Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Short-Term Behavior of Slag Concretes Exposed to a Real In Situ Mediterranean Climate Environment

At present, one of the most suitable ways to get a more sustainable cement industry is to reduce the CO2 emissions generated during cement production. In order to reach that goal, the use of ground granulated blast-furnace slag as clinker replacement is becoming increasingly popular. Although the effects of this addition in the properties of cementitious materials are influenced by their hardening conditions, there are not too many experimental studies in which slag concretes have been exposed to real in situ environments. Then, the main objective of this research is to study the short-term effects of exposure to real Mediterranean climate environment of an urban site, where the action of airborne chlorides from sea water and the presence of CO2 are combined, in the microstructure and service properties of a commercial slag cement concrete, compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The microstructure was studied with mercury intrusion porosimetry. The effective porosity, capillary suction coefficient, chloride migration coefficient, carbonation front depth, and compressive strength were also analyzed. Considering the results obtained, slag concretes exposed to a real in situ Mediterranean climate environment show good service properties in the short-term (180 days), in comparison with OPC.
Local Variability Mediates Vulnerability of Trout Populations to Land Use and Climate Change

Land use and climate change occur simultaneously around the globe. Fully understanding their separate and combined effects requires a mechanistic understanding at the local scale where their effects are ultimately realized. Here we applied an individual-based model of fish population dynamics to evaluate the role of local stream variability in modifying responses of Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) to scenarios simulating identical changes in temperature and stream flows linked to forest harvest, climate change, and their combined effects over six decades. We parameterized the model for four neighboring streams located in a forested headwater catchment in northwestern Oregon, USA with multi-year, daily measurements of stream temperature, flow, and turbidity (2007–2011), and field measurements of both instream habitat structure and three years of annual trout population estimates. Model simulations revealed that variability in habitat conditions among streams (depth, available habitat) mediated the effects of forest harvest and climate change. Net effects for most simulated trout responses were different from or less than the sum of their separate scenarios. In some cases, forest harvest countered the effects of climate change through increased summer flow. Climate change most strongly influenced trout (earlier fry emergence, reductions in biomass of older trout, increased biomass of young-of-year), but these changes did not consistently translate into reductions in biomass over time. Forest harvest, in contrast, produced fewer and less consistent responses in trout. Earlier fry emergence driven by climate change was the most consistent simulated response, whereas survival, growth, and biomass were inconsistent. Overall our findings indicate a host of local processes can strongly influence how populations respond to broad scale effects of land use and climate change.
Stages of children's views about evaporation

This paper presents research results which reveal a well‐defined hierarchy of views children employ about evaporation and relative science curriculum topics in elementary school in Israel. The sequential change of these views was studied, described and scaled on the age span of five to 14. Factors influencing this evolution and its testing were evaluated. The extent to which the method of research and context environment might influence the research results were also studied. The conceptual change of views regarding evaporation, taking place in children's minds, shows a clear correlation with their cognitive development, their progress in operative knowledge‐namely, the usage of the conservation principle, and the adoption of an abstract model for air.
Social hostility and the “dropout” syndrome: leadership assisting youths’ re‐entry into school?

The study investigated experiences of dropouts in schools in rural secondary schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Ten learners who previously dropped out of school described their experiences in school subsequent to re‐enrolling. The implications of these experiences for educational leadership were explored. Using a qualitative approach, which included focus group interviews with 10 participants, the study found that social hostility and an impetus to pursue their academic work, defined the experiences of these dropouts. Social hostility reflected itself in prejudices and bullying. The dropouts lived with, inter alia, inner conflicts, self‐doubt and “scars” associated with their reasons for dropping out of school. Various lessons emerged for educational leadership. The study argues that the presence of dropouts in school poses a challenge to educational leadership and theorises that the integration of these learners into the school population could be made less problematic not only through a recognition of the potential risk that they quite often pose, but also through the provision of support strategies aimed at helping a resettlement of dropouts into the schools and classes. Suggestions have been made regarding possible support strategy.
The Dodo manifesto

In this article I review the psychotherapy outcomes literature as it pertains to the Dodo hypothesis. This is the proposition that the effects of psychotherapy are due to common factors rather than specific techniques. A variety of sources provide substantial empirical support for the Dodo hypothesis. I conclude that CBT and medication do not appear to be any better than other methodologies for the treatment of psychological distress. I look at some of the criticisms of the Dodo hypothesis. I suggest that the major themes that emerge from the literature as it stands are conclusions that would be immediately obvious to most clinicians. Further, the utility of specific techniques has not been ruled out, due to some serious conceptual flaws in efficacy trials. I suggest that there are a number of ways for family therapists to survive in an evidence-based world. One is to point out to champions of evidence-based practice just how flimsy their claims are. Another would be to advocate for pluralism and to practise and conduct research under the aegis of a contextual philosophy. (author abstract)
Recall of Connotative Meaning

The term connotative meaning is here used to describe the type of response called for in the ratings of words on the GOOD-BAD scale as specified by Osgood's semantic differential (1952). This study is a brief report of an experiment in which the method of paired associates learning was employed in testing the following hypothesis: Subsequent to the learning of a giuen meaningful verbal response presented as a translation of a paralog, there should be a tendency for the connotatiue meaning acquired by the pamlog to be retained when the verbal response itself can no longer be recalled. The paralogs selected for the experiment were the following 18 two-syllable Turkish words: aslan, bardak, bayram, demet, filiz, ilim, hasret, kalem, lale, merkez, mzkil, ortak, sanut, texat, vatan, yalan, zarif, and xahmet. The responses learned to these paralogs were selected from the semantic profile atlas of Jenkins, Russell, and Suci ( 1957). These words were equated in so far as possible on the basis of the geometric means of the L and S counts of frequencies of usage in the Thorndike-Lorge tables ( 1944). Three groups of six words each were chosen so as to represent a sampling from connotatively good, neatral, and bad meanings according to the values given in the atlas. They were as follows: (a) good, with values of 1.40 to 1.67: faith, joy, justice, nice, success, sunlight; ( b ) neutral, with values of 4.00 to 4.30 : dim, heavy, knife, slow, stout, winter; (c ) bad, with values of 5.17 to 6.87 : devil, hate, hungry, mad, troable, steal. These words were presented as translations of the Turkish words which Ss were to learn. A different randomized assignment of the supposed translations to the paralogs was used for each of 25 Ss. The paired-associate learning was continued to the criterion of three correct recalls of all the supposed translations. The test for recall was given one week after the initial learning. The paralogs were presented one at a time in the exposure apparatus. Ss' responses to these stimuli were labelled correct when they were the originally learned translation words. All other responses and failures to respond were labelled as non-recalls. Regardless of how Ss responded, they were asked to rate the meaning of each paralog on the GOODBAD semantic differentia1 scale. In analyzing the data the semantic differential values ascribed to the paralogs were assumed to be a function of the translation words with which they were paired in the initial learning. On this basis the means of the
Online Consumer-to-Consumer Communication Networks; an economic exploration of their formation and value

• A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Modeling vaccination campaigns and the Fall/Winter 2009 activity of the new A(H1N1) influenza in the Northern Hemisphere

The unfolding of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) for Fall 2009 in the Northern Hemisphere is still uncertain. Plans for vaccination campaigns and vaccine trials are underway, with the first batches expected to be available early October. Several studies point to the possibility of an anticipated pandemic peak that could undermine the effectiveness of vaccination strategies. Here, we use a structured global epidemic and mobility metapopulation model to assess the effectiveness of massive vaccination campaigns for the Fall/Winter 2009. Mitigation effects are explored depending on the interplay between the predicted pandemic evolution and the expected delivery of vaccines. The model is calibrated using recent estimates on the transmissibility of the new A(H1N1) influenza. Results show that if additional intervention strategies were not used to delay the time of pandemic peak, vaccination may not be able to considerably reduce the cumulative number of cases, even when the mass vaccination campaign is started as early as mid-October. Prioritized vaccination would be crucial in slowing down the pandemic evolution and reducing its burden.
High-Performance Manufacturing: Evidence from the Automotive Components Industry

This paper examines the manufacturing performance and management practices of 71 automotive components suppliers located in Europe, Japan and North America. The research reports on the extent to which these plants have adopted 'lean production' practices and tests the proposition that such techniques are linked with high manufacturing performance. The results support the contention that tight process control and closely integrated operations are more productive. However, the data do not support the notion that the work organization and human resource policies associated with the lean production model represent a universal 'best way' for achieving high manufacturing performance. Rather, our findings emphasize the importance of context, specific plant characteristics and choice for understanding the performance of manufacturing organizations.
Post Discharge Formula Fortification of Maternal Human Milk of Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants: An Introduction of a Feeding Protocol in a University Hospital

The objective of this study is to determine the growth parameters and nutritional biochemical markers and complications of fortification of human milk by post discharge formula of preterm very low birth weight newborns (VLBW). Fifty preterm infants less than 37 weeks with weight less than 1500 g were enrolled in the study. They received parental nutrition and feeding according to our protocol. When enteral feeding reached 100 cc/kg/day, infants were randomized into two groups: group I, Cases, n=25, where post discharge formula (PDF) was used for fortification, group II, Controls, n=25 with no fortification. Infants of both groups were given 50% of required enteral feeding as premature formula. This protocol was used until infants’ weight reached 1800 g. Daily weight, weekly length and head circumference were recorded. Hemoglobin, albumin (Alb), electrolytes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and clinical complications were documented. Human milk fortification with PDF resulted in better growth with increase in weight 16.8 and 13.78 g/kg/day (P=0.0430), length 0.76 and 0.58 cm/week (P=0.0027), and head circumference of 0.59 and 0.5 cm/week (P=0.0217) in cases and controls respectively. Duration of hospital stay was less in cases (22.76 versus 28.52 days in Controls), P=0.02. No significant changes were found in serum electrolytes, BUN, or Alb between both groups. Hemoglobin was significantly higher in Cases, P=0.04. There were no significant clinical complications. Our feeding protocol of fortification of human milk with PDF in preterm very low birth weight newborns resulted in better growth and decrease in length of hospital stay. The use of PDF could be an alternative option for fortification of mothers’ milk for preterm VLBW infants in developing countries with low resources.
Idiosyncratic Risk and Creative Destruction in Japan

The dramatic rise and fall of the Japanese equity market provides a unique opportunity to examine market-and firm-specific risks over different market conditions. The price behavior of Japanese equities in the 1990s is found to resemble that of U.S. equities during the Great Depression. Both show increasing market volatility and a prolonged large co-movement in equity prices. What is unique about the Japanese case is the surprising fall in firm-level volatility and turnover in Japanese stocks after its market crash in 1990. This large decrease in firm-level volatility may have impeded Japan's capital formation process as it has become more difficult over the past decade for both investors and managers to separate high quality from low quality firms. Using data on firm performance fundamentals and corporate bankruptcies, we show that the fall in firm-level volatility and turnover in Japanese stocks could be attributed to the sharp increase in earnings homogeneity among Japanese firms and the lack of corporate restructuring.
Sex Differences in Insulin Levels in Older Adults and the Effect of Body Size, Estrogen Replacement Therapy, and Glucose Tolerance Status: The Rancho Bernardo Study, 1984–1987

OBJECTIVE To determine if insulin levels vary with sex, independent of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), differences in body mass index (BM1), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and glycernia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In a population-based study of older adults, insulin levels were measured before and after a standardized oral glucose tolerance test in 673 men and 849 women, all free of known diabetes. RESULTS Age-adjusted fasting insulin levels were highest in men, intermediate in women not taking estrogen, and lowest in estrogen-treated women (P < 0.01). Differences between men and women not taking estrogen disappeared after adjusting for age and BMI, but not glycemia; estrogen-treated women had significantly lower fasting insulin levels than did men (P < 0.01) and women not taking estrogen (P < 0.01). The association of estrogen use with lower fasting insulin levels persisted after adjusting for age and WHR (P < 0.001) and was stronger among women with abnormal glucose tolerance. Age-adjusted postchallenge insulin levels were higher in women than in men (P < 0.01). The sex difference persisted after adjusting for age and BMI or glycemia. Postchallenge insulin levels did not vary by ERT. CONCLUSIONS Men have higher fasting insulin levels than do women, whether or not the women are using ERT. Differences between men and untreated women are explained by differences in BMI, but estrogen users have lower fasting insulin levels independent of BMI. Postchallenge insulin levels are higher in women than men and are independent of ERT, BMI, and glycemia. Clinical trials in women are needed to determine whether ERT can improve insulin and glucose metabolism.
Molecular mechanisms of renal and extrarenal manifestations caused by inactivation of the electrogenic Na+-HCO3− cotransporter NBCe1

The electrogenic Na+-HCO3− cotransporter NBCe1 plays an essential role in bicarbonate absorption from renal proximal tubules, but also mediates the other biological processes in extrarenal tissues such as bicarbonate secretion from pancreatic ducts, maintenance of tissue homeostasis in eye, enamel maturation in teeth, or local pH regulation in synapses. Homozygous mutation in NBCe1 cause proximal renal tubular acidosis (pRTA) associated with extrarenal manifestations such as short stature, ocular abnormalities, enamel abnormalities, and migraine. Functional analyses of NBCe1 mutants using different expression systems suggest that at least a 50% reduction of the transport activity may be required to induce severe pRTA. In addition to functional impairments, some NBCe1 mutants show trafficking defects. Some of the pRTA-related NBCe1 mutants showing the cytoplasmic retention have been shown to exert a dominant negative effect through hetero-oligomer complexes with wild-type NBCe1 that may explain the occurrence of extrarenal manifestations in the heterozygous carries of NBCe1 mutations. Both NBCe1 knockout (KO) and W516X knockin (KI) mice showed very severe pRTA and reproduced most of the clinical manifestations observed in human pRTA patients. Functional analysis on isolated renal proximal tubules from W516X KI mice directly confirmed the indispensable role of NBCe1 in bicarbonate absorption from this nephron segment. In this review, we will focus on the molecular mechanisms underling the renal and extrarenal manifestations caused by NBCe1 inactivation.
Static detection of leaks in polymorphic containers

This paper presents the first practical static analysis tool that can find memory leaks and double deletions of objects held in polymorphic containers. This is especially important since most dynamically allocated objects are stored in containers.The tool is based on the concept of object ownership: every object has one and only one owning pointer. The owning pointer holds the exclusive right and obligation to either delete the object or to transfer the obligation. This paper presents a new type system that allows different instances of a polymorphic container to hold different types of elements, and to independently own or not own their elements.Our tool is sound: it will report all potential memory leaks and multiple deletions of pointers in a program. Our system automatically identifies the container implementation routines in an application. The user provides a short specification on the container structure and ownership constraints for these routines. The system then solves for the ownership constraints flow- and context-sensitively, and reports inconsistencies in ownership constraints as potential memory leaks and double deletions.We applied our tool to a suite of five large open-source and commercial C and C++ applications totaling one million lines of code. The tool successfully identified memory leaks in these programs and found double deletions of objects that could lead to program failures or security vulnerabilities.
How Beautiful is the Goal and How Violent is the Fistfight? Spatial Bias in the Interpretation of Human Behavior

We argue that the direction in which language is written in a given culture produces a subtle bias in the interpretation of human action. The same action (e.g., athletic performance or aggression) will be perceived as more forceful when the spatial trajectory corresponds to the habitual writing direction. In Study 1 (n= 72) Italian participants perceived the same athletic performance (a soccer goal) as stronger, faster, and more beautiful if presented with a left–to–right rather than right–to–left trajectory. In Study 2 (n= 60) they interpreted aggressive film scenes as more violent and more harmful to the victim when shown with a left–to–right trajectory. Study 3 (n= 40), involving both Italian– and Arabic–speaking participants, found opposite directional biases in the two cultures, suggesting that scanning habits due to writing direction are mainly responsible for the directional bias in person perception.
Values and Identities of Women Entrepreneurs: A Study of Muslim Women of Malay Ethnicity in Malaysia

This thesis investigates how Islam, culture, and gender intersect in Malay women's construction of their entrepreneurial identities. Interest in this research study grew out of my own experiences of working as an entrepreneur in Malaysia in 1996. Entrepreneurship has long been internationally recognised as an engine for economic growth and development, and this is equally the case in Malaysia. Yet research and theorising of entrepreneurial experiences remain largely rooted in traditional functionalist perspectives which tend to be androcentric, white, and Western in bias. These perspectives and have also limited the range of ways in which women's experiences of entrepreneurship have been defined and understood. This study built upon culture as a root metaphor perspective, an aspect of social constructionist theorising as a methodological framework to underpin the study. Based on the interview data, the construction of women entrepreneurs' identity is complex because of the interweaving of religion, culture, and gender which simultaneously enable and constrain at multiple social levels and categories. The women demonstrated various forms of entrepreneurial identity which are simultaneously Islamic, culture-driven - through their Malayness - and feminine while also embracing entrepreneurial values. Rather than supporting a view that women entrepreneurs should be moulded in particular ways to be efficient and successful, these Malay women participants exhibited inherently rooted entrepreneurial values. Moreover, gender plays an important role that reveals the notion of intersectionality between gender and multiple influences that shape how entrepreneurs think about their own identities in an entrepreneurial setting. This study also suggests that as well as being an economic phenomenon, entrepreneurship can also be read as a cultural one, hence culture as a root metaphor, in that entrepreneurship is culturally produced and reproduced in social practices. This study adds to understanding of the intersectionality of religion, ethnicity, and gender within the entrepreneurial context.