Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Host image and destination personality.

The purpose of this research was to develop a path analytical model to test multiple direct and indirect relationships involving tourists' perception of host image, destination personality, and behavioral intentions. Specifically, the study tested hypotheses that host image has a positive impact on destination personality that in return will have a positive effect on intent to return and word of mouth. To assess the mediating role of the destination personality, direct effects of host image on intent to return and word of mouth were also investigated. The data were collected from a sample of 365 German travelers to the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The findings of the study indicate that destination personality has three dimensions: conviviality, sincerity, and excitement, and tourists do use these concepts to form symbolic meanings of destinations. These dimensions have a positive influence on intent to return and word of mouth, whereas host image has a positive impact on the destination personality dimensions. The influences of host image on each destination personality dimension show variations in terms of significance and strength of the relationship. Although host image has a positive effect on intent to return, its overall contribution to the explained variance is small. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed within the context of destination branding theory.
Temperature control of a neutral time delay central heating system via a two term disturbance compensator

The control problem of a central heating system is studied via a PD controller feeding back the environment temperature and the performance output, i.e. the temperature of the heated room. The design goal is to compensate the influence of the environment temperature to the room temperature. To achieve this goal, a PI controller has supplementary been used. Even though, the controller is simple and easily implementable to low level control architectures, the performance the closed loop system is satisfactory. The parameters of the controller are computed using pure and mixed heuristic schemes based on the linearization of the nonlinear general neutral plant and minimizing the norm of the influence of the disturbance to the plant output.
Immunoglobulin M responses to the Norwalk virus of gastroenteritis

Eighty-seven serum specimens from 20 human subjects experimentally inoculated one or more times with Norwalk virus were quantitatively examined for virus-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM). A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for anti-Norwalk virus blocking activity was applied to whole serum and to separate IgM and IgG fractions obtained by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The peak IgM response occurred at about 2 weeks after illness, but IgM was detectable at lower titers for up to 21 weeks after infection. The IgM response was seen in volunteers who became ill, whether or not prechallenge total serum antibody was present. On long-term (27 to 42 months) rechallenge, volunteers who were previously ill and had produced IgM antibody again developed illness, and a secondary IgM response greater than the first was detected. Inoculated volunteers who did not develop illness, as well as previously ill volunteers on short-term rechallenge (4 to 14 weeks), usually failed to generate an IgM response, whether or not an IgG response had occurred. In ill subjects, the rise in IgM and IgG occurred concomitantly. Virus-specific IgM is not necessarily indicative of primary infection with Norwalk agent inasmuch as reinfection produces an enhancement of the IgM response. Furthermore, Norwalk-specific IgM responses do not appear to be associated with subclinical illness.
Organic memristive devices: Architecture, properties and applications in neuromorphic networks

Organic memristive device is an element specially constructed for mimicking synapse properties. Its working principle is based on the significant difference of conducting polymers properties (polyaniline, in particular) when they are in the reduced and oxidized states. Initially, it will be described the architecture and properties of organic memristor. Then, the logic elements with memory will be introduced. The analogy with synapses will be demonstrated showing the artificially realized circuit, mimicking a part of the nervous system of the pond snail, responsible for the learning of this animal during feeding. Organic memristive devices are in places of synapses of the snail model and the circuit was able to make the association of the neutral stimulus (touching of lips) with the presence of food. Finally, it will be described a stochastic network, composed from block-copolymers, polyaniline and gold nanoparticles. Several similarities of the network properties and nervous systems have been observed. In particular, applying different training algorithms, the system revealed features, similar to “adult” and “baby” (imprinting) learning.
Dynamical Synapses Enhance Neural Information Processing: Gracefulness, Accuracy, and Mobility

Experimental data have revealed that neuronal connection efficacy exhibits two forms of short-term plasticity: short-term depression (STD) and short-term facilitation (STF). They have time constants residing between fast neural signaling and rapid learning and may serve as substrates for neural systems manipulating temporal information on relevant timescales. This study investigates the impact of STD and STF on the dynamics of continuous attractor neural networks and their potential roles in neural information processing. We find that STD endows the network with slow-decaying plateau behaviors: the network that is initially being stimulated to an active state decays to a silent state very slowly on the timescale of STD rather than on that of neuralsignaling. This provides a mechanism for neural systems to hold sensory memory easily and shut off persistent activities gracefully. With STF, we find that the network can hold a memory trace of external inputs in the facilitated neuronal interactions, which provides a way to stabilize the network response to noisy inputs, leading to improved accuracy in population decoding. Furthermore, we find that STD increases the mobility of the network states. The increased mobility enhances the tracking performance of the network in response to time-varying stimuli, leading to anticipative neural responses. In general, we find that STD and STP tend to have opposite effects on network dynamics and complementary computational advantages, suggesting that the brain may employ a strategy of weighting them differentially depending on the computational purpose.
Interaction Patterns of Mixed Sex Groups in Educational Computer Conferences. Part I--Empirical Findings

ABSTRACT This article considers the patterns of interaction in small, mixed sex groups of postgraduate students working in computer conference environments. Additionally, the views of participants concerning gender issues in these groups are examined. The research reported here differs from previous work in this area in several ways: the medium of communication is asynchronous computer conferences rather than face-to-face; the study is naturalistic rather than experimental; and it involves the study of groups that met over extended periods of time. The findings suggest that this new medium of group work offers new opportunities for female members of mixed sex groups, especially in terms of their ability to take turns, speak for similar lengths of time to those of male members, and direct the conversations. Generally, females appear to be at less of a disadvantage in this medium than in face-to-face meetings. It would seem that this medium offers the potential for greater equality of participation for fema.
M Tests with a New Normalization Matrix

This paper proposes a new family of M tests building on the work of Kuan and Lee (2006) and Kiefer et al. (2000). The idea is to replace the asymptotic covariance matrix in conventional M tests with an alternative normalization matrix, constructed using moment functions estimated from (K + 1) recursive subsamples. The new tests are simple to implement. They automatically account for the effect of parameter estimation and allow for conditional heteroskedasticity and serial correlation of general forms. They converge to central F distributions under the fixed-K asymptotics and to chi-square distributions if K is allowed to approach infinity. We illustrate their applications using three simulation examples: (1) specification testing for conditional heteroskedastic models, (2) non-nested testing with serially correlated errors, and (3) testing for serial correlation with unknown heteroskedasticity. The results show that the new tests exhibit good size properties with power often comparable to the conventional M tests while being substantially higher than that of Kuan and Lee (2006).
Creating learning organizations: a systems perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer a theoretical contribution to explicate the various factors and aspects that influence Senge's five disciplines and their outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – The paper develops a conceptual framework for the analysis of antecedents and outcomes of Senge's five disciplines, and offers moderators to explain the prospect associations, employing a multi‐level analysis to explore issues, from the individual level (personal mastery) through the collective level (team learning, mental model) up to the organizational level (shared vision, systems thinking). Based on this theoretical framework, the paper offers a set of propositions in the shape of a causal model that links the constructs of the model together.Findings – The development of the model manifests wide areas of relevance to the learning organization and points out significant interdependences and interactions among the various constructs associated with Senge's five disciplines of the learning organiza.
Lottery marketing in Québec and social deprivation: excessive exposure, insufficient protection?

In 2008, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) undertook a research programme on lotteries. The preliminary qualitative exploratory component enabled us to observe the diversity and ubiquity of lottery advertising to which the vast majority of the population is exposed, including minors and non-players. The aim of a second component was to better comprehend the relationships between exposure to lottery marketing, lottery purchasing habits, attitudes towards gambling, and socio-economic vulnerability indicators. The study's data was collected by a polling firm from a representative sample of adults in the Québec population (n = 2001). Our survey revealed significant links between exposure, gambling behaviour and certain socio-economic indicators: for example, individuals with lower levels of education more often play the lotteries and spend the most on them. In addition, a greater number of people who are less educated and from a low-income household considered that lottery advertising was very or excessively present in their daily lives and that the amount of advertising has increased in recent years. From the perspective of creating healthy environments and protecting vulnerable populations, legislative measures to control the quantity, location and contents of gambling marketing would be promising preventive measures.
Verbal and Nonverbal Empathy and Prediction of Social Behavior of Young Children

32 preschool children were videotaped while being administered Feshbach's FASTE test. The intensity of the expression of emotion in the face and voice to the emotions of happiness, anger, sadness, and fear was rated. Measures of cooperation and aggression were also obtained for each child. Feshbach's measure was predictive of cooperation but not of aggression. Different patterns of correlations were evident for facial and vocal empathy, with facial empathy showing negative correlations with cooperation. The expression of empathic sensitivity and its role in social behavior are discussed.
A comparison of facemask and respirator filtration test methods

ABSTRACT NIOSH published a Federal Register Notice to explore the possibility of incorporating FDA required filtration tests for surgical masks (SMs) in the 42 CFR Part 84 respirator certification process. There have been no published studies comparing the filtration efficiency test methods used for NIOSH certification of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95 FFRs) with those used by the FDA for clearance of SMs. To address this issue, filtration efficiencies of “N95 FFRs” including six N95 FFR models and three surgical N95 FFR models, and three SM models were measured using the NIOSH NaCl aerosol test method, and FDA required particulate filtration efficiency (PFE) and bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) methods, and viral filtration efficiency (VFE) method. Five samples of each model were tested using each method. Both PFE and BFE tests were done using unneutralized particles as per FDA guidance document. PFE was measured using 0.1 µm size polystyrene latex particles and BFE with ∼3.0 µm size particles containing Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. VFE was obtained using ∼3.0 µm size particles containing phiX 174 as the challenge virus and Escherichia coli as the host. Results showed that the efficiencies measured by the NIOSH NaCl method for “N95 FFRs” were from 98.15–99.68% compared to 99.74–99.99% for PFE, 99.62–99.9% for BFE, and 99.8–99.9% for VFE methods. Efficiencies by the NIOSH NaCl method were significantly (p = <0.05) lower than the other methods. SMs showed lower efficiencies (54.72–88.40%) than “N95 FFRs” measured by the NIOSH NaCl method, while PFE, BFE, and VFE methods produced no significant difference. The above results show that the NIOSH NaCl method is relatively conservative and is able to identify poorly performing filtration devices. The higher efficiencies obtained using PFE, BFE and VFE methods show that adding these supplemental particle penetration methods will not improve respirator certification.
The ADHD label, analogue methodology, and participants' geographic location on judgments of social and attentional skills

Two hundred fifty-nine preservice teachers at a medium-sized university in the Southwest participated in the current study. The participants were randomly assigned to a labeled condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or nonlabeled condition, and were presented a vignette in one of three forms: a written case study, a video clip, or a written case study with a video clip. The vignette described an elementary school aged child displaying disruptive behavior, while the video portrayed a similar aged child exhibiting disruptive behavior in the classroom. Following the presentation of the vignette, participants made judgments about the child's social skills and attentional skills by completing an examiner-made rating scale. There was a significant main effect for the label condition on judgments of attention; participants in the labeled condition made significantly more negative judgment than did those in the nonlabeled condition. There were also significant main effects for the participants' high school location and vignette treatment. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 221–234, 2004.
TRPM7 senses oxidative stress to release Zn2+ from unique intracellular vesicles

Significance TRPM7 (transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 7) is required for normal organ development but also mediates anoxic neuronal death. TRPM7 contains a channel that conducts cations into the cytosol and C-terminal kinase that can phosphorylate multiple substrates. The kinase is cleaved to regulate gene expression and apoptosis. The link between TRPM7’s channel and its organismal function remains the least understood aspect of TRPM7. Here, we identify intracellular Zn2+ storage vesicles that contain the majority of TRPM7 protein. TRPM7 senses reactive oxygen species (ROS) to release Zn2+ from these vesicles. Just as the endoplasmic reticulum sequesters and releases Ca2+, we propose that these vesicles fulfill a similar function for Zn2+ and that TRPM7 coordinates fluctuations in cellular [Zn2+] and ROS during development and injury. TRPM7 (transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 7) regulates gene expression and stress-induced cytotoxicity and is required in early embryogenesis through organ development. Here, we show that the majority of TRPM7 is localized in abundant intracellular vesicles. These vesicles (M7Vs) are distinct from endosomes, lysosomes, and other familiar vesicles or organelles. M7Vs accumulate Zn2+ in a glutathione-enriched, reduced lumen when cytosolic Zn2+ concentrations are elevated. Treatments that increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) trigger TRPM7-dependent Zn2+ release from the vesicles, whereas reduced glutathione prevents TRPM7-dependent cytosolic Zn2+ influx. These observations strongly support the notion that ROS-mediated TRPM7 activation releases Zn2+ from intracellular vesicles after Zn2+ overload. Like the endoplasmic reticulum, these vesicles are a distributed system for divalent cation uptake and release, but in this case the primary divalent ion is Zn2+ rather than Ca2+.
The cosmic evolution of metallicity from the SDSS fossil record

We infer the time evolution of the stellar metallicity for Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) galaxies by interpreting their spectra through stellar population models using a sample that spans 5 orders of magnitude in stellar mass (10 7 -10 12 M ⊙ ). Assuming the Bruzual & Charlot stellar population models, we find that more massive galaxies are more metal rich than less massive ones at all redshifts; the mass-metallicity relation is imprinted in galaxies from z ∼ 3, close to the epoch of formation. For galaxies with present stellar masses >10 10 M ⊙ , the time evolution of stellar metallicity is very weak, with at most 0.2-0.3 dex shift over 12 Gyr - for this reason, the mass-metallicity relation evolves little with redshift. However, for galaxies with present stellar masses <10 10 M ⊙ , the evolution is significant, with metallicity increasing by more than a decade from redshift 3 to the present. By being able to recover the metallicity history, we have managed to identify the origin of a recent discrepancy between the metallicity recovered from nebular lines and absorption lines. As expected, we show that the young population dominates the former while the old population the latter. We have investigated the dependence on the stellar models used and find that older stellar population synthesis codes do not produce a clear result. Finally, we have explored the relationship between cluster environment and metallicity, and find a strong correlation in the sense that galaxies in high-density regions have high metallicity.
Yale Working Papers on Economic Applications and Policy Product Quality and Market Size Product Quality and Market Size

Do larger markets offer better products? The question has implications both for theories of cities and for theories of market organization. We document that in the restaurant industry, where quality is produced largely with variable costs, the range of qualities on offer increases in market size, with each product maintaining a small market share. In daily newspapers, where quality is produced with fixed costs, the average quality of products increases with market size, but the market does not offer much additional variety as it grows large. These results are consistent with recent IO theories of endogenous product quality and are consistent with theories of cities that place an emphasis on the consumption advantages of cities.
Oral Iron for Patients Receiving Dialysis: What is the Evidence?

This review aims to summarize the available evidence of the effectiveness of oral iron in patients receiving dialysis. Four small randomized controlled trials (105 evaluated patients) compared oral iron supplements with placebo or no treatment; hemoglobin and ferritin levels did not differ significantly between groups at the end of the studies, while transferrin saturation levels fell in the placebo group in two studies. One trial (46 evaluated patients), comparing different ferrous iron preparations, found that hemoglobin levels and iron indices were maintained, but not increased. Another trial (54 evaluated patients) compared heme iron polypeptide with ferrous sulfate; hemoglobin and transferrin saturation levels remained stable with both agents, but ferritin levels fell with heme iron polypeptide, but not ferrous sulfate. Two observational studies found that iron supplements can maintain hemoglobin and iron indices. Oral iron supplements were poorly tolerated. These sparse data suggest that oral iron is of little or no benefit in raising hemoglobin and iron indices in patients receiving dialysis. Further data are required to determine if oral iron can maintain adequate iron indices following iron replenishment using intravenous iron supplements.
Effects of green tea or green tea extract on insulin sensitivity and glycaemic control in populations at risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND Although the regular consumption of green tea or green tea extract has been considered to improve insulin sensitivity, the reported results are inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of green tea or green tea extract on insulin sensitivity and glycaemic control in populations at risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS Electronic databases, including PUBMED, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, ISI Web of Knowledge, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database and Chinese Scientific Journals Fulltext Database, were systematically searched to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) up to December 2011, supplemented by the Clinicaltrials.gov websites and the reference lists of identified studies. Two reviewers independently selected trials, extracted data, and evaluated the methodological qualities and evidence levels. RESULTS Seven RCTs involving 510 participants were identified. There was no statistically significant difference between green tea or green tea extract group and placebo group with regard to fasting plasma glucose [standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.15 to 0.24], fasting serum insulin (SMD -0.09; 95% CI -0.30 to 0.11), 2-h plasma glucose in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT-2 h) (SMD -0.14; 95% CI -0.63 to 0.34), haemoglobin A₁c (SMD 0.10; 95% CI -0.13 to 0.33) and homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA(IR)) index (SMD -0.06; 95% CI -0.35 to 0.23) in participants at risk of T2DM. CONCLUSIONS The consumption of green tea did not decrease the levels of fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin, OGTT-2 h glucose, haemoglobin A₁c and HOMA(IR) in populations at risk of T2DM. Larger, longer-term and high-quality RCTs are needed to further definitely determine the effect of green tea or green tea extract on insulin sensitivity and glycaemic control in populations at risk of T2DM.