Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Getting the Big Picture on Chinese Values: Developing Approaches to Study the Shifting Core of Chinese Culture

Steve J. Kulich, Shanghai International Studies University Many scholars in recent years have noted that Chinese values are undergoing changes. But few have designed empirical studies to analyze these changes. This paper builds on the intercultural communication tradition toward developing a comprehensive approach to frame such studies. Values clarification has always been an important starting point for cultural comparisons and interactions. As Kluckhohn (1952/1962) suggested, in times of rapid change there is a need to re-examine the contexts of shifting values. Scholars like Hofstede (1980, 1997) and Schwartz (1992, 1994, 1999, 2001) have been doing this, but with limited new empirical work in China. Starting with a review of the need to study value shifts during times of cultural transition, this paper proposes six directions toward developing a social science research process such as that incorporated in the Shanghai Chinese Values Project (SCVP). The key features of the SCVP include proposing (a) A focus on sub-cultural contexts; (b) A multi-dimensional model; (c) Synchronous diversity; (d) An inductive and indigenous review; (e) Analysis of “products of culture”; and (f) The blending of qualitative and quantitative methods. This paper includes a list of resource materials that are being developed to aid values researchers and papers that have been presented under the SCVP project. Prospects for the continued clarification of Chinese culture in transition are put forward. Studying Values in Times of Cultural Transitions The matter of values is certainly the prime intellectual issue of the present day…Our cohesiveness and strength as a people depend upon the achievement of greater clarity and force in making explicit among ourselves and to the outside world what we conceive to be good, what we hold to be right or wrong in private acts or official duties, and the responsibilities of our nation in its dealings with other nations. (Kluckhohn, 1962, p. 286) During a time of booming economic prosperity, rapidly developing technology, and the beginning of major shifts in social patterns, C. Kluckhohn addressed those words to American educators, scholars and policy makers (Kluckhohn, 1962). He foresaw that societies experiencing rapid transformation need to take time to identify the shifts in their values, identities, and how these affect both domestic and international influences. This trend was also anticipated in the principle put forward by his Harvard Values Project associates (Kluchkohn & Strodtbeck, 1961); that in societies undergoing cultural change, the new rank ordering of values may not yet be clear. In fact, it could be argued that it particularly is in
Forecasting the Elecronification of Payments with Learning Curves: The Case of Finland

This paper examines the electronification of noncash payments in Finland and the extent to which noncash payment means are used as substitutes for cash. We model the processes of cash substitution and electronification of payments as 'S'-shaped learning curves and generate forecasts by extrapolating these curves. The 'S'-shaped learning curves fit the data well. Our results indicate that in Finland the cash substitution process as a whole is approaching the saturation point. Although the electronification process is clearly ongoing as regards larger-value bill payments, for small-value point-of-sale payments we seem to have reached saturation. Electronification of payments, having progressed swiftly and extensively in Finland, is already beginning to slow down. We conclude the paper with a discussion of the reasons for this turn of events and of the different factors that affect the speed of diffusion of new means of payment. Key words: payments, electronification, learning curves
Baryonic response of dense holographic QCD

The response function of a homogeneous and dense hadronic system to a time-dependent (baryon) vector potential is discussed for holographic dense QCD (D4/D8 embedding) both in the confined and deconfined phases. Confined holographic QCD is an uncompressible and static baryonic insulator at large Nc and large ? , with a gapped vector spectrum and a massless pion. Deconfined holographic QCD is a diffusive conductor with restored chiral symmetry and a gapped transverse baryonic current. Similarly, dense D3/D7 is diffusive for any non-zero temperature at large Nc and large ? At zero temperature dense D3/D7 exhibits a baryonic longitudinal visco-elastic mode with a first sound speed 1/? 3 and a small width due to a shear viscosity to baryon ratio ? /nB = /4. This mode is turned diffusive by arbitrarily small temperatures, a hallmark of holography.
Real‐Time 3‐Dimensional Echocardiographic Assessment of Effective Regurgitant Orifice Area in Dogs With Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

Background Effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA), calculated from the vena contracta width (VCW) as the narrowest portion of the proximal regurgitant jet, might be used to estimate severity of mitral regurgitation. However, this simplified assumption only holds when the EROA is circular, which might not be true in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Hypothesis Effective regurgitant orifice area in dogs with MMVD is noncircular, and using color Doppler real‐time 3‐dimensional (RT3D) echocardiography, measured EROA in the en face view will be significantly different from calculated EROA. Animals Hundred and fifty‐eight privately owned dogs with naturally occurring MMVD. Materials and Methods Prospective observational study comparing en face view of EROA with calculated EROA using VCW in 4‐chamber (4Ch) and 2‐chamber (2Ch) view only or combined 4Ch and 2Ch views using RT3D echocardiography. Results The calculated EROA using the 2Ch view showed a systematic underestimation of 17% compared with the measured en face EROA corrected for body surface area. The calculated EROA using 4Ch and 4Ch + 2Ch views showed less agreement with the en face EROA, and the difference between methods increased with increasing EROA. The difference between calculated and measured EROA showed a systematic underestimation of the calculated EROA by 36% (4Ch) and 33% (4Ch + 2Ch), respectively, compared to measured en face EROA. Conclusion and Clinical Importance When replacing measured EROA with calculated EROA using VCW measurements, the 2Ch view is preferred in dogs with MMVD.
Rate-distortion bounds on Bayes risk in supervised learning

An information-theoretic framework is presented for estimating the number of labeled samples needed to train a classifier in a parametric Bayesian setting. Ideas from rate-distortion theory are used to derive bounds for the average L1 or L∞ distance between the learned classifier and the true maximum a posteriori classifier in terms of familiar information-theoretic quantities and the number of training samples available. The maximum a posteriori classifier is viewed as a random source, labeled training data are viewed as a finite-rate encoding of the source, and the L1 or L∞ Bayes risk is viewed as the average distortion. The result is a framework dual to the well-known probably approximately correct (PAC) framework. PAC bounds characterize worst-case learning performance of a family of classifiers whose complexity is captured by the Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) dimension. The rate-distortion framework, on the other hand, characterizes the average-case performance of a family of data distributions in terms of a quantity called the interpolation dimension, which represents the complexity of the family of data distributions. The resulting bounds do not suffer from the pessimism typical of the PAC framework, particularly when the training set is small.
Stability analysis and synthesis for slowly time varying systems based on non-common Lyapunov matrices

Recently, new stability analysis and controller synthesis methods based on non-common Lyapunov matrices are proposed. In this paper, we give another simple and easy proof for them using redundant descriptor form. Furthermore, we propose a sufficient condition for stability of slowly time-varying systems that have real rational uncertainties using the technique in the proof. The proposed condition is not more conservative than former methods and the quadratic stability.
Analysis of the adaptive filter algorithm for feedback-type active noise control

The feedback-type active noise control (ANC) system uses only one microphone to provide necessary signals for adjusting the adaptive filter. Due to the complicated nature of the whole adaptive filter structure there have been no theoretical results about its convergence properties. First a stationary point of the adaptive filter using the filtered-X LMS algorithm is obtained by the averaging method combined with the frequency domain technique. Then the local convergence condition is derived. This is a counterpart of the well-known 90/spl deg/ condition for the feedforward-type ANC. Finally, the convergence condition is explicitly given for a simple example and its validity is shown by some simulations.
The impact of inertial effects on solute dispersion in a channel with periodically varying aperture

We investigate solute transport in channels with a periodically varying aperture, when the flow is still laminar but sufficiently fast for inertial effects to be non-negligible. The flow field is computed for a two-dimensional setup using a finite element analysis, while transport is modeled using a random walk particle tracking method. Recirculation zones are observed when the aspect ratio of the unit cell and the relative aperture fluctuations are sufficiently large; under non-Stokes flow conditions, the flow in non-reversible, which is clearly noticeable by the horizontal asymmetry in the recirculation zones. After characterizing the size and position of the recirculation zones as a function of the geometry and Reynolds number, we investigate the corresponding behavior of the longitudinal effective diffusion coefficient. We characterize its dependence on the molecular diffusion coefficient Dm, the Peclet number, the Reynolds number, and the geometry. The proposed relation is a generalization of the wel.
A Maximal Parallelogram Characterization of Ovals Having Circles as Orthoptic Curves

It is shown that ovals admitting circles as orthoptic curves are pre- cisely characterized by the property that every one of their points is the vertex of exactly one maximal-perimeter inscribed parallelogram. This generalizes an old property of ellipses, most recently revived by Connes and Zagier in the paper A Property of Parallelograms Inscribed in Ellipses.
Ccdc 94 Protects Cells from Ionizing Radiation by Inhibiting the Expression of p 53

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) represent one of the most deleterious forms of DNA damage to a cell. In cancer therapy, induction of cell death by DNA DSBs by ionizing radiation (IR) and certain chemotherapies is thought to mediate the successful elimination of cancer cells. However, cancer cells often evolve to evade the cytotoxicity induced by DNA DSBs, thereby forming the basis for treatment resistance. As such, a better understanding of the DSB DNA damage response (DSB–DDR) pathway will facilitate the design of more effective strategies to overcome chemoand radioresistance. To identify novel mechanisms that protect cells from the cytotoxic effects of DNA DSBs, we performed a forward genetic screen in zebrafish for recessive mutations that enhance the IR–induced apoptotic response. Here, we describe radiosensitizing mutation 7 (rs7), which causes a severe sensitivity of zebrafish embryonic neurons to IR–induced apoptosis and is required for the proper development of the central nervous system. The rs7 mutation disrupts the coding sequence of ccdc94, a highly conserved gene that has no previous links to the DSB–DDR pathway. We demonstrate that Ccdc94 is a functional member of the Prp19 complex and that genetic knockdown of core members of this complex causes increased sensitivity to IR–induced apoptosis. We further show that Ccdc94 and the Prp19 complex protect cells from IR–induced apoptosis by repressing the expression of p53 mRNA. In summary, we have identified a new gene regulating a dosage-sensitive response to DNA DSBs during embryonic development. Future studies in human cancer cells will determine whether pharmacological inactivation of CCDC94 reduces the threshold of the cancer cell apoptotic response. Citation: Sorrells S, Carbonneau S, Harrington E, Chen AT, Hast B, et al. (2012) Ccdc94 Protects Cells from Ionizing Radiation by Inhibiting the Expression of p53. PLoS Genet 8(8): e1002922. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen. 1002922 Editor: Marshall S. Horwitz, University of Washington, United States of America Received January 17, 2012; Accepted July 13, 2012; Published August 30, 2012 Copyright: 2012 Sorrells et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: Support for this work was provided by NIH grant NIH K01 DK074555 (CJ), the Huntsman Cancer Institute/Huntsman Cancer Foundation (CJ, RAS, SS, EH), P30 CA042014 (BM), NIH 3R01CA119066 (ATL, UP, SC), and NS058608 (RAS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: Cicely.Jette@hci.utah. edu (CJ); Thomas_Look@dfci.harvard. edu (ATL)
Milieus of creativity : an interdisciplinary approach to spatiality of creativity

Introduction: The Spatiality of Creativity: Peter Meusburger, Joachim Funke, Edgar Wunder. - 1: On the Psychology of Creativity: Joachim Funke. - 2: Domain-Generality versus Domain-Specificity of Creativity: Robert J. Sternberg. - 3: Scientific Creativity as a Combinatorial Process: The Chance Baseline: Dean Keith Simonton. - 4: The Riddle of Creativity. Philosophy's View: Gunter Abel: 5: Creativity - Multidimensional Associative or Chaotic Process? Methodological Remarks Concerning Creative Processes and Metaphors in Aesthetics and Innovation: Hans Lenk. - 6 Milieus of Creativity - the Role of Places, Environments, and Spatial Contexts: Peter Meusburger. - 7: Creativity, Intelligence, and Culture: Connections and Possibilities: James C. Kaufman. - 8: Exploring the Relationships between Problem Solving Style and Creative Psychological Climate: Scott G. Isaksen. - 9: Creativity in Cross-Cultural Innovation Teams: Diversity and its Implications for Leadership: Ricarda Bouncken. - 10: Space(s) of Innovation - Regional Knowledge Economies: Martina Fromhold-Eisebith. - 11: The Unconscious City: How Expectancies about Creative Milieus influence Performance: Jens Forster. - 12: Conceptual Spaces: Margaret Boden. - 13: Looking at the Present through the Future: Science Fiction Urbanism and Contingent and Relational Creativity: Rob Kitchin. - 14: Teleology, Contingency, and Networks: Barney Warf. - 15: Geophilosophy and Creative Milieus: Stephan Gunzel. - Abstracts of the Contributions. - On the Klaus Tschira Foundation. - Index
Facile and versatile replication of high-performance superlyophobic surfaces on curable substrates using elastomer molds

We have developed a facile, versatile and low-cost fabrication method for high-performance superlyophobic surfaces (SLS, simultaneously superhydrophobic and superoeleophobic) on curable materials, which is promising to unblock the two bottlenecks of SLS (relying on very few materials and requiring demanding fabrication). By using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as the elastomer mold, T-shape microstructures of Si-based SLS were readily transferred to poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with high precision, high fidelity and comparable non-wetting performances. The repeatable and durable use of Si and PDMS allowed mass production of SLS on various curable materials without significant deterioration, and dramatically diluted the fabrication cost. We believe this method may initialize the high-throughput, high-performance and low-cost SLS fabrication on various substrates.
Enamel pretreatment with Er:YAG laser: effects on the microleakage of fissure sealant in fluorosed teeth

Objectives The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the microleakage and penetration of fissure sealant in permanent molar teeth with fluorosis after pretreatment of the occlusal surface. Materials and Methods A total of 120 third molars with mild dental fluorosis were randomly divided into 6 groups (n = 20). The tooth surfaces were sealed with an unfilled resin fissure sealant (FS) material. The experimental groups included: 1) phosphoric acid etching (AE) + FS (control); 2) AE + One-Step Plus (OS, Bisco) + FS; 3) bur + AE + FS; 4) bur + AE + OS + FS; 5) Er:YAG laser + AE + FS; and 6) Er:YAG laser + AE + OS + FS. After thermocycling, the teeth were immersed in 0.5% fuchsin and sectioned. Proportions of mircoleakage (PM) and unfilled area (PUA) were measured by digital microscope. Results Overall, there were significant differences among all groups in the PM (p = 0.00). Group 3 showed the greatest PM, and was significantly different from groups 2 to 6 (p < 0.05). Group 6 showed the lowest PM. Pretreatment with Er:YAG with or without adhesive led to less PM than bur pretreatment. There were no significant differences among groups in PUA. Conclusions Conventional acid etching provided a similar degree of occlusal seal in teeth with fluorosis compared to those pretreated with a bur or Er:YAG laser. Pretreatment of pits and fissures with Er:YAG in teeth with fluorosis may be an alternative method before fissure sealant application.
Model reduction of linear systems using extended balanced truncation

An extension to balanced truncation is presented. Balanced truncation is a standard method for model reduction and it has many good properties, such as preservation of model stability and a priori error bounds. Balanced truncation is done using controllability and observability Gramians. The Gramians can be found by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities. In this paper, we show that these linear matrix inequalities can be extended so that the number of decision variables are at least doubled. This leads to the concept of extended Gramians. It is shown that all the good properties of balanced truncation also hold for extended balanced truncation. It turns out that extended balanced truncation is especially useful when there are additional structure constraints in the model to be reduced. This is useful in frequency-weighted reduction, for example.
Towards fixing inconsistencies in models with variability

Recent years have witnessed a convergence between research in SPL and Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) that leverages the complementary capabilities that both paradigms can offer. A crucial factor for the success of MDE is the availability of effective support for detecting and fixing inconsistencies among model elements. The importance of such support is attested by the extensive literature devoted to the topic. However, when coupled with variability, the research focus has been devoted to inconsistency detection, while leaving the important issue of fixing the inconsistency largely unaddressed. In this research-in-progress paper, we explore one of the issues that variability raises for inconsistency fixing. Namely, in which features to locate the fixes. We compute what is the minimal number of fixes and use it as a baseline to compare fixes obtained with a heuristic based on feature model analysis and random approaches. Our work highlights the pros and cons of both approaches and suggests how they could be addressed.
Factors influencing the decisions of senior UK doctors to retire or remain in medicine: national surveys of the UK-trained medical graduates of 1974 and 1977

Objective To report attitudes to retirement of late-career doctors. Design Questionnaires sent in 2014 to all UK medical graduates of 1974 and 1977. Setting United Kingdom. Participants 3695 medical graduates. Main outcome measures Factors which influenced doctors’ decisions to retire and factors which encouraged doctors to remain in work. Results The response rate was 85% (3695/4369). 55% of respondents overall were still working in medicine (whether they had not retired or had retired and returned; 61% of men, 43% of women). Of the retirees, 67% retired when they had originally planned to, and 28% had changed their retirement plans. Fifty per cent of retired doctors cited ‘increased time for leisure/other interests’ as a reason; 43% cited ‘pressure of work’. Women (21%) were more likely than men (11%) to retire for family reasons. Women (27%) were more likely than men (9%) to retire because of the retirement of their spouse. General practitioners (GPs) were more likely than doctors in other specialties to cite ‘pressure of work’. Anaesthetists and GPs were more likely than doctors in other specialties to cite the ‘possibility of deteriorating skill/competence’. Radiologists, surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists, and anaesthetists were most likely to cite ‘not wanting to do out-of-hours work’. Doctors who were still working were asked what would encourage them to stay in medicine for longer. Factors cited most frequently were ‘reduced impact of work-related bureaucracy’ (cited by 45%) and ‘workload reduction/shorter hours’ (42%). Men (30%) were more motivated than women (20%) by ‘financial incentivisation’. Surgeons were most motivated by ‘reduction of on-call or emergency commitments’. Conclusions Retention policy should address ways of optimising the clinical contribution of senior doctors while offering reduced workloads in the areas of bureaucracy and working hours, particularly in respect of emergency commitments.
Learning to Act/Acting to Learn: Children as Actors, Critics, and Characters in Classroom Theatre

The present study investigates the experiences of 17 children—all designated by school evaluators as “remedial” readers—as they interpreted and performed text through classroom theatre. Through participant observation, audio and video recording, artifacts, and interviews, the patterns of children’s text interpretation were analyzed to show how these children learned to take on the roles of actor, character, and critic in planning, performing, and evaluating their performances. As actors, the children were provided with opportunities to shoulder the “mantle of expertise,” experiencing the creative and critical features of a dramatic curriculum. As critics, the children learned to emphasize the roles of rules, resources, and the bases for common knowledge in their dramatic interpretations. As characters, they shifted perspective from self to other through voice, physical action, and connection to other characters. This year-long study details how these children moved from a perception of drama as uninhibited expression much influenced by media experiences to a perception of the bounded and negotiated nature of theatrical production influenced by careful text interpretation.