Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Climate Denial and the Construction of Innocence: Re- Producing Transnational Environmental Privilege in the Face of Climate Change

Global climate change is experienced very differently across race, gender, class and nationality. Wealthy people in the Global North who generate the most carbon emissions have been apathetic regarding climate change, considering it a low priority in relation to other social problems. Meanwhile climate impacts are felt most acutely by women of color in the Global South. In today's globalized risk society such perceptions of near and far, immediate or abstract are politically charged social constructions. How do privileged people with knowledge of climate science recreate a sense of safety in the face of troubling events and information? What is the significance of their constructions of risk and concern in reproducing transnational power relations along the lines of race, gender and class? This paper is part of a larger project that uses ethnographic observation and interviews in a rural Norwegian community I call 'Bygdaby' to understand why globally privileged people perceive climate change as relatively unimportant. Here data are reanalyzed with emphasis on the relationship between the cultural production of denial and the maintenance of global privilege. I describe how for people in Bygdaby knowledge of climate change threatened a sense of order and innocence. People were aware of climate change but simultaneously recreated a sense that " everything was fine. " Normalization of climate change occurred by using " tools of order " to recreate order and security and " tools of innocence " for the " construction of innocence. " In the course of normalizing a troubling situation , residents simultaneously reproduce transnational environmental privilege. The construction of denial and innocence work to silence the needs and voices of women and people of color in the Global South, and thus reproduce global inequality along the lines of gender, race and class. Global climate change is now altering the biophysical world around which human social systems are organized (IPCC 2007, NRC 2011). Yet the impacts of changing ecological conditions including unstable weather patterns, sea level rise, intensification of wildfire and increased storm intensity are experienced very differently by communities around the globe. As illustrated by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, or the need to relocate disappearing island nations in the South Pacific, the impacts of extreme weather events associated with climate change are disproportionately borne along the lines of gender, race and class, both within and across national boundaries As a result, the ecological changes that undermine social activities …
Audit of outcomes following a community‐based early intensive behaviour intervention program for children with autism in Australia

Abstract Objective Research studies have shown that early intensive behaviour intervention is an effective treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However a research‐to‐practice gap exists, whereby the interventions effective in university‐based studies are not implemented effectively in community settings. The current study is an audit of outcomes achieved by children with ASD who have completed a community‐based early intensive behaviour intervention program in Australia. Method The educational placement of 45 participants, following an average 20 hr of intervention per week for 24 months is reported. Standardised assessment results at entry and exit from intervention are reported for a subset of 32 participants. Results On average the 32 participants demonstrated statistically significant increases in receptive and expressive language, cognitive, and adaptive behaviour skills. Three outcome groups emerged; a ‘substantial gain’ group (45%), ‘moderate gain’ group (27.5%), and a ‘minimal gain’ group (27.5%). Conclusions The results demonstrate that by implementing ‘best practice’ early intensive behaviour intervention in a not‐for‐profit, community‐based setting, children with ASD can achieve outcomes comparable to those reported in university‐based research.
Author ' s personal copy A simple algorithm for yield estimates : Evaluation for semi-arid irrigated winter wheat monitored with green leaf area index

In this study we investigated the perspective offered by coupling a simple vegetation growth model and ground-based remotely-sensed data for the monitoring of wheat production. A simple model was developed to simulate the time courses of green leaf area index (GLAI), dry aboveground phytomass (DAM) and grain yield (GY). A comprehensive sensitivity analysis has allowed addressing the problem of model calibration, distinguishing three categories of parameters: (1) those, well known, derived from the present or previous wheat experiments; (2) those, phenological, which have been identified for the wheat variety under study; (3) those, related to farmer practices, which has been adjusted field by field. The approach was tested against field data collected on irrigated winter wheat in the semi-arid Marrakech plain. This data set includes estimates of GLAI with additional DAM and GY measurements. The model provides excellent simulations of both GLAI and DAM time courses. GY space variations are correctly predicted, but with a general underestimation on the validation fields. Despite this limitation, the approach offers the advantage of being quite simple, without requiring any data on agricultural practices (sowing, irrigation and fertilisation). This makes it very attractive for operational application at a regional scale. This perspective is discussed in the conclusion. 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Culture as a moderator of cognitive age and travel motivation/perceived risk relations among seniors

This study contributes to greater understanding of the senior market and the cultural differences regarding aging in Western and Asian cultures. The review of the literature highlights the cultural differences toward the concept of aging in Asian and Western countries and describes a useful age concept for investigating senior consumers, namely, that of subjective age. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of subjective age dimensions on seniors’ behavior and to assess the role of culture as a moderator of this influence. ,Data were collected in France and Mainland China and consisted of answers to 300 questionnaires for the French seniors and 264 questionnaires for the Chinese seniors. Two dimensions of subjective age were measured: cognitive age and ideal age, along with travel motivations and travel perceived risk. ,The study provides valuable information regarding the Western and Asian senior markets. Subjective age dimensions prove to be related with seniors’ behaviors (perceived travel risks). The present study also demonstrates that nationality has a moderating role on this relation. This theoretical contribution will have to be confirmed by other studies in Asian and Western countries; it opens the door to new research on Chinese/Asian seniors involving these age variables. ,The study gives academics and managers insights on the influence of subjective age on seniors’ behaviors in European and Asian cultural contexts.
Stability Analysis of Power Amplifiers Under Output Mismatch Effects

Novel criteria are presented for small- and large-signal stability analysis of microwave circuits under output mismatch effects. They are based on concepts from bifurcation theory, which enable the derivation of general equations for the stability boundaries that depend on the termination load. The boundary calculation does not require any optimization of the circuit parameters. Instead, it is based on the direct calculation of an admittance function obtained through circuit linearization about either the dc solution, in the small-signal stability analysis, or the periodic solution, in the large-signal one, with low computational cost. As will be demonstrated both with homotopy and bifurcation concepts, the Hopf locus obtained in this way delimits a stable region and a potentially unstable one. In a large-signal stability analysis, the sidebands that influence the stability properties are identified, which depend on the particular amplifier topology and its filtering effects. The stability boundaries are then calculated with the conversion matrix approach for all load impedance values at the relevant harmonic and sideband frequencies. For the derivation of absolute stability conditions, a new scattering type matrix is proposed describing the circuit response from the output reference plane with respect to the two sidebands about the input carrier. The new methodologies and formulations have been validated by independent simulations using pole-zero identification, and by measurements.
Diamond Tiling: Tiling Techniques to Maximize Parallelism for Stencil Computations

Most stencil computations allow tile-wise concurrent start, i.e., there always exists a face of the iteration space and a set of tiling directions such that all tiles along that face can be started concurrently. This provides load balance and maximizes parallelism. However, existing automatic tiling frameworks often choose hyperplanes that lead to pipelined start-up and load imbalance. We address this issue with a new tiling technique, called diamond tiling, that ensures concurrent start-up as well as perfect load-balance whenever possible. We first provide necessary and sufficient conditions for a set of tiling hyperplanes to allow concurrent start for programs with affine data accesses. We then provide an approach to automatically find such hyperplanes. Experimental evaluation on a 12-core Intel Westmere shows that diamond tiled code is able to outperform a tuned domain-specific stencil code generator by 10 to 40 percent, and previous compiler techniques by a factor of 1.3<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $\times$</tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="bondhugula-ieq1-2615094.gif"/></alternatives> </inline-formula> to 10.1<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="bondhugula-ieq2-2615094.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula>.
ForceAtlas2, a Continuous Graph Layout Algorithm for Handy Network Visualization Designed for the Gephi Software

Gephi is a network visualization software used in various disciplines (social network analysis, biology, genomics…). One of its key features is the ability to display the spatialization process, aiming at transforming the network into a map, and ForceAtlas2 is its default layout algorithm. The latter is developed by the Gephi team as an all-around solution to Gephi users’ typical networks (scale-free, 10 to 10,000 nodes). We present here for the first time its functioning and settings. ForceAtlas2 is a force-directed layout close to other algorithms used for network spatialization. We do not claim a theoretical advance but an attempt to integrate different techniques such as the Barnes Hut simulation, degree-dependent repulsive force, and local and global adaptive temperatures. It is designed for the Gephi user experience (it is a continuous algorithm), and we explain which constraints it implies. The algorithm benefits from much feedback and is developed in order to provide many possibilities through its settings. We lay out its complete functioning for the users who need a precise understanding of its behaviour, from the formulas to graphic illustration of the result. We propose a benchmark for our compromise between performance and quality. We also explain why we integrated its various features and discuss our design choices.
Predictors of Obesity, Acculturation, and Perceived Stress in Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) Immigrants in the United States

Predictors of Obesity, Acculturation, and Perceived Stress in Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) Immigrants in the United States by Zekeriya Temircan MA, Patten University, California, 2010 BS, Nigde University, Turkey, 2005 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Health Psychology
SIMPLE REGULARITY CRITERIA FOR SUBDIVISION SCHEMES

We study regularity properties of special functions obtained as limits of p=q-adic subdivision schemes. Such rationall schemes generalizeein a exible wayybinary (or dyadic) subdivision schemes, used in computer-aided geometric design and in functional analysis to construct compactly supported wavelets. This nds natural applications in the signal processing area, where it may be desirable to decompose a signal into compactly supported wavelets over fractions of an octave. This results in a ner decomposition than in the dyadic case, which corresponds to an octave by octave decomposition. The main diiculty here, as compared to the dyadic case, is the lack of shift invariance of the limit functions. In this case, a direct extension of Daubechies and Lagarias ideas concerning regularity order estimation becomes impossible, because what they call two-scale diierence equationss cannot be obtained. Using another, discrete approachh, originally proposed in an earlier work for the dyadic case, we extend most results on regularity properties of limit functions. In particular, we obtain sharp HHlder regularity estimates. We also interpret these results in a Daubechies and Lagarias fashion, by proposing a matrix-based approach. As opposed to the dyadic case, it is interesting, in the p=q-adic case, to emphasize that the limit function regularity order is equal to the maximum convergence rate of its associated subdivision scheme. This new result leads to a simpler and more powerful presentation.
Comparing cost effects of two quality strategies to improve test ordering in primary care: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE To determine the costs and cost reductions of an innovative strategy aimed at improving test ordering routines of primary care physicians, compared with a traditional strategy. DESIGN Multicenter randomized controlled trial with randomization at the local primary care physicians group level. SETTING Primary care: local primary care physicians groups in five regions of the Netherlands with diagnostic centers. STUDY PARTICIPANTS Twenty-seven existing local primary care physicians groups, including 194 primary care physicians. INTERVENTION The test ordering strategy was developed systematically, and combined feedback, education on guidelines, and quality improvement sessions in small groups. In regular quality meetings in local groups, primary care physicians discussed each others' test ordering behavior, related it to guidelines, and made individual and/or group plans for change. Thirteen groups engaged in the entire strategy (complete intervention arm), while 14 groups received feedback only (feedback arm). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Running costs, development costs, and research costs were calculated for the intervention period per primary care physician per 6 months. The mean costs of tests ordered per primary care physician per 6 months were assessed at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS The new strategy was found to cost 702.00, while the feedback strategy cost 58.00. When including running costs only, the intervention was found to cost 554.70, compared with 17.10 per primary care physician per 6 months in the feedback arm. When excluding opportunity costs for the physicians' time spent, the intervention was found to cost 92.70 per physician per 6 months in the complete intervention arm. The mean costs reduction that physicians in that arm achieved by reducing unnecessary tests was 144 larger per physician per 6 months than the physicians in the feedback arm (P = 0.048). CONCLUSION On the basis of our findings, including the expected non-monetary benefits, we recommend further long-term effect and cost-effect studies on the implementation of the quality strategy.
Rapidly evolving traits and the comparative method: how important is testing for phylogenetic signal?

The indiscriminate application of phylogenetically based comparative methods in cross-species correlated evolution analyses has been questioned. It has been argued that traits are not always significantly correlated to their phylogenetic history, and that correcting for phylogeny in these cases may be unnecessary and may even introduce statistical error. Statistical diagnostics to test for phylogenetic signal have recently been presented. Here, we investigate the relationship between habitat and vocal characters within a tropical bird community. We show that the bird song parameters investigated are not correlated to their phylogenetic history, indicating that certain aspects of bird song can be subject to rates of evolution that are much more rapid than speciation events. In contrast, we show that the habitat parameter is significantly correlated to its phylogenetic history. Previous comparative studies, which have not taken phylogenetic signal into account, show a significant association between habitat and song. With respect to our continuous data, we demonstrate that analyses which fail to correct for phylogeny in traits that show phylogenetic signal (i.e. habitat), or those that correct for phylogeny in traits that are phylogenetically independent (i.e. bird song parameters), support an association between habitat and song. Analyses that incorporate tests for phylogenetic signal, however, reject this association, and thus call for a re-evaluation of the evidence on correlated evolution of habitat and bird song. Therefore, using tests for phylogenetic signal before and after conducting a cross-species correlated evolution analysis is crucial to the outcome of a comparative study when analysing rapidly evolving traits.
Predicting the Development of Analytical and Creative Abilities in Upper Elementary Grades

In some models, intelligence has been described as a multidimensional construct comprising both analytical and creative abilities. In addition, intelligence is considered to be dynamic rather than static. A structural equation model was used to examine the predictive role of cognitive (visual short-term memory, verbal short-term memory, selective attention) and socio-emotional (motivation, self-concept, well-being) child characteristics in the development of analytical and creative abilities in 116 Dutch children over the course of 5th and 6th grade. Results showed increasing levels of both analytical and creative abilities over the grades with the 2 types of abilities developing more or less independently. The development of analytical abilities was predicted by visual and verbal short-term memory and self-concept, the development of creative abilities by visual short-term memory and well-being. These results show that analytical and creative abilities have highly independent developmental trajectories, each with specific cognitive and socio-emotional predictors.
The Cyclical Behavior of Equilibrium Unemployment and Vacancies – A Comment

The Mortensen-Pissarides model is an attractive model because it is tractable, delivers some intuitive comparative statics and permits policy analysis. However, Shimer (2005) shows that the model generates far too little volatility in its key variables - unemployment and vacancies - relative to the variation in the shock variables. Shimer identifes the flexibility of wages as the key issue. In this Comment, we show that it is possible to generate suffcient volatility in unemployment and vacancies whilst retaining the standard wage determination process. We set out a model with two important changes from the Mortensen-Pissarides approach: job search by the employed is allowed, and the vacancy creation condition is changed to allow churning of workers. Calibrating the model to UK data, we show that our model can produce volatility in the unemployment and vacancy series to match the data; we confirm for the UK that the Mortensen-Pissarides model cannot, as shown by Shimer for the US.
Capital stock and unemployment in Canada

The purpose of this article is to test the proposition that capital stock relative to aggregate output was an important variable in the determination of the Canadian nonaccelerating inflation unemployment rate (NAIRU) in the period 1976Q1-2003Q4. We present new empirical evidence obtained from the use of Canadian time-series data that lends support to the claim that the aggregate capital-output ratio was a significant determinant of the NAIRU in the period considered. The evidence presented suggests that insofar as the aggregate capital-output ratio may be affected by changes in real interest rates, the stance of monetary policy was one determinant of the NAIRU in the period considered.
Schistosomiasis Research in the Dongting Lake Region and Its Impact on Local and National Treatment and Control in China

Schistosomiasis is a chronic and debilitating parasitic disease that has often been neglected because it is a disease of poverty, affecting poor rural communities in the developing world. This is not the case in the People's Republic of China (PRC), where the disease, caused by Schistosoma japonicum, has long captured the attention of the Chinese authorities who have, over the past 50–60 years, undertaken remarkably successful control programs that have substantially reduced the schistosomiasis disease burden. The Dongting Lake region in Hunan province is one of the major schistosome-endemic areas in the PRC due to its vast marshland habitats for the Oncomelania snail intermediate hosts of S. japonicum. Along with social, demographic, and other environmental factors, the recent completion and closure of the Three Gorges dam will most likely increase the range of these snail habitats, with the potential for re-emergence of schistosomiasis and increased transmission in Hunan and other schistosome-endemic provinces being a particular concern. In this paper, we review the history and the current status of schistosomiasis control in the Dongting Lake region. We explore the epidemiological factors contributing to S. japonicum transmission there, and summarise some of the key research findings from studies undertaken on schistosomiasis in Hunan province over the past 10 years. The impact of this research on current and future approaches for sustainable integrated control of schistosomiasis in this and other endemic areas in the PRC is emphasised.
The Diameter of Sparse Random Graphs

In this paper we study the diameter of the random graph G(n, p), i.e., the largest finite distance between two vertices, for a wide range of functions p = p(n). For p = λ/n with λ > 1 constant we give a simple proof of an essentially best possible result, with an Op(1) additive correction term. Using similar techniques, we establish two-point concentration in the case that np → ∞. For p =(1 + ε)/n with ε → 0, we obtain a corresponding result that applies all the way down to the scaling window of the phase transition, with an Op(1/ε) additive correction term whose (appropriately scaled) limiting distribution we describe. Combined with earlier results, our new results complete the determination of the diameter of the random graph G(n, p) to an accuracy of the order of its standard deviation (or better), for all functions p = p(n). Throughout we use branching process methods, rather than the more common approach of separate analysis of the 2-core and the trees attached to it.