Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Boundaries and Borders: How Do Recipients Interpret Social-Sexual Behaviour at Work?

This article aims to provide a conceptual framework for elucidating how and under what circumstances women interpret social-sexual behaviours they experience at work as sexual harassment, by reviewing journal articles related to the interpretation of sexual conduct and harassment published between 1990 and 2016. By appraising, expanding, synthesising and collating extant literature in the area, it is proposed that social-sexual behaviour experienced by women at the workplace will be interpreted as harassing or not depending on: a) how they perceive the appropriateness of the intentions of the harasser, b) their sensitivity to the issue of sexual harassment, c) how personally vulnerable they are, d) the context within which the behaviour occurred and c) the behaviour itself. The proposed framework adds to existing knowledge by building on and expanding the prior understanding of how social-sexual behviour at work is interpreted, going beyond the constricted attention paid to one or few factors affecting interpretation in a piecemeal fashion.
Modelling High-Dimensional Sequences with LSTM-RTRBM: Application to Polyphonic Music Generation

We propose an automatic music generation demo based on artificial neural networks, which integrates the ability of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) in memorizing and retrieving useful history information, together with the advantage of Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) in high dimensional data modelling. Our model can generalize to different musical styles and generate polyphonic music better than previous models.
Populism and the Gender Gap: Comparing Digital Engagement with Populist and Non-populist Facebook Pages in France, Italy, and Spain

This paper clarifies whether and to what extent populist communication could drive different gender-oriented reactions. We adopted an original research design intending Facebook as a natural environment where investigating the interaction between social media users and populist and non-populist parties. Our case selection considers three countries falling into the pluralist polarized media system: France, Italy, and Spain. A human content analysis was carried out on a sample of 2,235 Facebook posts published during thirty days in 2016 by the four main parties/leaders in each country. An original algorithm allowed to identify the gender of users liking each message. We tested whether men tend more to provide likes to messages posted by populist parties, messages published by radical populists, messages containing populist contents, and different components of populist messages. Findings confirm the existence of a gender-oriented reaction to populism: Men tend to support populist actors and parties on Facebook more than women do, by providing likes to their content. Yet the difference in gender gap between radical and moderate parties is not significant. We also found that the antielite component of populist discourse obtains more likes by male Facebook users. This pattern is common for both populist and non-populist parties.
The Associations between the Family Education and Mortality of Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

Aims To investigate whether education level of family members predicts all-cause and cardiovascular death and initial-episode peritonitis in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Methods A total of 2264 patients on chronic PD were collected from seven centers affiliated with the Socioeconomic Status on the Outcome of Peritoneal Dialysis (SSOP) Study. All demographic, socioeconomic and laboratory data of patients and the education level of all family members were recorded at baseline. Multivariate Cox regression was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and initial-episode peritonitis with adjustments for recognized traditional factors. Results There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between patients with (n = 1752) and without (n = 512) complete education information. According to the highest education level of patients' family, included 1752 patients were divided into four groups, i.e. elementary or lower (15%), middle (27%), high (24%) and more than high school (34%). The family highest education (using elementary school or lower group as reference, hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval of middle school group, high school group and more than high school group was 0.68[0.48–0.96], 0.64[0.45–0.91], 0.66[0.48–0.91], respectively) rather than their average education level or patients' or spouse's education was significantly associated with the higher mortality. Neither patients' nor family education level did correlate to the risk for cardiovascular death or initial-episode peritonitis. Conclusions Family members' education level was found to be a novel predictor of PD outcome. Family, as the main source of health care providers, should be paid more attention in our practice.
A Supergame-Theoretic Model of Price Wars during Booms

This paper studies implicitly colluding oligopolists facing fluctuatingdemand. The credible threat of future punishments provides the discipline that facilitates collusion. However, the authors find that the temptation to unilaterally deviate from the collusive outcome is often greater when demand is high. To moderate this temptation, the optimizing oligopoly reduces its profitability at such times, resultingin lower prices. The behavior of the railroads in the 1880s, the automobile industry in the 1950s, the cyclical behavior of cement prices, and of price-cost margins are consistent with this theory. Thereduction of price by the oligopolistic sectors may have macro consequences. Copyright 1986 by American Economic Association.
The Real Costs of Corporate Credit Ratings Job-Market Paper

Credit rating agencies emphasize the importance of specific financial ratio thresholds in their rating process. Firms on the favorable side of these thresholds are more likely to receive higher ratings than similar firms that are not. I show that firms near these salient thresholds respond to the incentive to improve their appearance on this dimension by distorting real investment activities during periods leading up to bond issuance. These firms are significantly more likely to reduce R&D and SG&A expenditures compared to observationally similar firms not near a threshold. Subsequently, they are more likely to experience declines in innovation output, profitability, and Tobin’s Q. These distortions highlight an important cost of arms-length financing and an adverse consequence of transparency in credit rating criteria.
A Comparison between TCM and CVM in Assessing the Recreational Use Value of Urban Forestry

SUMMARY In a developing country such as India the contingent valuation method (CVM) cannot always provide a correct valuation of recreational use benefits of an environmental resource given the huge size of the parallel economy involving different categories of middle to upper income group families which have the capacity to move as tourists. The ‘participant observation method’ and ‘unstructured interview schedule’ are necessary tools to be used in such cases, in addition to a ‘structured interview schedule’ which is used for primary data collection in the travel cost method (TCM) and the CVM under normal circumstances. A general model depicting the relation of the ratio of consumer surplus estimated in TCM and CVM with ‘corruption perception index’ has been developed in the case of tourists from various countries with different world rankings in so far as their parallel economy and level of corruption are concerned.
Sensitivity of Cancer Cells to Truncated Diphtheria Toxin

Background Diphtheria toxin (DT) has been utilized as a prospective anti-cancer agent for the targeted delivery of cytotoxic therapy to otherwise untreatable neoplasia. DT is an extremely potent toxin for which the entry of a single molecule into a cell can be lethal. DT has been targeted to cancer cells by deleting the cell receptor-binding domain and combining the remaining catalytic portion with targeting proteins that selectively bind to the surface of cancer cells. It has been assumed that “receptorless” DT cannot bind to and kill cells. In the present study, we report that “receptorless” recombinant DT385 is in fact cytotoxic to a variety of cancer cell lines. Methods In vitro cytotoxicity of DT385 was measured by cell proliferation, cell staining and apoptosis assays. For in vivo studies, the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) system was used to evaluate the effect of DT385 on angiogenesis. The CAM and mouse model system was used to evaluate the effect of DT385 on HEp3 and Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumor growth, respectively. Results Of 18 human cancer cell lines tested, 15 were affected by DT385 with IC50 ranging from 0.12–2.8 µM. Furthermore, high concentrations of DT385 failed to affect growth arrested cells. The cellular toxicity of DT385 was due to the inhibition of protein synthesis and induction of apoptosis. In vivo, DT385 diminished angiogenesis and decreased tumor growth in the CAM system, and inhibited the subcutaneous growth of LLC tumors in mice. Conclusion DT385 possesses anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor activity and may have potential as a therapeutic agent.
Emergent Coordinators in the World Trade Center Disaster

In this paper, we investigate coordination within responder radio communication networks during the World Trade Center disaster. We identify agents who are involved in high levels of coordinative activity, classifying their roles as institutionalized (i.e., mandated by formal position) or emergent. The extent to which coordination is effected by agents in institutionalized or emergent roles is then compared across networks of specialist and non-specialist responders. We find that, regardless of specialization, the great majority of coordinators occupy emergent roles. At the same time, where agents with institutionalized coordinative roles are present, they are substantially more likely to become actual coordinators. This uniformity across responder specialization suggests that event context may be as important as background factors in determining the emergence of coordination during times of crisis. As with past findings regarding improvisation in disasters, our results suggest obstacles for response policies that treat institutional status as an effective proxy for post-event role performance.
Short-term effect of zoledronic acid upon fracture resistance of the mandibular condyle and femoral head in an animal model

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects in terms of resistance to fracture of the mandibular condyle and femoral head following different doses of zoledronic acid in an animal model. Study design: A total of 80 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were included in a prospective randomized study. The animals were randomly divided into four groups of 20 rats each. Group 1 (control) received sterile saline solution, while groups 2, 3 and 4 received a accumulated dose of 0.2 mg, 0.4 mg and 0.6 mg of zoledronic acid, respectively. The animals were sacrificed 28 days after the last dose, and the right hemimandible and the right femur were removed. The fracture strength was measured (in Newtons) with a universal test machine using a 1 kN load connected to a metal rod with one end angled at 30 degrees. The cross-head speed was 1 mm/min. Later, the specimens were observed under a scanning electron microscope with backscattered electron imaging (SEM-BSE). At last, chemical analysis and elemental mapping of the mineral bone composition were generated using a microanalytical system based on energy-dispersive and X-ray spectrometry (EDX). Results: A total of 160 fracture tests were performed. The fracture resistance increased in mandible and femur with a higher accumulated dose of zoledronic acid. Statistically significant differences were recorded versus the controls with all the studies groups. The chemical analysis in mandible showed a significantly increased of calcium and phosphorous to compare the control with all of the study groups; however, in femur no statistically significant differences between the four study groups were observed. Conclusions: The administration of bisphosphonates increases the fracture resistance in mandible and femur. Key words:Zoledronic acid, bisphosphonates, animal experimentation, fracture test.
Thomson Scattering from Warm Dense Matter

The dynamic structure function for Thomson scattering of x-rays by warm dense matter is evaluated within the average-atom framework. Contributions to the dynamic-structure function from elastic scattering by ions and from inelastic scattering by free and bound electrons are considered. Each contribution is evaluated using input parameters obtained from the averageatom model. Bound-state features in the scattered x-ray spectrum are found to be unimportant compared to collective features (plasmon resonances) for low momentum transfer but grow as the momentum transfer increases and eventually dominate the spectrum. Except for the case of aluminum, theory only is covered here. Applications of this computational scheme are given in an accompanying paper. For aluminum, the present calculations disagree substantially with those of Sahoo et al. [Phys. Rev. E 77, 046402 (2008)]. The nature and origin of the disagreement is discussed.
Analytical tools for optimizing the error correction performance of arithmetic codes

In joint source-channel arithmetic coding (JSCAC) schemes, additional redundancy may be introduced into an arithmetic source code in order to be more robust against transmission errors. The purpose of this work is to provide analytical tools to predict and evaluate the effectiveness of that redundancy. Integer binary arithmetic coding (AC) is modeled by a reduced-state automaton in order to obtain a bit-clock trellis describing the encoding process. Considering AC as a trellis code, distance spectra are then derived. In particular, an algorithm to compute the free distance of an arithmetic code is proposed. The obtained code properties allow to compute upper bounds on both bit error and symbol error probabilities and thus to provide an objective criterion to analyze the behavior of JSCAC schemes when used on noisy channels. This criterion is then exploited to design efficient error-correcting arithmetic codes. Simulation results highlight the validity of the theoretical error bounds and show that for equivalent rate and complexity, a simple optimization yields JSCACs that outperform classical tandem schemes at low to medium SNR.
Reputation Effects in Two-Sided Incomplete-Information Games

This paper studies reputation effects in a class of games with imperfect public monitoring and two long-lived players, both of whom have private information about their own type and uncertainty over the types of the other player. Players may be either a strategic type who maximizes expected utility or a (simple) commitment type who plays a prespecified action every period. As in standard models, the reputation of a strategic type of player for being the commitment type is established by mimicking the behavior of the commitment type. The distinct feature of our model is that both strategic players aim to establish a (false) reputation for being the commitment type. The class of games we consider encompasses a wide range of economic interactions between two parties that involve hiddeninformation (e.g. between a regulator and a regulatee) or hidden-action (e.g between an employer and an employee), where the reputation concerns of both parties are apparent. In both games, one party (principal) prefers that the other party (agent) play in a specific way and use costly auditing to enforce this behavior. The principal aims to establish a reputation for being diligent; whereas the agent want to build a reputation for being virtuous. Extending the techniques of Cripps, Mailath, and Samuelson (2004), we find that neither strategic player can sustain a reputation for playing a noncredible behavior, i.e. a behavior which is not optimal given that the opponent is best responding in the stage game. Hence, in this class, the true types of both players will be revealed eventually in all Nash equilibria and the asymmetric information does not affect equilibrium analysis in the long-run. In fact, we show that this is the only class of two-sided incomplete information games (with simple commitment types) where reputations disappear in the long-run, in all equilibria. To do so, we provide an example where reputations for noncredible behavior are sustained in a Nash equilibrium. ∗I am grateful to my advisor Aldo Rustichini for his invaluable guidance and encouragement throughout this project. I also thank Chris Phelan and Jan Werner for their very helpful comments and support. In addition, I thank Rajesh Aggarwal, Beth Allen, Ioanna Grypari, David Rahman, Gina Pieters, Itai Sher, Yuichiro Waki, Randall Wright and participants of Mathematical Economics Workshop at the University of Minnesota, seminars at Bogazici University, Middle East Technical University, Bilkent University and TOBB-ETU for their comments and suggestions. Financial support from Graduate Research Partnership Program Fellowship is gratefully acknowledged. All remaining errors are mine. Email ayca@econ.umn. edu for comments and questions.
Transfer Is Not Enough: A Case Study From a Western-Style MSW Program in Beijing

Objective: The main purpose is to empirically investigate the outcomes of a Western-style Master of Social Work program that was designed by School of Social Work, University of Southern California and contextually implemented in School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University. Method: A three-wave panel study was used and a focus group discussion was conducted to evaluate the program. Results: Students reported a significant improvement in professional competence and satisfaction and a moderate decline in professional commitment after classroom training. However, after field training, there was almost no significant difference in professional competence and satisfaction, but there was a decline in professional commitment. Conclusions: The results come down to gaps between organizational development and students’ personal development, between education and practice, and between students’ expectation and reality. This study highlights the importance to fill in the gaps and sheds light on the way to indigenize social work education in China.
Influence of sleep disorders on somatic symptoms, mental health, and quality of life in patients with chronic constipation

Background: Sleep disturbance is a common symptom in CC patients, and it is positively related to greater somatic and psychiatric symptoms. Methods: The participants were 126 adult outpatients with CC. The measures were: constipation—Constipation Scoring System (CSS) and Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM); sleep—Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); anxiety—General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7); depression—Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); and QOL—Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) and SF-36. Patients were divided into sleep-disorder and normal-sleep groups by their PSQI scores. Results: The sleep-disorder group had significantly higher rates of incomplete defecation and blockage and higher CSS scores, PAC-SYM total scores, and PAC-SYM rectal-item scores than the normal-sleep group. GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores were significantly higher in patients with poor sleep. Furthermore, sleep disorders, depression, and anxiety were all positively correlated with constipation severity. “Worry/anxiety” score of PAC-QOL scale was significantly higher and scores for seven SF-36 subscales were significantly lower in patients with poor sleep. In addition, correlation analyses showed significant negative relations between QOL and constipation, sleep disturbance, anxiety as well as depression. However, multiple regression revealed that PAC-QOL was positively associated with severe constipation and SF-36 was negatively associated with anxiety and depression. But sleep disturbance was not the independent risk factor for QOL of CC patients. Conclusion: Sleep disorders may worsen the physical- and mental health of CC patients. Sleep disturbance may lower CC patients’ QOL indirectly through the combined effects of anxiety, depression, and constipation.
Effect of silence between tones on auditory stream segregation.

The present study investigates the effect on auditory stream segregation of the duration of silent gaps between items of a repeating sequence of sine tone stimuli. While previous investigators had shown that gaps reduced the tendency for items to segregate, the present experiment showed that this was not the case; rather, in adjusting tone durations for stream segregation thresholds, subjects simply compensated for increased gap duration, keeping the total time (tone duration plus gap duration) constant.Subject Classification: [43]65.75, [43]65.54, [43]65.68.
The State of the Union: Contemporary Interminority Attitudes in the United States

Abstract An emerging body of work examines relations among marginalized groups, presupposing that interminority interactions display increased levels of animosity or compassion as compared to majority–minority processes. The current article compares interminority and majority–minority attitudes in a nationally representative data set, finding that racial, sexual, and gender minority groups express similar or more favorable attitudes and political support toward a minority outgroup. Experimental follow-ups explore conditions leading to more positive interminority interactions, finding that primes of similarity facilitate increased support toward a minority outgroup. A final minimal-pairs design explores the role of comparative disadvantage in these processes, suggesting that increased interminority support does not extend to a minority target group that is more privileged than the ingroup. Theoretical and empirical implications are addressed.
Don’t Sleep on It: An Examination of Storm Naming and Potential Heuristic Effects on Twitter

Humans often prefer representations that are cognitively easier to store, and these representations are easier to retrieve later to make judgments about events. Exemplification theory draws on evolutionary logic and argues that simple, iconic, concrete, and emotionally arousing depictions of events (exemplars) are favored and thus more likely to be stored and used than are abstract, inconsequential depictions or representations. This study examined exemplified aspects of storm warnings in a Twitter feed. A three-condition study was completed, and variables examined included storm severity, susceptibility, hazard, outrage, and willingness to change or engage in specific behaviors. Results suggest the possibility of a sleeper effect impacting perceptions of severity. Results are discussed in theoretical and practical applications along with the consideration of other theories to be applied to future research.
Jointly optimal power and signature sequence allocation for fading CDMA

We solve for the optimum signature sequence and power allocation policies that maximize the information theoretic ergodic sum capacity of a code division multiple access (CDMA) system subject to fading. We show that at most N users may transmit at any given channel state, where N is the processing gain, and that those users who are transmitting should be assigned orthogonal signature sequences. We also show that the power allocation policy that maximizes the capacity together with the choice of these signature sequences is single user waterfilling over sets of channel states that are favorable to each user. That is, the capacity maximizing signalling scheme is shown to dictate that the users allocate their powers and signature sequences in such a way that they always avoid interference from each other.