Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of right and left hemispheric lesions on effortful and automatic memory tasks.

The effect of lateralised cerebral damage on two memory tasks-free recall of words and memory of their temporal order-was investigated under intentional, incidental, and ''true incidental'' learning conditions. Ten Right Brain Damaged patients (RBD), 10 Left Brain Damaged patients (LBD), as well as 15 age-matched and 15 younger control individuals, participated in this study. It was hypothesised that effortful and automatic memory processes involve predominantly the left and right cerebral hemispheres, respectively. Automaticity was defined either by the learning conditions (i.e. incidental-automatic and intentional-effortful) or by the type of task (i.e. temporal-order-automatic and free-recall-effortful) regardless of the learning conditions. In the free recall task the RBD group outperformed the LBD group under all learning conditions. In the temporal order task, the RBD group performed worse than normal controls under all learning conditions while the LBD group performed more poorly than matched controls in the intentional and incidental but not in the ''true incidental'' learning condition. The results are discussed in terms of the relationship between effortful and automatic memory processes and cerebral lateralisation.
Detection of smooth pursuits using eye movement shape features

Smooth pursuit eye movements hold information about the health, activity and situation of people, but to date there has been no efficient method for their automated detection. In this work we present a method to tackle the problem, based on machine learning. At the core of our method is a novel set of shape features that capture the characteristic shape of smooth pursuit movements over time. The features individually represent incomplete information about smooth pursuits but are combined in a machine learning approach. In an evaluation with eye movements collected from 18 participants, we show that our method can detect smooth pursuit movements with an accuracy of up to 92%, depending on the size of the feature set used for their prediction. Our results have twofold significance. First, they demonstrate a method for smooth pursuit detection in mainstream eye tracking, and secondly they highlight the utility of machine learning for eye movement analysis.
The relationship between celebrities’ credibility and advertising effectiveness: The mediation role of religiosity

Purpose The purpose of this study is twofold, first, the study aimed at investigating the impact of celebrities’ credibility on advertising effectiveness by examining the celebrity attributes that are likely to influence consumer attitude towards celebrity-endorsed TV advertising and their purchase behaviour. Second, the study seeks to identify the mediating role of religiosity on consumers’ attitudes towards celebrity-endorsed television advertising and buying behaviour. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a survey questionnaire in a sample of 370 Sudanese customers on their attitude towards the celebrity endorsement of television advertising. Findings The study found that celebrities’ likeability and their attractiveness have the greatest impact on both consumers Attitude and their purchase behaviour. The study also confirms that religiosity partially mediate both the relationships between celebrities’ credibility and the attitude towards the advertisement and purchase behaviour and revealed that religiosity correlates negatively with celebrities’ credibility and attitude towards advertisement. Research limitations/implications However, the study has some limitations, as it investigates the effectiveness of celebrities’ endorsement in TV commercials only. Future research could be extended to investigate the effectiveness of using celebrities advertising on other different media such as radio, printed and outdoors media. Further, the study uses a scale based on the Islamic practice dimensions, and using a more comprehensive scale to measure religiosity based on both belief and practices may be a further extension. Practical implications These results have important implications for advertising practitioners and business enterprises in Sudan, and other similar communities. They provide guidance in the sense that religiosity should be weighed in and given high importance when using celebrities in advertising campaigns and that the advertisement contents should be compliant with the Islamic law (Shariah). Social implications Understanding how religious beliefs influence the attitude towards the advertising is of great importance to international advertisers to improve advertising effectiveness without offending their Muslim audience. The study enriches the literature on the religiosity and its influence on the consumer behaviour, particularly in the celebrity-endorsed advertisements. Originality/value To the best of the authors knowledge, this study is the first study of its kind in Sudan to explore the impact of celebrities’ endorsement on consumers attitude and buying behaviour and provide empirical evidence to verify the existence of a mediating role of religiosity on both the attitude and purchase behaviour in the Sudanese context. It provides an understanding of Sudanese attitudes and purchase decision, as Muslims, and thus provides practitioners with guidelines on how to design celebrity-endorsed TV advertisements to influence consumers’ attitude and buying behaviour.
A mobile reverberation cabin for acoustic measurements in an existing anechoic room

Large reverberation rooms are generally prescribed for the acoustic characterization of materials. Diffuse-field absorption properties are measured in a reverberation room, while transmission loss properties can be measured between a reverberation source room and an anechoic receiving room. The large volumes needed (ASTM standards require 80 m) make the building of such rooms impractical, and transforming existing anechoic rooms in transmission suites is generally impossible. In the present work, a mobile reverberation cabin is developed and placed inside an existing anechoic room for acoustic material characterization. Light materials (plywood and wood) are chosen to enable easy assembly, disassembly and transportation of the cabin. An external thick layer of open-cell foam is used in order to maintain the anechoic properties of the surrounding room. The interior dimensions of the cabin are taken from a similar design in the existing literature: no walls are parallel, and the interior volume of the cabin is less than 1 m. The sound field measured inside the lightweight mobile cabin is presented, and a lower frequency limit is determined for its diffuse field behavior. A procedure for the characterization of acoustic samples in absorption and transmission loss is defined, and validated with known materials.
Narratives from Within: Black Women and Schooling in the Canadian Context

This paper focuses on the educational experiences and narratives of women of African ancestry in Canada, and is based on a number of women who were interviewed over a two-month period. The literature review examines the ways in which today’s experiences of formal education, which were shared by the women, are shaped and circumscribed by much broader historical social conditions. Overall, this paper recounts the participants’ challenges and frustrations, as well as their joy and satisfaction in navigating the educational system in Canada from kindergarten through to post-secondary schooling. However, more work needs to be done to ensure that formal education and learning are meaningful for women of African ancestry and other systemically marginalized peoples in Canada. This research found that the women have a strong sense of self despite many negative educational experiences. While some of the findings support existing literature, the interviewees themselves also recommended ways in which the educational system could be improved. This work should encourage more women of African ancestry to share their stories, and for educators, school administrators and policymakers to take notice. Cet article porte sur les expériences éducatives et les récits de femmes d’origine africaine vivant au Canada. Les données proviennent d’entrevues auprès de ces femmes et qui se sont déroulées sur une période de deux mois. L’analyse documentaire examine la mesure dans laquelle les expériences actuelles en éducation formelle, qu’ont partagées les femmes, sont façonnées et limitées par des conditions historiques et sociales bien plus vastes. Globalement, cet article raconte les défis et les frustrations, ainsi que la joie et la satisfaction de ces femmes alors qu’elles naviguent dans le système éducatif au Canada, de la maternelle aux études postsecondaires. Il faut toutefois plus de travail pour que l’éducation formelle et l’apprentissage offrent des expériences significatives aux femmes d’origine africaine et d’autres personnes qui sont systématiquement marginalisées au Canada. Cette recherche a trouvé que les femmes restent sures d’elles-mêmes malgré plusieurs expériences éducatives négatives. Si certains des résultats appuient la recherche existante, les femmes interviewées ont elles-mêmes proposé des façons d’améliorer le système d’éducation. Cette recherche devrait d’ailleurs inciter d’autres femmes d’origine africaine à partager leurs histoires, et encourager les enseignants, les administrateurs d’école et les décideurs d’en tenir compte.
The Impact of Eu Cohesion Policy on the Polish Sub-national Actors: Shallow or Deep Change?

This study draws on the concept of Europeanisation, understood as the domestic impact of EU policies, to investigate the influence of EU cohesion on the sub-national policy actors in Poland. The implementation of the Structural Funds (SF) in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) is credited for diffusion of norms and practices improving the capacity of the administrative actors involved and triggering changes in the patterns of governance. However, research to date showed that the adjustment to EU cohesion policy norms in CEECs was hampered by difficulties stemming from insufficient administrative capacity of the institutions involved and institutional legacies. In fact, on could expect that the pre-accession mode of EU policy rules transfer based on conditionality and external incentives for adjustment (rational-choice mechanism of change) would lead to hasty and superficial adjustment in the New Member States. This would result in ‘formal’ compliance with EU cohesion policy without fundamentally changing the pre-existing ‘ways of doing things,’ which in turn would be an obstacle for effective implementation of this policy. That said, one could also hypothesize that over time, once these countries become full members of the EU, sociological mechanisms of Europeanisation might come to the fore and favor internalization of EU policy rules through processes of social learning. There is a shortage of empirical studies investigating the mechanisms of post-accession adjustment to EU cohesion policy in CEECs, particularly at the regional and local levels. This study aims at bridging this research gap and testing the above hypotheses. Drawing on the empirical evidence from Poland focusing on the influence of EU cohesion policy in the areas of administrative capacity, strategic planning, and governance the paper shows that adjustment to the EU cohesion policy norms initially tends to be stimulated by cost/benefit calculation or constraint, which may involve ’shallow’ adjustment. However, the study also reveals that over time, provided that EU-imported norms are in line with the actors’ preferences, socialization and learning mechanisms become more prominent. Moreover, the paper demonstrates that the sub-national impact of EU cohesion policy remains uneven and differentiated depending on the actors’ preferences, attitudes and capacity.
Tumor necrosis factor α attenuates interferon‐α signaling in the liver: involvement of SOCS3 and SHP2 and implication in resistance to interferon therapy

Although interferon α (IFN‐α) has been used for a decade to treat viral hepatitis, a disease that affects millions of people worldwide, more than 60% of viral hepatitis patients respond poorly. It has been reported that high levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) correlated highly with resistance to IFN‐α therapy. Here we demonstrate that injection of TNF‐α suppresses IFN‐α signaling and markedly induces expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) and SH2 containing protein‐tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) in the liver. TNF‐α induction of SOCS3 and SHP2 remains unchanged while induction of STAT1 protein expression is completely abolished in IL‐6‐deficient mice. Immunoprecipitation experiments show that injection of TNF‐α increases SHP2 association with JAKs. Overexpression of SOCS3 and SHP2 inhibits IFN‐α signaling in hepatic cells. Injection of carbon tetrachloride, which is known to induce TNF‐α in the liver, attenuates IFN‐α signaling in the liver. This attenuation is also observed in TNF‐α receptor II‐ (TNF‐R2‐) deficient mice but is markedly diminished in TNF‐R1‐deficient mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that TNF‐α may be involved in resistance to IFN‐α therapy by induction of SOCS3 and SHP2, and they could be therapeutic targets for improving the efficacy of IFN‐α therapy.
From Heathen to Sub-Human: A Genealogy of the Influence of the Decline of Religion on the Rise of Modern Racism

Abstract This essay traces a genealogy of the modern concept of race, and modern racism, in relationship to the intellectual shifts that led to the secularization of knowledge during the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Through an analysis of the evolution of the central concept of “The Great Chain of Being” from the Classical through Medieval and Early Modern periods, I argue that the decline of religion in the West was a necessary condition for the rise of modern conceptions of race and racism.
On MPT-implication functions for Fuzzy Logic

This paper deals with numerical functions able to functionally express operators defined as , and verifying either Modus Ponens or Modus Tollens, or both. The concrete goal of the paper is to search for continuous t-norms and strong-negation functions for which it is either (Modus Ponens), or (Modus Tollens), or both, for all in and a given . Functions are taken among those in the most usual families considered in Fuzzy Logic, namely, Rimplications, S-implications, Q-implications and Mamdani-Larsen implications. En passant, the cases of conditional probability and material conditional’s probability are analyzed. Sobre implicaciones MPT en la Logica Borrosa Resumen. Los operadores de implicacion borrosos se suelen expresar por medio de funciones numericas de acuerdo con la igualdad . El presente articulo estudia la verificacion por parte de estas funciones numericas de las meta-reglas del Modus Ponens y Modus Tollens. En concreto, dada una de estas funciones , el objetivo es determinar que t-normas continuas y que funciones de negacion fuerte verifican alguna (o ambas) de las desigualdades (Modus Ponens) y (Modus Tollens), para cualesquiera en . Las funciones se toman entre las pertenecientes a las familias mas habitualmente utilizadas en Logica Borrosa, esto es, R-implicaciones, S-implicaciones, Q-implicaciones e implicaciones de Mamdani-Larsen.
Institute for International Integration Studies Social Discounting under Uncertainty: a Cross-country Comparison Social Discounting under Uncertainty: a Cross-country Comparison Social Discounting under Uncertainty: a Cross-country Comparison Social Discounting under Uncertainty: a Cross-country Com

Disclaimer Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the IIIS. All works posted here are owned and copyrighted by the author(s). Papers may only be downloaded for personal use only. Abstract Recent research suggests that social cost-benefit analysis should be conducted with a declining discount rate. For instance, Newell and Pizer [23] show that the U.S. certainty-equivalent discount rate declines through time, using a simple autoregressive model of U.S. interest rates. This paper extends that line of research, estimating both autoregressive and regime-switching models of real interest rates to determine certainty-equivalent discount rates in Australia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is found that the regime-switching model is a better model of past interest rate behavior for all four countries. This model tends to produce a more rapid decline in certainty-equivalent discount rates. The paper provides applications to the economics of climate change and nuclear power.
Seroprevalence of Hepatitis a Virus Antibodies Igg among Children in Mit - Ghamer ( Dakahilia ) Egypt

Background: true incidence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) is often underestimated because of underreporting resulting from its widely asymptomatic and milder forms of infection. Thus, t he epidemiologic pattern of HAV is determined primarily by its serop evalence. The objective of this cross sectional study was to meas ure the seroprevalence of HAV antibodies (HAV Ab) and identify some underl ying factors determining it among sample of children in Dakahili . Method: two hundred and forty children aged 2-12 years, non ran domly selected from the pediatric outpatient clinic, Mit-Ghamer general Hospital, were submitted to complete history taking, systemic medi cal examination and detection of HAV antibodies IgG by ELIZA. Children with chronic hepatic or systemic diseases were excluded. R sults: The study found that 82.9% of the studied children were seropositive (P< 0.0001), of them only 2% were previously vaccinated by HAV vaccine (P<0.0 0 1) and 4% had past history of jaundice (P<0.0001) while 94% had a symptomatic (subclinical) infection. There was a significant as sociation between HAV seroprevalence and residence, father's occupation, social class, source of water supply and method of sewage disposal ,the cor responding Odds ratios (ORs) were 4.34, 2.35, 3.34, 3.03 and 3.14 r espectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that source of water, pattern of sewage disposal and crowdness index (CI) were significant predictors of HAV subclinical infection (P<0.05). Conclusion: Large numbers of children catch hepatitis A as subc linical infection, low social class, outside home source of water supply and absence of the underwater carriage system were sign ificant risk factors of HAV seropositivity. Vaccination against HAV in Egyp t should be a priority for children at the preschool period.
The impact of a living learning community on first-year engineering students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of an engineering living and learning community (ELC) on first-year engineering students. A control group of non-ELC students was used to compare the experiences of the ELC participants. Analysis of survey data showed that there was significant differences between the ELC students and the non-ELC students in how they responded to questions regarding social support, academic support, connectedness to campus, and satisfaction with the College of Engineering and the institution as a whole. Particularly, there were significant differences between ELC and non-ELC students for questions related to feeling like part of an engineering community, having strong relationships with peers, belonging to a supportive peer network, studying with engineering peers, and spending time with classmates outside of class.
A Fungal Immunotherapeutic Vaccine (NDV-3A) for Treatment of Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis—A Phase 2 Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Background Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is a problematic form of mucosal Candida infection, characterized by repeated episodes per year. Candida albicans is the most common cause of RVVC. Currently, there are no immunotherapeutic treatments for RVVC. Methods This exploratory randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated an immunotherapeutic vaccine (NDV-3A) containing a recombinant C. albicans adhesin/invasin protein for prevention of RVVC. Results The study in 188 women with RVVC (n = 178 evaluable) showed that 1 intramuscular dose of NDV-3A was safe and generated rapid and robust B- and T-cell immune responses. Post hoc exploratory analyses revealed a statistically significant increase in the percentage of symptom-free patients at 12 months after vaccination (42% vaccinated vs 22% placebo; P = .03) and a doubling in median time to first symptomatic episode (210 days vaccinated vs 105 days placebo) for the subset of patients aged <40 years (n = 137). The analysis of evaluable patients, which combined patients aged <40 years (77%) and ≥40 years (23%), trended toward a positive impact of NDV-3A versus placebo (P = .099). Conclusions In this unprecedented study of the effectiveness of a fungal vaccine in humans, NDV-3A administered to women with RVVC was safe and highly immunogenic and reduced the frequency of symptomatic episodes of vulvovaginal candidiasis for up to 12 months in women aged <40 years. These results support further development of NDV-3A vaccine and provide guidance for meaningful clinical endpoints for immunotherapeutic management of RVVC. Clinical Trials Registration NCT01926028.
Understanding For-Profit College and Community College Choice through Rational Choice

Background/Context Scarce research has been conducted examining why students choose to attend higher priced for-profit institutions over community colleges. The authors suggest that increased national concern over proprietary higher education warrants an in-depth comparative case study of the choice factors utilized by for-profit and community college students. Research Question The research questions guiding this analysis are: (a) Why and how do students choose to attend for-profit colleges and community colleges? (b) What factors were important in their decision? (c) What implications do these results have for rational choice and college choice theory? Setting Data were collected at one community college and one for-profit college in California that had similar vocational programs. Subjects A total of 137 for-profit and community college students (75 for profit, 62 community college) enrolled in a vocational nursing or surgical technician associate's degree program agreed to participate. Research Design The authors examine student college choice factors through a case study. The findings were developed from interviews, surveys, and focus groups. Findings The authors found that for-profit and community college students held varying conceptions of costs and benefits as they pertained to college choice factors. Three particular dimensions were highlighted in student responses—short-term and long-term gains, risks, and uncertainty. Conclusions This study illuminates the nuanced factors and goals that informed student college choice decisions. Understanding these distinct college choice considerations could help researchers, practitioners, and institutional leaders develop measures for institutional effectiveness and student success.
On the effectiveness of PARAFAC-based estimation for blind speech separation

This work establishes the effectiveness of parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis in blind speech separation (BSS) problems. The BSS problem is formulated as a conjugate-symmetric PARAFAC model that is fitted optimally, using an efficient alternating least-squares algorithm that converges monotonically. The identifiability properties of the model are also presented, revealing the much broader identifiability potential of joint-diagonalization- based BSS methods. In order to focus on estimation performance, perfect resolution of the permutation ambiguity is assumed. Simulations under varying reverberation conditions and comparison with previous estimation methods that are widely used in BSS problems demonstrate significant performance gains. Signal-to- interference (SIR) ratio improvement of over 27 dB is achieved using PARAFAC. Average SIR gains of 2.5 and 6.3 dB are achieved compared to state-of-the-art FastICA[2] and FDSOS (Parra's)[5] estimation algorithms, respectively.