Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trusted Assessorship in Science: A Relation in Need of Data

Scientific communication has its formal and its informal aspects. Each is vital to the enterprise, specifically in the production, diffusion, and digestion of new knowledge. The past decade has witnessed an abundance of theoretical and empirical work on communication practices among scientists. Garvey et al.,1 for example, have characterized the media of communication utilized at successive stages of the research cycle, from the draft of an idea to its ultimate publication in the serial literature up to five years later. Menzel2 has focused on both intended and unintended consequences of communication, while Hagstrom3 has explored the different reinforcements that oral and written presentations provide.
Axially Loaded Magnetic Resonance Image of the Lumbar Spine in Asymptomatic Individuals

Study Design. For this study, 43 asymptomatic individuals underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine in both supine psoas-relaxed position and supine axial compression in extension. The change in dural cross-sectional area between positions at each disc level was calculated. Objectives. To evaluate the effect of axial loading on asymptomatic individuals, as compared with the effect on patients who have clinical signs of lumbar spinal canal stenosis, and to assess the effect that different magnitude and duration of the applied load have on the dural cross-sectional area. Summary of Background Data. Degenerative changes in the spine are found in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. A study of patients with suspected clinical lumbar spine encroachment examined in both psoas-relaxed position and axial compression in extension with computed tomographic myelography or magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine is reported. A significant decrease in dural cross-sectional area was found, respectively, in 80% and 76% of the patients. Methods. The study subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging examinations in both psoas-relaxed position and axial compression in extension. The examination of the subject under axial compression in extension was performed with the lumbar spine in a supine position using a compression device. Degenerative changes in and adjacent to the spinal canal were registered. The dural cross-sectional areas were determined for psoas-relaxed position and axial compression in extension, then compared. In seven reexamined individuals, the dural cross-sectional area was calculated after an axial load corresponding to 25% and 50% of their body weight and a loading time of 5 to 60 minutes. Results. A significant decrease in dural cross-sectional area from psoas-relaxed position to axial compression in extension was found in 24 individuals (56%), most frequently at L4–L5, and increasingly with age. In four individuals (5 disc levels), a decrease in dural cross-sectional area to less than 100 mm2 from psoas-relaxed position to axial compression in extension was found. In seven reexamined individuals, a significant decrease in dural cross-sectional area was found: in five after 5 minutes load of 25% of their body weight, and in two with 50% of their body weight. Conclusions. Using magnetic resonance imaging, a significant decrease in dural cross-sectional area after axial loading was found less frequently in asymptomatic than in symptomatic subjects. The decrease was more frequent at L4–L5, and increasingly with age. The load should be 50% of the subject’s body weight applied for at least 5 minutes.
State Redistribution in Comparative Perspective: A Cross-National Analysis of the Developed Countries

The aim of this paper is to offer an overview of the many opportunities the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) data set provides to measure the distributive effect of taxes and transfers in the developed countries. Two specific tasks are undertaken. First, and most important, the paper offers a detailed discussion of a number of aspects of fiscal redistribution, presenting a good deal of newly computed data that are, to our knowledge, unavailable elsewhere. LIS data are detailed enough to allow us not only to measure overall redistribution, but also to explore whether redistribution has been achieved primarily through taxes or transfers; to compare the redistributive effect of the most important individual transfers; to determine whether redistribution is associated with the size or the internal target efficiency of social benefits; to focus separately on redistribution across all income groups, lower, middle and upper income groups, and those in poverty; and to examine separately households headed by persons of working age. Second, the paper places fiscal redistribution in a broader context by discussing several aspects of redistribution that are not directly measured in LIS surveys. These include the redistributive effect of in-kind benefits, which we will explore using an imputation method; and second-order effects, whereby direct transfers affect pregovernment private sector income, in turn affecting measures of direct state transfers.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Commitment

Effective corporate social responsibility policies are a requirement for today's companies. Policies have not only to be formulated, they also have to be delivered by corporate employees. This paper uses existing research findings to identify two types of factors that may impact on employee motivation and commitment to CSR ‘buy-in’. The first of these is contextual: employee attitudes and behaviours will be affected by organizational culture and climate, by whether CSR policies are couched in terms of compliance or in terms of values, and by whether such policies are integrated into business processes or simply an ‘add-on’ that serves as window-dressing. The second set of factors is perceptual. Motivation and commitment will be affected by the extent to which they can align personal identity and image with that of the organization, by their perceptions of justice and fairness both in general and in terms of how CSR performance is rewarded, and by their impressions concerning the attitude of top management to CSR issues and performance.
The relationship between theory of mind and insight in psychosis: Evidence for specificity

We predicted that mentalizing relates to social aspects of insight in psychosis. Thirty participants experiencing psychosis and presenting poor to moderate insight undertook a false belief picture sequencing task with control sequences. We used an improved scoring system that accounted simultaneously for speed and accuracy of mentalizing. While mentalizing was not significantly related to global insight, “awareness of psychosis”, “re‐labelling symptoms as abnormal”, or “understanding need for treatment”, it was positively related to the influence of the opinions of unspecified “others” on insight. Participants were insightful in predicting their doctor’s opinion, but this was unrelated to mentalizing. Intact social knowledge about doctors, rather than mentalizing, may be used to understand the doctor’s opinion. However, mentalizing is needed to incorporate others’ opinions about psychosis into one’s own insight, as the perspectives of unspecified “others” would likely vary more than that of medical professionals. The results suggest that medical professionals should be careful to distinguish simple recognition of their views from genuine insight.
Patterns of call communication between group-housed zebra finches change during the breeding cycle

Vocal signals such as calls play a crucial role for survival and successful reproduction, especially in group-living animals. However, call interactions and call dynamics within groups remain largely unexplored because their relation to relevant contexts or life-history stages could not be studied with individual-level resolution. Using on-bird microphone transmitters, we recorded the vocalisations of individual zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) behaving freely in social groups, while females and males previously unknown to each other passed through different stages of the breeding cycle. As birds formed pairs and shifted their reproductive status, their call repertoire composition changed. The recordings revealed that calls occurred non-randomly in fine-tuned vocal interactions and decreased within groups while pair-specific patterns emerged. Call-type combinations of vocal interactions changed within pairs and were associated with successful egg-laying, highlighting a potential fitness relevance of calling dynamics in communication systems. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.07770. 001
A Fully Dynamic and Self-Stabilizing TDMA Scheme for Wireless Ad-hoc Networks

One important challenge in wireless ad hoc networks is to achieve collision free communication. Many MAC layer protocols have been proposed by considering various communication models of the ad hoc networks. One such protocol is TDMA, which provides for interference free communication while providing some bound on the packet delay. However, most proposed TDMA schemes can perform scheduling transmissions among nodes that are within transmission range. This is due to the simplistic modeling of the underlying network. Recently, more practical network models and overlay construction algorithms have been proposed that consider the interference among nodes as well. Existing TDMA protocols are unsuitable for such models as they will have to consider the interference range of the nodes as well. This requires that the TDMA protocol operate in a global perspective while working as a local-control algorithm. In this work, we describe a novel TDMA protocol that is suitable for such realistic and practical network models. We also extend the TDMA protocol to handle other difficulties such as membership changes within transmission range and interference range. Some networks also have to deal with sleeping nodes that wake up periodically. Our TDMA scheme employs a simple control phase and a data phase to handle such tasks. Some of the benefits of our solution are that no knowledge of the network parameters such as the size or an estimate of the size are used. The overhead of our scheme is also very low and (control) messages exchanged are of small size. Our solution will also be self-stabilizing which is an important property for distributed systems. To the best of our knowledge, our TDMA protocol is the first MAC layer protocol for such realistic network models. Additionally, we report some experimental results of our scheme.
Some propagation methods for cloning holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) plants

Holm oak (Quercus ilex L.), a typical evergreen tree of the Mediterranean area, is very important due to its ecological and economical values. Propagation of this species is extremely difficult and traditionally carried out only by seed germination. In this work, mature acorns were germinated in vitro and in peat substrate in aseptic and non-aseptic conditions. Explants from the seedlings obtained were propagated in vitro in WPM plus 4 µM BA. Plant regeneration was achieved from hypocotyls and root segments cultured in vitro on modified Gamborg medium plus 20 µM BA and 20 µM NAA. 13.8% of the hypocotyls and approximately 30% of the root segments developed both shoots and roots after 30 days of culture. Rooting of stem segments was obtained both in vitro and ex vitro by basal dipping in IBA solutions. Within ex vitro rooting, mother plant age had major influence on the percentage of rooting of the cuttings as the younger plants showed higher ability to root. In this way, Q. ilex plants could be propagated and cloned. The procedure described here would be a very useful tool for breeding programs since vegetative propagation of selected individuals can be achieved.
On the Benefits of Giving as Well as Receiving Autonomy Support: Mutuality in Close Friendships

Two studies examined autonomy support within close friendships. The first showed that receiving autonomy support from a friend predicted the recipient’s need satisfaction within the relationship and relationship quality as indexed by emotional reliance, security of attachment, dyadic adjustment, and inclusion of friend in self and that there was significant mutuality of receiving autonomy support and of each other variable. The relations of perceived autonomy support to need satisfaction and relationship quality held for both female-female and male-male pairs across the two studies. The second study replicated and extended the first, showing that receiving autonomy support also predicted psychological health. Furthermore, giving autonomy support to a friend predicted the givers’ experience of relationship quality over and above the effects of receiving autonomy support from the friend. When both receiving and giving autonomy support competed for variance in predicting well-being, giving, rather than receiving, autonomy support was the stronger predictor.
Somatostatin Receptor Interacting Protein Defines a Novel Family of Multidomain Proteins Present in Human and Rodent Brain*

By using the yeast two-hybrid system we identified a novel protein from the human brain interacting with the C terminus of somatostatin receptor subtype 2. This protein termed somatostatin receptor interacting protein is characterized by a novel domain structure, consisting of six N-terminal ankyrin repeats followed by SH3 and PDZ domains, several proline-rich regions, and a C-terminal sterile α motif. It consists of 2185 amino acid residues encoded by a 9-kilobase pair mRNA; several splice variants have been detected in human and rat cDNA libraries. Sequence comparison suggests that the novel multidomain protein, together with cortactin-binding protein, forms a family of cytoskeletal anchoring proteins. Fractionation of rat brain membranes indicated that somatostatin receptor interacting protein is enriched in the postsynaptic density fraction. The interaction of somatostatin receptor subtype 2 with its interacting protein was verified by overlay assays and coimmunoprecipitation experiments from transfected human embryonic kidney cells. Somatostatin receptor subtype 2 and the interacting protein display a striking overlap of their expression patterns in the rat brain. Interestingly, in the hippocampus the mRNA for somatostatin receptor interacting protein was not confined to the cell bodies but was also observed in the molecular layer, suggesting a dendritic localization of this mRNA.
The United States and the “Culture of Narcissism”

It has been suggested that the United States has an increasingly narcissistic culture. In the present research, perceptions of national character (PNCs) are used to examine cultural levels of narcissism. In Study 1, archival data show that American PNCs assessed with the five factor model (FFM) closely fit with the profile of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD); archived FFM reports of acquaintances, however, did not fit well. Likewise, in a cross-national comparison, U.S. PNCs of NPD were the highest among examined cultures and U.S. acquaintance reports of NPD were in the top 10. In Study 2, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) was modified to assess PNCs. PNCs reflected high levels of narcissism, whereas self-reports and acquaintance reports reflected more moderate levels. In Study 3, PNCs were examined using the NPI and four personality disorder (PD) scales, including NPD. The difference between self-reports and PNCs was highest for narcissism and NPD compared to other PDs.
EFFECTS OF INTERACTIVITY IN A WEB SITE: The Moderating Effect of Need for Cognition

This paper examines how consumers process the information available, and what their experiences are, when exposed to an interactive Web site as compared with a noninteractive Web site. The experiment developed analyzes two versions of a Web site in which the capacity to interact with the message has been manipulated. The results show that the interactive Web site leads to more information processing, higher favorability toward the product and the Web site, and greater flow state intensity. In addition, the findings confirm the hypothesized moderating effect of need for cognition on information processing. Implications for new media researchers and practitioners are discussed.
TARGET ARTICLE: Evolutionary Foundations of Cultural Variation: Evoked Culture and Mate Preferences

We articulate an evolutionary perspective on cultural variation, centering on the concept of evoked culture. We then demonstrate how the framework of evoked culture has been used to predict and explain cultural variation and report new tests of hypotheses about cultural variation in mate preferences. These tests demonstrate the predictive power of ecological variables such as parasite prevalence that are implicated by evolutionary psychological theories. New empirical tests provided little support for the predictions advanced by competing social role theories (e.g., Eagly & Wood, 1999), with some findings running opposite to those predicted by such theories. We propose that a well-articulated evolutionary perspective on cultural variation may be particularly useful because it can specify how variation in cultural practice itself may emerge. We conclude that discussions of cultural variation should move beyond false dichotomies of social versus biological and suggest that evolutionary psychology provides frameworks that transcend these dichotomies.
The Effectiveness of Two Kinds of Support Groups for Caregivers

Adult women caring for frail older relatives were assigned to peer-led or professionalled support groups or to a control condition. Compared to control participants, group participants experienced significantly greater improvements in their ability to cope with the stresses of caregiving. As with past research, few differences were found between participants in the peer-led and professional-led conditions.
A multichannel neurostimulator with transcutaneous closed-loop power control and self-adaptive supply

This paper presents an integrated multichannel neurostimulator ASIC with improved power management efficiency. The stimulator features transcutaneous closed-loop power control that enables optimum power transfer in spite of the coupling variation as well as the variation in the stimulation threshold/current. A programmable adaptive supply in the high voltage (HV) domain is further proposed to minimize the power dissipation during the active stimulation mode in terms of stimulus current/electrode impedance inconsistencies. The stimulator prototype, including the power management, the digital control as well as a 16 channel stimulation frontend, is fabricated in AMS 0. 35μm HV CMOS technology. In measurements, automatic supply voltage adaptation from 13.1V to 8V with running stimulations has been achieved, resulting in maximum power saving of 40% for the implantable circuit.
Public Ethnic Regard and Perceived Socioeconomic Stratification: Associations With Well-Being Among Dominican and Black American Youth

As the U.S. Latino population continues to diversify, it is necessary to understand their experiences of minority status and its implications for well-being. The present cross-sectional study investigates early adolescents' perceptions of public regard for their ethnic group and perceptions of the extent to which opportunity is differentiated by their socioeconomic background (perceived socioeconomic stratification). A comparative approach is taken to examine the extent to which the experiences of Dominican American youth (n = 103) mirrored those of their Black American peers (n = 129). For all youth, more positive public ethnic regard is associated with fewer somatic symptoms, whereas more perceived socioeconomic stratification is associated with more somatic symptoms. For Black youth, in contrast to Dominican youth, lower public regard is associated with higher self-esteem among those who perceives more socioeconomic stratification. Implications for Dominican and Black American youths' experiences of minority status are discussed.
Children Explain the Rainbow: Using Young Children’s Ideas to Guide Science Curricula

This study examines young children’s ideas about natural science phenomena and explores possibilities in starting investigations in kindergarten from their ideas. Given the possibilities inherent in how young children make sense of their experiences, we believe it is critical to take children’s perspectives into consideration when designing any activities, and ideally, to design activities from their perspectives and understandings. Specifically, this research focuses on 5- and 6-year old children’s explanations of rainbows, and there are three main findings. First, our analysis demonstrates that opportunities to discuss their ideas revealed children’s different perceptions of the phenomena of rainbows. Secondly, this research emphasizes that peer-to-peer interaction in the co-construction of science concepts provided support to the children to learn from, and with, each other. Third, children’s initial explanations provided the teacher-researcher (second author) with a starting point to scaffold her teaching from. Although rainbows are quite an abstract topic to try to reproduce in the classroom, the children demonstrated their often sophisticated understandings of natural science phenomena, as well as their creative ideas as related to rainbows. In order to foster an appreciation of themes in natural science, it is crucial to build from what children already know and can do, and to use these emergent theories and considerations in designing curriculum. Thus, we draw implications for the importance of teaching science at the early childhood level and for using children’s ideas as starting points in planning instruction.
Increased Fat Intake during Lactation Modifies Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Responsiveness in Developing Rat Pups: A Possible Role for Leptin.

High fat feeding reportedly enhances hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responses to stress in adult rats. The present study tested whether elevated fat intake during suckling could have short and/or long lasting consequences on HPA regulation in the offspring. Mothers were fed either a control (C; 5% fat) or high fat (HF; 20% fat) diet during the last week of gestation and throughout lactation. After weaning (day 21), pups from C and HF mothers were fed a chow diet. Offspring from both C- and HF-fed mothers were tested for ACTH and corticosterone responses to stress on postnatal days 10 and 35. We found that HF feeding produced higher lipid levels in the milk of HF compared with C lactating rat dams and that offspring of these mothers had significantly increased retroperitoneal fat pad weight and relative adipose mass on day 21 as well as elevated plasma leptin levels on days 10 and 21 of age. After weaning, pups from the HF mothers had lower plasma leptin levels than those from C mothers. Maternal dietary fat affected HPA responsiveness in the offspring in an age-related manner. Neonatal pups (day 10) from the HF mothers exhibited a reduction in the ACTH and corticosterone responses to ether stress. However, in 35-day-old offspring from HF-fed dams, stress-induced ACTH secretion was increased compared with that in pups from the C-fed mothers. These results demonstrate that maternal diet and increased fat intake through the milk are important regulators of HPA responsiveness in neonates and prepubertal rats. During neonatal life, the blunted stress responsiveness seen with elevated fat intake and the resulting high leptin levels might protect the pups from excessive HPA activation. After removal of the maternal dietary influence and reduced leptin levels, enhanced ACTH stress responses are observed as in adult rats fed a HF diet. Because of the inverse relationship between plasma levels of leptin and HPA responses in pups, the possibility exists that the effects of the HF diet on stress responsiveness are mediated by changes in leptin exposure during development.