisions regarding new members strategically to advance their own interests, not passively abide by domestic factors. I test this argument using a new data set on secessionism and Great Power recognition (1931–2000). I find that external politics have important, underappreciated effects on state emergence. Furthermore, acknowledging the politics of recognition's centrality to state birth alters our understanding of civil conflict dynamics and conflict resolution and suggests important implications for system-wide stability.
Geoengineering, climate change scepticism and the ‘moral hazard’ argument: an experimental study of UK public perceptions

Many commentators have expressed concerns that researching and/or developing geoengineering technologies may undermine support for existing climate policies—the so-called moral hazard argument. This argument plays a central role in policy debates about geoengineering. However, there has not yet been a systematic investigation of how members of the public view the moral hazard argument, or whether it impacts on people's beliefs about geoengineering and climate change. In this paper, we describe an online experiment with a representative sample of the UK public, in which participants read one of two arguments (either endorsing or rejecting the idea that geoengineering poses a moral hazard). The argument endorsing the idea of geoengineering as a moral hazard was perceived as more convincing overall. However, people with more sceptical views and those who endorsed ‘self-enhancing’ values were more likely to agree that the prospect of geoengineering would reduce their motivation to make changes in their own behaviour in response to climate change. The findings suggest that geoengineering is likely to pose a moral hazard for some people more than others, and the implications for engaging the public are discussed.