Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health throughout the lifespan: The phenomenon of the inner child reflected in events during childhood experienced by older persons

The aim of this study was to describe and gain more knowledge of the phenomenon of the inner child, reflected in events during childhood experienced by older persons. Thirteen older persons aged 70 to 91 years old were interviewed. A hermeneutical phenomenological analysis of the data revealed two main themes: the inner child becomes visible and the inner child's presence through life. The participants’ narratives showed that their understanding of the experiences included both positive and negative feelings, as well as ways to be creative, in which the inner child became visible. The participants’ experiences indicated that the inner child was present throughout the lifespan, was found in challenges that occurred in life, and could turn something bad into something good. However, the presence of the inner child could also be a source for development throughout life and could interfere with the person. The findings from this study point to older persons’ need to be recognized, acknowledged, and understood as a unique person living his or her own life. In addition, dimensions of well-being such as feeling safe, loved, supported, and creating space for fantasy and possibilities can be compared to the physical, mental, social, and existential dimensions of well-being found in WHO surveys and definitions of health. This calls for a holistic approach when caring for older persons.
R&D, Subsidies and Productivity1

Estimating the change in privately financed R&D expenditures induced by government subsidization of R&D activities—the “additionality effect”—is an important item in the current empirical research agenda in the economics of technical change. However, there are very few papers that formulate a model of firm decision-making that explains the mechanism by which this additionality effect can arise. In this paper, we take up this task. Our model extends the traditional theoretical literature on the optimal management of an R&D project and provides a theoretical underpinning for the additionality effect. The model also provides a framework for interpreting anew the empirical association between R&D expenditures and productivity growth found in many micro-level productivity regressions. The theoretical framework illustrates that the sign and size of the additionality effect depends on the model’s parameters and assumptions on the distribution of development costs. Thus, it is not at all surprising that empirical studies of the additionality effect have not come up with a clear-cut answer as to whether R&D subsidies stimulate or crowd out privately financed R&D.
A Psychometric Analysis of the Student Version of the Perceptions of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ)

Abstract. The German version of the Perception of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ), which is used to assess students’ emotional inclusion, social inclusion, and academic self-concept, was analyzed with the multi-unidimensional graded response model (GRM) and investigated for differential item functioning (DIF) between students with and without learning difficulties (LD). The PIQ was administered to 823 primary school students in Switzerland ( Mage = 11.94, SD = 1.01 years), of which 190 were classified as having LD. Results show that the PIQ is a reliable instrument for assessing students’ perceptions of their inclusion at school, especially in the lower ranges of the scales. No bias was detected for any items of the PIQ’s three scales in relation to the exogenous variable LD, with the exception of one item that showed a minor deviation.
On Modeling Cognition and Culture: Why cultural evolution does not require replication of representations

Formal models of cultural evolution analyze how cognitive processes combine with social interaction to generate the distributions and dynamics of 'representations. ' Recently, cognitive anthropologists have criticized such models. They make three points: mental representations are non-discrete, cultural transmission is highly inaccurate, and mental representations are not replicated, but rather are 'reconstructed' through an inferential process that is strongly affected by cognitive 'attractors. ' They argue that it follows from these three claims that: 1) models that assume replication or replicators are inappropriate, 2) selective cultural learning cannot account for stable traditions, and 3) selective cultural learning cannot generate cumulative adaptation. Here we use three formal models to show that even if the premises of this critique are correct, the deductions that have been drawn from them are false. In the first model, we assume continuously varying representations under the influence of weak selective transmission and strong attractors. We show that if the attractors are sufficiently strong relative to selective forces, the continuous representation model reduces to the standard discrete-trait replicator model, and the weak selective component determines the final equilibrium of the system. In the second model, we assume inaccurate replication and discrete traits. We show that very low fidelity replication of representations at the individual level does not preclude accurate replication at the population level, and therefore, accurate individual-level replication of representations is not necessary for either cultural inertia or cumulative cultural adaptation. In the third model, we derive plausible conditions for cumulative adaptive evolution, assuming continuous cultural representations, incomplete transmission and substantial inferential transformations.
Reliability and performance of hierarchical RAID with multiple controllers

Redundant arrays of inexpensive disks (RAID) offer fault tolerance against disk failures. However a storage system having more disks suffers from less reliability and performance. A RAID architecture tolerating multiple disk failures shows severe performance degradation in comparison to the RAID Level 5 due to the complexity of implementation. We present a new RAID architecture that tolerates at least three disk failures and offers similar throughout to the RAID Level 5. We call it the hierarchical RAID, which is hierarchically composed of RAID Levels. Furthermore, we formally introduce the mean-time-to-data-loss (MTTDL) of traditional RAID and the hierarchical RAID using Markov process for detailed comparison.
EXAMINING RACISM AND WHITE ALLYSHIP AMONG COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGISTS

OF DISSERTATION EXAMINING RACISM AND WHITE ALLYSHIP AMONG COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGISTS Historically, research has focused on White individuals’ initial responses to learning about White privilege and other indicators of early stages of racial awareness and identity development. However, the literature is relatively sparse regarding understanding the experiences of racial identity development in White individuals who are beyond initial introductions to racial awareness, such as Counseling Psychologists (CPs). The assumption is that Counseling Psychology professionals are adequately trained to provide efficacious mental health services and engage in culturally sensitive work activities; however, research indicates that Black clients, colleagues, and graduate students experience racism, such as microaggressions, when interacting with White CPs. The current study seeks to address the overarching question: how do White Counseling Psychology faculty members understand their experiences with racism towards Black Americans? Ten White Counseling Psychologists were interviewed, and their interview data were analyzed with Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). IPA explored the unique perspectives and meaning-making processes that White Counseling Psychologists employed when discussing their experiences with racism against Black Americans. Findings elucidated how racism and allyship manifested variably among White CPs. Participants ranged from individuals engaged in advocacy work to individuals who actively defend the academy as a White space. Findings were organized into five overarching themes, including: White Privilege to Emotionally Distance Self from the Realities of Racism, Struggles to Engaging in Allyship, Honest Self-Awareness and Reflection, Intentional Advocacy, and Perceives Racism in their Environments. Recommendations were proffered to inform imperative training and allyship opportunities for White Counseling Psychologists in academia.
Cross-situational noun and adjective learning in an interactive scenario

Learning word meanings during natural interaction with a human faces noise and ambiguity that can be solved by analysing regularities across different situations. We propose a model of this cross-situational learning capacity and apply it to learning nouns and adjectives from noisy and ambiguous speeches and continuous visual input. This model uses two different strategy: a statistical filtering to remove noise in the speech part and the Non Negative Matrix Factorization algorithm to discover word-meaning in the visual domain. We present experiments on learning object names and color names showing the performance of the model in real interactions with humans, dealing in particular with strong noise in the speech recognition.
The diagnostic accuracy of 256-row computed tomographic angiography compared with invasive coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

AIMS To assess the diagnostic accuracy of 256-row computed tomographic angiography (CTA) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Non-invasive imaging of the coronary artery by CTA has increasingly been used in recent years. The accuracy of 256-row CTA has not yet been studied. We sought to assess the accuracy of 256-row CTA compared with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in the diagnosis and assessment of CAD. METHODS AND RESULTS We prospectively evaluated 104 consecutive individuals who accepted CTA and then underwent ICA. The presence of stenosis > or =50% was considered obstructive. The diagnostic accuracy of CTA for detecting obstructive stenosis was compared with that of ICA. The area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CTA relative to ICA. A total of 86 patients had obstructive CAD. The patient-based analysis of CTA for detecting stenosis > or =50% according to ICA revealed an AUC of 0.744 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.572-0.916], with a sensitivity of 98.8%, a specificity of 50%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 92.4%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 87.5%. The segment-based analysis revealed an AUC of 0.915 (95% CI, 0.847-0.982), with a sensitivity of 93.5%, a specificity of 95%, a PPV of 77.6%, and an NPV of 98.7%. The vessel-based analysis revealed an AUC of 0.887 (95% CI, 0.808-0.966), with a sensitivity of 94.3%, a specificity of 87.3%, a PPV of 82.7%, and an NPV of 95.9%. CONCLUSION 256-Row CTA is a highly sensitive test of CAD and has a high predictive value. 256-Row CTA may be a potential alternative to detect coronary artery stenosis and rule out CAD in suspected patients.
Modified P&O MPPT technique for photovoltaic systems

Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are widely applied in photovoltaic system to produce the maximum power of the PV generator. In this paper, we presented a modified variable step size P&O MPPT algorithm. The proposed method can greatly improve the response time and precision MPPT steady state simultaneously. The proposed approach has been tested in MATLAB / Simulink environment, and the results show that the new algorithm is more accurate and faster than the traditional P&O method.
Staphylococcus aureus Manganese Transport Protein C (MntC) Is an Extracellular Matrix- and Plasminogen-Binding Protein

Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus – particularly nosocomial infections - represent a great concern. Usually, the early stage of pathogenesis consists on asymptomatic nasopharynx colonization, which could result in dissemination to other mucosal niches or invasion of sterile sites, such as blood. This pathogenic route depends on scavenging of nutrients as well as binding to and disrupting extracellular matrix (ECM). Manganese transport protein C (MntC), a conserved manganese-binding protein, takes part in this infectious scenario as an ion-scavenging factor and surprisingly as an ECM and coagulation cascade binding protein, as revealed in this work. This study showed a marked ability of MntC to bind to several ECM and coagulation cascade components, including laminin, collagen type IV, cellular and plasma fibronectin, plasminogen and fibrinogen by ELISA. The MntC binding to plasminogen appears to be related to the presence of surface-exposed lysines, since previous incubation with an analogue of lysine residue, ε-aminocaproic acid, or increasing ionic strength affected the interaction between MntC and plasminogen. MntC-bound plasminogen was converted to active plasmin in the presence of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). The newly released plasmin, in turn, acted in the cleavage of the α and β chains of fibrinogen. In conclusion, we describe a novel function for MntC that may help staphylococcal mucosal colonization and establishment of invasive disease, through the interaction with ECM and coagulation cascade host proteins. These data suggest that this potential virulence factor could be an adequate candidate to compose an anti-staphylococcal human vaccine formulation.
SUPERDENSE MASSIVE GALAXIES IN THE NEARBY UNIVERSE

Superdense massive galaxies (re ∼ 1 kpc; M ∼ 1011 M☉) were common in the early universe (z ≳ 1.5). Within some hierarchical merging scenarios, a non-negligible fraction (1%–10%) of these galaxies is expected to survive since that epoch, retaining their compactness and presenting old stellar populations in the present universe. Using the NYU Value-Added Galaxy Catalog from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 6, we find only a tiny fraction of galaxies (∼0.03%) with re ≲ 1.5 kpc and M⋆ ≳ 8 × 1010 M☉ in the local universe (z < 0.2). Surprisingly, they are relatively young (∼2 Gyr) and metal-rich ([Z/H] ∼0.2). The consequences of these findings within the current two competing size evolution scenarios for the most massive galaxies (“dry” mergers vs. “puffing up” due to quasar activity) are discussed.
A prospective study of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and risk of MS in two US cohorts

Background: Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) has been proposed as a possible etiologic agent in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, previous studies were cross-sectional and could not assess whether Cpn infection preceded the onset of MS. Methods: The authors conducted a prospective nested case-control study among 3 million US Army personnel and 121,466 members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program (KPMCP) cohort. Serum samples collected prior to onset of MS symptoms were available for 83 MS cases in the Army and 46 in the KPMCP cohort. Two controls were matched to each case on age, sex, and date of blood collection. Microimmunofluorescence was used to measure serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers to Cpn; IgG titers ≥ 1:16 were considered positive for past Cpn infection. Results: Seropositivity for Cpn was not significantly associated with risk of MS in either cohort (Army: OR = 1.0; 95% CI 0.6, 1.8; KPMCP: OR = 1.5; 95% CI 0.7, 3.1) or in the pooled analysis (OR = 1.2; 95% CI 0.8, 1.9). Serum levels of anti-Cpn IgG antibody were also not associated with an increased risk of MS in the Army (OR for a fourfold difference in antibody titers = 0.9; 95% CI 0.7, 1.2) or in the pooled analysis (OR = 1.2; 95% CI 0.9, 1.4), but a significant increase in risk was seen in the KPMCP cohort (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.2, 2.5). The difference between these results in the Army and the KPMCP cohort was significant (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Neither Cpn seropositivity nor serum anti-Cpn IgG antibody titers predicted risk of developing MS. However, due to the heterogeneity of results between cohorts, we cannot exclude the possibility that infection with Cpn may modify the risk of MS.
A quantitative analysis examining differences between US humanities and STEM students’ propensity toward innovation

Abstract Some scholars speculate that humanities education, as compared to STEM education, may be better able to provide students with the most in-demand twenty-first century workplace skill: innovation. Due to the lack of empirical research on this topic, this study compares US humanities and STEM students’ college gains in their ‘propensity toward innovation’ (PTI) and the academic factors that contribute to it. Findings suggest that humanities students experience greater in-college gains in PTI and also that certain academic factors may be especially beneficial for STEM students in contributing to their development of PTI at the end of college.
Unitary ESPRIT: how to obtain increased estimation accuracy with a reduced computational burden

ESPRIT is a high-resolution signal parameter estimation technique based on the translational invariance structure of a sensor array. Previous ESPRIT algorithms do not use the fact that the operator representing the phase delays between the two subarrays is unitary. The authors present a simple and efficient method to constrain the estimated phase factors to the unit circle, if centro-symmetric array configurations are used. Unitary ESPRIT, the resulting closed-form algorithm, has an ESPRIT-like structure except for the fact that it is formulated in terms of real-valued computations throughout. Since the dimension of the matrices is not increased, this completely real-valued algorithm achieves a substantial reduction of the computational complexity. Furthermore, Unitary ESPRIT incorporates forward-backward averaging, leading to an improved performance compared to the standard ESPRIT algorithm, especially for correlated source signals. Like standard ESPRIT, Unitary ESPRIT offers an inexpensive possibility to reconstruct the impinging wavefronts (signal copy). These signal estimates are more accurate, since Unitary ESPRIT improves the underlying signal subspace estimates. Simulations confirm that, even for uncorrelated signals, the standard ESPRIT algorithm needs twice the number of snapshots to achieve a precision comparable to that of Unitary ESPRIT. Thus, Unitary ESPRIT provides increased estimation accuracy with a reduced computational burden. >
Details behind the dots: How different intensive care units used common and contrasting methods to prevent ventilator associated pneumonia

Abstract Care bundles promote delivery of effective care and improve patient outcomes. The understanding of how to improve delivery of care bundles is incomplete. The Scottish Patient Safety Programme is a national collaborative with the aim of improving the delivery of care to patients in acute hospitals in Scotland. Critical care is one of five workstreams in the programme. A programme goal is to reduce incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) to zero or 300 calendar days between events through use of a VAP Prevention bundle. We studied two ICUs participating in this programme. Each ICU had established infection surveillance system prior to the programme starting. Both units had an appreciable incidence of VAP. Initial VAP prevention bundle adherence was low in each ICU (35% and 41%). Comparing time periods before and after 80% bundle VAP prevention bundle adherence was achieved showed a similar reduction in VAP incidence (from 6.9 to 1.0, and from 7.8 to 1.4/1000 ventilation days). When compared each ICU used common and contrasting approaches to accomplish this improvement. We describe the five improvement knowledge systems used to improve bundle adherence to bundle elements in each hospital. The insights gained from these front-line clinical teams can be used as a template for improvement efforts in a variety of other healthcare settings.
Survey of leadership styles in different cultures

Leadership is in fact a process of influencing foll owers. Characteristics of leadership are functions of time and situation and differ in diffe rent cultures and countries. Managers of international organizations should obtain enough kn owledge of these cultural characteristics and differences and should have the utmost versatility while executing their leadership tasks. In this paper we have conducted a survey of the relation be tween cultures and styles of leadership in different countries. At first characteristics of le adership are discussed in work oriented leadership paradigm and management regimes, in a number of different regions, including China, Japan, U.S.A, Europe, and Arab countries. We also discuss about cross-cultural leadership concept and its challenges. At the end, a comparative analysis is m ade over the various leadership styles.
Coherence and correspondence in engineering design: informing the conversation and connecting with judgment and decision-making research

I show how the coherence/correspondence distinction can inform the conversation about decision methods for engineering design. Some engineers argue for the application of multi-attribute utility theory while others argue for what they call heuristics. To clarify the differences among methods, I first ask whether each method aims at achieving coherence or correspondence. By analyzing statements in the design literature, I argue that utility theory aims at achieving coherence and heuristics aim at achieving correspondence. Second, I ask if achieving coherence always implies achieving correspondence. It is important to provide an answer because while in design the objective is correspondence, it is difficult to assess it, and coherence that is easier to assess is used as a surrogate. I argue that coherence does not always imply correspondence in design and that this is also the case in problems studied in judgment and decision-making research. Uncovering the conditions under which coherence implies, or does not imply, correspondence is a topic where engineering design and judgment and decision-making research might connect.
Trust no one: a decentralized matching service for privacy in location based services

We propose a new approach to ensure privacy in location based services, without requiring any support from a "trusted" entity. We observe that users of location based services are sensitive about their i) location coordinates and ii) their interests and social relationships, as captured in their queries. We also observe there are entities that naturally have access to at least one of these pieces of information. The user and/or their mobile operator has access to their current location, and the LBS provider needs to know of the interests (in businesses, services and acquaintances) of a user. In this paper we consider whether it is possible for these entities to exchange information such that a user's queries to the LBS can be answered without i) any one entity coming to know of all sensitive information ii) a loss in the quality of service of the query, or an inordinate load on the user. Specifically, we outline the design of a decentralized matching service that takes encoded information from both the participating entities, and creates triggers when a user, and their objects of interest are in the vicinity of each other. Given that each component of the matching service has access to only a limited amount of encoded information, we argue that it will be impossible to recreate any sensitive user-specific information.