Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE ECONOMIC WAY OF LOOKING AT LIFE *

1. The Economic Approach My research uses the economic approach to analyze social issues that range beyond those usually considered by economists. This lecture will describe the approach, and illustrate it with examples drawn from past and current work. Unlike Marxian analysis, the economic approach I refer to does not assume that individuals are motivated solely by selfishness or gain. It is a method of analysis, not an assumption about particular motivations. Along with others, I have tried to pry economists away from narrow assumptions about self interest. Behavior is driven by a much richer set of values and preferences. The analysis assumes that individuals maximize welfare as they conceive it, whether they be selfish, altruistic , loyal, spiteful, or masochistic. Their behavior is forward-looking, and it is also consistent over time. In particular, they try as best they can to anticipate the uncertain consequences of their actions. Forward-looking behavior, however, may still be rooted in the past, for the past can exert a long shadow on attitudes and values. Actions are constrained by income, time, imperfect memory and calculating capacities, and other limited resources, and also by the available opportunities in the economy and elsewhere. These opportunities are largely determined by the private and collective actions of other individuals and organizations. Different constraints are decisive for different situations, but the most fundamental constraint is limited time. Economic and medical progress have greatly increased length of life, but not the physical flow of time itself, which always restricts everyone to twenty-four hours per day. So while goods and services have expended enormously in rich countries, the total time available to consume has not. Thus, wants remain unsatisfied in rich countries as well as in poor ones.
Interdisciplinary Journal of E-learning and Learning Objects Utaut Model for Blended Learning: the Role of Gender and Age in the Intention to Use Webinars

Cite as: author. (2014). UTAUT model for blended learning: the role of gender and age in the intention to use webinars. Abstract The purpose of the paper was to determine the factors that explain the acceptance of a webinar system (Elluminate) in a blended learning course by students. The effects of gender and age as moderating variables were also studied. Our hypotheses were based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of the technology model, which was proven to be able to better explain the variance in usage intention than previous acceptance models. In total, 114 students enrolled in a blended information systems course at Laval University in Quebec-Canada answered 37 questions of seven-point Likert-type scale. Results have shown that the intention to use a webinar was directly influenced by performance expectancy (practical academic performance), effort expectancy (ease of use), and facilitating conditions (technical and organizational support). Only the age variable had a moderating effect. The obtained results will not only add scientific evidence to the literature about blended learning, webinars, and technology adoption, but it could also lead to a better practical understanding of the factors that may incite or discourage students to use webinar technologies in blended higher education. Faculty members and administrators should use these results to develop strategies to align users' expectations with technology use for learning.
Challenges and opportunities for pre-crisis emergency risk communication: lessons learned from the earthquake community

Abstract Prior to the 2009 L’Aquila event, earthquake forecasting and early warning research focused specifically on earthquakes as the crisis events. Although this is still true, the manslaughter convictions of six earthquake scientists and one public official for failed risk communication in 2009 served as a catalyst for expanding these goals to also intentionally examine the challenges of communicating earthquake risk with non-scientific during the pre-crisis stage of the earthquake lifecycle. The Crisis Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Model developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides specific guidelines for doing so. Thus, based on a thematic analysis of interviews with 21 earthquake scientists, this study identifies what those responsible for communicating regularly about earthquake risk see as major communication challenges and the extent to which the CERC model recommendations are useful for addressing them. Results suggest that earthquake risk science communicators are most effective when they translate scientific and technical information simply, respond to competing messages, capitalize on relevant popular culture references, employ risk communication campaigns during ‘quiet periods’, and acknowledge uncertainty. These findings have implications not only for earthquake science risk communicators, but also for expanding the pre-crisis stage best practices proposed in the Crisis Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model. Essentially, this study reveals that soliciting and responding to feedback in the pre-crisis stage could help spokespersons clarify or correct any messages that are perceived by audiences as unclear or are simply not accurate. Doing so may improve risk communication effectiveness not only during the pre-crisis stage but also throughout the earthquake crisis lifecycle.
Angiogenesis Associated With Visceral and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue in Severe Human Obesity

OBJECTIVE—The expansion of adipose tissue is linked to the development of its vasculature. However, the regulation of adipose tissue angiogenesis in humans has not been extensively studied. Our aim was to compare the angiogenesis associated with subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) from the same obese patients in an in vivo model. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Adipose tissue samples from visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous (SAT) sites, obtained from 36 obese patients (mean BMI 46.5 kg/m2) during bariatric surgery, were layered on chick chorioallantoïc membrane (CAM). RESULTS—Both SAT and VAT expressed angiogenic factors without significant difference for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. Adipose tissue layered on CAM stimulated angiogenesis. Angiogenic stimulation was macroscopically detectable, with engulfment of the samples, in 39% and was evidenced by angiography in 59% of the samples. A connection between CAM and adipose tissue vessels was evidenced by immunohistochemistry, with recruitment of both avian and human endothelial cells. The angiogenic potency of adipose tissue was not related to its localization (with an angiogenic stimulation in 60% of SAT samples and 61% of VAT samples) or to adipocyte size or inflammatory infiltrate assessed in adipose samples before the graft on CAM. Stimulation of angiogenesis by adipose tissue was nearly abolished by bevacizumab, which specifically targets human VEGF. CONCLUSIONS—We have established a model to study the regulation of angiogenesis by human adipose tissue. This model highlighted the role of VEGF in angiogenesis in both SAT and VAT.
NATURE AND COURSE OF DISABILITY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

SUMMARY Sixty eight Feighner positive schizophrenic patients were followed up prospectively for a period of six years using standardized instruments. Disability was assessed in this sample using the Schedule for the Assessment of Psychiatric Disability at the end of 4, 5 and 6 years of follow up. It was found that the three year course of disability tended to be stable and fluctuations were minimal. Disability did not seem to be related to relapses. The implications of these findings in planning intervention programs for chronic schizophrenic patients are discussed.
Reevaluation of the volume-outcome relationship for pediatric cardiac surgery.

Over the last 3 decades, a growing body of work has demonstrated a relationship between volume and outcome for a variety of complex surgical procedures and medical conditions. Two large-scale reviews have systemically evaluated the methodology and results of many of these studies across a broad range of conditions.1,2 In 2000, Dudley et al1 found that, among 128 studies examining 40 different procedures or conditions, 80% reported a statistically significant relationship between higher institutional case volume and better clinical outcomes; none of the published studies reported an association between higher volume and worse outcomes. In 2002, Halm et al2 evaluated 135 studies for 27 procedures or conditions, many of which were included in the previous review; a preliminary version of this report served as the focus of an Institute of Medicine workshop examining the volume-outcome relationship in the context of healthcare quality.3 The authors concluded that 70% of comparisons examining either institutional or physician case volume noted a statistically significant relationship between higher volume and better outcomes. Once again, none of the reports found the opposite to be true. Article p 2652 Pediatric cardiac surgery is the only surgical procedure performed in children for which a volume-outcome relationship has been documented. In 4 large studies conducted in the United States (2 studies4,5 included in the review by Dudley et al,1 3 studies4–6 in the Halm et al2 review, and 1 study7 published subsequent to these reviews), larger annual surgical case volumes were associated with substantial reductions in in-hospital mortality. These results were quite consistent despite the fact that the studies used different data sources, different patient selection, different risk adjustment methods, and different definitions of volume. Jenkins et al4 used aggregated hospital discharge data from California (1988) and Massachusetts (1989) …
Coordination in network security games

Malicious softwares or malwares for short have become a major security threat. While originating in criminal behavior, their impact are also influenced by the decisions of legitimate end users. Getting agents in the Internet, and in networks in general, to invest in and deploy security features and protocols is a challenge, in particular because of economic reasons arising from the presence of network externalities. An unexplored direction of this challenge consists in under- standing how to align the incentives of the agents of a large network towards a better security. This paper addresses this new line of research. We start with an economic model for a single agent, that determines the optimal amount to invest in protection. The model takes into account the vulnerability of the agent to a security breach and the potential loss if a security breach occurs. We derive conditions on the quality of the protection to ensure that the optimal amount spent on security is an increasing function of the agent's vulnerability and potential loss. We also show that for a large class of risks, only a small fraction of the expected loss should be invested. Building on these results, we study a network of interconnected agents subject to epidemic risks. We derive conditions to ensure that the incentives of all agents are aligned towards a better security. When agents are strategic, we show that security investments are always socially inefficient due to the network externalities. Moreover if our conditions are not satisfied, incentives can be aligned towards a lower security leading to an equilibrium with a very high price of anarchy.
Measure-valued processes and interacting particle systems. Application to nonlinear filtering problems

In the paper we study interacting particle approximations of discrete time and measure-valued dynamical systems. These systems have arisen in such diverse scientic disciplines as physics and signal processing. We give conditions for the so-called particle density proles to converge to the desired distribution when the number of particles is growing. The strength of our approach is that is applicable to a large class of measure-valued dynamical systems arising in engineering and particularly in nonlinear ltering problems. Our second objective is to use these results to solve numerically the nonlinear ltering equation. Examples arising in uid mechanics are also given.
Novel approach for increasing the peak-to-average optical power ratio in rate-adaptive optical wireless communication systems

A new and simple rate-adaptive transmission scheme for indoor unguided optical links is proposed. This scheme is based on the use of variable silence periods and on–off keying (OOK) formats with memory. These variable silence times are used for modifying the statistics of the amplitude sequence regarding the statistics of the message sequence, giving an increase in the peak-to-average optical power ratio. This is a favourable characteristic in intensity modulation and direct detection infrared links. In this fashion, OOK formats with Gaussian pulses modifying their position within the symbol period are adopted, obtaining a good trade-off between performance and required complexity. This is applied to links operating at a high initial bit rate, providing a signalling rate with a wide dynamic range and a relevant improvement in performance with gradual complexity in implementation, compared with the scheme proposed and specified in the Advanced Infrared (AIr) standard by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA), which is based on repetition coding and pulse-position modulation.
A Systematic Review of Research on Professional Doctorates.

Alongside the growing numbers of professional doctorate programmes being offered within universities in the past 20 years, there has been a growth in the academic literature associated with various aspects of these research degrees. This systematic literature review draws on the evidence of 193 academic papers to map out the existing academic knowledge about professional doctorates and highlight the gaps that this special issue aims to address. We use a simple vote-counting approach to categorizing the identified papers, considering: the type of professional doctorate studied, the country in focus, the main themes explored, the research methods used and the year of publication. This review highlights the need for academic work in this area to move beyond individual case studies of practice on programmes towards developing principles of practice for professional doctorates as a whole. This special issue hopes to start that academic conversation.
The Exhumation of Subducted Oceanic‐Derived Eclogites: Insights From Phase Equilibrium and Thermomechanical Modeling

The dynamical evolution and exhumation mechanisms of oceanic‐derived eclogites are controversial conundrums of oceanic subduction zones. The previous studies indicated that density is the primary factor controlling the exhumation of oceanic rocks. To explore their density evolution, we systematically investigate the phase relations and densities of different rock types in oceanic crust, including mid ocean ridge basalt (MORB), serpentinite, and global subducting sediments (GLOSS). According to the density of eclogites, these currently exposed natural eclogites can be classified into two categories: the self‐exhumation of eclogites (ρMORB < ρMantle) and the carried exhumation of eclogites (ρMORB > ρMantle). The depth limit for an exhumation of oceanic‐derived eclogites solely driven by their own buoyancies is 100–110 km, and it increases with the lithospheric thickness of the overriding plate. The parameters of carried‐exhumation, that is, KGLOSS and KSerp, are defined in order to quantitatively evaluate the assistance ability of GLOSS and serpentinites for carrying the denser eclogites. KGLOSS is mainly controlled by pressure, whereas KSerp is dominantly affected by temperature. Using 2‐D thermomechanical models, we demonstrate that the presences of low‐density, low‐viscosity GLOSS and seafloor serpentinites are the prerequisites for the exhumation of oceanic‐derived eclogites. Our results show that oceanic‐derived eclogites should be stalled and exhumed slowly at the Moho and Conrad discontinuities (named Moho/Conrad stagnation). We propose that oceanic‐derived eclogites should undergo a two‐stage exhumation generally, that is, early fast exhumation driven by buoyancy at mantle levels, and final exposure to surface actuated by tectonic exhumation facilitated by divergence between upper plate and accretionary wedge or by rollback of lower plate.
Relativistic Cosmology Number Counts and the Luminosity Function

This paper aims to connect the theory of relativistic cosmology number counts with the astronomical data, practice, and theory behind the galaxy luminosity function (LF). We treat galaxies as the building blocks of the universe but ignore most aspects of their internal structures by considering them as point sources. However, we do consider general morphological types in order to use data from galaxy redshift surveys, where some kind of morphological classification is adopted. We start with a general relativistic treatment for a general spacetime, not just for Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker, of number counts, and then we link the derived expressions with the LF definition adopted in observational cosmology. Then equations for differential number counts, the related relativistic density per source, and observed and total relativistic energy densities of the universe, as well as other related quantities, are written in terms of the luminosity and selection functions. As an example of how these theoretical/observational relationships can be used, we apply them to test the LF parameters determined from the CNOC2 galaxy redshift survey, for consistency with the Einstein-de Sitter (EdS) cosmology, which they assume, for intermediate redshifts. We conclude that there is a general consistency for the tests we carried out, namely, for both the observed relativistic mass-energy density and the observed relativistic mass-energy density per source, which is equivalent to differential number counts, in an EdS universe. In addition, we find clear evidence of a large amount of hidden mass, as has been obvious from many earlier investigations. At the same time, we find that the CNOC2 LF gives differential galaxy counts somewhat above the EdS predictions, indicating that this survey observes more galaxies at 0.1 ≲ z ≲ 0.4 than the model's predictions.
Optical and submillimetre observations of Bok globules – tracing the magnetic field from low to high density

We present optical and submillimetre polarimetry data of the Bok globule CB3. We also present optical polarimetry and submillimetre continuum data of the Bok globule CB246. We use each set of polarimetry data to infer the magnetic field orientation in each of the clouds. The optical data can only trace the field orientation in the low-density edge regions of clouds, because if the extinction is too high then no optical emission is transmitted. The submillimetre data can only trace the field orientation in the high-density central regions of the clouds, because current submillimetre polarimeters are only sensitive to high column densities. It has previously been found that near-infrared polarization mapping of background stars does not accurately trace the magnetic field in dense cloud regions, and hence that the grains responsible for near-infrared polarization are under-represented in those regions. This may be due to a lack of aligned grains in dense regions. We test this by comparing the field orientations measured by our two independent methods of optical and submillimetre polarimetry. We find that the field orientation deduced from the optical data matches up well with the orientation estimated from the submillimetre data. We therefore claim that both methods are accurately tracing the same magnetic field in CB3. Hence, in this case, there must be significant numbers of aligned dust grains in the high-density region, and they do indeed trace the magnetic field in the submillimetre. We find an offset of 40°± 14° between the magnetic field orientation and the short axis of the globule. This is consistent with the mean value of 31°± 3° found in our previous work on pre-stellar cores, even though CB3 is a protostellar core. CB246 is a pre-stellar core, and in this case the offset between the magnetic field orientation inferred from the optical polarization data and the short axis of the core inferred from the submillimetre continuum data is 28°± 20°. Taken together, the six pre-stellar cores that we have now studied in this way show a mean offset between magnetic field orientation and core short axis of ∼30°± 3°, in apparent contradiction with some models of magnetically dominated star formation.
Self-determined teacher learning in a digital context fundamental change in thinking and practice

“Self-determined Teacher Learning in a Digital Context” reports on a longitudinal study of teacher empowerment through Constructionist learning about computational technologies and learning about learning itself. The study includes but looks beyond how teachers engage with technology, to how they redefine their own understandings o f learning as they use technology in working alongside their students. The teachers’ emerging self-reflective practice enables them to better understand the multifaceted structure of the learning situation and their own relations to its social, cognitive, and affective aspects. The “Empowering Minds” study also addresses how teachers can become critical judges o f technologies, in order to define for themselves and suggest for others what being digital can mean in learning. These processes have the potential to change educational strategies on personal, community and national scales. How teachers understand learning and how we conceptualise teacher learning will directly affect future generations’ potentials. Teachers grapple with epistemological issues in designing and developing environments around new protean materials that enable each person’s construction of ideas and expression of self. Learning theory becomes less abstract and more meaningful as teachers create a language for talking among themselves about learning. The resulting concretisation of learning processes becomes possible through anchoring the learning with and about technologies in the teachers’ everyday reality o f the classroom. Teachers become empowered to use their own practice as “an object-to-thinkwith” in the Papertian sense. By externalising and examining their understandings of learning, they experiment with and ultimately transform their teaching practice, their relationships with their students, and their understandings of their role as teachers. Constructionists have been challenged to demonstrate that their assertions about education work. The approach described here is a compelling response. Furthermore its continuance among the original participants and its extension to a variety o f new initiatives demonstrate both sustainability and scalability.