Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Giving Leads to Happiness in Young Children

Evolutionary models of cooperation require proximate mechanisms that sustain prosociality despite inherent costs to individuals. The “warm glow” that often follows prosocial acts could provide one such mechanism; if so, these emotional benefits may be observable very early in development. Consistent with this hypothesis, the present study finds that before the age of two, toddlers exhibit greater happiness when giving treats to others than receiving treats themselves. Further, children are happier after engaging in costly giving – forfeiting their own resources – than when giving the same treat at no cost. By documenting the emotionally rewarding properties of costly prosocial behavior among toddlers, this research provides initial support for the claim that experiencing positive emotions when giving to others is a proximate mechanism for human cooperation.
Perceptual multimedia quality: Implications of an empirical study

If commercial multimedia development continues to ignore the user-perspective in preference of other factors, i.e. user fascination (i.e. the latest gimmick), then companies ultimately risk alienating the customer. Moreover, by ignoring the user-perspective, future distributed multimedia systems risk ignoring accessibility issues, by excluding access for users with abnormal perceptual requirements. This paper presents an extensive examination of distributed multimedia quality. We define a model that considers multimedia quality from three distinct levels: the network, the mediaand the content-levels; and two views: the technicaland the user-perspective. By manipulating both technical and user-perspective parameters, we examine the impact on quality perception at the three quality levels identified. Results show that: a significant reduction in frame rate does not proportionally reduce the user's understanding of the presentation, independent of technical parameters; the type of video clip significantly impacts user information assimilation, user level of enjoyment and user perception of quality; the display type impacts user information assimilation and user perception of quality. Finally, to ensure transfer of informational content, network parameter variation should be adapted; to maintain user enjoyment, video content variation should be adapted.
Acute atrial arrhythmogenesis in murine hearts following enhanced extracellular Ca2+ entry depends on intracellular Ca2+ stores

Aim: To investigate the effect of increases in extracellular Ca2+ entry produced by the L‐type Ca2+ channel agonist FPL‐64176 (FPL) upon acute atrial arrhythmogenesis in intact Langendorff‐perfused mouse hearts and its dependence upon diastolic Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticular Ca2+ stores.
Modifying a general social-emotional measure for early autism screening

Objective: Broadband social-emotional screening tools are designed to evaluate a child’s social development and interactions. Such tools are expected to have reasonable sensitivity for identifying children at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but would also likely over-estimate risk for ASD since other conditions can also affect social development. In this study, a subset of ASD items from one general social-emotional screening measure, the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social Emotional, 2nd edition, was analyzed to determine if use of an ASD subscale might improve prediction of ASD risk for young children. Methods: The ASD subscale was used with 60 families who had a child referred for an ASD evaluation. Social-emotional screening and ASD screening results were compared with the subsequent results from gold-standard diagnostic testing for ASD at a regional autism center, using contingency matrices. Results: As expected, the social-emotional screening tool identified nearly all of the children in the high-risk clinical sample. Use of the ASD subscale increased specificity for ASD (from 4% to 52%) and demonstrated correct prediction of ASD diagnosis in 70% of ASD cases. Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that using a subset of ASD-specific items on a social-emotional screening tool can increase the tool’s specificity for ASD, by isolating ASD-specific concerns.
An Object-Oriented, Procedural Database for VLSI Chip Planning

This paper describes Fred, a procedural database to support the architectural and floorplanning phases of VLSI design. The database holds hierarchical descriptions of provided by Fred can be used to compute the physical, electrical, timing, clocking, and functional properties of modules. The user can describe unimplemented modules with default values or approximation functions for these properties. The database can be searched by testing groups of modules with user-defined functions. Fred is implemented in Flavors, an object-oriented extension of Lisp; the object-oriented implementation aids both the designs of the database and the specification of modules for the database.
Three Essays on the Economics of Technological Change and Technology Adoption

Acknowledgments I would like to express my special appreciation and thanks to my advisor Prof. Leo Kaas, who has supported me throughout my thesis with his patience and knowledge whilst allowing me the room to work in my own way. I have greatly benefited from his excellent guidance and encouragement. I also want to thank my second advisor Prof. Matthias Hertweck for providing me with numerous invaluable comments and suggestions. Special thanks also to Prof. Björn Brüggemann (VU Amsterdam) for suggestions he made in reference to Chapter 3 of this work. I want to thank all members of the Konstanz macroeconomics group for countless comments and helpful suggestions during all stages of my work, which have allowed me to grow as a researcher. I also thank my fellow doctoral students for the nice and cooperative atmosphere, and in particular I want to thank my office mate Petra Marotzke for the good companionship and many helpful discussions and comments. My work has been supported by a doctoral scholarship from the State of Baden-Württemberg and by a completion scholarship from the Zukunftskolleg of the University of Konstanz, which is gratefully acknowledged. I owe my deepest gratitude to my family, in the first place my wife Laura and my children Romeo and Marla, and also my parents, grandparents, parents in law, as well as my sister and her family for the endless support and encouragement they have provided.
Throughput Characteristics Evaluation of Media Access Control Method Based on Synchronization Phenomena of Coupled Oscillators over WLAN Coexisting of CSMA/CA Terminals

Wireless local area networks, based on the distributed coordination function of the IEEE802.11 standard, usually use carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) for media access control. In the CSMA/CA method, if the number of wireless terminals increases, data frame collision often occurs among wireless terminals, which results in a decrease in the total throughput. Therefore, to improve the total throughput, a media access control method based on the synchronization phenomena of coupled oscillators, which we refer to as SP-MAC, is proposed. However, the performance of terminals based on SP-MAC, which coexist with CSMA/CA terminals, has not been sufficiently evaluated. Therefore, in this study, we evaluate the throughput performance in detail when terminals based on SP-MAC coexist with those based on CSMA/CA.
Can K-ras Gene Mutation Be Utilized as Prognostic Biomarker for Colorectal Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy? A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Introduction K-ras gene mutations were common in colorectal patients, but their relationship with prognosis was unclear. Objective Verify prognostic differences between patient with and without mutant K-ras genes by reviewing the published evidence. Method Systematic reviews and data bases were searched for cohort/case-control studies of prognosis of colorectal cancer patients with detected K-ras mutations versus those without mutant K-ras genes, both of whom received chemotherapy. Number of patients, regimens of chemotherapy, and short-term or long-term survival rate (disease-free or overall) were extracted. Quality of studies was also evaluated. Principal Findings 7 studies of comparisons with a control group were identified. No association between K-ras gene status with neither short-term disease free-survival (OR=1.01, 95% CI, 0.73-1.38, P=0.97) nor overall survival (OR=1.06, 95% CI, 0.82-1.36, P=0.66) in CRC patients who received chemotherapy was indicated. Comparison of long-term survival between two groups also indicated no significant difference after heterogeneity was eliminated (OR=1.09, 95% CI, 0.85-1.40, P=0.49). Conclusions K-ras gene mutations may not be a prognostic index for colorectal cancer patients who received chemotherapy.
Unique membrane properties and enhanced signal processing in human neocortical neurons

The advanced cognitive capabilities of the human brain are often attributed to our recently evolved neocortex. However, it is not known whether the basic building blocks of the human neocortex, the pyramidal neurons, possess unique biophysical properties that might impact on cortical computations. Here we show that layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons from human temporal cortex (HL2/3 PCs) have a specific membrane capacitance (Cm) of ~0.5 µF/cm2, half of the commonly accepted 'universal' value (~1 µF/cm2) for biological membranes. This finding was predicted by fitting in vitro voltage transients to theoretical transients then validated by direct measurement of Cm in nucleated patch experiments. Models of 3D reconstructed HL2/3 PCs demonstrated that such low Cm value significantly enhances both synaptic charge-transfer from dendrites to soma and spike propagation along the axon. This is the first demonstration that human cortical neurons have distinctive membrane properties, suggesting important implications for signal processing in human neocortex. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.16553. 001
Non-Universality in Computation, and the Demise of the Church-Turing Thesis †

It is known that there exist computational problems that can be solved on a parallel computer, yet are impossible to be solved sequentially. Specifically, no general purpose sequential model of computation, such as the Turing Machine or the Random Access Machine, can simulate a large family of computations (for example, solutions to certain real-time problems), each of which is capable of being carried out readily by a particular parallel computer. We extend the scope of such problems to the class of problems with uncertain time constraints. The first type of time constraints refers to uncertain time requirements on the input data, that is, when and for how long are the input data available. A second type of time constraints refers to uncertain deadlines on when outputs are to be produced. Our main objective is to exhibit computational problems in which it is very difficult to find out (read ‘compute’) what to do and when to do it. Furthermore, problems with uncertain time constraints, as described here, prove once more that it is impossible to define a ‘universal computer’, that is, a computer able to perform (through simulation or otherwise) all computations that are executable on other computers. Finally, one of the contributions of this paper is to promote the study of a topic, conspicuously absent to date from theoretical computer science, namely, the role of physical time and physical space in computation. The focus of our work is to analyze the effect of external natural phenomena on the various components of a computational process, namely, the input phase, the calculation phase (including the algorithm and the computing agents themselves), and the output phase.
Genetically Engineered Islets and Alternative Sources of Insulin-Producing Cells for Treating Autoimmune Diabetes: Quo Vadis?

Islet transplantation is a promising therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes that can provide moment-to-moment metabolic control of glucose and allow them to achieve insulin independence. However, two major problems need to be overcome: (1) detrimental immune responses, including inflammation induced by the islet isolation/transplantation procedure, recurrence autoimmunity, and allorejection, can cause graft loss and (2) inadequate numbers of organ donors. Several gene therapy approaches and pharmaceutical treatments have been demonstrated to prolong the survival of pancreatic islet grafts in animal models; however, the clinical applications need to be investigated further. In addition, for an alternative source of pancreatic β-cell replacement therapy, the ex vivo generation of insulin-secreting cells from diverse origins of stem/progenitor cells has become an attractive option in regenerative medicine. This paper focuses on the genetic manipulation of islets during transplantation therapy and summarizes current strategies to obtain functional insulin-secreting cells from stem/progenitor cells.
The Best Laid Plans: Postsecondary Educational Expectations and College Enrollment in Massachusetts

ABSTRACT This article explores how college expectations in 8th grade change by 10th grade, and if students realize the expectations for a given level of college from 8th and 10th grade, in light of the “college for all” ethos. This study is based on administrative data from 235,875 public school students in Massachusetts from 2006 to –2016. Using a multinomial logistic regression, I find that students who plan to attend a 4-year college in grades 8 and 10 are 24% more likely to enroll in college and attend a 4-year institution than their peers who did not have such plans. However, students who plan to attend a 2-year college in both 8th and 10th grade are less likely to enroll in any type of college when compared to students who planned to attend a 4-year college and students who were unsure of their college plans. Further, both Black and Latinx students are less likely than their White peers to have college enrollment outcomes that mirror their expectations, after controlling for academic preparation. These results, which update prior research on expectation, have implications for increasing access to college for students who planned to attend college.
Why Employees Leave Russian Companies? Analyzing Online Job Reviews Using Text Mining

In this study we analyze topics and sentiments of online job reviews for 989 organizations operating across 12 different knowledge-intensive industries in Russia. Using text mining techniques, such as topic modeling and sentiment analysis, we identify factors of job satisfaction and examine how they differ for former and current employees of Russian organization. The analysis reveals that (1) working arrangements and schedule, (2) working conditions, (3) job content, (4) salary/wage, (5) career development, (6) psychological climate and interpersonal relations with co-workers are the six key topics discussed by employees online in relation to job satisfaction, with the latter — psychological climate and interpersonal relations — being the most widely discussed topic, especially for current employees. Overall, our study suggests that in their decision to leave the company, employees are more likely to tolerate economic factors of job satisfaction (such as salary, career development and working arrangements) rather than socioemotional factors (such as poor relationships with their co-workers and content of work).
Identification of Channels Promoting Calcium Spikes and Waves in HT1080 Tumor Cells

Intracellular Ca2+ signals have been associated with cell polarization and locomotion. As cell motility underlies metastasis, we have sought to better characterize the Ca2+ signaling events in HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells. We have tested the hypothesis that low voltage-activated (LVA) and nonvoltage-gated (NVG) channels of HT1080 cells participate in dynamic Ca2+-signaling events leading to cell migration and invasion. Immunofluorescence microscopy has shown that HT1080 cells express LVA T-type Ca2+ channels uniformly about the cell periphery, whereas the transient receptor potential-1 (a NVG cation channel) protein appears as punctate spots about a cell’s periphery. HT1080 cells exhibit periodic intracellular Ca2+ spikes. High-speed imaging revealed that the Ca2+ spikes were composed of a single Ca2+ wave traveling unidirectionally about the periphery of the cytoplasm in a clockwise fashion (as viewed from basal to apical surfaces). The T-type Ca2+ channel blocker mibefradil inhibited Ca2+ spikes and waves on cells and, in parallel, inhibited cell motility and invasion in a dose-dependent manner. Similar changes were noted with the NVG cation channel blockers Gd3+ and carboxyamido-triazole. The combination of LVA and NVG blockers further reduced Matrigel invasiveness. However, the Ca2+ channel blockers nicardipine, SKF96365, diltiazem, and verapamil had no effect at appropriate doses. These results indicate that certain LVA and NVG channels regulate HT1080 cell motility. In addition to providing novel information regarding cancer cell motility, we suggest that it may be possible to design drugs that inhibit a key Ca2+ wave, thereby enhancing the efficacy of emerging therapeutic protocols.
Functional Shifts in Insect microRNA Evolution

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short endogenous RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level and have been shown to play critical roles during animal development. The identification and comparison of miRNAs in metazoan species are therefore paramount for our understanding of the evolution of body plans. We have characterized 203 miRNAs from the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum by deep sequencing of small RNA libraries. We can conclude, from a single study, that the Tribolium miRNA set is at least 15% larger than that in the model insect Drosophila melanogaster (despite tens of high-throughput sequencing experiments in the latter). The rate of birth and death of miRNAs is high in insects. Only one-third of the Tribolium miRNA sequences are conserved in D. melanogaster, and at least 18 Tribolium miRNAs are conserved in vertebrates but lost in Drosophila. More than one-fifth of miRNAs that are conserved between Tribolium and Drosophila exhibit changes in the transcription, genomic organization, and processing patterns that lead to predicted functional shifts. For example, 13% of conserved miRNAs exhibit seed shifting, and we describe arm-switching events in 11% of orthologous pairs. These shifts fundamentally change the predicted targets and therefore function of orthologous miRNAs. In general, Tribolium miRNAs are more representative of the insect ancestor than Drosophila miRNAs and are more conserved in vertebrates.
Proceedings of Olkc 2007 – " Learning Fusion " Dynamic Capabilities and Competence Obsolescence: Empirical Data from Research-intensive Fimrs

The dynamic capabilities approach focuses on a firm's ability to develop its resource base in order to meet environmental expectations. Therefore, it is closely interrelated to issues of balancing exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Scholars argue that organizations can combine both learning modes by adapting ambidextrous organizational designs. Yet, owing to strategic contradictions, ambidextrous organizations are faced with perpetual tensions. This paper investigates dynamic capabilities in ambidextrous organizations that enable these organizations to cope with contradictory environmental demands and to preserve their ability to reconcile exploration and exploitation simultaneously. We use empirical data from research-intensive organizations to show which mechanisms organizations develop in order to enable ambidextrous learning and to prevent competence obsolescence. High order dynamic capabilities balance contradicting learning directions. They can be perceived as balancing routines and, thereby, they fulfill functions of conflict regulation, reflection and integration. 1 INTRODUCTION Organizational life is characterized by the continuous need to adapt to a dynamic environment and to generate innovations in order to meet or to create future demands. Concurrently, organizations need to sustain stability and to preserve their identity in order to ensure steady performance based on operative routines. Moreover, on that level, small improvements are necessary to optimize existing processes and to replicate successful practices. Consequently, apart from operative routines, different and diverse change routines to enable various development activities and learning processes must exist. However, innovation and adaptation as well as replication and optimization represent modes of organizational development that follow different logics (March 1991, Gibson and Birkinshaw 2004).
Effects of a protein-rich drink or a standard meal on the pharmacokinetics of elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir in healthy Japanese male subjects: A randomized, three-way crossover study

This study investigated the effects of ingested food types on the pharmacokinetics of elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir as a single‐tablet regimen (STR) in Japanese HIV‐negative healthy subjects. In this open‐label, randomized, three‐way crossover study, the pharmacokinetic profiles of elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir were evaluated when administered with a standard breakfast, under fasting conditions, or with a nutritional protein‐rich drink. All subjects (N = 11) received a single morning dose of elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (150/150/200/300 mg). Administration under fasting conditions resulted in decreases in the mean AUCinf of elvitegravir and tenofovir by 50% and 28%, respectively, relative to administration with a standard breakfast, whereas the bioavailabilities of elvitegravir and tenofovir were comparable when administered with a standard breakfast or a nutritional protein‐rich drink. Under fasting conditions, it appears that the bioavailabilities of elvitegravir and tenofovir were not equivalent to those when they were administered with either type of food, although they were bioequivalent to each other under fed conditions. Cobicistat and emtricitabine were bioequivalent under all conditions. These findings suggest that elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate should be administered with food, and that the bioavailability of elvitegravir and tenofovir is not affected by the type of meal ingested.