Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Imperative of Reason and Rationality: A Politically—and Historically—Aware Netizen's Rejoinder

This paper deals with the celebrity-like status accorded to U.S. public administration theorists, in context and out of context. The Friedrich-Finer debate of 1940/1941 is re-visited not only in a comparativist re-casting of the democratic project and the vacuum of Weberian discourses but also in the context of the emerging, Neoliberal agenda of the role of the agentic Sovereign Individual within the globalizing grand narrative of cyberspace.
Common randomness and secret key generation with a helper

Summary form only given. We consider the generation of common randomness (CR), secret or not secret, by two user terminals with aid from a "helper" terminal. Each terminal observes a different component of a discrete memoryless multiple source. The helper aids the users by transmitting information to them over a noiseless public channel subject to a rate constraint. Furthermore, one of the users is allowed to transmit to the other user over a public channel under a similar rate constraint. We study the maximum rate of the CR which can be thus generated, and also under additional secrecy conditions when it must be concealed from an eavesdropper and from a wiretapper. Single-letter capacity formulae are obtained for several special cases of interest. Connections are shown between CR capacity and identification capacity in specific situations.
Engaging Students in Group Work to Maximise Knowledge Sharing

We investigated how students’ interpersonal trust relationships impact on their willingness to share knowledge during group work and whether there is one best method of group allocation to maximize knowledge sharing. Through focus groups with 32 undergraduate and postgraduate students, we found: participants had limited experience of sharing skills; they were more frequently engaged in sharing their beliefs, values and ideas, a positive aspect of group work; interpersonal relationships impacted upon the degree to which knowledge sharing took place, the major contributing factor being participants’ motivations and desired outcomes for their work rather than interpersonal relationships. The majority agreed that being placed in a random or engineered group allowed them to meet new people, but also contained an element of chance, reducing control of their performance in assessments. Those focused on attainment or concerned about working with those they did not know preferred self-selection. Participants who wanted to learn from the experience of group work preferred random allocation. An unexpected finding was the substantial emotional response to negative aspects of group work. The most equitable approach to group work is to allow students to choose the allocation method most appropriate to their needs. This enhances student ownership, and provides the best possible opportunity for students to work with like-minded colleagues to pursue their own aims and fulfill their individual needs from their group work experiences. Findings can assist educators make informed decisions about group work to increase student engagement and support cognitive-based trust to enhance knowledge sharing.
The Effects of Relational and Institutional Factors on Electronic Supply Chain Management Adoption: Does Organizational Culture Matter?

Drawing upon relational exchange theory, institutional theory, organizational culture and IS theories, we derive a model to study factors affecting firms’ electronic supply chain management adoption. In particular, we examine the effect of trust, normative, mimetic and coercive pressures on eSCM adoption. Also, we assess the moderating role played by organizational culture in this effect. The research model is tested by data collected with executive MBA students enrolled with a large university in China. Managerial implications and theoretical contribution of this study are discussed.
A Probable Earthquake Scenario near Istanbul Determined from Dynamic Simulations

Abstract We perform numerical simulations of dynamic rupture processes along the North Anatolian fault in the Sea of Marmara, which poses a high risk to the nearby city of Istanbul. Several fault geometry models, nucleation points, and initial stress states are tested. The likelihood of each earthquake scenario is evaluated, and a probabilistic assessment of the ground‐motion estimation is proposed. The simulation results suggest that the fault geometrical configuration is not favorable for producing an earthquake of magnitude 6–7, as no scenario is found. On the contrary, the probability of occurrence of an earthquake of magnitude greater than 7 is high. Most of these large events are characterized by epicenters located in the central or eastern parts of the Sea of Marmara. However, the possibility of a western‐initiated rupture propagating eastward, the worst scenario for the Istanbul region, cannot be ruled out. Many simulations led to supershear ruptures, as observed for the nearby 1999 Izmit earthquake, and this significantly influences ground‐motion prediction in the region.
Normal-hearing English-as-a-second-language listeners’ recognition of English words in competing signals

English-as-a-second-language (ESL) listeners have difficulty perceiving English speech presented in background noise. The current study furthered this line of investigations by including participants who varied widely in their age of English acquisition and length of English learning: 24 native English monolingual (EML), 12 simultaneous bilingual (SBL), 10 early ESL (E-ESL), and 14 late ESL (L-ESL) listeners. Word recognition scores were obtained in quiet and in the presence of speech-weighted noise, multi-talker babble, forward-playing music, and time-reversed music. All words and competing signals were presented at 45 dB HL. EML and SBL listeners’ performances were found to be similar across test conditions. ESL, especially L-ESL listeners, performed significantly more poorly in all conditions than EML and SBL listeners. Overall, speech-weighted noise and multi-talker babble showed greater masking effect than music; however, the difference in performance between L-ESL and EML listeners was the largest for the music maskers, indicating that L-ESL listeners are susceptible to weaker maskers. Age of acquisition and length of learning were both shown to be good indicators of SBL and ESL listeners’ performance.
Secure distributed top-k aggregation

In-network aggregation is an efficient and scalable distributed approach to global state approximation. However, security remains an open problem in such systems, especially when we consider dynamic network effects, such as mobility, packet loss and churn. In this paper, we consider the reseilience of the top-k aggregate to manipulation by active insider adversaries. Unfortunately, this versatile aggregation function is inherently insecure. We propose a simple, low-overhead solution to the problem of preserving aggregate integrity which leverages the principles of trusted systems. The solution we propose is generally applicable, even to the challenging problem of securing distributed aggregation in a dynamic network.
Multiple Sclerosis, Sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: Are they Autoimmune Diseases Evoked by Acinetobacter Microbes Showing Molecular Mimicry to Brain Antigens?

Purpose and Design: Microbial agents showing molecular mimicry to self‐antigens have been reported to initiate an autoimmune pathology in several diseases, including Sydenham's chorea, rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Cows affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) have been shown to have antibodies to Acinetobacter species, microbes that are known to possess bacterial antigens showing molecular mimicry with brain antigens. In this study, the possibility that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD) have elevated antibodies to bacterial and brain antigens was investigated.Materials and Methods: Serum samples from different groups of patients, including 53 with MS, 20 with RA, 20 with AS, two with sCJD, 18 with cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and 20 with viral encephalitis, as well as 29 healthy control subjects were tested using the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for the determination of antibodi.
Wavefront-guided vs wavefront-optimized LASIK: a randomized clinical trial comparing contralateral eyes.

PURPOSE To compare wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized LASIK in patients with myopic astigmatism up to -7.00 diopters (D) sphere and 3.00 D cylinder. METHODS In this prospective, comparative study, 41 patients had wavefront-guided LASIK in one eye and wavefront-optimized LASIK in the fellow eye. The LASIK flap was created with a Hansatome XP microkeratome (Bausch & Lomb). The ALLEGRETTO Concerto excimer laser (WaveLight Laser Technologie AG) was used for photoablation. Pupil centroid shift and cyclotorsion were not compensated in the wavefront-guided treatments. The ALLEGRETTO Wave analyzer was used to measure ocular wavefront aberrations, and the CSV-1000 instrument (VectorVision) was used to measure contrast sensitivity before and 1 and 3 months after LASIK. RESULTS Preoperative mean spherical equivalent refraction was -4.25±1.19 D (range: -7.50 to -2.50 D) and -4.15±1.21 D (range: -7.13 to -1.75 D) in the wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized groups, respectively. Three months postoperatively, 33 (89.2%) eyes in the wavefront-guided group and 31 (83.8%) eyes in the wavefront-optimized group had uncorrected distance visual acuity of 20/20. Higher order aberrations increased from 0.28±0.08 μm (range: 0.13 to 0.48 μm) and 0.26±0.08 μm (range: 0.13 to 0.55 μm) to 0.45±0.17 μm (range: 0.18 to 0.71 μm) and 0.45±0.16 μm (range: 0.21 to 0.84 μm) in the wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized groups, respectively. Except for C6 trefoil (P=.006), all Zernike polynomials increased in both groups postoperatively with no statistical difference between groups in spherical aberration (P=.41), C7 coma (P=.67), C8 coma (P=.79), and trefoil (P=.82). Contrast sensitivity did not decrease in either group and no statistically significant differences between groups were noted. CONCLUSIONS Higher order aberrations, especially spherical aberration, increasd approximately the same amount in both groups.
Opinion Expression Detection via Deep Bidirectional C-GRUs

The ability to accurately detect opinion expression in a document is an essential and fundamental task in opinion mining. In this work, we consider opinion expression detection as a sequence labeling task. We describe deep neural network frameworks that consist of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and bidirectional gated units (Bi-GRUs). CNNs are capable of capturing local features in a sequence, while Bi-GRUs, a type of recurrent neural network (RNN) variant, are able to extract features from sequence data. The properties of these two networks provide the framework to effectively detect opinion expression. Experimental results show that our methods significantly outperform traditional methods like conditional random field (CRF) and previous state-of-the-art deep RNN methods.
Improving Overweight among At-risk Minority Youth: Results of a Pilot Intervention in After-school Programs

Childhood overweight and obesity disproportionately affect low-income communities. Most school-based health promotion efforts occur during the school day and are limited in scope. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an after-school program among 3rd-5th graders (n=121; 73% 8 to 9 years old; 57% female; 60% Asian) at eight study sites (four intervention, four comparison). After-school staff were trained on implementing the Catch Kids Club Curriculum on nutrition and physical activity. Data were collected on students' nutrition and physical activity knowledge and behavior, and their height and weight measurements. Using Stata 10.1/SE, cross-lagged regression models assessed changes over time. Results showed a reduction in overweight and obesity (defined as body mass index >85th percentile for age and sex) among children in the intervention group, but mixed results regarding diet and physical activity knowledge and behavior. Enhancing after-school physical activity opportunities through evidence-based programs can potentially improve overweight and obesity among low-income children.
Is statistical learning a mechanism?

Abstract Philosophers of science have offered several definitions of mechanism, most of which have biological or neuroscientific roots. In this paper, I consider whether these definitions apply equally well to cognitive science. I examine this question by looking at the case of statistical learning, which has been called a domain-general learning mechanism in the cognitive scientific literature. I argue that statistical learning does not constitute a mechanism in the philosophical sense of the term. This conclusion points to significant limitations in the scope of the mechanist philosophy when it comes to accounting for explanation in cognitive science.
Motivations, Expectations, and Experiences of Expatriate Academic Staff on an International Branch Campus in China

This article explores the experiences of non-Chinese academic staff working on an international branch campus in China. The article presents findings from an interview study that explored the expectations of expatriate staff and what motivated them to want to work abroad. The second part of the article reports on whether and how these expectations and motivations were fulfilled. The findings suggest that, although staff found many benefits from working on the international branch campus, they were insufficiently prepared for the structural and cultural differences inherent in working as an academic in China. The authors argue that more of the academics’ initial expectations and motivations could have been realized if better staff induction and ongoing collective professional development had been in place. In particular, university-level discourse communicated through policy and marketing texts, which promoted the vision of one inclusive and diverse international university community, militated against attention being paid to the structural, political, and cultural differences inherent in working as an academic in China. The authors argue that professional development that acknowledges the differences, difficulties, and disjunctions that staff are likely to encounter in their work is important in building successful international branch campuses both at the level of the organization and of the individual.
Emerging Techniques for Evaluation of the Hemodynamics of Intracranial Vascular Pathology

Advances in imaging modalities have improved the assessment of intracranial hemodynamics using non-invasive techniques. This review examines new imaging modalities and clinical applications of currently available techniques, describes pathophysiology and future directions in hemodynamic analysis of intracranial stenoses, aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations and explores how hemodynamic analysis may have prognostic value in predicting clinical outcomes and assist in risk stratification. The advent of new technologies such as pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling, accelerated magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) techniques, 4D digital subtraction angiography, and improvements in clinically available techniques such as phase-contrast MRA may change the landscape of vascular imaging and modify current clinical practice guidelines.
The Place of Peers in Peer-Mediated Interventions for Students With Intellectual Disability

Although peer-mediated interventions are an evidence-based approach for improving social and learning outcomes for students with intellectual disability (ID), their impact on participating peers has received limited attention. Knowing whether and how peers are affected could influence the extent to which these interventions are more widely adopted in schools. The purpose of this review was to (a) summarize extant research on the behaviors of peers without disabilities and their perception of interacting with students with ID, (b) identify common behaviors measured for peers, and (c) evaluate the effects of peer-mediated interventions on peers. Toward that effort, we reviewed 53 studies. Results indicate that interventions have successfully increased peers’ interactions with their classmates with ID and suggest some positive outcome for peers; however, consistent methodological gaps limit further analysis. We offer recommendations for strengthening future research involving peers within interventions for students with ID.
Cytotoxic drugs in steroid-resistant renal disease. Alkylating and antimetabolic agents in the treatment of nephrotic syndrome, lupus nephritis, chronic glomerulonephritis, and purpura nephritis in children.

THE USE of cytotoxic agents in the treatment of renal diseases was first reported in 1949 by Chasis1,2using nitrogen mustard (mechlorethamine) in adults with chronic glomerulonephritis. Shortly thereafter, Kelley and Panos3confirmed improvement in children with nephrosis, and Taylor4in adults with chronic glomerulonephritis, using the same approach. These reports were followed by others,5-9but as the therapeutic value of steroids became more widely accepted, cytotoxic drugs were displaced as therapeutic agents. Interest was renewed in 1963 by Coldbeck,10Kellum and Haserick,11and Goodman and Wolff.12There has been further encouragement in the use of these agents in the treatment of other nonneoplastic diseases12-15as well as in renal diseases.15-22 This report will review 3½ years' experience in 25 children with cytotoxic drugs in addition to corticosteroids in the treatment of chronic renal diseases. Patients and Methods The agents used
Effects of neonatal gonadal steroids on adult CA3 pyramidal neuron dendritic morphology and spatial memory in rats.

The hippocampus is implicated in spatial cognition, which is sexually dimorphic and developmentally sensitive to gonadal steroids. Previously we have shown a sex difference in CA3 pyramidal cell layer volume and neuronal soma size that was reversible with neonatal castration in males or prenatal treatment of females with either testosterone propionate (TP) or a nonaromatizable androgen, dihydrotestosterone propionate, but not estradiol benzoate, all of which correlated with adult water maze navigation. The present study further investigates developmental androgen sensitivity of CA3 pyramidal neurons by measuring dendritic morphology and its relation to adult spatial ability. Female rats were injected with TP on postnatal day (P) 3 and P5 or ovariectomized (OVX) on P2, and male rats were castrated on P2, with or without testosterone replacement (Cas+T). Sham surgery controls were also included. Animals were tested on a water maze in adulthood, sacrificed, and CA3 pyramidal neurons were Golgi-stained and reconstructed in three dimensions using a computer-interfaced morphometry system. High-androgen groups (control males, Cas+T, TP females) performed better in spatial navigation and exhibited CA3 neurons with longer dendrites, a larger number of dendritic branches, and volumes of influence compared to low-androgen groups (control females, castrated males, OVX). Collectively, these findings indicate that the critical time period for organizational effects of androgens on the CA3 pyramidal neurons includes both prenatal and postnatal life, during which time androgens regulate developmental events such as somal growth and neuronal differentiation, all of which significantly contribute to establishing the sex difference in adult spatial navigation.
Control of alternative splicing by forskolin through hnRNP K during neuronal differentiation

The molecular basis of cell signal-regulated alternative splicing at the 3′ splice site remains largely unknown. We isolated a protein kinase A-responsive ribonucleic acid (RNA) element from a 3′ splice site of the synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (Snap25) gene for forskolin-inhibited splicing during neuronal differentiation of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. The element binds specifically to heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleo protein (hnRNP) K in a phosphatase-sensitive way, which directly competes with the U2 auxiliary factor U2AF65, an essential component of early spliceosomes. Transcripts with similarly localized hnRNP K target motifs upstream of alternative exons are enriched in genes often associated with neurological diseases. We show that such motifs upstream of the Runx1 exon 6 also bind hnRNP K, and importantly, hnRNP K is required for forskolin-induced repression of the exon. Interestingly, this exon encodes the peptide domain that determines the switch of the transcriptional repressor/activator activity of Runx1, a change known to be critical in specifying neuron lineages. Consistent with an important role of the target genes in neurons, knocking down hnRNP K severely disrupts forskolin-induced neurite growth. Thus, through hnRNP K, the neuronal differentiation stimulus forskolin targets a critical 3′ splice site component of the splicing machinery to control alternative splicing of crucial genes. This also provides a regulated direct competitor of U2AF65 for cell signal control of 3′ splice site usage.
Clonal Variation in Survival and Growth of Hybrid Poplar and Willow in an IN SITU Trial on Soils Heavily Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbons

Species and hybrids between species belonging to the genera Populus (poplar) and Salix (willow) have been used successfully for phytoremediation of contaminated soils. Our objectives were to: 1) evaluate the potential for establishing genotypes of poplar and willow on soils heavily contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and 2) identify promising genotypes for potential use in future systems. We evaluated height, diameter, and volume after first year budset by testing 20 poplar clones and two willow clones. Unrooted cuttings, 20 cm long, were planted in randomized complete blocks at 0.91- × 0.91-m spacing at Gary, IN, USA (41.5°N, 87.3°W). Four commercial poplar clones (NM6, DN5, DN34, and DN182) were planted as 20- and 60-cm cuttings. Sixty-cm cuttings exhibited greater height and diameter than 20-cm cuttings; however, we recommend continued use and testing of different combinations of genotype and cutting length. We identified promising genotypes for potential use in future systems and we recommend allocating the majority of resources into commercial poplar clones, given their generalist growth performance. However, further utilization and selection of experimental clones is needed. Specific clones rather than genomic groups should be selected based on the geographic location and soil conditions of the site.