Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism Local Interrelationships of Cerebral Oxygen Consumption and Glucose Utilization in Normal Subjects and in Ischemic Stroke Patients: a Positron Tomography Study

With the use of positron emission tomog­ raphy (PET) and the 150 steady-state-[ISF]fluorode­ oxyglucose combined method, the local interrelationships between the cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMR02) and the cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRGlc) were investigated in control subjects and in stroke pa­ tients. In addition to the classic in vivo autoradiographic approach, a kinetic method was used to measure CMRGlc because it was expected to be more reliable in cerebral ischemia. In control subjects local coupling be­ tween CBF, CMR02, and CMRGlc was confirmed, and acceptable values for the CMR02/CMRGlc ratio were found; the latter, however, was lower in white matter The recent development of independent methods for measuring in the human brain the rates of ox­ ygen consumption (CMR0 2) and glucose utilization (CMRGlc) using positron emission tomography (PET) has revived the study of the coupling be­ tween CMR0 2 and CMRGlc, previously restricted to the whole brain only (Finkle stein et aI., 1981; Baron et aI., 1982; Rhodes et aI., 1982). Such in vivo studies may help us understand better the con­ ditions required for the occurrence and the prog­ nostic significance of enhanced anaerobic glycol­ ysis in cerebral ischemia. 140 than in gray. Uncoupling between CMR02 and CMRGlc was observed in all stroke patients, suggesting that (1) enhanced anaerobic glycolysis occurred both in reper­ fused recent infarcts and in chronically ischemic tissue, and (2) substrates other than blood-borne glucose were being oxidized at the borders of recent infarcts. However, methodological uncertainties presently make such obser­ vations only tentative. Finally, a coupled depression of CMRO, and CMRGlc was found in the contralateral cer­ ebellu m. Methods The steady-state oxygen-IS method of measuring CBF and CMR02 (Jones et aI., 1976) was combined with the [ISF]fluorodeoxyglucose eSFDG) technique for measuring CMRGlc (Phelps et aI., 1979; Reivich et aI., 1979). A detailed account of the combined measurement has been given earlier (Baron et aI., 1982). Briefly, consecutive continuous inhalation of trace amounts of CI502 and 1502 was performed first. Once completed, 16 min (eight pe­ riods) were allowed to elapse before rapid (=20 s) intra­ venous injection of IsFDG (3-8 mCi). Generally, three contiguous head levels, parallel to the orbitomeatal (OM) line, were studied. The coincidence photons were col­ lected by an ECAT II (Ortec) single-slice positron tomo­ graph. Considerable care was taken to quantitate accu­ rately the local tracer concentration in the final images (Baron et aI. , 1982; …
On the Rates of Gamma-Ray Bursts and Type Ib/c Supernovae

We measure the local rates of "low-luminosity" gamma-ray bursts (LL GRBs; i.e., L ≲ 1049 ergs s-1) and "high-luminosity" gamma-ray bursts (HL GRBs). The values are in the range 0 = 100-1800 Gpc-3 yr-1 and 0 = 100-550 Gpc-3 yr-1, respectively, and their ratios to Type Ibc supernovae (SNe Ibc) are ~1%-9% and 0.4%-3%, respectively. These data may suggest the existence of two physically distinct classes of GRBs in which LL GRBs are (intrinsically) more frequent events than HL GRBs. However, with the present data, we cannot exclude the possibility of a single population of GRBs that gives rise to both an isotropic low-luminous emission (LL GRBs: detectable only in nearby GRBs) and to a highly collimated high luminous emission (HL GRBs: detectable preferentially at high z). We also compute the rate of SNe Ibc characterized by broad-lined spectra (hypernovae [HNe]) and find it to be about 1.5 × 10-4 yr-1 per 1010 LB, ☉ (i.e., less than 10% of SNe Ibc occurring in spiral galaxies). This result implies that the ratio of HL GRBs to HNe is smaller than 1, possibly in the range of 0.04-0.3. We have used the ratio between HNe and LL GRBs to constrain their beaming factor to f ~ 10 or less.
Can Online Courses Deliver In-class Results?

This study uses a quasi-experimental design to assess differences in student performance and satisfaction across online and face-to-face (F2F) classroom settings. Data were collected from 368 students enrolled in three online and three F2F sections of an introductory-level sociology course. The instructor, course materials, and assessments were consistent between the two delivery formats. The investigators compare student satisfaction and student performance on midterm exams and an integrating data analysis assignment. Ordinary least squares regression is used to evaluate the effect of the different course settings, independent of a number of demographic and control variables. Results indicate that differences in student performance between the two settings may be accounted for by the presence of a selection effect and that student satisfaction does not significantly differ across the two settings. These findings are interpreted to mean that when online courses are designed using pedagogically sound practices, they may provide equally effective learning environments.
Language Education for Romani Children: Human Rights and Capabilities Approaches

The language of school is very often an obstacle to the successful education of indigenous, migrant, and minority children. One such group in Europe, the Romani, constitutes an ideal case of educational injustice meeting linguistic difference, racism, social marginalization, and poverty. Notwithstanding its virtues, rights-based advocacy for language minority children has not fulfilled its promise of educational justice: we propose that Sen’s comparative capabilities approach is a better approach. We raise preliminary questions about (a) the unique linguistic situation for Romani youth in contemporary Europe, and (b) about the advantages of using Sen’s capabilities approach as a conceptual tool for this investigation, and for investigations of other situations where linguistic minorities face persistent social injustice. We will attempt this through the investigation of a recent case of discrimination against Romani children on the basis of language, adjudicated by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Diffusion of Containerization

This paper uses a newly constructed, comprehensive dataset to investigate the diffusion of containerization. The data show that country adoption is exceptionally fast while firm usage increases more slowly. To guide my empirical investigation, I build a multi-country trade model with endogenous adoption of a new transportation technology that is consistent with these facts. I then test empirically the predictions of the model and find that: (1) usage of containerization increases with firms' fixed costs and the size and average income of the container network; and (2) adoption depends on expected future usage, adoption costs, and trade with the United States, the first and largest user of containerization.
The interplay of plasticity and adaptation in neural circuits: a generative model

Multiple neural and synaptic phenomena take place in the brain. They operate over a broad range of timescales, and the consequences of their interplay are still unclear. In this work, I study a computational model of a recurrent neural network in which two dynamic processes take place: sensory adaptation and synaptic plasticity. Both phenomena are ubiquitous in the brain, but their dynamic interplay has not been investigated. I show that when both processes are included, the neural circuit is able to perform a specific computation: it becomes a generative model for certain distributions of input stimuli. The neural circuit is able to generate spontaneous patterns of activity that reproduce exactly the probability distribution of experienced stimuli. In particular, the landscape of the phase space includes a large number of stable states (attractors) that sample precisely this prior distribution. This work demonstrates that the interplay between distinct dynamical processes gives rise to useful computation, and proposes a framework in which neural circuit models for Bayesian inference may be developed in the future.
Preventing Social Engineering in Ubiquitous Environment

This paper provides analysis of the possible impacts of social engineering in ubiquitous environment and the ways of preventing it. The main goal of this paper is to emphasize the possible danger of impact of social engineering in ubiquitous computing, and importance of establishing not only technical, but also non-technical mechanisms for preventing it. The paper describes how to ensure security and privacy protection in terms of user own responsibility and the use of proper policy and legislation mechanisms.
Job Autonomy: How Kenyan Newspeople Perceive Their Journalistic Latitudes

ABSTRACT National in scope, this survey of Kenyan journalists conducted in 2012–2013 (n = 504) examines job autonomy in news selection decisions, media freedom and predictors of journalistic autonomy. The research also investigates the relationship between Kenya’s media freedom and journalistic autonomy. Findings show that over half (59%) of respondents believe that there is enough media freedom in Kenya. Similarly, there is a positive correlation between media freedom and journalistic autonomy—a relationship though moderate is statistically significant. While four in 10 Kenyan journalists have “some freedom” in deciding what to include in news, only 15.5 per cent enjoy “almost complete freedom,” and 31.7 per cent have “a great deal of freedom. ” When analysed by demographics and work-related variables, male journalists reported higher autonomy than their female colleagues. Older and more experienced journalists have more freedoms than those who are younger and limited in work experience. Journalists with advanced education (doctorate and MA degree holders), those employed on full-time basis, and high monthly earners enjoy more job autonomy. Kenyan journalists working for international media organisations reported far higher autonomy than those in the local media. Job satisfaction and job autonomy emerged as the strongest predictors of journalistic autonomy in the Kenyan media.
Challenges to the infant care profession: practitioners’ perspectives

ABSTRACT This paper explored the challenges to the infant care profession in Hong Kong crèches, with an aim to contribute to the existing early childhood care literature for reference and comparison elsewhere. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 55 childcare workers and 12 supervisors, followed by interviews with some selected participants to examine the education, experience, training, working conditions and staff–child ratios of the practitioners in crèches, and their perceptions towards the profession. The findings identified the areas for enhancing the education level and training of the practitioners to improve the quality of infant care. The results also indicated the problems of low salaries, unpleasant working conditions and inadequate staff–child ratio in the profession, discouraging high-calibre candidates from entering the field. This paper discussed the implications of the findings and offered some recommendations to raise the status of the infant care profession and the attractiveness of the job for prospective practitioners.
Individual Premotor Drive Pulses, Not Time-Varying Synergies, Are the Units of Adjustment for Limb Trajectories Constructed in Spinal Cord

Complex actions may arise by combining simple motor primitives. Our studies support individual premotor drive pulses or bursts as execution primitives in spinal cord. Alternatively, the fundamental execution primitives at the segmental level could be time-varying synergies. To distinguish these hypotheses, we examined sensory feedback effects during targeted wiping organized in spinal cord. This behavior comprises three bursts. We tested (1) whether feedback altered the structure of individual premotor drive bursts or primitives, and (2) whether feedback differentially modulated different drive bursts or pulses in the three burst sequence. At least two of the three bursts would need to always be comodulated to support a time-varying synergy. We used selective muscle vibration to control spindle feedback from a single muscle (biceps/iliofibularis). The structures of premotor drive bursts were conserved. However, biceps vibration (1) scaled the amplitudes of two bursts coactivated during the initial phase of wiping independently of one another without altering their phase, and (2) independently phase regulated the third burst but preserved its amplitude. Thus, all three bursts were regulated separately. Durations were unaffected. The independent effects depended on (1) time of vibration during wiping, (2) frequency of vibration, and (3) limb configuration. Because each of the three bursts was independently modulated, these data strongly support execution using individual premotor bursts rather than time-varying synergies at the spinal level of motor organization. Our data show that both sensory feedback and central systems of the spinal cord act in concert to adjust the individual premotor bursts in support of the straight and unimodal wiping trajectory.
An Exploration Based on Intrinsic, Extrinsic, and Interpersonal Motivation That Affect Learners’ Intention to Participate in an English Reading Contest

Reading is the foundation for learning foreign languages. The cultivation of a reading habit should break free of the limitations of traditional classroom-style education in order to bring about the possibility of lifelong learning. However, foreign language learning in Taiwan has traditionally been oriented toward college entrance exams, causing students to learn exam techniques while ignoring the benefits that can be gained from reading, which can be difficult for inspiring learning motivations in students. To encourage a reading habit in learners through extensive reading, this study provided an online English learning community for students to learn in and an online English contest for students to participate in. This study also proposed a hypothetical model to not only examine the relationships between the factors of participative motivation in contests but also predict the intention of learners to participate again in future contests. A total of 361 high school students participated in this study. Through data analysis, our model was shown to achieve good fit, and all hypotheses were supported. Finally, we identify and discuss the phenomena from the relationships in the educational setting.
To Each According to His Ability ? The Returns to CEO Talent

This paper addresses the key empirical challenge of measuring CEO talent. Using multiple proxies for CEO talent, a hand-collected sample of 2,195 CEO successions between 1993 and 2005, and within- rm estimators to achieve identi cation, we o¤er direct estimates of the return to talent for CEOs and shareholders. Consistent with competitive CEO labor market models, we document that: 1) there is a sizable talent premium in CEO pay; 2) there is a signi cant return premium to CEO talent for shareholders; and 3) the CEO job is riskier at the top of the talent distribution. Our estimates imply that CEOs who are one decile higher in the distribution of talent earn 3 percent more and deliver 0.3 percent higher returns for shareholders. These ndings suggest that sorting considerations in the CEO labor market are an important determinant of CEO pay.
Detection of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the preclinical phase: population based cohort study

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate a simple three step procedure to identify people in the general population who are in the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Design: Three year population based cohort study. Setting: Kungsholmen cohort, Stockholm, Sweden. Participants: 1435 people aged 75–95 years without dementia. Assessments: Single question asking about memory complaints, assessment by mini-mental state examination, and neuropsychological testing. Main outcome measure: Alzheimer's disease and dementia at three year follow up. Results: None of the three instruments was sufficiently predictive of Alzheimer's disease and dementia when administered separately. After participants had been screened for memory complaints and global cognitive impairment, specific tests of word recall and verbal fluency had positive predictive values for dementia of 85-100% (95% confidence intervals range from 62% to 100%). However, only 18% of future dementia cases were identified in the preclinical phase by this three step procedure. Memory complaints were the most sensitive indicator of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the whole population, but only half the future dementia cases reported memory problems three years before diagnosis. Conclusion: This three step procedure, which simulates what might occur in clinical practice, has a high positive predictive value for dementia, although only a small number of future cases can be identified. What is already known on this topic Alzheimer's disease is characterised by a preclinical phase, during which cognitive deficits are seen before diagnosis Elderly people with subjective memory complaints and objective global cognitive impairment have a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia What this study adds This three step procedure (self report of memory complaints, test of global cognitive functioning, and then domain specific cognitive tests) has a positive predictivity of 85-100% for Alzheimer's disease and dementia at three years However, only 18% of people in the preclinical phase can be identified using this procedure About half of the people in the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease and dementia do not report problems with their memory three years before diagnosis
Minority Language Acquisition and Retention: A study of Canadian-born Romanian Speaking Bilingual Children

Preserving a minority first language has been found to be very important for the overall personal and educational development of immigrant children. However, successful bilingual development involving a minority language is often challenging in situations where the majority language dominates communication not only provincially and nationally but also internationally. This dissertation investigates the conditions under which a first language (Romanian) can be acquired and maintained in an Englishdominant setting as well as any impact that the L1 has on the L2 (English), to which the children are formally introduced upon entry to junior kindergarten. Three children participated in this longitudinal study from the commencement of junior kindergarten (~ 4;0) until the start of grade 1 (~ 6;0). For the purposes of charting development (or possible attrition), language proficiency was assessed in Romanian and in English through separate measures of lexical (PPVT and Romanian-adapted PPVT), phonological (CTOPP and Romanian-adapted CTOPP), and syntactic and narrative (picture-story based instruments) abilities. In addition, the children’s communicative competence in the two languages was evaluated more holistically through audio recorded data of the children’s interactions in various naturalistic situations. Information about the
Associations between sleep and cognitive-affective functioning in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

xvi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 3 Disrupted Sleep in PTSD . 3 Healthy Sleep Enhances Consolidation of Neutral Declarative Memories . 6 Sleep-related neutral declarative consolidation. 6 Neutral Declarative Memory and Sleep in PTSD . 11 Empirical studies examining sleep-dependant neutral declarative memory consolidation in PTSD . 13 Healthy Sleep Enhances Consolidation of Declarative Emotional Memories . 16 Sleep-related emotional declarative consolidation . 17 Consolidation during REM sleep . 18 Emotional Memory and Sleep in PTSD . 20 Empirical studies examining sleep-dependant emotional memory processing in PTSD. 23 Healthy Sleep Attenuates Emotional Reactivity . 23 REM sleep attenuates emotional reactivity . 25 Emotional Reactivity and Sleep in PTSD . 27 Empirical studies examining sleep-dependant emotional reactivity in PTSD . 29
Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology Integration of Self Organizing Feature Maps and Honey Bee Mating Optimization Algorithm for Market Segmentation

This study is dedicated to proposing a two-stage method, which first uses Self-Organizing Feature Maps (SOM) neural network to determine the number of clusters and cluster centroids, then uses honey bee mating optimization algorithm based on K-means algorithm to find the final solution. The results of simulated data via a Monte Carlo study show that the proposed method outperforms two other methods, SOM followed by K-means (Kuo, Ho & Hu, 2002a) and SOM followed by GAK (Kuo, An, Wang & Chung, 2006), based on both within-cluster variations (SSW) and the number of misclassification. In order to further demonstrate the proposed approach's capability, a real-world problem of an internet bookstore market segmentation based on customer loyalty is employed. The RFM model is used for comparison of customers' loyalty. Then the proposed method is used to cluster the customers. The results also indicate that the proposed method is better than the other two methods.
Improving the Reliability of Causal Discovery from Small Data Sets Using Argumentation

We address the problem of improving the reliability of independence-based causal discovery algorithms that results from the execution of statistical independence tests on small data sets, which typically have low reliability. We model the problem as a knowledge base containing a set of independence facts that are related through Pearl's well-known axioms. Statistical tests on finite data sets may result in errors in these tests and inconsistencies in the knowledge base. We resolve these inconsistencies through the use of an instance of the class of defeasible logics called argumentation, augmented with a preference function, that is used to reason about and possibly correct errors in these tests. This results in a more robust conditional independence test, called an argumentative independence test. Our experimental evaluation shows clear positive improvements in the accuracy of argumentative over purely statistical tests. We also demonstrate significant improvements on the accuracy of causal structure discovery from the outcomes of independence tests both on sampled data from randomly generated causal models and on real-world data sets.
The Impact of the Mariel Boatlift on the Miami Labor Market

Using data from the Current Population Survey, this paper describes the effect of the Mariel Boatlift of 1980 on the Miami labor market. The Mariel immigrants increased the Miami labor force by 7%, and the percentage increase in labor supply to less-skilled occupations and industries was even greater because most of the immigrants were relatively unskilled. Nevertheless, the Mariel influx appears to have had virtually no effect on the wages or unemployment rates of less-skilled workers, even among Cubans who had immigrated earlier. The author suggests that the ability of Miami's labor market to rapidly absorb the Mariel immigrants was largely owing to its adjustment to other large waves of immigrants in the two decades before the Mariel Boatlift.