Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unsurprising Shocks: Information, Premia, and the Monetary Transmission

Central banks’ decisions are a function of forecasts of macroeconomic fundamentals. Because private sector forecasts are not bound to be equal to central banks’ forecasts, what markets label as unexpected may or may not be unanticipated by the central bank. Monetary surprises can thus incorporate anticipatory effects if market participants fail to correctly account for the systematic component of policy when they are surprised by an interest rate decision. Depending on how market participants perceive the policy decision, their economic projections and the associated risk compensations move in opposite directions, and do so at the time of the announcement. Hence, and regardless of the width of the measurement window, monetary surprises capture more than just the monetary policy shock, and their use as external instruments for identification is potentially compromised. Monetary ‘surprises’ are dependent on, and shown to be predictable by both central banks’ forecasts and past information available to market participants prior to the announcement. A New-Keynesian framework sketches the intuition. The resulting distortions in the estimated impulse response functions can be dramatic, both qualitatively and quantitatively. A new set of monetary surprises, free of anticipatory effects and unpredictable by past information, are shown to retrieve transmission coefficients to a monetary policy shock consistent with macroeconomic theory even in informationally deficient VARs.
College Students or Criminals? A Postcolonial Geographic Analysis of the Social Field of Whiteness at an Urban Community College Branch Campus and Suburban Main Campus

Objective: This study illustrates how external factors of urban and suburban racializations contribute to criminalization and surveillance of an urban community college campus and bus shelters surrounding it. Method: A postcolonial geographic research design is used to analyze geographic and qualitative data. Results: Results show that an urban branch and suburban main community college campus reflect a social field of Whiteness in which the geographic location and external campus are part of the habitus of White racism. Conclusion: We conclude that although community colleges have traditionally provided open admissions to marginalized students, the location and context of racialization at college branch and main campuses align with residential segregation and criminalization of residents and students of color.
TGF-β Superfamily Gene Expression and Induction of the Runx1 Transcription Factor in Adult Neurogenic Regions after Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases neurogenesis in the forebrain subventricular zone (SVZ) and the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily cytokines are important regulators of adult neurogenesis, but their involvement in the regulation of this process after brain injury is unclear. We subjected adult mice to controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury, and isolated RNA from the SVZ and DG at different post-injury time points. qPCR array analysis showed that cortical injury caused significant alterations in the mRNA expression of components and targets of the TGF-β, BMP, and activin signaling pathways in the SVZ and DG after injury, suggesting that these pathways could regulate post-injury neurogenesis. In both neurogenic regions, the injury also induced expression of Runt-related transcription factor-1 (Runx1), which can interact with intracellular TGF-β Smad signaling pathways. CCI injury strongly induced Runx1 expression in activated and proliferating microglial cells throughout the neurogenic regions. Runx1 protein was also expressed in a subset of Nestin- and GFAP-expressing putative neural stem or progenitor cells in the DG and SVZ after injury. In the DG only, these Runx1+ progenitors proliferated. Our data suggest potential roles for Runx1 in the processes of microglial cell activation and proliferation and in neural stem cell proliferation after TBI.
Views of practicing physicians and the public on medical errors.

BACKGROUND In response to the report by the Institute of Medicine on medical errors, national groups have recommended actions to reduce the occurrence of preventable medical errors. What is not known is the level of support for these proposed changes among practicing physicians and the public. METHODS We conducted parallel national surveys of 831 practicing physicians, who responded to mailed questionnaires, and 1207 members of the public, who were interviewed by telephone after selection with the use of random-digit dialing. Respondents were asked about the causes of and solutions to the problem of preventable medical errors and, on the basis of a clinical vignette, were asked what the consequences of an error should be. RESULTS Many physicians (35 percent) and members of the public (42 percent) reported errors in their own or a family member's care, but neither group viewed medical errors as one of the most important problems in health care today. A majority of both groups believed that the number of in-hospital deaths due to preventable errors is lower than that reported by the Institute of Medicine. Physicians and the public disagreed on many of the underlying causes of errors and on effective strategies for reducing errors. Neither group believed that moving patients to high-volume centers would be a very effective strategy. The public and many physicians supported the use of sanctions against individual health professionals perceived as responsible for serious errors. CONCLUSIONS Though substantial proportions of the public and practicing physicians report that they have had personal experience with medical errors, neither group has the sense of urgency expressed by many national organizations. To advance their agenda, national groups need to convince physicians, in particular, that the current proposals for reducing errors will be very effective.
The relative influence of advice from human experts and statistical methods on forecast adjustments

Decision makers and forecasters often receive advice from different sources including human experts and statistical methods. This research examines, in the context of stock price forecasting, how the apparent source of the advice affects the attention that is paid to it when the mode of delivery of the advice is identical for both sources. In Study 1, two groups of participants were given the same advised point and interval forecasts. One group was told that these were the advice of a human expert and the other that they were generated by a statistical forecasting method. The participants were then asked to adjust forecasts they had previously made in light of this advice. While in both cases the advice led to improved point forecast accuracy and better calibration of the prediction intervals, the advice which apparently emanated from a statistical method was discounted much more severely. In Study 2, participants were provided with advice from two sources. When the participants were told that both sources were either human experts or both were statistical methods, the apparent statistical-based advice had the same influence on the adjusted estimates as the advice that appeared to come from a human expert. However when the apparent sources of advice were different, much greater attention was paid to the advice that apparently came from a human expert. Theories of advice utilization are used to identify why the advice of a human expert is likely to be preferred to advice from a statistical method. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Math Attitudes of Gifted Students: A Focus on Gifted Girls in the Elementary Grades

ii List of Tables ix List of Figures xi Chapter I The Problem and Its Context Problem Statement 3 Research Questions 6 Definitions 7 Social Learning Theory 9 Limitations/Delimitations 12 Conceptual Model 13 Significance of the Study 14 Chapter II Review of the Literature Historical Perspective 16 Virginia Plan for the Gifted 17 Local Plan for the Gifted 20 Gifted Learners 22 Attitudes in Mathematics 28 Social Learning Theory 44 Summary 47 Chapter III Methodology Population 51
China's Slowdown and Global Financial Market Volatility: Is World Growth Losing Out?

China's GDP growth slowdown and a surge in global financial market volatility could both adversely affect an already weak global economic recovery. To quantify the global macroeconomic consequences of these shocks, we employ a GVAR model estimated for 26 countries/regions over the period 1981Q1 to 2013Q1. Our results indicate that (i) a one percent permanent negative GDP shock in China (equivalent to a one-off one percent growth shock) could have significant global macroeconomic repercussions, with world growth reducing by 0.23 percentage points in the short-run; and (ii) a surge in global financial market volatility could translate into a fall in world economic growth of around 0.29 percentage points, but it could also have negative short-run impacts on global equity markets, oil prices and long-term interest rates.
Assessment of Oral Communication: A Major Review of the Historical Development and Trends in the Movement from 1975 to 2009

This comprehensive review of the assessment of oral communication in the communication discipline is both descriptive and empirical in nature. First, some background on the topic of communication assessment is provided. Following the descriptive background, we present an empirical analysis of academic papers, research studies, and books about assessing communication, all of which were presented or published from 1975 to 2009. The results are outlined of content and thematic analyses of a database of 558 citations from that time period, including 434 national convention presentations, 89 journal articles, and 35 other extant books and publications. Three main themes and eight subthemes are identified in the database, and trends evident in the resulting data are considered. The study concludes with a discussion of the trends and overarching themes gleaned from the research efforts, and the authors’ recommendations of best practices for how to conduct oral communication assessment.
Processing and properties of sol-gel bioactive glasses.

Melt derived 45S5 Bioglass(R) has been studied for more than 25 years. Bioglass(R) has excellent biocompatibility, and its surface reactivity has contributed to its clinical success over the past 10 years. Recently, porous bioactive glasses have been derived through sol-gel processing in an attempt to increase the specific surface area, and, thus, the surface reactivity and degradability of the material. This allows the material to be replaced ultimately by natural tissue while it stimulates bone regeneration. In this work, the processing and properties of these sol-gel bioactive glasses are discussed, and a new drying method and treatment is described to make homogeneous particulate and monoliths on a production scale.
The effects of core muscle release technique on lumbar spine deformation and low back pain

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the core muscle release technique on correction of lumbar deformation and alleviation of low back pain. [Subjects] Ninety patients diagnosed with lumbar deformation and low back pain participated in this study. [Methods] The participants were divided into three groups according to method of treatment. The first group was treated with the core muscle release technique (CRT), the second group was treated with general exercise, and the third group was treated with electrotherapy. The core muscle release technique group received 50-minute of the core muscle release technique 5 times a week for 2 weeks, and the participants in this group were instructed not to receive any other treatments. After the 2 weeks of treatment, the patients were reexamined. The general exercise group performed Williams flexion exercises and McKenzie extension exercises 5 times a week for 2 weeks. The electrotherapy group was treated by application of electrotherapy with an interferential current therapy machine (TM-301. TOPMED. Seongnam, Republic of Korea) to the abdominal muscles and back muscles of the lumbar region. [Results] The data suggest that the core muscle release technique, general exercise, and electrotherapy all helped to decrease the alignment angle and VAS score. Of these treatment methods, however, the core muscle release technique was the most effective for treatment of lumbar spine deformation and low back pain. [Conclusion] The core muscle release technique was most effective for correction of lumbar spine deformation and pain alleviation.
Cerebral [15O]Water Clearance in Humans Determined by PET: I. Theory and Normal Values

When used to measure blood flow in the brain, water leaves a residue in the vascular bed that influences the estimation of blood flow by current methods. To assess the magnitude of this influence, we developed a two-compartment model of blood flow with separate parameters for transport and vascular distribution of brain water. Maps of the water clearance, K1 into brain tissue, separated from the circulation by a measurably resistant blood–brain barrier (BBB), were generated by time-weighted integration. Depending on the validity of the assumptions underlying the two-compartment model presented here, the maps revealed a significant overestimation of the clearance of water when the vascular residue was ignored. Maps of Vo the estimate of the apparent vascular distribution volume of tracer H215O, clearly revealed major cerebral arteries. Thus, we claim that the accumulation of radioactive water in brain tissue also reflects the volume of the arterial vascular bed of the brain.
Internet self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy and cultural factors on knowledge sharing behavior

Knowledge sharing has been the focus of research within organizations, yet very few studies have been conducted on the influence of knowledge sharing self-efficacy and cultural factors on individuals’ knowledge sharing behavior. Given the unique social and cultural aspects of the Chinese community, this study aimed to examine the relationship between the internet self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy, cultural factors and knowledge sharing behavior among the Chinese. Data were collected from 135 Chinese students studying in Malaysian universities. This study included three variables relating to knowledge sharing self-efficacy (that is, internet self-efficacy, beginning-level computer self-efficacy, and advanced-level computer self-efficacy) and three variables relating to cultural factors (that is, face-saving, face-gaining and guanxi). Results from the multiple regression analysis showed that advanced-level computer self-efficacy, face-gaining and guanxi were found to have significant and positive relationships with knowledge sharing behavior. Face-saving was reported to have a significant and negative relationship with knowledge sharing behavior. This research and its findings had resulted in both theoretical contribution and practical implications. Key words: Knowledge sharing, self-efficacy, cultural factors.
Giorgio agamben and the new biopolitical nomos

Abstract In this paper I reflect on the progressive normalization of a series of geographies of exception within Western democracies and, in particular, the relation of these to the new biopolitical power that is progressively affirming itself in our everyday lives — and that appears to be imposing itself as the new, secret, ontology of the political. I do so by engaging with the work of Giorgio Agamben and, specifically, interrogating the spatial architecture that underpins his theory of sovereign power. Starting from Agamben's spatial conceptualizations, I explore his attempt to trace the contours and the secret coordinates of the contemporary biopolitical nomos, a nomos rooted firmly in the crisis and progressive demolition of that which Carl Schmitt described as the ius publicum Europaeum. I note, moreover, how the definitive dissolution of the geographical nomos that had dominated the two centuries preceding the First World War, and the lack of a new, alternative, geographical nomos in the century which followed, can also be grasped by critically rereading some key episodes in the history of European geography; in particular, the contested legacy of the work of Friedrich Ratzel's grand geographical project and the Geopolitik experiment. What I suggest is that to understand the deep nature of the geographies of exception that arm the global war on terror, it is vital that we think in terms of a theory of space in order to try to unveil the Arcanum, the secret enigma of the empty centre around which turn the wheels of a new, macabre, geo‐biopolitical machine.
Effects of Holorenic Breathwork on Anxiety and Heart Rate Variability: Preliminary Results Efectos de la Respiración Holorénica en la Ansiedad y la Variabilidad de la Frecuencia Cardiaca: Resultados Preliminares

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine changes in physiological and psychological measures in a group of healthy volunteers following participation in a Holorenic Breathwork (HrcB) session. A single group, pretest/posttest design was used. A total of 11 subjects, aged 30-47 participated in the study. Inclusion criteria were as follows: +18 years, Spanish speaking and no know-diagnosed mental disorder. The intervention consists in a single HrcB session. The psychological measures included the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Physiological measures included the HRV. Participants completed the psychological assessments and provided a HRV measure at baseline (pre-HB), and within 15-30 minutes after the HB session (post-HB). Significant improvements in HRV, as well as reductions in the state anxiety level, were observed from baseline to post-HB. Reductions in state anxiety levels were associated with reductions in the HRV levels. Thus, positive improvements in levels of anxiety were associated with increased HRV levels.
Intergroup Perceptual Accuracy Predicts Real-Life Intergroup Interactions

The present research sought to demonstrate the link between the way groups perceive each other’s value and the quality of relations between the groups. Specifically, two studies examined how Hong Kong students and Mainland Chinese students perceived each other’s value endorsements and how such perceptual accuracy related to their intergroup relations. Study 1 showed that the Mainland group (as the minority group in this setting) was more accurate in perceiving the value endorsements of the outgroup than was the Hong Kong group (as the majority group). In addition, intergroup perceptual accuracy was a function of intergroup perceptual projection, the tendency to assume that the other’s feelings or reactions were similar to one’s own feelings or reactions. Study 2 indicated that the perceptual accuracy of the outgroup was positively associated with the quality of social interactions with outgroup members. Implications with regard to intergroup perceptions and intergroup interactions were discussed.
The resistance of macrophage‐like tumour cell lines to growth inhibition by lipopolysaccharide and pertussis toxin

Summary. The process of tumorigenesis is frequently associated with resistance to growth inhibition by physiological regulators of normal cells. Murine macrophage‐like cell lines BAC1.2F5, RAW264, J774.1A and PU5/1.8 were resistant to growth inhibition by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pertussis toxin, agents that blocked growth of primary bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMDM) in the presence of macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (CSF‐1). The resistance of the CSF‐1‐dependent cell line BAC1.2F5 to growth inhibition by pertussis toxin argues against the possibility that pertussis toxin‐sensitive G proteins are essential for the pathway of growth stimulation by CSF‐1. Conversely, these data add further weight to the argument that LPS mediates some of its biological activities by mimicking the action of pertussis toxin and inhibiting G protein function. The resistance of cell lines to LPS and pertussis toxin was not correlated with any alteration in the expression of mRNA encoding any of three pertussis‐toxin sensitive G protein α subunits. The pattern of G protein expression was consistent between primary cells and tumour cells, suggesting that this is a differentiation marker. In particular, Giα2 mRNA was expressed at remarkably high levels in all of the cells. The specificity of LPS resistance was investigated by studying down‐regulation of CSF‐1 binding and induction of protooncogene c‐fos and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) mRNA. BAC1.2F5 cells were LPS‐resistant in each of these assays. In CSF‐1 binding. RAW264 and J774.1A responded in the same way as bone marrow‐derived macrophages but required higher doses of LPS, whereas c‐fos and TNF mRNA were induced in these cells at concentrations that did not inhibit growth.
Assistant based speech recognition - another pair of eyes for the Arrival Manager

Nowadays Arrival Managers (AMAN) are available to produce efficient inbound traffic sequences and to create guidance advisories for optimized approaches. Information about deviations from the planned sequence is exchanged between controller and pilot via radio communication. The AMAN is only able to derive these deviations from the radar data. Using radar data as single input sensor, however, results in adaptation delays of 30 seconds and more - and even worse, the controllers' intent is still missing. The AcListant® AMAN (Active Listening Assistant) [1] has shown for the Dusseldorf Approach Area how to avoid this sensor delay by analyzing the controller-pilot-communication and using the gained information as an additional sensor. An Assistant Based Speech Recognition system (ABSR) is embedded in an AMAN, which provides a dynamic minimized world model to the speech recognizer. Validation trials were performed from February to March 2015 with seven male and four female air traffic controllers from Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, and Prague. Depending on the accepted rejection rate of the speech recognizer, recognition rates between 90% and 95% were achieved, whereas without ABSR only rates between 58% and 83% were possible. Furthermore ABSR significantly reduces the deviation between the controllers' plan and the plan of the AMAN and, at the same time, significantly reduces the controllers workload.