Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Linear wave propagation in relativistic magnetohydrodynamics

The properties of linear Alfven, slow, and fast magnetoacoustic waves for uniform plasmas in relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) are discussed, augmenting the well-known expressions for their phase speeds with knowledge on the group speed. A 3+1 formalism is purposely adopted to make direct comparison with the Newtonian MHD limits easier and to stress the graphical representation of their anisotropic linear wave properties using the phase and group speed diagrams. By drawing these for both the fluid rest frame and for a laboratory Lorentzian frame which sees the plasma move with a three-velocity having an arbitrary orientation with respect to the magnetic field, a graphical view of the relativistic aberration effects is obtained for all three MHD wave families. Moreover, it is confirmed that the classical Huygens construction relates the phase and group speed diagram in the usual way, even for the lab frame viewpoint. Since the group speed diagrams correspond to exact solutions for initial conditions corresponding to a localized point perturbation, their formulae and geometrical construction can serve to benchmark current high-resolution algorithms for numerical relativistic MHD.
The Role of Internal and External Sources of Evaluation in Motivating Task Performance

White, Kjelgaard, and Harkins (1995) found that participants asked to strive to achieve a stringent criterion outperformed participants asked to do their best (a goal-setting effect). However, the goal-setting effect occurred only when participants were subject to experimenter evaluation. Participants not subject to experimenter evaluation performed no better than experimenter evaluation participants who were asked to do their best. In the current research, Experiments 1 and 2 suggest that this do-your-best level of performance results from the no-experimenter evaluation participants use of the stringent criterion as a yardstick against which they can compare their performance. Although these experiments show that the potential for self-evaluation can motivate performance, Experiment 3 shows that self-evaluation does not contribute to the goal-setting effect; the potential for experimenter evaluation alone is responsible for this effect. Taken together, these findings advance our understanding of the interplay between internal and external sources of evaluation in motivating task performance.
Higher intracellular levels of uridinemonophosphate under nitrogen-limited conditions enhance metabolic flux of curdlan synthesis in Agrobacterium species.

Changes of intracellular nucleotide levels and their stimulatory effects on curdlan synthesis in Agrobacterium species were investigated under different culture conditions. Under nitrogen-limited conditions where curdlan synthesis was stimulated, intracellular levels of UMP were as high as 87 and those of AMP were 78 nmol/mg of cellular protein, while those under nitrogen-sufficient conditions were lower than 45 nmol/mg-protein. The levels of other nucleotides such as UDP, UTP, UDP-glucose, ADP, ATP, and ADP-glucose were lower than 30 nmol/mg-protein under both nitrogen-limited and sufficient conditions. The time profiles of curdlan synthesis and cellular nucleotide levels showed that curdlan synthesis had a positive relationship with intracellular levels of UMP and AMP. After the ammonium concentration in the medium fell below 0.1 g/L, intracellular levels of UMP and AMP increased, followed by curdlan synthesis. However, no significant changes in the specific activities of UMP kinase, UDP kinase, and UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase were observed during cultivation. In vitro enzyme reactions for the synthesis of UDP-glucose, which serve as a precursor for curdlan synthesis, demonstrated that the synthesis of UDP-glucose increased with the increase of UMP concentration. In contrast, AMP had no effect on UDP-glucose synthesis at all. Addition of UMP in the medium increased the curdlan synthesis, whereas curdlan synthesis was inhibited in the presence of AMP. From these results, we concluded that only the higher intracellular UMP levels caused by nitrogen limitation in the medium enhance the metabolic flux of curdlan synthesis by promoting cellular UDP-glucose synthesis.
First-principles simulations of direct coexistence of solid and liquid aluminum

First-principles calculations based on density-functional theory, with generalized gradient corrections and ultrasoft pseudopotentials, have been used to simulate solid and liquid aluminum in direct coexistence at zero pressure. Simulations have been carried out on systems containing up to 1000 atoms for 15 ps. The points on the melting curve extracted from these simulations are in very good agreement with previous calculations, which employed the same electronic structure method but used an approach based on the explicit calculation of free energies [L. Vocadlo and D. Alfe, Phys. Rev. B 65, 214105 (2002)].
Measuring the Financial Benefits of IT Investments on Coordination

We know from the information processing perspective within the theory of organizations that IT can reduce coordination costs by increasing an organization's information processing capacity. Purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the relationship between greater investments in information technology and lower coordination costs on firm-level data. Two high-level measures of coordination costs are defined based on the information processing perspective within the theory of organizations. Our hypothesis that greater IT investments should be correlated with lower coordination costs is tested with both measures on longitudinal data from a cross-sectional sample of 18 large Italian companies over an 8-year period between 1988 and 1995. Results on this sample seem to support our hypothesis by showing a significant and negative correlation both aggregately and on sub-samples of data clustered by industry.
Duration and intensity of shade differentially affects mycorrhizal growth- and phosphorus uptake responses of Medicago truncatula

Plant and fungal partners in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis trade mineral nutrients for carbon, with the outcome of this relationship for plant growth and nutrition being highly context-dependent and changing with the availability of resources as well as with the specific requirements of the different partners. Here we studied how the model legume Medicago truncatula, inoculated or not with a mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis, responded to a gradient of light intensities applied over different periods of time, in terms of growth, phosphorus nutrition and the levels of root colonization by the mycorrhizal fungus. Short-term (6 d) shading, depending on its intensity, resulted in a rapid decline of phosphorus uptake to the shoots of mycorrhizal plants and simultaneous accumulation of phosphorus in the roots (most likely in the fungal tissues), as compared to the non-mycorrhizal controls. There was, however, no significant change in the levels of mycorrhizal colonization of roots due to short-term shading. Long-term (38 d) shading, depending on its intensity, provoked a multitude of plant compensatory mechanisms, which were further boosted by the mycorrhizal symbiosis. Mycorrhizal growth- and phosphorus uptake benefits, however, vanished at 10% of the full light intensity applied over a long-term. Levels of root colonization by the mycorrhizal fungus were significantly reduced by long-term shading. Our results indicate that even short periods of shade could have important consequences for the functioning of mycorrhizal symbiosis in terms of phosphorus transfer between the fungus and the plants, without any apparent changes in root colonization parameters or mycorrhizal growth response, and call for more focused research on temporal dynamics of mycorrhizal functioning under changing environmental conditions.
Developing intercultural competence through overseas student teaching: checking our assumptions

The following study was designed to determine the extent to which intercultural competence, as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory, is impacted as a result of an overseas student teaching experience. Student teachers participating in an overseas student teaching experience from 8 to 15 weeks through the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching were assessed prior to and at the end of the experience. Three groups were compared: an experience only group; one group with experience who were also sent reflective questions every 2–3 weeks; and a stay-at-home control group. Results suggest that overseas student teaching alone without a concerted effort to address intercultural growth is insufficient in bringing about a change in intercultural competence. Recommendations for program providers and schools of education are provided.
Legitimate Violence, Violent Attitudes, and Rape: A Test of the Cultural Spillover Theory a

This article examines the relationship between cultural support for violence and the incidence of rape in the 50 American states and the District of Columbia. Legitimate violence was measured with a Legitimate Violence Index that combines 12 indicators of noncriminal violence and a Violence Approval Index that combines 14 indicators of the social approval of violence. A theoretical model hypothesizing the relationship of these two measures of legitimate violence and seven control variables to rape was developed and tested using path analysis. The results show that legitimate violence is directly related to the rape rate. The degree of social disorganization, urbanization, and economic inequality, and the percent of single males are also directly related to rape. The population’s youthfulness and percent of blacks affeft rape indirectly through their association with legitimate violence. These findings are interpreted as providing support for structural explanations of the origins of cultural support for violence and for a cultural spillover theory of rape.
Gender differences in scientific knowledge and attitudes toward science: Reply to Hayes and Tariq

In a recent article in this journal Hayes and Tariq (hereafter H&T) contend that their analysis of the 1993 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) on environmental issues casts doubt on the “populist” idea that gender differences in favorable attitudes toward science can be accounted for by the different levels of scientiﬁc knowledge between men and women. While acknowledging the importance of their work in delineating the social and economic determinants of gender differences in attitudes toward science, we take issue with the interpretation they draw from their data. We argue ﬁrstly that their analysis errs in failing to recognize the importance of the order in which variables are entered into regression models and, as a consequence, draws theoretical inferences that are unwarranted by the evidence they present. Secondly, we argue that, rather than demonstrating that scientiﬁc knowledge is unimportant in explaining gender differences in attitudes toward science, their models in fact support the robustness of the positive relationship between knowledge and attitude even when controlling for a range of important mediating variables.
Associations between a Leader's Work Passion and an Employee's Work Passion: A Moderated Mediation Model

Based on the theory of emotional contagion and goal content, this study explored the positive associations between a leader's work passion and employees' work passion. This study investigated 364 employees and their immediate leaders from China, constructed a moderated mediation model, and used SPSS-PROCESS in conjunction with the Johnson-Neyman technique to analyze the data. The results showed that a leader's work passion was transferred to employees via emotional contagion, and the contagion process was moderated by leader–employee goal content congruence. This study provides a potential way to stimulate employees' work passion from the perspective of leader–employee interactions. Moreover, the limitations of the study and potential topics for future research are discussed.
Predominant microflora of downgraded Danish bulk tank milk.

The microflora of downgraded Danish bulk tank milk was examined to identify the main causes of increased microbial counts. Seventy-five representative samples with a microbial count exceeding 3.0 x 10(4) cfu/mL were selected for a more detailed microbial examination. A total of 1237 isolates from these samples were identified. Gram-negative, oxidase-positive bacteria were found in 72% of the samples. Coliforms were found in 20% of the samples, and non-coliforms were found in 49% of the samples. Coryneforms, other gram-positive rods, Lactococcus spp. , Micrococcus spp. , and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. were found in 28 to 53% of the samples. Bacillus spp. , Enterococcus spp. , Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, and yeasts were found in <25% of the samples. Additionally, the isolates were divided into 3 groups, based on the main cause of an elevated microbial count. Microorganisms primarily associated with poor hygiene dominated the microflora in 64% of the samples; bacteria also related to poor hygiene, but in addition associated with growth at low temperatures (psychrotrophic bacteria) dominated the microflora in 28% of the samples; and bacteria mainly associated with mastitis dominated the microflora in 8% of the samples. A bulk tank milk storage period of 48 h instead of 24 h did not affect the proportion of downgraded milk samples and could not be associated with a specific group of microorganisms. Further, no relationship was found between somatic cell counts and the presence of mastitis bacteria.
Fijian Teachers' Conceptions of Assessment

Teacher’s conceptions are important as they could have a strong influence on their professional practices. This study set out to explore Fijian teacher’s conceptions of assessment. Seventy teachers enrolled in an assessment course at a university in Fiji were involved in this study. Data was collected by asking teachers to write a reflection on assessment. The reflective exercise contained four open-ended items. Data was analyzed qualitatively. The results indicate that Fijian preservice teachers generally held an assessment of learning view, while majority of in-service teachers see assessment as formative.
Religious Commitment in Iran: Correlates and Factors of Quest and Extrinsic Religious Orientations

Iranians responded to Quest and Extrinsic Religious Orientation Scales in order to assess their validity and factor structure within a Muslim context. A sample of 251 Iranian university students received Persian versions of these instruments along with Intrinsic Religious Orientation, Interpersonal Reactivity, Constructive Thinking, Need for Cognition, and Openness to Experience Scales. Analysis of these data revealed that the Quest Scale contained four factors and validly measured Iranian religious commitments. Extrinsic and Intrinsic Religious Orientation Scales also clarified the psychological implications of religion in Iran. Extrinsic factors corresponded to American data; and as in previous Pakistani studies, Extrinsic-Personal scores were higher on average than those for the Intrinsic Orientation, which in turn was higher than the Extrinsic-Social motivation. These findings confirmed that the Quest and Intrinsic Scales along with the Extrinsic factors may be useful in the construction of a Muslim psychology of religion.
Ultrasound method applied to characterize healthy femoral diaphysis of Wistar rats in vivo

A simple experimental protocol applying a quantitative ultrasound (QUS) pulse-echo technique was used to measure the acoustic parameters of healthy femoral diaphyses of Wistar rats in vivo. Five quantitative parameters [apparent integrated backscatter (AIB), frequency slope of apparent backscatter (FSAB), time slope of apparent backscatter (TSAB), integrated reflection coefficient (IRC), and frequency slope of integrated reflection (FSIR)] were calculated using the echoes from cortical and trabecular bone in the femurs of 14 Wistar rats. Signal acquisition was performed three times in each rat, with the ultrasound signal acquired along the femur's central region from three positions 1 mm apart from each other. The parameters estimated for the three positions were averaged to represent the femur diaphysis. The results showed that AIB, FSAB, TSAB, and IRC values were statistically similar, but the FSIR values from Experiments 1 and 3 were different. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation coefficient showed, in general, strong correlations among the parameters. The proposed protocol and calculated parameters demonstrated the potential to characterize the femur diaphysis of rats in vivo. The results are relevant because rats have a bone structure very similar to humans, and thus are an important step toward preclinical trials and subsequent application of QUS in humans.
Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Suicide and Depression among Japanese in Municipalities with High Suicide Rates

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of and attitudes toward suicide and depression have not been fully investigated in Japan. METHODS: Study areas comprised municipalities in northern Japan where standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) from suicide compared with a Japanese standard ranged from 1.62 to 3.72 in men and from 1.43 to 3.49 in women. We conducted a questionnaire survey on a random sample of 7,136 participants aged 20 to 79 years, and analyzed data of 5,547 (77.7%) subjects. We categorized seven municipalities, from which the subjects were drawn, into three groups according to the SMR from suicide. Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) score was used for evaluation of depressive states. RESULTS: The SDS score was significantly higher in the high SMR group in women, but no significant difference among the three SMR groups was observed in men. The percentage of subjects with nine years or less of education was significantly higher in the high SMR group both in men and in women. The percentage of men who drank alcohol once a week or more was significantly higher in the high SMR group. The percentages of subjects unaware that depressive states are treatable by medication were not significantly different among the three SMR groups both in men and in women, while the percentage of men unwilling to see a psychiatrist when depressed was the lowest in the high SMR group. CONCLUSION: Although a significant difference in SDS score was observed in women, most of the psychosocial factors or knowledge of and attitudes toward suicide and depression were not adversely associated with SMR group.
Block-sparsity pattern recovery from noisy observations

We study the problem of recovering the sparsity pattern of block-sparse signals from noise-corrupted measurements. A simple, efficient recovery method, namely, a block-version of the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) method, is considered in this paper and its behavior for recovering the block-sparsity pattern is analyzed. We provide sufficient conditions under which the block-version of the OMP can successfully recover the block-sparse representations in the presence of noise. Our analysis reveals that exploiting block-sparsity can improve the recovery ability and lead to a guaranteed recovery for a higher sparsity level. Numerical results are presented to corroborate our theoretical claim.
“Sista Doctas” Taking a Seat at the Table: Advocacy and Agency Among Women of Color in Teacher Education

The research literature devoted to examining the experiences of faculty from diverse backgrounds in higher education has contributed to a growing understanding of the complexities of working in these institutions, particularly predominantly White institutions. An analysis of the literature is provided, which yielded the following themes as central to the extent to which Faculty of Color successfully navigate life in the academy: isolation, resistance, teaching, and mentoring and support. These themes are exemplified through personal narratives from each of the coauthors, all Women of Color in teacher education. The authors conclude with recommendations for program development in higher education, proactive steps for Women of Color in these settings, and areas in need of further exploration and research.
The Effect of Iron Status on Risk of Coronary Artery Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study—Brief Report

Objective— Iron status is a modifiable trait that has been implicated in cardiovascular disease. This study uses the Mendelian randomization technique to investigate whether there is any causal effect of iron status on risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Approach and Results— A 2-sample Mendelian randomization approach is used to estimate the effect of iron status on CAD risk. Three loci (rs1800562 and rs1799945 in the HFE gene and rs855791 in TMPRSS6) that are each associated with serum iron, transferrin saturation, ferritin, and transferrin in a pattern suggestive of an association with systemic iron status are used as instruments. SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism)-iron status association estimates are based on a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of 48 972 individuals. SNP-CAD estimates are derived by combining the results of a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of 60 801 CAD cases and 123 504 controls with those of a meta-analysis of 63 746 CAD cases and 130 681 controls obtained from Metabochip and genome-wide association studies. Combined Mendelian randomization estimates are obtained for each marker by pooling results across the 3 instruments. We find evidence of a protective effect of higher iron status on CAD risk (iron odds ratio, 0.94 per SD unit increase; 95% confidence interval, 0.88–1.00; P=0.039; transferrin saturation odds ratio, 0.95 per SD unit increase; 95% confidence interval, 0.91–0.99; P=0.027; log-transformed ferritin odds ratio, 0.85 per SD unit increase; 95% confidence interval, 0.73–0.98; P=0.024; and transferrin odds ratio, 1.08 per SD unit increase; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.16; P=0.034). Conclusions— This Mendelian randomization study supports the hypothesis that higher iron status reduces CAD risk. These findings may highlight a therapeutic target.
Does the Percutaneous Internal Ring Suturing Technique Impair Testicular Vascularization in Children Undergoing Inguinal Hernia Repair?

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the percutaneous internal ring suturing (PIRS) technique on testicular vascularization when used for inguinal hernia repair in children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS In this prospective study, 49 boys older than 1 year who had been diagnosed with unilateral inguinal hernia were evaluated. Hernias were repaired using the laparoscopic PIRS technique. The testes of each patient were examined using Doppler ultrasound at the preoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative periods. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistivity index (RI) of the intratesticular centripetal and testicular capsular arteries were determined. RESULTS PSV, EDV, and RI of the centripetal and capsular arteries were similar between preoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative periods, with no statistically significant differences detected. CONCLUSIONS Testicular vascularization was not affected by hernia repair using the PIRS technique in our study. We therefore conclude that PIRS is a safe technique for inguinal hernia repair with respect to testicular vascularization.