Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of culture in relational aggression: Associations with social-psychological adjustment problems in Japanese and US school-aged children

The purpose of this study was (1) to evaluate psychometric properties that assess forms of aggression (i.e., relational and physical aggression) across cultures (i.e., Japan and the United States) and (2) to investigate the role of culture in the associations between forms of aggression and social-psychological adjustment problems such as depressive symptoms and delinquency. Participants consisted of 296 fourth-graders (197 Japanese and 99 US children). It was hypothesized that relative to US children, relational aggression would be more strongly associated with depressive symptoms for Japanese children. Findings supported our hypothesis, suggesting that Japanese children may be more vulnerable to negative interpersonal experiences, including relational aggression.
Expected and Unexpected Stressors in Major International Competition: Appraisal, Coping, and Performance

The purpose of this study was to investigate appraisals and coping of elite athletes when facing expected versus unexpected stressors. Questionnaires were sent to all New Zealand athletes competing at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, and 91 athletes provided responses inside three weeks of the closing ceremony. A stressful experience that had occurred prior to or during their most important performance was identified by 71 althletes. Analysis revealed significant differences in the way athletes cognitively appraised expected and unexpected stressors. Unexpected stressors were perceived as more threatening than expected stressors. Athletes also indicated a significantly greater tendency to hold back or hesitate from responding or acting in the face of unexpected stressors in comparison to expected stressors. Athletes employed a variety of strategies to help them cope with their most stressful experience. Stressor expectedness, however, was not related to coping use or performance and coping evaluations. Finall.
Predictors of Recidivism among Incarcerated Female Offenders

Compared to male offenders, female offenders have received little empirical attention. This is particularly true in the area of offender risk assessment. Numerous objective risk scales have been developed and used for males, but very few for women. Two studies were conducted to investigate the predictors of female recidivism. The first study attempted to validate a risk scale developed on a male offender population and found poor generalizability. The second study explored additional possible predictors including victimization experiences. Once again, little progress was made. The implications for future research on female offender risk prediction and prison programming are discussed.
The Effect of Terror on Institutional Trust: New Evidence from the 3/11 Madrid Terrorist Attack

Research from the United States suggests that the 9/11 terrorist attack increased trust in political institutions by creating a “rally effect. ” In this research note we analyze Eurobarometer data collected immediately before and after the March 11, 2004 terrorist attack in Madrid to replicate and extend previous findings from the United States. We report that, first, trust in different types of institutions (political, media, justice) increased significantly immediately after the Madrid terrorist attack; second, the effect of the attack varied systematically across different types of institutions; and, third, the effect was generally short-lived. Our results suggest that the rally effect of terror on trust in institutions generalizes across national contexts but also that the effect differs across types of institutions.
Sexual and reproductive health perceptions and practices as revealed in the sexual history narratives of South African men living in a time of HIV/AIDS

Abstract The frequent positioning of men's sexual risk-taking as driving the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa has triggered interest in men's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) perceptions, attitudes, and practices. Much research, however, presents men as a homogenous group, and focuses on the quantifiable aspects of male sexual behaviors, providing an inadequate basis for understanding men's SRH needs and addressing the gendered aspects of HIV prevention. This study used sexual history narratives to yield more nuanced and contextualized understandings of male sexuality as it relates to SRH. Fifty sexual life history individual interviews and 10 focus-group discussions (FGDs) with men, as well as 25 sexual life history interviews with women, were conducted with participants purposively sampled from three age categories: (18–24, 25–55, and 55+ years), a wide range of cultural and racial backgrounds, and in urban and rural sites across 5 provinces in South Africa. Interviews and FGDs elicited stories of participant's early knowledge of sex and sexual experimentation and then explored sexual relationships and experiences in adulthood—including engagement with HIV risks and SRH management. The data were analyzed using a thematic approach. Many male participants conformed to dominant norms of masculinity associated with a high risk of sexually transmitted infections including HIV, such as having regular unprotected sex, reluctance to test for HIV, and poor SRH-seeking behaviors. Yet, the narrative accounts reveal instances of men taking steps to protect their own SRH and that of their partners, and the complex ways in which hegemonic gender norms influence men and women's SRH. Ultimately, the study points to the value of sexual biographies for gaining a deeper understanding of male sexuality, and the social structures, meanings, and experiences that underlie it. Such insights are critical to more effectively engaging men in HIV prevention efforts.
Essential Roles of Notch Signaling in Maintenance of Neural Stem Cells in Developing and Adult Brains

Activation of Notch signaling induces the expression of transcriptional repressor genes such as Hes1, leading to repression of proneural gene expression and maintenance of neural stem/progenitor cells. However, a requirement for Notch signaling in the telencephalon was not clear, because in Hes1;Hes3;Hes5 triple-mutant mice, neural stem/progenitor cells are depleted in most regions of the developing CNS, but not in the telencephalon. Here, we investigated a role for Notch signaling in the telencephalon by generating tamoxifen-inducible conditional knock-out mice that lack Rbpj, an intracellular signal mediator of all Notch receptors. When Rbpj was deleted in the embryonic brain, almost all telencephalic neural stem/progenitor cells prematurely differentiated into neurons and were depleted. When Rbpj was deleted in the adult brain, all neural stem cells differentiated into transit-amplifying cells and neurons. As a result, neurogenesis increased transiently, but 3 months later all neural stem cells were depleted and neurogenesis was totally lost. These results indicated an absolute requirement of Notch signaling for the maintenance of neural stem cells and a proper control of neurogenesis in both embryonic and adult brains.
Accounting for Racism Against Maori in Aotearoa/New Zealand: A Discourse Analytic Study of the Views of Maori Adults: Racism against Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand

Previous discursive studies on the construction, reproduction and justification of racism have focussed on the accounts of perpetrators to the exclusion of the targets of racist talk. The current study redresses this imbalance by exploring the talk of targets of racism in Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Interviews were conducted with 24 participants, 19 Māori and five Pākehā partners. Our social constructionist discourse analysis identifies four primary discourses that participants drew on to account for racism, two of which resonated strongly with the literature and two which spotlighted new areas of interest. A discourse of ignorance functioned to allow participants to account for racism by highlighting Pākehā ignorance of Māori people and culture, and of racism itself. The second discourse implicated the media for emphasising negative Māori news, avoiding positive Māori achievements and promoting negative stereotypes. A third discourse constructed Pākehā as possessing an innate sense of superiority which contributed to racism, and fourthly, institutionalised racism was used by participants to construct a colonial society which continued to marginalise Māori. Finally we consider the implications of these findings with respect to existing literature, some implications around the intersectionality and relationship between these discourses, and the importance of potential gains in understanding made possible through the study of targets' perspectives. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The relationship among survivor qualities attitude, commitment and motivation after downsizing

The psychological well-being of employees who survive organizational downsizing and restructuring remains a contemporary theme in the work environment. This situation has a substantial influence on organizational success. This study examined the relationship among survivor attributes (attitude, commitment and motivation) after downsizing in selected manufacturing organizations. To have a better understanding of the relationship between survivor attributes after downsizing, a total of one hundred and fifty survivors (n = 150) who had experienced downsizing participated in the study. Four null hypotheses, investigating the levels and relationships among the attributes were tested by means of specific statistical methods, such as measures of central tendency and correlation analysis. The results showed that survivors had high levels of motivation and moderate to satisfactory levels of attitude and motivation. A significant relationship was observed between survivor motivation and commitment. Specific recommendations are provided to ensure improved survivor quality after downsizing. Key words: Survivor quality, downsizing, attitude, commitment, motivation.
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone-induced changes in intracellular [Ca2+] measured by microspectrofluorometry on individual quin2-loaded cells

We have developed an accurate and practical method for measuring intracellular Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]i) in single cells in monolayer culture using the fluorescent Ca2+-binding dye quin2. Quin2 was loaded into cells as a membrane-permeant ester which is hydrolyzed in the cytoplasm to the impermeant free acid, which is the indicator form (Tsien, R.Y., T. Pozzan, and T.J. Rink, 1982, J. Cell Biol., 94:325-334). The method involves the measurement of fluorescence at 340- nm excitation (I340), where dye fluorescence is dependent on Ca2+, and at 360-nm excitation (I360), where dye fluorescence is independent of Ca2+. The ratio of these two values (I340/I360) is thus related to the concentration of Ca2+ but independent of dye concentration and can be used as a measure of [Ca2+]. To test the ratio method in the microscope, we measured [Ca2+]i in GH3 cells in monolayer culture. We found a resting [Ca2+]i of 44 +/- 28 nM (mean +/- SD, n = 34), as compared with a suspension value (Gershengorn, M., and C. Thaw, 1983, Endocrinology, 113:1522-1524) of 118 +/- 18 nM. We also measured [Ca2+]i during stimulation of the cells with thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and found a 2.4-fold increase above resting levels within 20 s, a trough at 73% of resting at 90-100 s, and a peak slightly above resting at 3 min. Depolarization of the plasma membrane with KCl produced a sustained increase in [Ca2+]i. All of these data are in good agreement with the results of Gershengorn and Thaw on suspension cultures. When measuring both resting [Ca2+]i and the effects of TRH and KCl on small groups of cells, we found some variation among experiments. Using an image intensifier-video camera, we videotaped cells during TRH stimulation. Digital image analysis of these pictures demonstrated that there was a large variation in responsiveness from cell to cell. The microscope ratio method offers the possibility of resolving regions of differing [Ca2+] within the cytoplasm.
Early rationality and magical thinking in preschoolers : space and time.

The problem in this study was to determine the process of acquisition of some fundamental notions (structures) of space and time in preschool children. A fundamental structure that underlies the idea of space is the opposition between the permeability and the impermeability of a physical body for another physical body. A fundamental structure on which the concept of time is based is the opposition between reversibility and irreversibility of complex processes. In two experiments, children aged 4, 5 and 6 years were placed in situations in which they were free to reveal their beliefs in the permeability of a solid body (a glass wall of a box) and in the reversibility of complex processes (turning back into a little boy or girl again). The results showed that at the beginning of the experiment almost all the children denied that permeability or reversibility could occur in real life. However, under the influence of a fairy tale and an adult's instruction, the majority of 4- and 5-year -olds revealed their credulity towards such unusual properties of space and time both at the level of practical actions and at the level of verbal judgements.
Insistence among family and friends in Quiteño Spanish: From connectedness to empowerment?

Drawing on sociopragmatics and some ethnographic work in communication studies, in this paper I examine the occurrence of insistence in interactions among family and friends in middle-class Quiteno society (Ecuador) in relation to suggestions, offers and invitations. I interpret insistence in these contexts as a marker of affiliation through which an interpersonal ideology of connectedness (cf. Fitch, 1998) is recreated. However, I find that there is some generational variation in the use of this practice. I suggest that this may be an indication of a possible shift in interpersonal ideology ‐from connectedness towards empowerment‐ gradually taking place in middle-class Quiteno society.
Talk among Sexual Partners about AIDS

This study identified factors that differentiate among four groups relative to talking about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with a sexual partner: safe-sex talkers, general AIDS talkers, nontalkers, and want-to-be talkers. Relational issues rather than health issues dominated differences among groups. Faced with risking one's long-term health versus risking one's immediate interpersonal relationship, many who opted not to talk with their sexual partners about AIDS gave the relationship preeminence. More troublesome is the very absence of differences between safe-sex talkers and general AIDS talkers. The two groups failed to differ in most attitudes about condom use and AIDS talk and in their sexual and preventive behavior. The discussion explores functions of talking about AIDS and the implications of the dominance of relational functions of talking about AIDS with a sexual partner over health-promotion functions. One interpretation suggests that talking about AIDS may function to enhance rather than diminish risk.
Diversity of Experience, Experience of Diversity

In public, popular, and scholarly discourses, Turkish migrant youth appear as relentless agents of revitalized Turkishness or Islam in the midst of European modernity. Contrary to this seemingly intuitive assumption, I argue in this article that the manifest diversity of migrant youth cultures is facilitated and authorized by the discursive and institutional resources available to them in Berlin, the metropolis in the making. Particularly significant for the cultural projects of Turkish youths are transnational cultural flows and contemporary discourses of plurality, human rights, and equality, which (en)gender their presence in the public spaces of Berlin and complicate ‘national’ configurations of belonging and conventional conceptions of otherhood.
A Comparison of Revealed, Stated, and Actual Behavior in Response to a Change in Fishing Quality

Due to water quality problems at its fish culture stations, Pennsylvania stocked 28% fewer catchable trout in 2002 than it had in prior years. The impact of this stocking decrease on license and trout stamp sales was projected based both on an econometric analysis of historical license sales (revealed behavior) and on a telephone survey of trout anglers (stated behavior). The econometric analysis showed no relationship between stocking levels and angler participation. However, in the telephone survey, 11.5% of current trout anglers stated that the cut in stocking would lead them to stop fishing for trout, including 3.2% who would stop fishing altogether. The projections based on stated behavior did a better job predicting resident license sales than did the projection based on revealed behavior, but anglers overstated their tendency to stop buying trout stamps. This research was financially supported by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The authors are grateful to Yanguo Wang for econometric assistance. The authors alone are responsible for all statements and errors.
Measuring Technology Acceptance Level of Turkish Pre-Service English Teachers by Using Technology Acceptance Model.

The aim of this study is to investigate technology acceptance of prospective English teachers by using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in Turkish context. The study is based on Structural Equation Model (SEM). The participants of the study from English Language Teaching Departments of Hacettepe, Gazi and Baskent Universities. The participants are 213 pre-service English teachers. In order to collect data, Computer Attitude Scale (CAS), developed by Selwyn (1997), was used. As a first step in the study, prospective English teachers’ general attitudes towards technology were assessed. The results indicated that prospective English teachers had positive attitudes towards technology and technology use in lessons. As a next step, an ANOVA test was used to compare participants from different grade levels in terms of their attitudes towards technology use. The results indicated that first grade prospective English teachers have relatively lower levels of positive attitudes towards technology. Then, the model fit indices were calculated and the scale was subjected to factor analysis. As a result, the model that was constructed within the scope of the study was found to be perfect based on the results of a number of fit test indices and reasonable based on few fit test indices. Therefore, the model was found to be meaningful and usable. The results indicated that four of the hypotheses formed within the scope of the study were proven and one of them was rejected. Overall, it must be noted that there is a strong positive correlation between attitudes towards computer use and behavioral intention to use computers. Key words: Technology use, prospective English teachers, computer self-efficacy, TAM model.
Attitudes towards information technology in music learning among Hong Kong Chinese boys and girls

This article argues that changes of gendered attitudes towards IT among students may be related to recent educational reforms focusing on incorporating computers into the classroom. Data are drawn from an interview survey with 430 students attending 26 primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. The results reveal no significant differences between females and males in three aspects: (1) their belief in the effectiveness of using technological facilities; (2) their confidence in handling technology when learning about music; and (3) their motivation towards learning about music with the help of information technology (IT). Primary boys and girls in this study reported obtaining a higher degree of motivation for learning about music with the help of IT than secondary students of both sexes. The potential implications of these findings for educational policy in Hong Kong are to find out how to motivate students' musical learning with the help of IT, and to make technology relevant to the content of the music programmes of primary and secondary schools.
Substance Flow Analysis: A Case Study of Fluoride Exposure through Food and Beverages in Young Children Living in Ethiopia

Context Dental and skeletal fluorosis is endemic in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Children are especially vulnerable to excessive fluoride intake because their permanent teeth are still being formed. Strategies to reduce the total fluoride intake by children are thus warranted. Case presentation By combining the results of field studies in Ethiopia, the relevant pathways for fluoride intake have been identified in 28 children 2–5 years of age living in two villages on the Wonji Shoa Sugar Estate in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. The focus of the present study was to simulate the fluoride intake of the children using the methods of material flow analysis (MFA) and substance flow analysis. Discussion With a model based on MFA, we quantified the potential reduction in total fluoride intake given different scenarios—for example, by reducing the fluoride intake from drinking water and cooking water. The results show clearly that only by removing fluoride completely from both drinking and cooking water does the probability of remaining below the daily tolerable upper intake level exceed 50%. Both prepared food and food ingredients must be taken into consideration when assessing the total fluoride intake by children living in high-fluoride areas. Relevance This knowledge will help health personnel, the government, and the food authorities to give scientifically based advice on strategies for reducing the total fluoride intake by children living in high-fluoride areas in the Ethiopian Rift Valley.
A Combination Fingerprint Classifier

Fingerprint classification is an important indexing method for any large scale fingerprint recognition system or database as a method for reducing the number of fingerprints that need to be searched when looking for a matching print. Fingerprints are generally classified into broad categories based on global characteristics. This paper describes novel methods of classification using hidden Markov models and decision trees to recognize the ridge structure of the print, without needing to detect singular points. The methods are compared and combined with a standard fingerprint classification algorithm and results for the combination are presented using a standard database of fingerprint images. The paper also describes a method for achieving any level of accuracy required of the system by sacrificing the efficiency of the classifier. The accuracy of the combination classifier is shown to be higher than that of the two state-of-the-art systems tested under the same conditions.
Services trade costs: Tariff equivalents of services trade restrictions using gravity estimation

Estimates for ad valorem tariff equivalents of services trade restrictions for cross-border trade in six services sectors are presented in this paper. These equivalents are found to be very big in several service sectors with estimates ranging as high as 2000% when trade flows are relatively inelastic, as opposed to between 20% and 300% in most other sectors. The results indicate that trade costs may even increase less than proportionally as the degree of services trade restrictiveness rises. In addition, the paper shows that services trade liberalisation has the largest effect on trade flows in smaller markets. The estimates presented in this Paper are based on a gravity framework using data on both bilateral trade flows and on the value of domestic production. Production values are used to construct measures for the domestic consumption of domestic services in each country, which enables country-specific trade restrictions to be identified, while controlling for multilateral resistance using fixed effects.