Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Appreciation as Audience Response: Exploring Entertainment Gratifications beyond Hedonism.

This article elaborates upon the notion of media enjoyment in the context of film viewing by proposing a complementary type of gratification that we conceptualize as appreciation. Three studies were conducted to tap into the multidimensionality of viewers' entertainment gratifications with a special focus on the domain of more serious, poignant, and pensive media experiences typically associated with genres such as drama, history, documentary, or art films. These studies provide evidence of and measurement for gratifications related to fun and suspense, but also gratifications related to moving and thought-provoking entertainment experiences, with all three gratifications leading to perceptions of entertainment having a more long-lasting or enduring effect. The results are discussed with regard to the theoretical conceptualization of entertainment gratification.
Composite Indicators for Monetary Analysis

The prominent role assigned to money by the ECB has been the subject of an intense debate because of the declining predictive power of the monetary aggregate M3 for inflation in recent years. This paper reassesses the information content of monetary analysis for future inflation using dynamic factors extracted from a new and richer cross-section of data including the monetary aggregate M3, its components and counterparts, and a detailed breakdown of deposits and loans at sectoral level. Weighting monetary and credit variables according to their signal to noise ratio allows us to downplay those that in recent times contributed significantly to the deterioration of the information content of the M3. Factor-model based inflation forecasts turn out to be more accurate than those produced by traditional competitor models at the relevant policy horizon of six-quarters ahead. All in all, our results support the view that an analysis based on a large set of monetary and credit variables is a more useful tool for assessing risks to price stability than one that simply focuses on the dynamic of the overall monetary aggregate M3.
THE IMPACT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON INVESTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.

Using a large sample of publicly traded US firms over 16 years, we investigate the impact of corporate socially responsible (CSR) strategies on security analysts’ recommendations. Socially responsible firms receive more favorable recommendations in recent years relative to earlier ones, documenting a changing perception of the value of such strategies by the analysts. Moreover, we find that firms with higher visibility receive more favorable recommendations for their CSR strategies and that analysts with more experience, broader CSR awareness or those with more resources at their disposal, are more likely to perceive the value of CSR strategies more favorably. Our results document how CSR strategies can affect value creation in public equity markets through analyst recommendations.
Correcting the Incorrect: Local Coherence Effects Modeled with Prior Belief Update

In the past four decades, the field of sentence processing research has generated a number of models of the incremental operation of the human sentence processor. One assumption common to most of these theories is that the difficulty of a word is determined by the possible syntactic structures of the preceding words, and thus, the difficulty of a word should be unaffected by ungrammatical analyses of the preceding words. Put formally, the difficulty of word wn of a sentence is determined only by the grammatical syntactic structures covering the preceding words w1 · · ·wn 1(⌘ w 1 1 ). Recent results by Tabor, Galantucci, and Richardson (2004), however, appear to show evidence of a case where a syntactic structure which is not possible given w 1 1 nevertheless influences the difficulty of wn. They attribute such effects to ‘merely locally coherent’ syntactic structures and term such impossible structures local coherences. Follow-up studies by Konieczny (2005) and Konieczny and Muller (2006, 2007) provide further evidence that these impossible structures are being constructed and even semantically evaluated. These results have been taken to support a small class of dynamical systems models of sentence processing (e.g., Tabor and Hutchins 2004), in which, crucially, structures which are not possible given the current input are nevertheless constructed and compete with other, tenable structures. Unfortunately, the existing theories in this class have a large number of interacting free parameters, making interpretation somewhat difficult and leaving unspecified how to scale up such a system to make broad-coverage reading time predictions. This paper fills two gaps in the literature on local coherences. First, it demonstrates from two experiments with an eye-tracking corpus that effects of local coherences are evident in the reading of naturalistic text. Second, it describes a new computational model of local coherences that is motivated by a view of sentence processing as updating prior beliefs over syntactic structures.
Large-scale fluctuations in the distribution of galaxies from the two-degree galaxy redshift survey

We study statistical properties of galaxy structures in several samples extracted from the two-degree galaxy redshift survey (2dFRGS). In particular, we measure conditional fluctuations by means of the scale-length method and determined their probability distribution. In this way we find that galaxy distribution in these samples is characterized by large amplitude fluctuations with a large spatial extension, whose size is only limited by the sample’s boundaries. These fluctuations are quite typical and persistent in the sample’s volumes, and they are detected in two independent regions in the northern and southern galactic caps. We discuss the relation of the scale-length method to several statistical quantities, such as counts of galaxies as a function of redshift and apparent magnitude. We confirm previous results, which have determined by magnitude and redshift counts that there are fluctuations of about 30% between the southern and the northern galactic caps and we relate explicitly these counts to structures in redshift space. We show that the estimation of fluctuation amplitude normalized to the sample density is biased by systematic effects, which we discuss in detail. We consider the type of fluctuations predicted by standard cosmological models of structure formation in the linear regime and, to study nonlinear clustering, we analyze several samples of mock-galaxy catalogs generated from the distribution of dark matter in cosmological N-body simulations. In this way we conclude that the galaxy fluctuations present in these samples are too large in amplitude and too extended in space to be compatible with the predictions of the standard models of structure formation.
Persistent Software Errors

Persistent software errors-those which are not discovered until late in development, such as when the software becomes operational-are by far the most expensive kind of error. Via analysis of software problem reports, it is discovered that the predominant number of persistent errors in large-scale software efforts are errors of omitted logic. , that is, the code is not as complex as required by the problem to be solved. Peer design and code review, desk checking, and ultrarigorous testing may be the most helpful of the currently available technologies in attacking this problem. New and better methodologies are needed.
Practical String Stability of Platoon of Adaptive Cruise Control Vehicles

In this paper, the practical string stability of both homogeneous and heterogeneous platoons of adaptive cruise control (ACC) vehicles, which apply the constant time headway spacing policy, is investigated by considering the parasitic time delays and lags of the actuators and sensors when building the vehicle longitudinal dynamics model. The proposed control law based on the sliding-mode controller can guarantee both homogeneous and heterogeneous string stability, if the control parameters and system parameters meet certain requirements. The analysis of the negative effect of the parasitic time delays and lags on the string stability indicates that the negative effect of the time delays is larger than that of the time lags. This paper provides a practical means to evaluate the ACC systems applying the sliding-mode controller and provides a reasonable proposal to design the ACC controller from the perspective of the practical string stability.
Chemical mediation of seaweed-herbivore interactions

Seaweeds produce a variety of secondary metabolites that deter feeding by herbivores. T h e defensive value of a compound is, however, a specific function of the compound's structure and the species of herbivore attacking the plant; previous generalizations about the effectiveness and mode of action of different classes of compounds (e.g., qualitative vs quantitative chemical defences) are unfounded. Herbivore size and mobility are often correlated with resistance to seaweed chemical defences. Small, sedentary herbivores (mesograzers) that live on the plants they consume often preferentially consume, or specialize on, seaweeds that are chemically defended from fishes. These mesograzers avoid or deter predators by associating with chemically noxious host plants and may use the compounds that deter fishes as specific feeding or host identification cues. Numerous brown algae in the family Dictyotaceae and red algae in the genus Laurcncia have chemical and morphological characteristics suggesting that these species may form groups of Mullerian or Batesian mimics. Mimicry could be: (1) chemical and functional against nonvisually searching herbivores; (2) morphological and functional against visually searching herbivores; (3) both chemical and morphological. Mimicry might also function against algal taxonomists and be responsible for the taxonomic uncertainties common in both the Dictyotaceae and the genus Laurencia.
Regional cerebral autoregulation during orthostatic stress: age-related differences.

BACKGROUND We used transcranial Doppler ultrasonography to examine the cerebral blood flow response to orthostatic stress in the middle and posterior cerebral circulations and to determine the effects of healthy aging on regional cerebral blood flow regulation. METHODS Continuous simultaneous middle (MCA) and posterior (PCA) cerebral artery blood flow velocities (BFV) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured in response to standing from a sitting position in 13 younger (30 +/- 7 years) and 13 older (73 +/- 4 years) healthy participants. RESULTS The older participants had a significantly larger decline in MAP (-31% +/- 3 in the older and -21% +/- 2 in the younger) and a smaller increase in heart rate (HR) (15 bpm +/- 1 in the older, 24 bpm +/- 2 in the younger) during the posture change. Despite a larger decline in MAP, the older participants had a decline very similar to that of the younger participants in BFVs in both vascular territories. This was associated with a significantly larger vasodilatory response in the MCA and PCA vascular territories of the older participants. There were no regional differences of the cerebrovascular resistance and BFV responses to orthostasis in the younger participants. However, in the older participants, there was a significantly larger BFV decline and a smaller vasodilatory response in the PCA as compared to the MCA territory. CONCLUSIONS Healthy aging is associated with preserved cerebrovascular adaptation to orthostatic hypotension. However, in older persons, the PCA territory blood flow may be more vulnerable to reduced perfusion during orthostatic stress.
Original Paper

Effects of a chronic combined unpredictable stress on activities of two cell death-related proteases, cal-pain and cathepsin B, were studied along with indices of nitrergic system in rat brain structures. Male Wistar rats were subjected to a 2-week-long combined stress (combination of unpaired flash light and moderate footshock associated with a white noise session). Stress resulted in a significant loss in the body and thymus weight and increased defecation in the open field test, though neither motor and exploratory activity, nor plasma corticosterone differed from the respective control levels. Decreased cal-pain activity and increased cathepsin B activity were demonstrated in the hippocampus of stressed rats (previously we have shown that caspase-3 activity was significantly suppressed in the brain of rats subjected to same type of stress). A significant reduction in the number of NOS-containing neurons was accompanied by a chronic stressinduced decline in NOS activity in the neocortex. Similar changes were observed in the hippocampus. However, levels of NO metabolites were elevated in both structures. Thus, stress-induced structural modifications in the brain may be mediated by disturbances in the nitrergic system and increased lysosomal proteolysis.
ON THE SYNTAX-PROSODY INTERFACE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE PROSODIC PROPERTIES OF POSTFOCAL MATERIAL IN ITALIAN AND ITS IMPLICATIONS *

In this paper, I discuss some properties of the prosodic system of Tuscan Italian argued for in Bocci & Avesani (2005, 2008) and their implications for a model of the syntax-prosody interface. Building on the cartographic approach (Cinque 1999, Rizzi 2004a, 2006), I argue for a model in which scope-discourse properties such as topic and focus are encoded as features in the syntactic representation starting from the numeration (Aboh 2007). In such a view, a direct link between LF and PF is dispensed with, in compliance with the T-model of grammar and current minimalist assumptions. I argue that the syntactic output where scopediscourse properties are explicitly encoded (Rizzi 2004b), is converted at spell-out into the prosodic representation by two interacting sets of mapping rules: default rules and marked feature-sensitive rules (see Selkirk 2007). Building on Bocci & Avesani’s (2008) prosodic analysis of postfocal material in Tuscan Italian, I argue that, even if discourse features (and the syntactic structure) feed the prosodic computation, the application of mapping rules (in interaction with structural requirements) does not guarantee isomorphism either between the prosodic representation and the syntactic structure, or between the prosodic representation and the informational properties. I argue that such a conclusion is expected to the extent to which prosody is part of the morpho-phonological component.
Phonological Dyslexia

Following brain damage, skilled readers may encounter more severe problems in reading nonwords than familiar words, a type of deficit referred to as phonological dyslexia. We report on 2 individuals with Alzheimer's disease who show phonological dyslexia. Although highly accurate in reading familiar words aloud (even those with irregular spelling, such as sew), they were quite impaired in nonword reading. Both patients performed well in phonological tasks involving the repetition, identification, and manipulation of phonemes of orally presented words and nonwords. These results challenge the idea, proposed in the context of connectionist and evolutionary theories, that phonological dyslexia originates from a phonological deficit. However, the results are consistent with reading models, such as the dual-route model, that attribute phonological dyslexia to a deficit that selectively affects the reading mechanisms responsible for deriving the sounds of non-words. According to these models, such a deficit is not necessarily accompanied by a more general phonological impairment.
The neural basis of task switching changes with skill acquisition

Learning novel skills involves reorganization and optimization of cognitive processing involving a broad network of brain regions. Previous work has shown asymmetric costs of switching to a well-trained task vs. a poorly-trained task, but the neural basis of these differential switch costs is unclear. The current study examined the neural signature of task switching in the context of acquisition of new skill. Human participants alternated randomly between a novel visual task (mirror-reversed word reading) and a highly practiced one (plain word reading), allowing the isolation of task switching and skill set maintenance. Two scan sessions were separated by 2 weeks, with behavioral training on the mirror reading task in between the two sessions. Broad cortical regions, including bilateral prefrontal, parietal, and extrastriate cortices, showed decreased activity associated with learning of the mirror reading skill. In contrast, learning to switch to the novel skill was associated with decreased activity in a focal subcortical region in the dorsal striatum. Switching to the highly practiced task was associated with a non-overlapping set of regions, suggesting substantial differences in the neural substrates of switching as a function of task skill. Searchlight multivariate pattern analysis also revealed that learning was associated with decreased pattern information for mirror vs. plain reading tasks in fronto-parietal regions. Inferior frontal junction and posterior parietal cortex showed a joint effect of univariate activation and pattern information. These results suggest distinct learning mechanisms task performance and executive control as a function of learning.
On PID control of dynamic systems with hysteresis using a Prandtl-Ishlinskii model

This papers deals with PI and PID control of second order systems with an input hysteresis described by a modified Prandtl-Ishlinskii model. The problem of the asymptotic tracking of constant references is re-formulated as the stability of a polytopic linear differential inclusion. This offers a simple linear matrix inequality condition that, when satisfied with the chosen PI or PID controller gains, ensures the tracking of constant reference and also allows the designer to establish a performance index. The validation of the approach is performed experimentally on a Magnetic Shape Memory Alloy micrometric positioning system.
A liver tolerates a portal antigen by generating CD11c+ cells, which select Fas ligand+ Th2 cells via apoptosis

Administration of an antigen (Ag) per oral route leads to apoptosis of Ag‐specific CD4+ T cells and to development of Th2 cells expressing Fas ligand (FasL) in the liver. We determined whether presentation of an ingested Ag in the liver alone was enough to select these FasL+Th2 cells and explored how this selection was achieved in the liver. Ovalbumin (OVA) administered orally was colocalized with class II+ cells in the periportal and parenchymal area of the liver. On coculture with naive OVA‐specific CD4+ T cells, hepatic CD11c+ cells from mice fed OVA generated Ag‐specific Th2 cells. This was achieved by apoptosis of CD4+ T cells, decrease of interleukin 12 (IL‐12) secretion, and increase of IL‐18 secretion by the CD11c+ cells. Addition of IL‐12 to this coculture prevented apoptosis of the CD4+ T cells, which was associated with up‐modulation of IL‐2 receptor β chain expression. Administration of IL‐12 to mice fed OVA prevented apoptosis of OVA‐specific CD4+ T cells in the liver. Moreover, adoptive transfer of hepatic CD11c+ cells from mice fed OVA together with OVA‐specific CD4+ T cells led to development of Th2 cells as well as apoptosis of the transferred CD4+ T cells in the lymph nodes of the recipient mice on immunization with OVA. In conclusion, presentation of an ingested Ag by hepatic CD11c+ cells selects Th2 cells resistant to apoptosis in the liver, which is mediated in part by down‐regulation of IL‐12 secretion by the former cells.
America's Uneven Democracy: Bibliography

Introduction: the vote and democracy 1. Where turnout should matter 2. Turnout could matter at the local level 3. Winners and losers in mayoral elections 4. Turnout and representation on city councils 5. Turnout and local government spending priorities 6. Raising voter turnout 7. The benefits of expanded participation Appendix.
The Effects of Unemployment and Underemployment on Employment Opportunities

The authors use data from a résumé audit to estimate the impact of unemployment and underemployment on the employment prospects of recent college graduates. They find no statistical evidence linking unemployment spells of different durations to employment opportunities. By contrast, college graduates who are underemployed have callback rates that are 30% lower than those of applicants who are adequately employed. The null effects associated with unemployment and the adverse effects associated with underemployment are robust across cities with relatively tight and loose labor-market conditions. Internship experience obtained while completing one’s degree substantially reduces the negative effects of underemployment. The data support the proposition that employers view underemployment as a strong signal of lower expected productivity.
Separation of time-varying multipath arrivals by converting their time delays into their frequency reallocations

Multipath propagation causes the transmitted signal to take numerous, time-varying different-length paths to receiver. Exploitation of conventional frequency-constant carrier signals for communication over underwater acoustic channels typically shows that intricate mutual time variations of multipath arrivals create a serious problem for equalizers to compensate for non-stable interferences. Communication over such channels can be, however, substantially improved by using not a conventional constant-frequency carrier but a carrier consisting of a sequence of steep sweeps. The method provides significant processing improvement enabling clear separation of multipath arrivals by converting their time delays into their frequency reallocations. When despreading the signal, the best suitable multipath can be filtered not as traditionally in time domains, applying complex equalizers, but in frequency domains via usual band-pass filters. An important aspect is that every multipath is separated together with its individual time-varying phase impairments, obtained with the signal during its propagation over a certain path, whereas signal impairments, specific for a given path, are completely separated from other signal impairments delivered by the signal during its propagation over every different path.
Mutations in NPHS2 in sporadic steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome in Chinese children.

BACKGROUND Since the identification of the NPHS2 gene, various investigators have demonstrated that an NPHS2 mutation is a frequent cause of sporadic steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), and occurs in 10.5-28% of children with the syndrome. Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) is also the most frequent glomerular disease in Chinese children, of which approximately 20% of cases show steroid resistance. To our knowledge, however, whether or not NPHS2 is the causative gene in Chinese sporadic SRNS has not been established. This study aims to examine mutations in NPHS2 in Chinese children with sporadic SRNS. METHODS We examined 23 Chinese children with sporadic SRNS for mutations in NPHS2. The mutational analysis of NPHS2 was performed by polymerase chain reaction, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and DNA sequencing. RESULTS A heterozygous missense mutation of L361P in exon 8 of NPHS2 was detected in one of 23 children with sporadic SRNS, whereas it was not found in 53 controls. We also identified seven NPHS2 polymorphisms, -51G>T, 288C>T, IVS3-46C>T, IVS3-21C>T, IVS7-74G>C, 954T>C and 1038A>G, in some patients and controls. There was no significant difference in the genotypic and allelic frequencies of these polymorphisms between the patients and controls. CONCLUSION The results demonstrate that NPHS2 mutations are also present in Chinese sporadic SRNS. Our investigation supports the necessity of searching for mutations in NPHS2 in Chinese children with sporadic SRNS.