Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The puzzling dredge-up pattern in NGC 1978

Context. Low-mass stars are element factories that effi ciently release their products in the final stages of their ev olution by means of stellar winds. Since they are large in number, they contri bute significantly to the cosmic matter cycle. To assess this contribution quantitatively, it is crucial to obtain a detailed picture o f the stellar interior, particularly with regard to nucleos ynthesis and mixing mechanisms. Aims. We seek to benchmark stellar evolutionary models of low-mass stars. In particular, we measure the surface abundance of 12 C in thermally pulsing AGB stars with well-known mass and metallicity, which can be used to infer information about the ons et and effi ciency of the third dredge-up. Methods. We recorded high-resolution near-infrared spectra of AGB stars in the LMC cluster NGC 1978. The sample comprised both oxygen-rich and carbon-rich stars, and is well-constraine d in terms of the stellar mass, metallicity, and age. We deriv ed the C/O and 12 C/ 13 C ratio from the target spectra by a comparison to synthetic s pectra. Then, we compared the outcomes of stellar evolutionary models with our measurements. Results. The M stars in NGC 1978 show values of C/O and 12 C/ 13 C that can best be explained with moderate extra-mixing on the RGB coupled to a moderate oxygen enhancement in the chemical composition. These oxygen-rich stars do not seem to have undergone third dredge-up episodes (yet). The C stars show carbon-to- oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios consistent with the occurrence of the third dredge-up. We did not find S stars in this cluster. None o f the theoretical schemes that we considered was able to reproduce the observations appropriately. Instead, we discuss some non-standard scenarios to explain the puzzling abundance pattern in NGC 1978.
Periodontal regenerative effect of a bovine hydroxyapatite/collagen block in one-wall intrabony defects in dogs: a histometric analysis

Purpose The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of a bovine hydroxyapatite/collagen (BHC) block in one-wall intrabony periodontal defects in dogs. Methods A one-wall intrabony periodontal defect (4 mm wide and 5 mm deep) was prepared bilaterally at the mesial side of the mandibular fourth premolar in five beagle dogs. After thorough root planing, block-type BHC (4×5×5 mm) was placed on one side. The contralateral defect area did not receive any material as a sham-surgery control. Histological analysis of the sites was performed after an 8-week healing period. Results Two of five samples in the experimental group healed well without dissipation of the graft materials, and histological analysis revealed excellent regeneration of the periodontal tissues. However, most of the grafted materials had been displaced in the other three samples, leaving only a small portion of the graft. The measured parameters exhibited large standard deviations, and the mean values did not differ significantly between the experimental and sham-surgery control sides. Conclusions The application of BHC alone-without a barrier membrane-to wide, one-wall intrabony periodontal defects yielded inconsistent results regarding both periodontal regeneration and substantivity of the graft materials. Thus, the use of a barrier membrane for noncontained-type defects is recommended to improve the stability of the grafted material, and to condense it.
The Jacobson Radical for Analytic Crossed Products

We characterise the Jacobson radical of an analytic crossed product C0(X)×φ Z+, answering a question first raised by Arveson and Josephson in 1969. In fact, we characterise the Jacobson radical of analytic crossed products C0(X)×φ Zd+. This consists of all elements whose “Fourier coefficients” vanish on the recurrent points of the dynamical system (and the first one is zero). The multidimensional version requires a variation of the notion of recurrence, taking into account the various degrees of freedom.
New somatostatin analogs: will they fulfil old promises?

A peptide inhibiting the release of growth hormone (GH) was originally detected accidentally during studies of the distribution of GH-releasing factor in the hypothalamus of rats (1). This peptide, called somatostatin, proved to be a cyclic peptide consisting of 14 amino acids. Subsequent studies have considerably expanded this initially simple concept of somatostatin as a peptide whose main function is the regulation of GH secretion. Somatostatin is present and plays an inhibitory role in the regulation of several organ systems in man and other species, such as the central nervous system, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, the gastrointestinal tract, the endocrine and exocrine pancreas, several components of the immune system, the retina, and vessel walls (2, 3) Apart from the inhibition of GH and thyrotropin (TSH) secretion, somatostatin also inhibits a variety of other physiological functions such as gastrointestinal motility, gastric acid production, pancreatic enzyme secretion, bile and colonic fluid secretion. It inhibits the secretion of hormones such as insulin, glucagon, secretin, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (2, 3). In these different activities somatostatin acts as a neurohormone, a neurotransmitter, or as a local factor acting via autocrine or paracrine mechanisms. In his Nobel lecture, Guillemin summarized a number of these newly discovered mechanisms (4). In view of the ability of somatostatin to inhibit such a variety of physiological processes, he predicted that this peptide might be of therapeutic value in clinical conditions involving hyperfunction of the organ systems mentioned above. However, the multiple simultaneous effects of pharmacological concentrations of somatostatin in different organs, the need for intravenous administration, its short half-life in the circulation, and the post-infusion hypersecretion of hormones considerably hampered the initial enthusiasm, as well as its clinical use.
A Pilot Test of the Effectiveness of an Integrated Sex Positive Education Program

Abstract This mixed-methods study investigated the effectiveness of a sex positive sexual education and violence prevention program: Relationships, Sexuality, and Violence Prevention (RSVP). Researchers tested the impact of the program among 63 college women. A series of one-way ANCOVAs tested the impact of the program on (a) positive sexual self-understanding; (b) sexual assertiveness; (c) attributions of blame; (d) sexual communication; and (e) self-defense self-efficacy, with results showing the treatment group improved significantly in self-defense self-efficacy. Thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative responses, and the identified themes described behavioral and attitudinal changes experienced by participants.
Assessment of an infant whole-body plethysmograph using an infant lung function model.

In order to facilitate international multicentre studies and improve the quality control of infant pulmonary function measurements, the European Respiratory Society-American Thoracic Society Task Force for infant lung function testing has recently developed specifications for standardized infant lung function equipment and software. A mechanical infant lung model analogue has been developed to assess whether infant lung function equipment is able to meet these requirements. However, the practical testing of infant lung function equipment using such models is highly complex because of the need to use very small pressure and flow changes, and the numerous potentially confounding factors associated with both the design of the device and the testing procedure. The aim of this study was to determine whether the infant lung model is capable of assessing the overall function of an whole-body infant- plethysmograph, using the only infant plethysmograph that was commercially available at the time as an example. The mechanical characteristics of the model such as vibrations or noise did not disturb the delicate plethysmographic measurements and thereby allowed a reliable assessment of the system. A series of tests revealed that the plethysmograph was able to measure airway resistance 1-3.5 kPa.L(-1). s with an accuracy of +/-2.5% and lung volumes 75-300 mL with an accuracy of +/-2.5% under in vitro conditions. To conclude, the infant lung model is a useful means of assessing the overall in vitro performance of infant whole-body plethysmographs, but thermal, mechanical and frequency response characteristics of such a device must be taken into account when interpreting the results of such assessments.
An Input-Process-Output Approach to Interorganizational Teams: The Influence of Work Group Diversity, Trust and Shared Leadership on Communication Network and Team Outputs.

The market’s challenges bring firms to collaborate with other organizations in order to create Joint Ventures, Alliances and Consortia that are defined as “Interorganizational Networks” (IONs) (Provan, Fish and Sydow; 2007). Some of these IONs are managed through a shared partecipant governance (Provan and Kenis, 2008): a team composed by entrepreneurs and/or directors of each firm of an ION. The research is focused on these kind of management teams and it is based on an input-process-output model: some input variables (work group’s diversity, intra-team's friendship network density) have a direct influence on the process (team identification, shared leadership, interorganizational trust, team trust and intra-team's communication network density), which influence some team outputs, individual innovation behaviors and team effectiveness (team performance, work group satisfaction and ION affective commitment). Data was collected on a sample of 101 entrepreneurs grouped in 28 ION’s government teams and the research hypotheses are tested trough the path analysis and the multilevel models. As expected trust in team and shared leadership are positively and directly related to team effectiveness while team identification and interorganizational trust are indirectly related to the team outputs. The friendship network density among the team’s members has got positive effects on the trust in team and on the communication network density, and also, through the communication network density it improves the level of the teammates ION affective commitment. The shared leadership and its effects on the team effectiveness are fostered from higher level of team identification and weakened from higher level of work group diversity, specifically gender diversity. Finally, the communication network density and shared leadership at the individual level are related to the frequency of individual innovative behaviors. The dissertation’s results give a wider and more precise indication about the management of interfirm network through “shared” form of governance.
Learning from Explanations: Extending One's Own Knowledge during Collaborative Problem Solving by Attempting to Understand Explanations Received from Others

On the basis of an experimental study, we propose a cognitive simulation model of collaborative problem solving and learning. In the experimental study, we investigated how qualitative and quantitative problem representations in classical mechanics are acquired and successively interrelated during collaborative problem solving. Two students, who were taught different aspects of classical mechanics, collaborated on problems which were beyond the competence of each of them individually. Students successfully learned to interrelate qualitative and quantitative problem representations. Furthermore, students who initially were taught qualitative aspects of classical mechanics gained significantly more from the information provided by their quantitatively instructed partners than the other way round. The model simulates collaborative problem solving and learning under the conditions set up in the experimental study. On the basis of the model it was possible to reconstruct the main results of the experimental study. (http://aied.inf.ed.ac.uk/members98/archive/vol_9/plotzner/full.html)
Language Mode Influences Language-Specific Categorization

The present study aims to fill a gap at the intersection of the phenomena of language mode—the state of activation of the bilingual’s languages and language processing mechanisms—and the subset problem—issues learners face when the second language has fewer of some kind of contrast than the first language. When the subset problem is present in second language acquisition, learners may struggle to acquire specific contrasts of a language and may map them incorrectly to their first language. By studying advanced learners of Spanish and considering language mode, we are able to investigate whether learners create separate categories for Spanish vowels—as opposed to simply adapting their English categories—and whether the use of such categories depends on the language being perceived. Spanish and English serve as convenient languages for study of these phenomena because Spanish has fewer vowels than English. With this, we ask: “Does language mode influence language-specific categorization? ” To investigate this question, we had native English-speaking, proficient Spanish learners perform an AX task in both English and Spanish, where they identified whether two aurally presented vowel stimuli were the same or different. There was no strong effect of language mode across conditions, but we found that reaction times were significantly slower and that error rates were higher in tasks that included stimuli from more than one language. Thus, we conclude that when multiple languages are activated it is more difficult to process a given language.
Social Justice and the Future of Flood Insurance

Catastrophic flooding events have become increasingly frequent in the UK and, with climate change, are likely to become even more frequent in the future. This Viewpoint argues that social justice demands an insurance regime based on principles of solidarity, which guarantees access to flood insurance for vulnerable households. If the UK flood insurance regime moves further towards a free market, it will be at the expense of fairness and social justice. Key points
Corporate Brand Trust as a Mediator in the Relationship between Consumer Perception of CSR, Corporate Hypocrisy, and Corporate Reputation

The aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between consumer perception of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), corporate brand trust, corporate hypocrisy, and corporate reputation. Based on the one-to-one interview method using a structured questionnaire of 560 consumers in South Korea, the proposed model was estimated by structural equation modeling analysis. The model suggests that consumer perception of CSR influences consumer attitudes toward a corporation (i.e., perceived corporate hypocrisy and corporate reputation) by developing corporate brand trust. This in turn further enhances corporate reputation while decreasing corporate hypocrisy. The findings of our study demonstrate that consumer perception of CSR is an antecedent to corporate brand trust, which fully mediates the relationship between consumer perception of CSR and corporate reputation. In addition, corporate brand trust has the role of partial mediator in the relationship between consumer perception of CSR and corporate hypocrisy. These results imply that to better understand the relationship between consumer perception of CSR and consumer attitudes toward a corporation, it is necessary to consider corporate brand trust as an important mediating variable. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed, together with its limitations and potential for future research.
The Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS): development, confirmatory factor validation and psychometric properties.

AIMS The aims of this study are to develop and validate a measure to screen for a range of gambling-related cognitions (GRC) in gamblers. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS A total of 968 volunteers were recruited from a community-based population. They were divided randomly into two groups. Principal axis factoring with varimax rotation was performed on group one and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used on group two to confirm the best-fitted solution. MEASUREMENTS The Gambling Related Cognition Scale (GRCS) was developed for this study and the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the Motivation Towards Gambling Scale (MTGS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) were used for validation. FINDINGS Exploratory factor analysis performed using half the sample indicated five factors, which included interpretative control/bias (GRCS-IB), illusion of control (GRCS-IC), predictive control (GRCS-PC), gambling-related expectancies (GRCS-GE) and a perceived inability to stop gambling (GRCS-IS). These accounted for 70% of the total variance. Using the other half of the sample, CFA confirmed that the five-factor solution fitted the data most effectively. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the factors ranged from 0.77 to 0.91, and 0.93 for the overall scale. CONCLUSIONS This paper demonstrated that the 23-item GRCS has good psychometric properties and thus is a useful instrument for identifying GRC among non-clinical gamblers. It provides the first step towards devising/adapting similar tools for problem gamblers as well as developing more specialized instruments to assess particular domains of GRC.
Revising order or challenging the balance of military power? An alternative typology of revisionist and status-quo states

Abstract Unimensional accounts of revisionism – those that align states along a single continuum from supporting the status quo to seeking a complete overhaul of the international system – miss important variation between a desire to alter the balance of military power and a desire to alter other elements of international order. We propose a two-dimensional property space that generates four ideal types: status-quo actors, who are satisfied with both order and the distribution of power; reformist actors, who are fine with the current distribution of power but seek to change elements of order; positionalist actors, who see no reason to alter the international order but do aim to shift the distribution of power; and revolutionary actors, who want to overturn both international order and the distribution of capabilities. This framework helps make sense of a number of important debates about hegemony and international order, such as the possibility of revisionist hegemonic powers, controversies over the concept of ‘soft balancing’, and broader dynamics of international goods substitution during power transitions.
Multi-Scenario Based Call Admission Control for Coexisting Heterogeneous Wireless Technologies

It is widely recognized that next generation wireless networks will integrate heterogeneous wireless technologies. Nowadays, the borders among the different wireless network technologies are quickly disappearing. UMTS and WLAN, a popular and representative interworking paradigm, provides a plethora of multimedia services to mobile users with multimode access capability. In this paper, we propose an effective call admission control (CAC) scheme which is based on a multi- threshold bandwidth reservation scheme. Our primary goal is not to develop the optimum CAC algorithm; we want to investigate all the real future market parameters, so that the CAC mechanisms will be flexible enough to face all the possible upcoming scenarios in the next wireless generation era.
Impact of process conformance on the effects of test-driven development

Context: One limitation of the empirical studies about test-driven development (TDD) is knowing whether the developers followed the advocated test-code-refactor cycle. Research dealt with the issue of process conformance only in terms of internal validity, while investigating the role of other confounding variables that might explain the controversial effects of TDD. None of the research included process conformance as a fundamental part of the analysis. Goal: We aim to examine the impact of process conformance on the claimed effects of TDD on external quality, developers' productivity and test quality. Method: We used data collected during a previous study to create regression models in which the level of process conformance was used to predict external quality, productivity, and tests thoroughness. Result: Based on our analysis of the available data (n = 22), we observe that neither quality (p -- value = 0.21), productivity (p -- value = 0.80), number of tests (p -- value = 0.39) nor coverage (p -- value = 0.09) was correlated with the level of TDD process conformance. Conclusion: While based on a small sample, we raise concerns about how TDD is interpreted. We also question whether the cost of strictly following TDD will pay-off in terms of external quality, productivity, and tests thoroughness.
Keeping the Board in the Dark: CEO Compensation and Entrenchment

We study a model in which a CEO can entrench himself by hiding information from the board that would allow the board to conclude that he should be replaced. Assuming that even diligent monitoring by the board cannot fully overcome the information asymmetry vis-a-vis the CEO, we ask if there is a role for CEO compensation to mitigate the inefficiency. Our analysis points to a novel argument for high-powered, non-linear CEO compensation such as bonus pay or stock options. By shifting the CEO’s compensation into states where the firm’s value is highest, a high-powered compensation scheme makes it as unattractive as possible for the CEO to entrench himself when he expects that the firm’s future value under his management and strategy is low. This, in turn, minimizes the severance pay needed to induce the CEO not to entrench himself, thereby minimizing the CEO’s informational rents. Amongst other things, our model suggests how deregulation and technological changes in the 1980s and 1990s might have contributed to the rise in CEO pay and turnover over the same period.
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials examining psychological interventions for needle-related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents: an abbreviated cochrane review.

OBJECTIVE To report the results of a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological interventions for children and adolescents undergoing needle-related procedures. METHODS A variety of cognitive-behavioral psychological interventions for managing procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents between 2 and 19 years of age were examined. Outcome measures included pain and distress as assessed by self-report, observer report, behavioral/observational measures, and physiological correlates. RESULTS Twenty-eight trials met the criteria for inclusion in the review and provided the data necessary for pooling the results. Together, the trials included 1,039 participants in treatment conditions and 951 in control conditions. The largest effect sizes for treatment improvement over control conditions were found for distraction, combined cognitive-behavioral interventions, and hypnosis, with promising but limited evidence for several other psychological interventions. CONCLUSIONS Recommendations for conducting future RCTs are provided, and particular attention to the quality of trial design and reporting is highlighted.