Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Politicization of Intelligence Reporting: Evidence from the Cold War

We examine whether there is systematic evidence that the US intelligence services pandered to their political masters when constructing intelligence estimates during the Cold War. We construct a model which shows how career concerns on the part of intelligence analysts could lead them to distort reports towards their President’s prior beliefs. We then take the model’s prediction that errors in intelligence reports should be correlated with Presidential ideology, to the data by constructing a unique measure of intelligence failures that compares CIA/ORE reports on the Soviet strategic, nuclear arsenal to credible, post-Cold War estimates of the Soviet Union’s actual nuclear capabilities. We find that report errors are systematically, positively correlated with both a conventional measure of presidential ideology and a unique, text-based measure of Presidential “hawkishness”. This result is robust to controlling for a number of endogeneity issues and alternative mechanisms such as reverse causality, variation in interSuperpower relations, collusion between politicians and the intelligence agencies, and turnover in agency staff. Finally, there is evidence that longer-term forecasts are more sensitive to ideology in a manner that is consistent with our model. (JEL: H56, L82, N42)
Are depression and poor sexual health neglected comorbidities? Evidence from a population sample

Objective To examine associations between sexual behaviour, sexual function and sexual health service use of individuals with depression in the British general population, to inform primary care and specialist services. Setting British general population. Participants 15 162 men and women aged 16–74 years were interviewed for the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), undertaken in 2010–2012. Using age-adjusted ORs (aAOR), relative to a comparator group reporting no treatment or symptoms, we compared the sexual health of those reporting treatment for depression in the past year. Outcome measures Sexual risk behaviour, sexual function, sexual satisfaction and sexual health service use. Results 1331 participants reported treatment for depression (5.2% men; 11.8% women). Relative to the comparator group, treatment for depression was associated with reporting 2 or more sexual partners without condoms (men aAOR 2.07 (95% CI 1.38 to 3.10); women 2.22 (1.68 to 2.92)), and concurrent partnerships (men 1.80 (1.18 to 2.76); women 2.06 (1.48 to 2.88)), in the past year. Those reporting depression treatment were more likely to be dissatisfied with their sex lives (men 2.32 (1.74 to 3.11); women 2.30 (1.89 to 2.79)), and to score in the lowest quintile on the Natsal-sexual function measure. They were also more likely to report a recent chlamydia test (men 1.92 (1.15 to 3.20)); women (1.27 (1.01 to 1.60)), and to have sought help regarding their sex life from a healthcare professional (men 2.92 (1.98 to 4.30); women (2.36 (1.83 to 3.04)), most commonly from a family doctor. Women only were more likely to report attending a sexual health clinic (1.91 (1.42 to 2.58)) and use of emergency contraception (1.98 (1.23 to 3.19)). Associations were broadly similar for individuals with depressive symptoms but not reporting treatment. Conclusions Depression, measured by reported treatment, was strongly associated with sexual risk behaviours, reduced sexual function and increased use of sexual health services, with many people reporting help doing so from a family doctor. The sexual health of depressed people needs consideration in primary care, and mental health assessment might benefit people attending sexual health services.
Bayesian sparse linear regression with unknown symmetric error

We study Bayesian procedures for sparse linear regression when the unknown error distribution is endowed with a non-parametric prior. Specifically, we put a symmetrized Dirichlet process mixture of Gaussian prior on the error density, where the mixing distributions are compactly supported. For the prior on regression coefficients, a mixture of point masses at zero and continuous distributions is considered. Under the assumption that the model is well specified, we study behavior of the posterior with diverging number of predictors. The compatibility and restricted eigenvalue conditions yield the minimax convergence rate of the regression coefficients in $\ell _1$- and $\ell _2$-norms, respectively. In addition, strong model selection consistency and a semi-parametric Bernstein–von Mises theorem are proven under slightly stronger conditions.
Effects of Cervical Flexion on the Flexion-relaxation Ratio during Smartphone Use

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to measure the cervical flexion-relaxation ratio (FRR) and intensity of neck pain and identify the differences according to postures adopted while using smartphones. [Subjects] Fifteen healthy adults with no neck pain, spinal trauma, or history cervical surgery participated in this study. [Methods] The activity of the cervical erector spinae muscle was recorded while performing a standardized cervical flexion-extension movement in three phases (flexion, sustained full flexion, extension). And neck pain intensity was recorded using a visual analog scale (VAS) with values between 0 and 10. Postures held while using a smartphone are distinguished between desk postures and lap postures. The FRR was calculated by dividing the maximal muscle activation during the extension phase by average activation during the complete flexion phase. [Results] No significant differences were found in the FRR between desk posture, lap posture, and baseline, though the intensity of the neck pain increased in the lap posture. [Conclusion] The FRR could be a significant criterion of neuromuscular impairment in chronic neck pain or lumbar pain patients, but it is impossible to distinguish neck pain that is caused by performing task for a short time. Prolonged lap posture might cause neck pain, so the use of smartphones for a long time in this posture should be avoided.
Inquiry in Educational Administration and the Spirit of the Times

A naturalistic perspective on inquiry is presented as a compelling philosophy for educational administration. It is grounded in a view of inquiry as open, growing, self-corrective, and fallible, ending in tentative explanations that are plausible and probable given current knowledge. Ethical inquiry is similar to scientific inquiry. Those facing moral choices can use its methods to explore the likely consequences of alternatives with the aim of attaining valued outcomes while mitigating negative consequences. Initially, it is shown that the influence of philosophical positivism and sociological functionalism on educational administration is greatly exaggerated by some, often those espousing various forms of subjectivism, critical theory, postmodernism, and identity politics. Those views fit the current spirit of the times as reflected in academic disciplines that influence educational administration. Nevertheless, the meaning of concepts with a history ought to reflect that history and not be dictated by ideology.
Maternal Preference in Child Custody Decisions

Abstract At this time, all states have gender neutral child custody laws, which have replaced laws and precedents which usually gave preference to mothers (maternal preference) in custody decisions. There have been suggestions in the legal literature that maternal preference among judges may still exist in spite of these laws. In the present study, state judges in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee were surveyed by mail with regard to their beliefs dealing with issues related to maternal preference in child custody decisions. The items on the questionnaire dealt with the quality of parenting provided by mothers versus fathers, children's adjustment following divorce while living with mothers versus fathers, and the preferred custodian following divorce. Usable data was provided by 149 judges. The results of the study showed that the judges exhibited continuing indications of maternal preference. These results were very consistent, with the means on every item of the questionnaire indicating a greater preference toward mothers than fathers.
What characterises the competent RE teacher? Finnish student teachers’ perceptions at the beginning of their pedagogical training

This study is part of a research project concerning perceptions of competence among RE student teachers at different stages of their pedagogical studies. This article focuses on the perceptions of RE teachers’ competence at the beginning of their training. According to the qualitative data the RE student teachers discerned various areas of competence. Both task competencies (content knowledge and good practice) and person competencies (experience, professional awareness, motivation and pro-social orientation) were identified. In addition, the student teachers placed more emphasis on theories of teaching than theories of learning. They also seemed to view RE teaching as a general educational profession.
A Participatory Design and Formal Study Investigation into Mobile Text Entry for Older Adults

Text entry remains key to many tasks on touchscreen smartphones and is an important factor in the usability of such devices. The known problems of text entry can be particularly acute for older adults due to physical and cognitive issues associated with ageing. In a study of mobile text entry the authors employed a variety of participatory design and formal comparative study techniques in order to explore the requirements of this group of users and to discover the key differences in texting activity between them and younger users of mobile devices. They report on the findings of a lab study of texting behaviour of older adults. The authors' findings indicate differences in attitudes to texting styles and tasks between older and younger adults. They also identify some differences in typing behaviour and reflect on methods.
The Chinese version of the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale: Some psychometric and normative data

The Chinese version of the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (C-KMS) was administered to 381 parents of preschool mentally handicapped children, along with other instruments assessing their stress, mental health, coping styles and caregiving patterns. The C-KMS was found to have high internal consistency as a scale (alpha = .92) and tentative support for the validity of the scale was established: C-KMS scores correlated significantly with the frequency of seeking help from spouse, and subjects who had to take care of the child alone at different times had significantly lower C-KMS scores than subjects whose care-giving demands were shared by their spouse. The data also showed that the mean C-KMS scores in the present sample were lower than those reported in the literature and females reported a significantly lower level of perceived marital satisfaction than males.
Filicidal Women: Jail or Psychiatric Ward?

Objective: This study aims to examine the legal procedure that women who are charged with killing their children experience and to compare the variables that discriminate between those found guilty and those who received a medical disposition. Method: The sample comprises 32 adult women who killed their biological children in the province of Quebec over an 11-year period (1981 to 1991). Results: Of the sample, 18 women were found guilty, and 14 received a medical disposition. Of those who were the object of a penal disposition, most received a sentence that exceeded 2 years. Women who were sentenced to prison had a lower socioeconomic status and, compared with those who received a medical disposition, were more likely to have had a criminal and substance abuse history. Further, this latter subgroup of women were more likely to have a psychiatric history, to suffer from psychotic symptoms, and to become oriented to the mental health system immediately after their offence. Conclusions: These comparative results suggest that women's profiles differ according to some descriptive variables. From a clinical point of view, however, these results do not suggest that a different approach with respect to treatment of filicidal women or prevention of filicide would be more appropriate.
Mixed Disulfide Formation at Cys141 Leads to Apparent Unidirectional Attenuation of Aspergillus niger NADP-Glutamate Dehydrogenase Activity

NADP-Glutamate dehydrogenase from Aspergillus niger (AnGDH) exhibits sigmoid 2-oxoglutarate saturation. Incubation with 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide (2-HED, the disulfide of 2-mercaptoethanol) resulted in preferential attenuation of AnGDH reductive amination (forward) activity but with a negligible effect on oxidative deamination (reverse) activity, when monitored in the described standard assay. Such a disulfide modified AnGDH displaying less than 1.0% forward reaction rate could be isolated after 2-HED treatment. This unique forward inhibited GDH form (FIGDH), resembling a hypothetical ‘one-way’ active enzyme, was characterized. Kinetics of 2-HED mediated inhibition and protein thiol titrations suggested that a single thiol group is modified in FIGDH. Two site-directed cysteine mutants, C141S and C415S, were constructed to identify the relevant thiol in FIGDH. The forward activity of C141S alone was insensitive to 2-HED, implicating Cys141 in FIGDH formation. It was observed that FIGDH displayed maximal reaction rate only after a pre-incubation with 2-oxoglutarate and NADPH. In addition, compared to the native enzyme, FIGDH showed a four fold increase in K0.5 for 2-oxoglutarate and a two fold increase in the Michaelis constants for ammonium and NADPH. With no change in the GDH reaction equilibrium constant, the FIGDH catalyzed rate of approach to equilibrium from reductive amination side was sluggish. Altered kinetic properties of FIGDH at least partly account for the observed apparent loss of forward activity when monitored under defined assay conditions. In sum, although Cys141 is catalytically not essential, its covalent modification provides a striking example of converting the biosynthetic AnGDH into a catabolic enzyme.
Autoantibody to c-Mpl (thrombopoietin receptor) in systemic lupus erythematosus: relationship to thrombocytopenia with megakaryocytic hypoplasia.

OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence, clinical associations, and pathogenic role of autoantibodies to c-Mpl, the thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS Sera from 69 SLE patients, 84 patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and 60 healthy individuals were screened for anti-c-Mpl antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using recombinant c-Mpl as an antigen. Clinical findings, autoantibody profiles, and serum TPO levels were compared between SLE patients with and without anti-c-Mpl antibodies. A pathogenic role for the anti-c-Mpl antibody was evaluated by examining its inhibitory effect on TPO-dependent cell proliferation and megakaryocyte colony formation. RESULTS Serum anti-c-Mpl antibody was detected in 8 SLE patients (11.6%) and 7 ITP patients (8.3%), but in none of the healthy controls. Anti-c-Mpl antibody was associated with thrombocytopenia (P = 0.0002) and a decrease in bone marrow megakaryocytes (P = 0.02) in SLE patients. Serum TPO levels in thrombocytopenic SLE patients with anti-c-Mpl antibodies were significantly elevated compared with levels in those without the antibodies (P = 0.007). IgG fractions purified from anti-c-Mpl antibody-positive sera bound to c-Mpl expressed on the cell surface and inhibited TPO-dependent cell proliferation and megakaryocyte colony formation. CONCLUSION Autoantibody to c-Mpl is present in a subset of SLE patients with thrombocytopenia and megakaryocytic hypoplasia. It is likely that the impaired thrombopoiesis in these patients is mediated by the anti-c-Mpl antibody, which functionally blocks an interaction between TPO and c-Mpl.
Dichloroacetate‐induced modulation of cellular antioxidant enzyme activities and glutathione level in the J774A.1 cells

Dichloroacetate (DCA) is used for different medical and industrial purposes and has been found to be a toxic by‐product produced during the process of water chlorination. The DCA effects on superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activities and glutathione (GSH) level were assessed and correlated with each other and also with cellular viabilities in J774A.1 macrophage cells. A concentration of 24 mm of DCA resulted in time‐dependent decreases in cellular viability and glutathione level, and time‐dependent increases in SOD activity when incubated with the cells for 24–48 h. DCA also resulted in significant increases in CAT and GSH‐Px activities of the viable cells when incubated with the cells for 36 and 48 h. The changes in antioxidant enzyme activities and GSH levels were found to be strongly correlated with each other, and with cellular viabilities at different time points. While GSH did not result in any significant effects when added to the cells at concentrations ranging between 15 and 60 nmol ml−1, it resulted in concentration‐dependent increases in cellular viability when added to the DCA‐treated cells, with maximal effects achieved at 45–60 nmol GSH ml−1. However, cellular viability of the GSH + DCA treated cells remained below that of the control. Since viable cells from the DCA‐treated cultures displayed significantly higher antioxidant enzyme activities compared with the control, it is concluded that those increases may have contributed to the cellular protection against DCA‐induced cell death. Also, glutathione depletion has a major contribution to the observed cellular death induced by DCA. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Review on Plants Used for Improvement of Sexual Performance and Virility

The use of plant or plant-based products to stimulate sexual desire and to enhance performance and enjoyment is almost as old as the human race itself. The present paper reviews the active, natural principles, and crude extracts of plants, which have been useful in sexual disorders, have potential for improving sexual behaviour and performance, and are helpful in spermatogenesis and reproduction. Review of refereed journals and scientific literature available in electronic databases and traditional literature available in India was extensively performed. The work reviews correlation of the evidence with traditional claims, elucidation, and evaluation of a plausible concept governing the usage of plants as aphrodisiac in total. Phytoconstituents with known structures have been classified in appropriate chemical groups and the active crude extracts have been tabulated. Data on their pharmacological activity, mechanism of action, and toxicity are reported. The present review provides an overview of the herbs and their active molecule with claims for improvement of sexual behaviour. A number of herbal drugs have been validated for their effect on sexual behavior and fertility and can therefore serve as basis for the identification of new chemical leads useful in sexual and erectile dysfunction.
Kime and the Moving Body: Somatic Codes in Japanese Martial Arts

This article concerns kime, a somatic code used in the ‘empty hand’ Japanese martial art of karate. Kime is a tactile-kinesthetic entity born out of practice, coming into being in a social setting through the specific organization of the body-self, fusing body and self into one stance and movement. Kime is entirely embodied, yet can only be operated and recognized inter-subjectively. It plays a crucial role in combat and at the same time also indicates a spiritual possibility that depends on eradication of emotion and volition. An analysis of kime shows how cultural understandings can emerge without necessarily using symbolic representations or verbal discourse in their construction. These somatic non-dual understandings can come to form an entire world-of-meaning directly through the moving body. The moving body shapes itself within itself even as it interacts with and contributes to shape its immediate environment. This is a world-of-meaning that includes complex inter-subjectivity founded on the speed and ambiguity of the interface between the innerness and the outerness of the body.
Different Patterns of Toll-Like Receptor 2 Polymorphisms in Populations of Various Ethnic and Geographic Origins

ABSTRACT Upon the invasion of the host by microorganisms, innate immunity is triggered through pathogen recognition by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the best-studied class of PRRs, and they recognize specific pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) from various microorganisms. A large number of studies have shown that genetic variation in TLRs may influence susceptibility to infections. We assessed the genetic variation of TLR2, which encodes one of the most important TLRs, in various populations around the globe and correlated it with changes in the function of the molecule. The three best-known nonsynonymous TLR2 polymorphisms (1892C>A, 2029C>T, and 2258G>A) were assessed in different populations from the main continental masses: Romanians, Vlax-Roma, Dutch (European populations), Han Chinese (East Asia), Dogon, Fulani (Africa), and Trio Indians (America). The 2029C>T polymorphism was absent in both European and non-European populations, with the exception of the Vlax-Roma, suggesting that this polymorphism most likely arose in Indo-Aryan people after migration into South Asia. The 1892C>A polymorphism that was found exclusively in European populations, but not in Asian, African, or American volunteers, probably occurred in proto-Indo-Europeans. Interestingly, 2258G>A was present only in Europeans, including Vlax-Roma, but at a very low frequency. The differential pattern of the TLR2 polymorphisms in various populations may explain some of the differences in susceptibility to infections between these populations.
Copernicus: A new paradigm for parallel adaptive molecular dynamics

Biomolecular simulation is a core application on supercomputers, but it is exceptionally difficult to achieve the strong scaling necessary to reach biologically relevant timescales. Here, we present a new paradigm for parallel adaptive molecular dynamics and a publicly available implementation: Copernicus. This framework combines performance-leading molecular dynamics parallelized on three levels (SIMD, threads, and message-passing) with kinetic clustering, statistical model building and real-time result monitoring. Copernicus enables execution as single parallel jobs with automatic resource allocation. Even for a small protein such as villin (9,864 atoms), Copernicus exhibits near-linear strong scaling from 1 to 5,376 AMD cores. Starting from extended chains we observe structures 0.6 A from the native state within 30h, and achieve sufficient sampling to predict the native state without a priori knowledge after 80-90h. To match Copernicus' efficiency, a classical simulation would have to exceed 50 microseconds per day, currently infeasible even with custom hardware designed for simulations.