Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Internal Colonisation and Indigenous Resource Sovereignty: Wind Power Developments on Traditional Saami Lands

Using the concept of internal colonisation, this paper aims to demonstrate how current disputes over wind power developments in traditional Saami mountain areas have reignited contestations between Saami people and the Swedish state. It traces the historical continuities in these contestations. It also analyses shifts in the discourses legitimising the state's nonrecognition of Saami rights to land. The paper explores three discursive frameworks that reflect these continuities and shifts. First, it traces contestations over the ownership of ‘Crown’ (ie, state) land and the paternalistic practices of the state. Second, it explores how a discourse of renewable energy is currently being mobilised to argue that Saami interests must necessarily give way to broader environmental concerns. Third, it analyses how long-standing colonial rationalities are rearticulated through market relations, as the state seeks to construct a pseudo planning market for wind power developments, which necessarily excludes Saami interests. These debates, and the ongoing resistances by Saami people to industrial encroachments on their traditional territories, highlight the fundamentally unresolved relations between the Saami and the non-Indigenous majority society in Sweden.
THE INFLUENCE OF PERCEPTIONS OF MEDIA INFLUENCE: THIRD PERSON EFFECTS AND THE PUBLIC EXPRESSION OF OPINIONS*

This paper explores the role of perceptions of the opinions of others ais they relate to the formation of public opinion. Two interrelated theories involving such perceptions, the third person effect and the spiral of silence, are tested in the context of public opinion regarding divestment of financial interests in South Africa. As hypothesized by the third person effect, perceptions of the influence of media reports on others were found to be consistently greater than perceptions of influence on self. Findings were strongly supportive of this component of the 'third person effect' hypothesis. Perceptions of the opinions of others were also explored in relation to respondents' willingness to express their opinions publicly. As suggested by the spiral of silence theory, respondents were found to be more willing to express their opinions publicly when they perceived a trend in support of their viewpoint, or when there was a greater perceived likelihood of achieving success for their issue position. The size of the effect produced from joining these two processes is moderated by the role of issue salience. People perceiving divestment as a highly important issue are more likely to ascribe greater media influence to others than to themselves, but their willingness to express their opinions publicly is least likely to be influenced by perceptions of the climate of opinion.
Taurine and metabolic disease

Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid, which does not enter protein synthesis, and is traditionally considered as an inert molecule without any reactive groups. Besides the well-known conjugation with bile acids, taurine has a number of other physiological functions such as, intracellular osmolyte for volume regulation and some antioxidant properties (Bouckenooghe et al., 2006; Hansen, 2001; Huxtable, 1992; Jacobsen and Smith, 1968; SchullerLevis and Park, 2003). Taurine is thus not expected to be directly involved in metabolic pathways. Nevertheless, taurine deficiency in the cat results in a marked dysfunction of energy demanding tissues (i.e. retina and heart) (Sturman, 1993), and similar observations are seen in the taurine-transporter knockout mouse (Warskulat et al., 2007).
The Gender Gap in Fear of Crime, 1973-1994: A Methodological Approach

The literature on fear of crime consistently finds much higher levels of reported fear among women than among men (Baumer, 1978; Ferraro, 1996; Warr, 1984). Thus we know which segment of the population is most fearful, and we know some of the correlates associated with that fear, but there has been little research that has examined social change in respondents' fear of crime, particularly in regard to the question of whether the gender gap in fear of crime has changed over time. In the present article, using data from the General Social Survey from 1973 to 1994 and data from the Uniform Crime Reports, five methods of studying social change are applied in examining this question: proximate decomposition, trend analysis, pooled time-series analysis, a changing parameter model, and a hierarchical linear regression model. These methods will be used to answer three questions. First, did fear of crime increase from 1973 to 1994, and is that change attributable to individual attitude change or to population turnover? Second, has the gender gap in reported fear of crime narrowed or widened over time? Third, can relevant variables be identified, such as the nation's violent crime rate, to account for changes in the gender gap? Findings from these analyses indicate that, overall, a gradual rise in levels of reported fear of crime has occurred, but this masks considerable variation, including periods of declining fear of crime. Although women are much more likely to fear crime, the gender gap has narrowed as men's reported fear of crime has gradually increased over time while women's has remained stable (albeit at a high level). Although no variables are found to explain the gender gap in fear of crime, hierarchical linear models reveal that the nation's violent crime rate is associated with men's rising fear of crime over time.
Self-Handicapping Related to Task and Performance-Approach and Avoidance Goals in Physical Education

This study examined the relationships between achievement goals (task, performance-approach, performance-avoid) and self-handicapping in the area of secondary school physical education. The sample consisted of 273 ninth grade students (125 male, 148 female). Regression analysis revealed that a task goal and a performance-approach goal were negatively related to self-handicapping, whereas a performance-avoidance goal related positively to self-handicapping. Altogether, 14% of the variance in self-handicapping was explained by the three achievement goals. Analyses of covariance further revealed that a task goal influenced the way performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal related to self-handicapping. Specifically, to some extent a high task goal seems to moderate the aversive effects on self-handicapping of holding either a performance-approach goal or a performance-avoidance goal. Taken together, analyses indicate that, a performance-avoidance goal more strongly deserve being labeled the motivationally “bad guy” in terms of generating self-handicapping. In terms of self-handicapping a performance-approach goal, in contrast, seems more readily characterized as a motivationally double-edged sword.
Reliability of Scores Obtained with the Objectives-Based Motor Skill Assessment Instrument

This study was designed to investigate the reliability of individual and composite scores obtained with the Objectives-Based Motor Skill Assessment Instrument. Generalizability theory was used to determine if the test scores were reliable across raters and occasions. Two D studies were conducted to ascertain whether an increase in the number of raters from 10 to 20 would increase the reliability. Twenty raters were required to evaluate the fundamental motor skills of 10 subjects across two occasions from videotapes. In 92% of the individual skill scores, the between-subject variance component contributed the most to total variance. Therefore, it can be concluded that the test is extremely reliable across raters and occasions. Examination of the generalizability coefficients for the two D studies indicates that the reliability is not largely affected by increasing the number of raters.
Learning vs Grade Orientation: Academic Achievement, Self-Reported Orientation, and Personality Variables

This research explored relationships between Eison's LOGO instrument and several personality and academic measures in a credit/no credit psychology course (N = 44). Learning orientation (LO) was correlated with dogmatism and marginally (.07) with multiple-choice test performance, but not with Machiavellianism, Locus of Control, or performance on course written assignments. Grade orientation was related to Machiavellianism and marginally (.07) to test scores. Self-rating of orientation was correlated with both written and test performance, but not LO or GO.
Software Development Project Risk Management: A New Conceptual Framework

The frequently observed positive impact of adopting risk management strategies on projects’ overall outcome has led many software development organizations to appreciate its significant role in the pursuit of cost reduction, schedule overruns decrease and, generally, improved performance. In line with this issue, this study investigates a wide range of relevant literature, proposes a new conceptual framework for managing risk in software development projects, introduces new conceptual factors, brings out their interrelation, and suggests new prospects and managerial implications for both practitioners and academics. The conceptual framework has two basic axes. Firstly, the determination of the impact of constructs such as Project Characteristics, Project Risk Management Team, Risk Identification Approaches, and Project Quality on the level of Project Risk. The majority of the items used to measure these constructs are proposed for the first time in the literature. Additionally, the assessment of the impact of Project Risk (and all of the dimensions that compose it), simultaneously with the estimation of the impact of the Residual Performance Risk on the final subjective and objective Project Performance could provide project managers with a better picture of the effectiveness and adequacy of their risk management practices.
NARRATIVE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

▪ Abstract Narratives—the stories people tell—provide a rich source of information about how people make sense of their lives, about how they construct disparate facts and weave them together cognitively to make sense of reality. Narrative analysis is particularly useful in providing insight on the cognitive process and on the role of culture in shaping any human universals. We begin by defining narrative as a concept and as a methodological tool in social science. We provide intellectual background on how narrative developed in literary theory and how it has been applied in cognitive analysis. We then discuss narratives as sites of cultural contestation and the role of narrative in the construction of social theory. We conclude on a note of caution, suggesting the need for care when interpreting narratives.
Wilson disease in southern Iran.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Wilson disease is an autosomal recessive disorder of the brain, liver and cornea. It is fatal if left untreated. This descriptive study attempted to identify the demographic, clinical, and biochemical features of Wilson disease in Fars Province, Southern Iran. METHODS All the patients with Wilson disease who were admitted to Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz, Iran, from 1990 till 2004 were included in this cross-sectional descriptive study. This is the only hospital in Southern Iran which has pediatric and adult Gastroenterology Wards. Statistical analyses were done by t-test. RESULTS In total, 111 patients were studied (65 males, 46 females). The mean age was 11+/-7 years; the youngest was three years old. The most common manifestations were hepatic (83.8%), neurological (24.3%) and psychological (23.4%) signs and symptoms. The most common biochemical abnormalities were increased urinary copper (91.4%), increased prothrombin time (84.5%), increased liver enzymes (77-89%), decreased serum ceruloplasmin (75.5%), hyperbilirubinemia (67%) and anemia (62.4%). Family history was positive in 36% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS In this study, sex ratio (M/F) was greater than one, similar to other studies. Age range was similar to other Asian studies, but less than observed in European and American studies. Clinical manifestations of Wilson disease in our patients were similar to the studies with similar age ranges. Biochemical abnormalities were sometimes different in our patients in comparison to previous studies, possibly due to the delay in the diagnosis in our patients.
Using a maximum entropy model to build segmentation lattices for MT

Recent work has shown that translating segmentation lattices (lattices that encode alternative ways of breaking the input to an MT system into words), rather than text in any particular segmentation, improves translation quality of languages whose orthography does not mark morpheme boundaries. However, much of this work has relied on multiple segmenters that perform differently on the same input to generate sufficiently diverse source segmentation lattices. In this work, we describe a maximum entropy model of compound word splitting that relies on a few general features that can be used to generate segmentation lattices for most languages with productive compounding. Using a model optimized for German translation, we present results showing significant improvements in translation quality in German-English, Hungarian-English, and Turkish-English translation over state-of-the-art baselines.
Efficient Multiview Depth Coding Optimization Based on Allowable Depth Distortion in View Synthesis

Depth video is used as the geometrical information of 3D world scenes in 3D view synthesis. Due to the mismatch between the number of depth levels and disparity levels in the view synthesis, the relationship between depth distortion and rendering position error can be modeled as a many-to-one mapping function, in which different depth distortion values might be projected to the same geometrical distortion in the synthesized virtual view image. Based on this property, we present an allowable depth distortion (ADD) model for 3D depth map coding. Then, an ADD-based rate-distortion model is proposed for mode decision and motion/disparity estimation modules aiming at minimizing view synthesis distortion at a given bit rate constraint. In addition, an ADD-based depth bit reduction algorithm is proposed to further reduce the depth bit rate while maintaining the qualities of the synthesized images. Experimental results in intra depth coding show that the proposed overall algorithm achieves Bjontegaard delta peak signal-to-noise ratio gains of 1.58 and 2.68 dB on average for half and integer-pixel rendering precisions, respectively. In addition, the proposed algorithms are also highly efficient for inter depth coding when evaluated with different metrics.
In Silico Analysis of RET Variants in Medullary Thyroid Cancer

Objective The American Thyroid Association (ATA) medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) guidelines group RET variants, in the setting of familial medullary thyroid cancer and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2, into 4 classes of severity based on epidemiological data. The aim of this study was to determine if genotype correlates with phenotype in RET missense mutations. Study Design In silico mutational tolerance prediction. Setting Academic research hospital. Subjects and Methods We analyzed all RET variants currently listed in the ATA guidelines for the management of MTC using 2 computer-based (in silico) mutation tolerance prediction approaches: PolyPhen-2 HumVar and PolyPhen-2 HumDiv. Our analysis also included 27 different RET single-nucleotide polymorphisms resulting in missense variants. Results There was a statistically significant difference in the overall HumDiv score between ATA groups A and B (P = .025) and a statistically significant different HumVar score between benign polymorphisms and ATA group A (P = .023). Overall, RET variants associated with a less aggressive clinical phenotype generally had a lower Hum Div/Var score. Conclusions Polyphen-2 Hum Div/Var may provide additional clinical data to help distinguish benign from MEN2/familial medullary thyroid carcinoma–causing RET variants as well as less aggressive phenotypes (ATA A) from more aggressive ones (ATA B-C). In silico genetic analyses, with proper validation, may predict the phenotypic severity of RET variants, providing clinicians with a tool to aid clinical decision making in cases in which the RET variant is currently unknown or little epidemiological data are available.
Preschool language and metalinguistic skills are links to reading success

ABSTRACT This article reports the longitudinal follow-up of 41 preschool children as they moved into reading. When the children were 3 years old, they participated in a detailed assessment of their language, print, and metalinguistic skills. At the end of first grade, the children received two tests of phonological awareness and three reading measures: sound–symbol knowledge, word identification, and passage comprehension. Overall language development at age 3 just as strongly, or even more strongly, correlated with reading scores at age 7 as it had with metalinguistic and print awareness scores at age 3. In addition, the overall metalinguistic skills and print awareness of 3 year olds made significant contributions to reading achievement beyond what was provided by tacit language development. Specific metalinguistic domains were also good predictors of reading, with phonological and structural awareness offering more than word awareness.
Persistent systemic monocyte and neutrophil activation in neonatal encephalopathy

Abstract Aim: Circulating immune cell activation is associated with worse outcome in adult and animal models of brain injury. Our aim was to profile the systemic inflammatory response over the first week of life in infants at risk of neonatal encephalopathy and correlate early neutrophil and monocyte endotoxin and activation responses with outcome. Methods: Prospective observational study in a tertiary referral university hospital including 22 infants requiring resuscitation at birth who had serial (five time points) neutrophil and monocyte CD11b (marker of cell adhesion) (intracellular Reactive oxygen intermediates) ROI (cell activation), and Toll-like receptor (endotoxin recognition) before and after endotoxin stimulation ex vivo compared to neonatal controls. Results: All neonates requiring resuscitation at delivery (n = 122 samples) had higher neutrophil and monocyte CD11b and TLR-4 expressions compared with adults and neonatal controls. Neonates with abnormal neuroimaging and/or severe neonatal encephalopathy had increased CD11b, ROI and TLR-4. Increased PMN TLR-4 expression was associated with increased mortality in infants with neonatal encephalopathy (NE). Conclusion: Innate immune dysregulation in the first week of life is associated with severity of outcome in neonatal brain injury in this cohort and may be amenable to immunomodulation.
THE STABILITY OF ORAL PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENT ON THE ORAL INTERVIEW TESTING PROCEDURES

The paper first discusses the complexity of measuring oral proficiency in communicative situations. The difficulty is due to the large number of variables, linguistic and social, which interact with one another. It then reports on a study which examined the stability of the assessment of oral proficiency on the oral interview test. Students of Hebrew as a foreign language underwent four administrations of different versions of that test. The administrations differed from one another by the occasion, the interviewer, the speech style, and the topic. Results from the analysis indicated that the different speech style and topic significantly affected students' scores on these tests while the occasion and the interviewer did not. The correlational analysis between pairs of tests pointed to low reliability and lack of stability of the tests, especially when two variables (i.e., occasion and tester) interacted. The results call for use of caution when decisions about individuals are made based on administration of communicative tests, for a need to identify sources of error in communicative tests, and for drawing stringent guidelines for the use of such tests.
The Trend in Firm Profitability and the Cross Section of Stock Returns

ABSTRACT: This study shows that the recent trajectory of a firm's profits predicts future profitability and stock returns. The predictive information contained in the trend of profitability is not subsumed by the level of profitability, earnings momentum, or other well-known determinants of stock returns. The profit trend also predicts the earnings surprise one quarter later, and analyst forecast errors over the following 12 months, suggesting that sophisticated investors underreact to the information in the profit trend. On the other hand, we find no evidence of investor overreaction, and our results cannot be explained by well-known risk factors. JEL Classifications: G12; G14.
Perception of Tone in Whispered Mandarin Sentences: The Case for Singapore Mandarin

Whispering is commonly used when one needs to speak softly (for instance, in a library). Whispered speech mainly differs from neutral speech in that voicing, and thus its acoustic correlate F0, is absent. It is well known that in tonal languages such as Mandarin, tone identity is primarily conveyed by the F0 contour. Previous works also suggest that secondary correlates are both consistent and sufficient to convey Mandarin tone in whisper. However, these results are focused on Standard Mandarin spoken in Mainland China and have only been obtained via small-scale experiments using citation-form speech. To investigate whether these results will carry over to continuous sentences in other variations of Mandarin, we present a study that is the first of its nature to explore native Singapore Mandarin. Unlike related works, our large-scale perceptual experiment thoroughly investigates lexical tones in whispered and neutral Mandarin by involving more diverse speech data, greater number of listeners and use syllables excised from continuous speech to better simulate natural speech conditions. Our findings differ significantly from earlier works in terms of the recognition patterns observed. We present further in-depth analysis on how various phonetic characteristics (vowel contexts, place and manner of articulation) affect whispered tone perception.