Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cultural and Sex Differences in the Sex Distribution of Dream Characters

The validity of previous reports regarding sex differences in ratio of male characters in dreams was investigated. Eight dreams were obtained for each of 192 college students in Lima, Peru, and New York City. Odd-even reliabilities for male dream characters ranged from . 36 to . 72. U.S. subjects had a higher percentage of male dream characters than Peruvians (p <.01). U.S. males had a greater percentage of men in their dreams than U.S. females; in Peru the sex difference was reversed (p < .01). These findings contradict previous reports of males universally dreaming more about men than do females, attributed by Hall to Oedipal conflicts. Present results allow the conclusion that sex differences in the percentage of male characters in dreams are not universal. Differences in the sex ratio of dream characters more likely reflect sociocultural differences in contact between the sexes.
Traditional and alternative methods of measuring the understandability of accounting narratives

Purpose - – The study aims to explore the use of alternative measures of “understandability” on accounting texts. This includes the meaning identification test (MIT) and the sentence verification technique (SVT), which have not previously been used by accounting researchers, as well as variants on the traditional Cloze tests such as the C-Test. Design/methodology/approach - – This study focuses on the understandability of accounting texts and evaluates how reliable the Cloze test is as a measure of comprehension. An experiment was designed and conducted to measure users' performance with a variety of comprehension measures (MIT, SVT, Cloze, C-Test). Findings - – The study concludes that the outcomes from the MIT and SVT comprehension tests are not significantly associated with those from the Cloze tests. This implies that while the Cloze test is a good measure of the predictability of accounting narratives, and of textual redundancy, it does not necessarily measure the understandability of the text. Originality/value - – These measures of understandability, which have not previously been used in accounting, would enable researchers to test the communicational effectiveness of using different accounting narratives such as annual reports or prospectuses. Such a measure could be used to improve the understandability of accounting narratives. The strengths and weaknesses of the various tests are assessed. It is suggested that there is a need for further experimentation especially with the MIT test.
Coalition, Cryptography, and Stability: Mechanisms for Coalition Formation in Task Oriented Domains

Negotiation among multiple agents remains an important topic of research in Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI). Most previous work on this subject, however, has focused on bilateral negotiation, deals that are reached between two agents. There has also been research on n-agent agreement which has considered "consensus mechanisms" (such as voting), that allow the full group to coordinate itself. These group decision-making techniques, however, assume that the entire group will (or has to) coordinate its actions. Sub-groups cannot make sub-agreements that exclude other members of the group. In some domains, however, it may be possible for beneficial agreements to be reached among sub-groups of agents, who might be individually motivated to work together to the exclusion of others outside the group. This paper considers this more general case of n-agent coalition formation. We present a simple coalition formation mechanism that uses cryptographic techniques for subadditive Task Oriented Domains. The mechanism is efficient, symmetric, and individual rational. When the domain is also concave, the mechanism also satisfies coalition rationality.
The Emancipation of the Researcher as Part of Information and Communication Technology for Development Work in Deep Rural South Africa

In this paper the authors contend that if the outsider‐researcher involved in Information and Communication Technology for Development research really wants to make a difference and honestly address the emancipatory interests of the developing community, emancipation has to take place on both sides of the ‘development divide’. Emancipatory research and practice need to be accompanied by an understanding of the researcher‐practitioner's own assumptions, preconceptions, and limitations as well as local concerns, needs, and realities. Using a critical theoretical underpinning, the paper demonstrates how the outsider researcher and practitioner may recquire emancipation in order to ensure more appropriate Information and Communication Technology for Development. Through confessional writing and demonstrating critical reflexivity, the authors reflect on particular instances of self‐emancipation as they present three narratives from the community entry phases of an ongoing community engagement project in a deep rural part of South Africa. Lessons learned include, the value of cultural interpreters as research partners, tactics for community entry, and a self‐reflective approach to doing fieldwork.
Conflicts and tensions in codeswitching in a Taiwanese EFL classroom

Abstract This paper focuses on codeswitching (CS) as a strategy employed by teachers in their EFL (English as a foreign language) classrooms in two commercial bushibans or cram schools in Taipei, Taiwan. More specifically, we are concerned with the perceived functions of CS in the EFL classroom context and the extent to which these constitute sources of conflict and tension. CS can be evaluated both positively and negatively. Policy makers, at both the national and school level, tend to view CS as undesirable within the language learning classroom, favouring an ‘English-only’ rule. However, the prevalence of CS among experienced teachers seems to suggest that it has some positive function in the educational process. Functional and temporal analysis of transcribed classroom interactions reveals the strategic ways in which the teachers use CS to shape and guide their classes. We conclude that ‘English-only’ is a lazy rule in that it means that we do not have to think about when and where CS is valid and useful and where and when it is pedagogically invalid and less than useful.
The role of ions in the self-healing behavior of soft particle suspensions

Significance Understanding when a material crystallizes is of fundamental importance in condensed matter. In many materials, the presence of point defects suppresses crystallization. Surprisingly, colloidal hydrogels can overcome this limitation: A small number of large microgels can spontaneously deswell to fit in the crystal lattice of smaller microgels, thus avoiding the occurrence of point defects. We find that this unique particle deswelling is due to an osmotic pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the microgels resulting from the overlap of counterion clouds of neighboring particles. When this pressure difference exceeds the bulk modulus of the large microgels, these shrink, enabling crystallization without point defects. Impurities in crystals generally cause point defects and can even suppress crystallization. This general rule, however, does not apply to colloidal crystals formed by soft microgel particles [Iyer ASJ, Lyon LA (2009) Angew Chem Int Ed 48:4562–4566], as, in this case, the larger particles are able to shrink and join the crystal formed by a majority of smaller particles. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, we find the limit in large-particle concentration for this spontaneous deswelling to persist. We rationalize our data in the context of those counterions that are bound to the microgel particles as a result of the electrostatic attraction exerted by the fixed charges residing on the particle periphery. These bound counterions do not contribute to the suspension osmotic pressure in dilute conditions, as they can be seen as internal degrees of freedom associated with each microgel particle. In contrast, at sufficiently high particle concentrations, the counterion cloud of each particle overlaps with that of its neighbors, allowing these ions to freely explore the space outside the particles. We confirm this scenario by directly measuring the osmotic pressure of the suspension. Because these counterions are then no longer bound, they create an osmotic pressure difference between the inside and outside of the microgels, which, if larger than the microgel bulk modulus, can cause deswelling, explaining why large, soft microgel particles feel the squeeze when suspended with a majority of smaller particles. We perform small-angle neutron scattering measurements to further confirm this remarkable behavior.
Transgenerational plasticity in marine sticklebacks: maternal effects mediate impacts of a warming ocean

Summary 1. Our study addresses the role of non-genetic and genetic inheritance in shaping the adaptive potential of populations under a warming ocean scenario. We used a combined experimental approach [transgenerational plasticity (TGP) and quantitative genetics] to partition the relative contribution of maternal vs. paternal (additive genetic) effects to offspring body size (a key component of fitness), and investigated a potential physiological mechanism (mitochondrial respiration capacities) underlying whole-organism growth/size responses. 2. In very early stages of growth (up to 30 days), offspring body size of marine sticklebacks benefited from maternal TGP: offspring of mothers acclimated to 17 °C were larger when reared at 17 °C, and offspring of mothers acclimated to 21 °C were larger when reared at 21 °C. The benefits of maternal TGP on body size were stronger and persisted longer (up to 60 days) for offspring reared in the warmer (21 °C) environment, suggesting that maternal effects will be highly relevant for climate change scenarios in this system. 3. Mitochondrial respiration capacities measured on mature offspring (F1 adults) matched the pattern of TGP for juvenile body size, providing an intuitive mechanistic basis for the maternal acclimation persisting into adulthood. Size differences between temperatures seen at early growth stages remained in the F1 adults, linking offspring body size to maternal inheritance of mitochondria. 4. Lower maternal variance components in the warmer environment were mostly driven by mothers acclimated to ambient (colder) conditions, further supporting our tenet that maternal effects were stronger at elevated temperature. Importantly, all parent–offspring temperature combination groups showed genotype 9 environment (G 9 E) interactions, suggesting that reaction norms have the potential to evolve. 5. To summarize, TGP and G 9 E interactions work in concert to mediate impacts of ocean warming on metabolic capacity and early growth of marine sticklebacks. TGP can buffer short-term detrimental effects of climate warming and may buy time for genetic adaptation to catch up, therefore markedly contributing to the evolutionary potential and persistence of populations under climate change.
A meta-analysis of interrater and internal consistency reliability of selection interviews.

A meta-analysis of 111 interrater reliability coefficients and 49 coefficient alphas from selection interviews was conducted. Moderators of interrater reliability included study design, interviewer training, and 3 dimensions of interview structure ( standardization of questions, of response evaluation, and of combining multiple ratings). Interactions showed that standardizing questions had a stronger moderating effect on reliability when coefficients were from separate ( rather than panel) interviews, and multiple ratings were useful when combined mechanically (there was no evidence of usefulness when combined subjectively). Average correlations (derived from alphas) between ratings were moderated by standardization of questions and number of ratings made. Upper limits of validity were estimated to be.67 for highly structured interviews and.34 for unstructured interviews.
Culturally Responsive Assessment for African American Students with Learning and Behavioral Challenges

Inappropriate assessment procedures result in the misdiagnosis, misidentification, and misplacement of many African American students in special education. This article discusses poor teacher judgment, lack of cultural awareness among teachers, cultural discontinuity between home and school, and bias inherent in current tests used in special education as contributing factors. The authors conclude with a model for culturally responsive assessment of African American learners.
Angry (or Disgusted), but Adjusting? The Effect of Specific Emotions on Adjustment From Self-Generated Anchors

Many numerical judgments are made by adjusting from a salient anchor value. This research examines the effect of high-certainty emotions—emotions associated with feelings of confidence about what is happening, what will happen, and how to respond—on the adjustment process. The authors examined whether such emotions would induce people to engage in adjustment more confidently and thoroughly, leading to greater adjustment. In two studies, the authors found that people feeling anger (Study 1) and disgust (Study 2)—emotions associated with appraisals of certainty—adjusted more from self-generated anchors than did people feeling fear (Study 1) and sadness (Study 2)—emotions associated with appraisals of uncertainty. Study 2 found that this effect does not occur for experimenter-provided anchors, from which adjustment tends to be less consistently observed.
The Treatment of Space and Place in the New Strategic Spatial Planning in Europe

This article examines recent European experiences in urban and regional spatial strategies. It focuses specifically on the concepts of space and place deployed within these strategies and the institutional work these concepts are called upon to do. It explores how far such concepts reflect the shift in geographical thought to a dynamic, dis-contiguous, relational conceptualization of spatiality. These issues are explored through an analysis of three recent strategic planning episodes: The Netherlands Fifth National Policy Document on Spatial Planning, the Regional Development Strategy for Northern Ireland, and the Framework Document for Milan. All are innovative in their contexts in one way or another and provide exemplars of new ways of thinking about space and place, and the role of spatial strategies in contemporary governance contexts. All the episodes reflect in some way new relational geographical ideas, but many traditional planning ideas live on. The analysis highlights the political dimensions of developing new spatial vocabularies to guide urban and regional development and the significance of the institutional context in shaping and accepting new spatial planning concepts. Copyright Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004.
“It’s Not Conflict, It’s Differences of Opinion”

To properly manage conflict, the mechanisms of the complex conflict process must be understood. Building on existing research, the purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the conflict process by examining nonprofit board member experiences with task, process, and relationship conflict, identifying latent conditions that influence the likelihood of these conflict types, and exploring the impact of conflict within nonprofit boards. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 provincial sport organization (PSO) board members. The findings revealed that board members downplayed conflict because of its negative connotation. Furthermore, task, process, and relationship conflict were each described according to continuums of intensity ranging from respectful and professional discussion to heated and rigorous debate. The intensity of each type of conflict was perceived to be influenced by specific latent conditions and to influence both group and individual outcomes. These findings highlight the complex nature of intragroup conflict in this setting and demonstrate the need to identify intensity when examining task, process, and relationship conflict. Implications for research and practice are presented.
Fluctuation theory of connectivities for subcritical random cluster models

We develop a fluctuation theory of connectivities for subcritical random cluster models. The theory is based on a comprehensive nonperturbative probabilistic description of long connected clusters in terms of essentially one-dimensional chains of irreducible objects. Statistics of local observables, for example, displacement, over such chains obey classical limit laws, and our construction leads to an effective random walk representation of percolation clusters. The results include a derivation of a sharp Ornstein–Zernike type asymptotic formula for two point functions, a proof of analyticity and strict convexity of inverse correlation length and a proof of an invariance principle for connected clusters under diffusive scaling. In two dimensions duality considerations enable a reformulation of these results for supercritical nearest-neighbor random cluster measures, in particular, for nearest-neighbor Potts models in the phase transition regime. Accordingly, we prove that in two dimensions Potts equilibrium crystal shapes are always analytic and strictly convex and that the interfaces between different phases are always diffusive. Thus, no roughening transition is possible in the whole regime where our results apply. Our results hold under an assumption of exponential decay of finite volume wired connectivities [assumption (1.2) below] in rectangular domains that is conjectured to hold in the whole subcritical regime; the latter is known to be true, in any dimensions, when q=1, q=2, and when q is sufficiently large. In two dimensions assumption (1.2) holds whenever there is an exponential decay of connectivities in the infinite volume measure. By duality, this includes all supercritical nearest-neighbor Potts models with positive surface tension between ordered phases.
Comparing The Influence Of Parents And Peers On The Choice To Use Drugs

This literature summary, using meta-analysis, compares the influence of parents versus peers on substance use. The data indicated that the average relationship for peer effects on substance use was larger than the effect for parental influence. Several moderating influences (such as youth age and type of substance) are considered. The findings indicate that the relative size of parental and peer influence varies with the age of the adolescent and the type of substance. The results indicate that both parents and peers influence decisions about substance use. Future educational interventions concerning substance use should consider how best to combine these two sources of influence.
Normal forms for reduced stochastic climate models

The systematic development of reduced low-dimensional stochastic climate models from observations or comprehensive high-dimensional climate models is an important topic for atmospheric low-frequency variability, climate sensitivity, and improved extended range forecasting. Here techniques from applied mathematics are utilized to systematically derive normal forms for reduced stochastic climate models for low-frequency variables. The use of a few Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs) (also known as Principal Component Analysis, Karhunen–Loéve and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition) depending on observational data to span the low-frequency subspace requires the assessment of dyad interactions besides the more familiar triads in the interaction between the low- and high-frequency subspaces of the dynamics. It is shown below that the dyad and multiplicative triad interactions combine with the climatological linear operator interactions to simultaneously produce both strong nonlinear dissipation and Correlated Additive and Multiplicative (CAM) stochastic noise. For a single low-frequency variable the dyad interactions and climatological linear operator alone produce a normal form with CAM noise from advection of the large scales by the small scales and simultaneously strong cubic damping. These normal forms should prove useful for developing systematic strategies for the estimation of stochastic models from climate data. As an illustrative example the one-dimensional normal form is applied below to low-frequency patterns such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in a climate model. The results here also illustrate the short comings of a recent linear scalar CAM noise model proposed elsewhere for low-frequency variability.
Resting peripheral blood flow in normal pregnancy and in pre-eclampsia.

Multiple organ dysfunction followed by end organ failure occurs in pre-eclampsia. While one would intuitively reason that one of the factors contributing to the end organ failure is poor nutritional blood flow, this has yet to be demonstrated. The aim of the present study was to determine whether changes in resting nutritional blood flow occur in pre-eclampsia. We used strain-gauge plethysmography to study calf blood flow in 19 women with pre-eclampsia, 13 normal pregnant women and 17 non-pregnant controls. We reasoned that, since the calf comprises mostly skeletal muscle, without anastomotic channels, blood flowing through this region would primarily reflect nutritive flow. Calf blood flow was significantly reduced in women with pre-eclampsia (1.95+/-0.9 ml.min(-1). 100 ml(-1)) compared with normal pregnant (3.9+/-1.4 ml.min(-1). 100 ml(-1)) and non-pregnant (3.8+/-1.0 ml.min(-1). 100 ml(-1)) women (P=0.0004 and P=0.0005 respectively; ANOVA). Blood flow in pre-eclampsia was also correlated significantly with platelet count as an index of disease severity. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between blood flow and systolic blood pressure (r=-0.69, P=0.004) in the women with pre-eclampsia. These findings support the hypothesis that nutritional blood flow is reduced in pre-eclampsia. We suggest that measurement of resting calf blood flow could give a non-invasive index of deterioration of nutritive blood flow to vital organs in pre-eclampsia.
Progress in Mastery of Counseling Communication Skills

Abstract. This article describes the development and evaluation of a new instrument for the assessment of oral counseling communication skills, the Communication Skills Progress Test (CSPT). The first aim of this study was to investigate the reliability, dimensionality, and discriminant power of the CSPT. The second aim was to examine whether trainees show progress in their mastery of counseling communication skills after taking a course in basic counseling communication skills and a course in advanced counseling communication skills. The CSPT is designed as a video test. With this test students have to demonstrate their mastery of the separate communication skills. A total of 454 psychology students took the CSPT, either before (T0) or after a course in basic counseling communication skills (T1), or after a course in advanced counseling communication skills (T2). Furthermore, 103 psychology students took the CSPT at T0, T1 and T2; 26 students served as a control group. We found two factors underlying the.