Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sentimental Business Cycles and the Protracted Great Recession

Using newly licensed individual-level data from Gallup between 2008 and 2017, this paper provides microeconomic evidence that sentiments about economic activity played an important role in amplifying and propagating the Great Recession. First, after controlling for aggregate shocks, a 1pp rise in county employment and housing price growth is associated with a 0.30sd and 0.67sd rise in perceptions about the current state of the economy and a 0.12pp and 0.27pp rise in perceptions the economy is improving. Second, exploiting plausibly exogenous variation in the 2016 Presidential election, consumption of non-durable goods grew by 4.2%, concentrated with a 10-12% rise among conservatives. The causal effect of sentiment on consumption is robust to three separate instrumental variables strategies: a state Bartik-like measure of gasoline price shocks, county fluctuations in daily temperature, and exposure to different housing price shocks through social networks. A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that the decline in sentiment can account for 34-68% of the decline in consumption during the Great Recession and an additional 14-43 months of delayed recovery.
Neurobiological insights into language comprehension in autism: Context matters

When interpreting a message, a listener takes into account several sources of linguistic and extra-linguistic information. Here we focused on one particular form of extralinguistic information, certain speaker characteristics as conveyed by the voice. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the neural structures involved in the unification of sentence meaning and voice-based inferences about the speaker’s age, gender, or social background. We found enhanced activation in the inferior frontal gyrus bilaterally (BA 45/47) during listening to sentences whose meaning was incongruent with inferred speaker characteristics. Furthermore, our results showed an overlap in brain regions involved in unification of speaker-related information and those used for the unification of semantic and world knowledge information (inferior frontal gyrus bilaterally (BA 45/47) and left middle temporal gyrus (BA 21)). These findings provide evidence for a shared neural unification system for linguistic and extra-linguistic sources of information and extend the existing knowledge about the role of the inferior frontal cortex as a crucial component for unification during language comprehension. Tesink, C. M. J. Y. , Petersson, K. M. , van Berkum, J. J., van den Brink, D. , Buitelaar, J. K. , & Hagoort, P. (2009). Unification of speaker and meaning in language comprehension: an fMRI study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 21, 2085-2099. Unification of speaker and meaning in language comprehension | 25
Robotic table tennis based on physical models of aerodynamics and rebounds

In this paper, we develop a robotic table tennis system based on explicit physical models of the ball motion with our developed real-time measuring method of the flying rotated ball. In order for a robot with a racket to hit the ball to a target point, a determination method of the racket motion is proposed. The motion determination method is performed by two sub inverse problems of the physical models. The first inverse problem is to solve the aerodynamics with respect to the velocity just after the time when the ball is hit. With the solved velocity, the second inverse problem is to solve the racket rebound model with respect to the orientation and velocity of the racket. In these problems, the elevation angle of the racket and the launch angle of the hit ball are the redundant parameters. The racket velocity is minimized with respect to these parameters in order not to break the speed limitation due to the robot performance. The effectiveness of the method is verified by some experiments.
The effect of different root canal medicaments on the elimination of Enterococcus faecalis ex vivo

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of chlorhexidine gel (CHX-G) 2%, chlorhexidine powder (CHX-P) 1%, povidone-iodine (PVP-I), polyhexanide and camphorated-and-mentholated chlorophenol (ChKM) ex vivo. Materials and Methods: For every medicament group 10 root segments (15 mm long) of extracted human teeth were prepared to ISO-size 45 and sterilized (n = 50). The root segments were then inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and aerobically incubated at 37°C. After 1 week, ten root canals were filled with one of the medicaments, respectively and aerobically incubated at 37°C for another week. Ten teeth served as positive controls and were filled with sterile saline solution. After 7 days, the medicaments were inactivated and all root canals were instrumented to ISO-size 50. The obtained dentin samples were dispersed in Ringer solution followed by the preparation of serial dilutions. 10 ΅l per sample were applied to an agar plate and incubated at 37°C for 48 h. The colony forming units were counted and the reduction factors (RFs) were calculated and statistically analyzed. Results: Compared with the positive controls all medicaments exhibited an antibacterial effect against E. faecalis. The RFs for CHX-G, CHX-P and ChKM were significantly higher compared to PVP-I and polyhexanide (P < 0.05). In contrast to PVP-I and polyhexanide, CHX-G, CHX-P and ChKM were able to eliminate E. faecalis from all dentin samples. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this ex vivo investigation, 2% CHX-G and CHX-P were as effective as ChKM against E. faecalis. Thus, when choosing a root canal medicament the better biocompatibility of CHX compared with ChKM should be taken in consideration.
A Return to the Gold Standard? Questioning the Future of Narrative Construction as Educational Research

Narrative construction is an approach to social research in which data are configured into any of a variety of diachronic, or storied, formats. Having recently gained popularity, this approach is now in danger of marginalization (along with other qualitative and quantitative forms of social research) as a result of politically charged attempts to reinstitute a narrow methodological orthodoxy. In an attempt to prompt discussion about the future of this inquiry approach, the author asks questions that highlight recurring issues within ongoing conversations among educational researchers who advocate and/or engage in the construction of narratives. These questions relate to the political character of stories, fictionalization, audience, modalities of representation, quality control, research purpose, and strategies for maintaining and enlarging the space for narrative construction as a qualitative research approach within an era of political retrogression.
Is There A Universal Right To Higher Education?

ABSTRACT Opposition to university fees is often framed as a defence of higher education as a ‘right’ rather than a ‘privilege’. However, the basis and nature of this right is unclear. This article presents a conceptual exploration of the question, drawing on an initial analysis of international law. An argument is put forward for a right to higher education seen as one of a number of possible forms of post-school education, restricted only by a requirement for a minimum level of academic preparation.
Emotional Exhaustion and Strain Reactions: Perceived Organisational Support as a Moderator

I employed organisational support theory to link emotional exhaustion to affective commitment, organisational citizenship behaviours, and turnover intentions (outcomes) in a sample of 218 agricultural employees in Nigeria. I proposed that perceived organisational support (POS) would have a moderating effect on the relations between emotional exhaustion and the outcomes. Moderated multiple regression analyses showed that emotional exhaustion was positively related to turnover intentions, inversely related to affective commitment, and unrelated to citizenship behaviours. POS was positively related to affective commitment and organisation-targeted citizenship behaviours, inversely related to turnover intentions, and only moderated the relationship between emotional exhaustion and individual-targeted citizenship behaviours. Implications of the results are discussed.
Climatic variability and morbidity and mortality associated with particulate matter

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE The objective of this study has been to analyze whether fine particulate matter (PM2.5), as well as its synergistic effect with maximum temperature, humidity, and seasons, is associated with morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. METHODS This is an ecological study of time series. We have used as outcomes the daily death and hospitalization records of adults aged 45 years and over from 2009 to 2011 of the municipalities of Cuiabá and Várzea Grande, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. We have used Poisson regression using generalized additive models, assuming a significance level of 5%. The model has been controlled for temporal trend, seasonality, average temperature, humidity, and season effects. Daily concentrations of PM2.5 (particulate material with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) have been obtained by converting the values of optical aerosol thickness. Maximum temperature, humidity, and seasons have been separately included in the model as dummy variables for the analysis of the synergistic effect of PM2.5 with morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. We have calculated the percentage increase of relative risk (%RR) of deaths and hospitalizations for the linear increase of 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5. RESULTS Between 2009 and 2011, the increase in PM2.5 was associated with a %RR 2.28 (95%CI 0.53–4.06) for hospitalizations on the same day of exposure and RR% 3.57 (95%CI 0.82–6.38) for deaths with a lag of three days. On hot days, %RR 4.90 (95%CI -0.61–9.38) was observed for deaths. No modification of the effect of PM2.5 was observed for maximum temperature in relation to hospitalizations. On days with low humidity, %RR was 5.35 (95%CI -0.20–11.22) for deaths and 2.71 (95%CI -0.39–5.92) for hospitalizations. In the dry season, %RR was 2.35 (95%CI 0.59–4.15) for hospitalizations and 3.43 (95%CI 0.58–6.35) for deaths. CONCLUSIONS The PM2.5 is associated with morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases and its effects may be potentiated by heat and low humidity and during the dry season.
A new form of human spatial attention: Automated symbolic orienting

The control of human attention is typically conceptualized either in terms of exogenous automatic processes that are driven by external sensory stimulation or endogenous strategic processes that are driven by internal expectancies about events in the environment. However, this classic dichotomy has struggled to explain a wealth of new data demonstrating that behaviourally and biologically relevant visual stimuli, like arrow and eye direction, elicit shifts of spatial attention that on the one hand, appear exogenous, and on the other hand, endogenous. To address this issue, we used a double-cueing task that combined arrows with classic cues known to invoke either exogenous or endogenous orienting. Our data suggest that behaviourally relevant directional cues, like arrows, engage a new form of cortically mediated orienting—automated symbolic orienting—that operates independent of, and in parallel with, the two classic forms of exogenous and endogenous spatial attention.
SOURCES OF REPORTS OF VISUAL AND AUDITORY SENSATIONS IN PERCEPTUAL-ISOLATION EXPERIMENTS.

The review analyzes the experiments on perceptual isolation with special reference to the phenomena of reported visual and auditory sensations. Variables analyzed include: methods of confinement and restriction, conditions of illumination, duration of isolation, set, instructions and suggestions , reporting or verbalization instructions, sleep, subject populations, prior knowledge and expectations, intelligence and personality characteristics of Ss, stress response, and methods of obtaining reported visual and auditory sensations. The relevance of some of the findings to physiological , psychoanalytic, cognitive, and social psychological theories of perceptual isolation are discussed. Variables which seem important in the phenomena discussed are set, verbalization instructions, S's alertness, and E's methods of obtaining responses. The unexpected reports of hallucinations in the first perceptual-isolation report (Heron, Bexton, & Hebb, 19S3) fascinated clinicians, theoreticians, and experimentalists, and stimulated widespread interest in other responses to isolation. 1961), it is apparent that a decade after the original study the sources of variation in reports of hallucinatory-like The authors wish to acknowledge the generous cooperation of the investigators who, in many cases, had to spend considerable time reexamining their raw data. phenomena are still unknown. The reasons are the lack of comparability of conditions, subjects (Ss), and procedures used by the different experi-menters (Es), as well as the lack of agreed-upon criteria for the response variables. The purpose of this paper will be to relate the situational, subject, and response variables in studies to the reported incidences of visual and auditory sensations. Reported auditory sensations will be less thoroughly analyzed because of the lack of data on this in many studies and for reasons which will be discussed later. The variation in terminology in this area is symptomatic of the disagreement about the crucial variables in the complex experimental situation. The situation has been called "sensory deprivation ," "decreased sensory variation," "sensory isolation," "sensory alteration," "reduced sensory input," "physical iso
HUVEC Respond to Radiation by Inducing the Expression of Pro-angiogenic MicroRNAs

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small non-coding RNAs that control gene expression by targeting mRNAs and triggering either repression of translation or RNA degradation. They have been shown to be involved in a variety of biological processes such as development, differentiation and cell cycle control, but little is known about their involvement in the response to irradiation. We showed here that in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) some miRNAs previously shown to have a crucial role in vascular biology are transiently modulated in response to a clinically relevant dose of ionizing radiation. In particular we identified an early transcriptional induction of several members of the microRNA cluster 17–92 and other microRNAs already known to be related to angiogenesis. At the same time we observed a peculiar behavior of the miR-221/222 cluster, suggesting an important role of these microRNAs in HUVEC homeostasis. We observed an increased efficiency in the formation of capillary-like structures in irradiated HUVEC. These results could lead to a new interpretation of the effect of ionizing radiation on endothelial cells and on the response of tumor endothelial bed cells to radiotherapy.
Lateral orbitofrontal neurons acquire responses to upshifted, downshifted, or blocked cues during unblocking

The lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) has been described as signaling either outcome expectancies or value. Previously, we used unblocking to show that lOFC neurons respond to a predictive cue signaling a ‘valueless’ change in outcome features (McDannald, 2014). However, many lOFC neurons also fired to a cue that simply signaled more reward. Here, we recorded lOFC neurons in a variant of this task in which rats learned about cues that signaled either more (upshift), less (downshift) or the same (blocked) amount of reward. We found that neurons acquired responses specifically to one of the three cues and did not fire to the other two. These results show that, at least early in learning, lOFC neurons fire to valued cues in a way that is more consistent with signaling of the predicted outcome’s features than with signaling of a general, abstract or cached value that is independent of the outcome. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.11299. 001
THREE‐YEAR EVALUATION OF A LARGE SCALE EARLY GRADE FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM: THE OTTAWA STUDY1

The school performance of pupils in Grades K-2 of the French immersion program in operation in Ottawa public schools is evaluated in comparison with that of pupils in the regular English program. The results from three successive cohorts indicate that by the end of Kindergarten pupils in both programs are equally ready for beginning school work in Grade 1. By the end of Grade 1 immersion program pupils taught reading in French are found to lag behind their peers in the regular program in English language skills involving English reading, but they show some ability to transfer reading skills from French to English. By the end of Grade 2, following the introduction of English Language Arts into the curriculum for 60 minutes a day, immersion pupils have generally caught up to their regular program peers in English language skills. Throughout Grades K-2 pupils in the two programs perform equivalently in mathematical skills and show the same level of cognitive development. Immersion pupils reveal a considerably higher level of achievement in French than pupils of corresponding or higher grade levels receiving daily instruction in French-as-a-second-language, and do reasonably well in comparison with native French-speaking pupils. The findings of the evaluation corroborate those of other similar immersion programs involving smaller numbers of children and classes.
What is animal welfare? Common definitions and their practical consequences.

In concluding my first article, I proposed that “. whatever we decide (about animal welfare) as a profession or as individuals, we must be knowledgeable” (1). In this and succeeding articles, some fundamental points will be covered, starting with what animal welfare is and how definitions affect the way animals are treated.
Absence of genetic differentiation in the coral Pocillopora verrucosa along environmental gradients of the Saudi Arabian Red Sea

The Red Sea is the world’s northernmost tropical sea. The 2,000 km long, but narrow basin creates distinct environmental conditions along its latitudinal spread. The Red Sea displays a pronounced salinity gradient from 41 to 37 PSU (north to south) with an opposing temperature gradient from 21-27°C in the north to 27-33.8°C in the south. The Red Sea further displays a decreasing nutrient gradient from south to north that can also influence underwater light fields due to higher phytoplankton content and turbidity. Despite this strong variation in temperature, salinity, nutrients, and light conditions, the Red Sea supports large and diverse coral reef ecosystems along its nearly entire coastline. Only few studies have targeted whether these prevailing gradients affect genetic connectivity of reef organisms in the Red Sea. In this study, we sampled the abundant reef-building coral Pocillopora verrucosa from ten reefs along a latitudinal gradient in the Red Sea covering an area of more than 850 km. We used nine Pocillopora microsatellite markers to assess the underlying population genetic structure and effective population size. To assure the exclusion of cryptic species, all analyzed specimens were chosen from a single mitochondrial lineage. Despite large distances between sampled regions covering pronounced, but smooth temperature and salinity gradients, no significant genetic population structure was found. Rather, our data indicate panmixia and considerable gene flow among regions. The absence of population subdivision driven by environmental factors and over large geographic distances suggests efficient larval dispersal and successful settlement of recruits from a wide range of reef sites. It also advocates, broadcast spawning as the main reproductive strategy of Pocillopora verrucosa in the Red Sea as reflected by the absence of clones in sampled colonies. These factors might explain the success of Pocillopora species throughout the Indo-Pacific and Arabian Seas.
Faith, Welfare, and the City: The Mobilization of Religious Organizations for Neoliberal Ends

Studies of neoliberalism have focused on the rollback/rollout nature of the process as it manifests in different urban geographies. According to this narrative, neoliberalism and its proponents mobilize to roll back Keynesian or socialist institutions, while simultaneously or subsequently mobilizing a rollout of institutions that might reproduce a neoliberal social order in the future. Somewhat lost in this narrative, with its emphasis on the creation of new neoliberal institutions, is the role of existing institutions as vehicles of neoliberalism. This study focuses on the way that gospel rescue missions function as vehicles of neoliberalism within the present context in the United States. Gospel rescue missions, most of which predate the neoliberal turn, provide a form of care for America's urban homeless that emphasizes personal responsibility (and failure), and de-emphasizes the structural causes of homelessness. Many require their clientele to attend chapel before receiving services, and most shun government funding whenever possible. Although this approach is not explicitly motivated by neoliberalism, such organizations are willing vehicles of the neoliberally inspired individualization of poverty and homelessness. But importantly, this relationship has an incredibly uneven geography, as three case studies show. The unevenness of this geography complicates the picture considerably, belying any simple description of (or dismissal of) faith-based agencies as vehicles of neoliberalism.
Work experience and satisfaction of male and female professors in Turkey: signs of progress?

Purpose – This research aims to investigate gender differences among professors in Turkey.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 243 male and 165 female professors using an anonymously completed internet based questionnaire. Measures included personal demographic and work situation characteristics, workaholism components and validating job behaviors (e.g. perfectionism) workaholism antecedents (e.g. beliefs and fears, organizational values), work and extra‐work satisfactions, and psychological well‐being.Findings – There were considerable differences in personal demographic and work situation characteristics. Female professor were younger, more likely to be single, more likely to have fewer children, had less job and university tenure, were at lower ranks and earned less income. Female and male professors were similar on workaholic behaviors, work and extra‐work satisfaction and psychological well‐being, with one exceptions: female professors reported more psychosomatic symptoms.Practical .
Boundary spanners' identification, intergroup contact, and effective intergroup relations

We examined the relationship between group boundary spanners' work group identification and effective (i. E., harmonious and productive) intergroup relations in 53 work groups in five health care organizations. The data suggest this relationship was moderated by boundary spanners' levels of organizational identification, thus supporting a dual identity model. Limited support was found for the moderating effect of intergroup contact. Finally, if boundary spanners displayed frequent intergroup contact and identified highly with their organization, group identification was most strongly related to effective intergroup relations.