Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
To transform or not to transform: using generalized linear mixed models to analyse reaction time data

Linear mixed-effect models (LMMs) are being increasingly widely used in psychology to analyse multi-level research designs. This feature allows LMMs to address some of the problems identified by Speelman and McGann (2013) about the use of mean data, because they do not average across individual responses. However, recent guidelines for using LMM to analyse skewed reaction time (RT) data collected in many cognitive psychological studies recommend the application of non-linear transformations to satisfy assumptions of normality. Uncritical adoption of this recommendation has important theoretical implications which can yield misleading conclusions. For example, Balota et al. (2013) showed that analyses of raw RT produced additive effects of word frequency and stimulus quality on word identification, which conflicted with the interactive effects observed in analyses of transformed RT. Generalized linear mixed-effect models (GLMM) provide a solution to this problem by satisfying normality assumptions without the need for transformation. This allows differences between individuals to be properly assessed, using the metric most appropriate to the researcher's theoretical context. We outline the major theoretical decisions involved in specifying a GLMM, and illustrate them by reanalysing Balota et al.'s datasets. We then consider the broader benefits of using GLMM to investigate individual differences.
Molecular Systetnatics of Atnphibians

IV. Methods of Analysis of Molecular Data A. Phylogenetic Analysis 1. Tree-Building Methods 2. Statistical Methods for Testing the Reliability of a Tree 3. Other Methods B. Phylogenetics versus Population Genetics V. Application of Molecular Methods in Amphibian Systematics A. Determination and Identification of Species and Species Hybrids B. Molecular Phylogeny of Living Amphibians 1. The Phylogenetic Relationships between Gymnophiona, Urodela, and Anura 2. The Early History and Diversification of Amphibians 3. Molecular Phylogeny of the Gymnophiona 4. Molecular Phylogeny of the Urodela 5. Molecular Phylogeny of the Anura
Layered Growth and Crystallization in Calcareous Biominerals: Impact of Structural and Chemical Evidence on Two Major Concepts in Invertebrate Biomineralization Studies

In several recent models of invertebrate skeletogenesis, Ca-carbonate crystallization occurs within a liquid-filled chamber. No explanation is given neither for the simultaneous occurrence of distinct polymorphs of Ca-carbonate within these liquid volumes, nor for the spatial arrangement of the mineral units which are always organized in species-specific structural sequences. Results of a series of physical characterizations applied to reference skeletal materials reveal the inadequacy of this liquid-filled chamber model to account for structural and chemical properties of the shell building units. Simultaneously, these data provide convergent pieces of evidence for a specific mode of crystallization developed throughout various invertebrate phyla, supporting the hypothesized “common strategy” based on a multi-scaled control exerted on formation of their calcareous hard parts.
Dissociation of calmodulin from cardiac ryanodine receptor causes aberrant Ca(2+) release in heart failure.

AIMS Calmodulin (CaM) is well known to modulate the channel function of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2). However, the possible role of CaM on the aberrant Ca(2+) release in diseased hearts remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the state of RyR2-bound CaM and channel dysfunctions in pacing-induced failing hearts. METHODS AND RESULTS The characteristics of CaM binding to RyR2 and the role of CaM on the aberrant Ca(2+) release were assessed in normal and failing canine hearts. The affinity of CaM binding to RyR2 was lower in failing sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) than in normal SR. Addition of FK506, which dissociates FKBP12.6 from RyR2, to normal SR reduced the CaM-binding affinity. Dantrolene restored a normal level of the CaM-binding affinity in either FK506-treated (normal) SR or failing SR, suggesting that the defective inter-domain interaction between the N-terminal domain and the central domain of RyR2 (the therapeutic target of dantrolene) is involved in the reduction of the CaM-binding affinity in failing hearts. In saponin-permeabilized cardiomyocytes, the frequency of spontaneous Ca(2+) sparks was much more increased in failing cardiomyocytes than in normal cardiomyocytes, whereas the addition of a high concentration of CaM attenuated the aberrant increase of Ca(2+) sparks. CONCLUSION The defective inter-domain interaction between N-terminal and central domains within RyR2 reduces the binding affinity of CaM to RyR2, thereby causing the spontaneous Ca(2+) release events in failing hearts. Correction of the defective CaM binding may be a new strategy to protect against the aberrant Ca(2+) release in heart failure.
Frequency-domain interferometer simulation with higher-order spatial modes

FINESSE is a software simulation allowing one to compute the optical properties of laser interferometers used by interferometric gravitational-wave detectors today. This fast and versatile tool has already proven to be useful in the design and commissioning of gravitational-wave detectors. The basic algorithm of FINESSE numerically computes the light amplitudes inside an interferometer using Hermite–Gauss modes in the frequency domain. In addition, FINESSE provides a number of commands for easily generating and plotting the most common signals including power enhancement, error and control signals, transfer functions and shot-noise-limited sensitivities. Among the various simulation tools available to the gravitational wave community today, FINESSE provides an advanced and versatile optical simulation based on a general analysis of user-defined optical setups and is quick to install and easy to use.
Are Smiles Reliable Due to Costs of Social Punishment

of a thesis at the University of Miami. Evidence suggests that smiles can function as signals of cooperative intent—by producing a smile, the smiler can expect to receive benefits from perceivers and perceivers can expect a return from smilers. However, this type of signal is seemingly susceptible to the evolution of cheats who smile in the absence of cooperative intent, thereby receiving the benefits of smiling without paying the costs of cooperation. If smiles were to maintain reliability over evolutionary time, some mechanism(s) must have prevented the evolution of cheats. Researchers have not yet developed a paradigm to directly test why smiles might have maintained reliability over evolutionary time. This experiment was the first to assess whether smiles might have maintained reliability due to receiver-dependent costs associated with smiling without cooperative intent. 385 participants played a Trust Game with a confederate who was either smiling or not smiling, and who then behaved either fairly or unfairly. Subsequently, participants provided self-report levels of anger and happiness. Finally, participants had an opportunity to punish, reward, or do nothing to the confederate. Results showed that those treated unfairly by a smiler did not become angrier toward, nor did they inflict more costs on, the confederate than did those treated unfairly by a non-smiler. There are some methodological concerns worth addressing before dismissing the hypothesis; most notably, it needs to be addressed why participants in this study were not more likely to trust smilers than non-smilers, as has been shown in prior research.
Understanding Changes in Belief and Attitude Toward Information Technology Usage: A Theoretical Model and Longitudinal Test

User beliefs and attitudes are key perceptions driving information technology usage. These perceptions, however, may change with time as users gain first-hand experience with IT usage, which, in turn, may change their subsequent IT usage behavior. This paper elaborates how users' be liefs and attitudes change during the course of their IT usage, defines emergent constructs driving such change, and proposes a temporal model of belief and attitude change by drawing on expectation-disconfirmation theory and the extant IT usage literature. Student data from two longitudinal studies in end-user computing (computer-based training system usage) and system development (rapid application development software usage) contexts provided empirical support for the hypothesized model, demonstrated its generalizability across technologies and usage contexts, and allowed us to probe context-specific differences. Content analysis of qualitative data validated some of our quantitative results. We report that emergent factors such as disconfirmation and satisfaction are critical to understanding changes in IT users' beliefs and attitudes and recommend that they be included in future process models of IT usage.
Smart Grid for main electric drive of plate mill rolling stand

This paper addresses the issue of associating a concept of Smart Grid with a main electric drive of plate mill rolling stand. This paper will review all theoretical capabilities of reactive power compensation in the supply mains by the main electric drive and present the resulting benefits to be gained in our understanding of the Smart Grid. Typical features of power electric equipment of the main electric drive allow us to develop the control of the reactive power consumption or generation. The reactive power consumption or generation can be created out by using of back to back converters which connect the electric drive with supply mains. Experiments in the plate mill were carried at the difficult-to-form steel grade in the range of roughing and finish rolling. It was established that the reactive power generation can be used in the range of the roughing. The huge prospects of main electric drive integration of the plate mill rolling stand to the Smart Grid have been determined as they are able to provide high power and capabilities of the controlling reactive power flow by means of back to back converters. It can reduce a share of the consumption reactive power from a substation and to improve the power quality.
Optimal management of a renewable resource utilized by a population with taxation as a control variable

A dynamical model is proposed and analyzed to discuss the effect of population on a resource biomass by taking into account the crowding effect. It is assumed that the resource biomass, which has commercial importance, is subjected to harvesting. The harvesting effort is assumed to be a dynamical variable and taxation is being used as a control variable. The optimal harvesting policy is discussed using the Pontryagin's maximum principle.
Superior Sagittal Sinus Bifurcation Variation

It is important to define the dural sinuses during assessment of the clinical presentations in neurosurgery and neurology and es pecially before performing surgical interventions involving the brain. Variations of dural sinuses are frequently seen in confluence of the sinuses. In our case, cranial venous MRI angiography of a 49-year-old male patient demonstrated that the superior sagittal sinus bifurcated near sutura lambdoidea of the cranium. These coursed as two separate branches and drained into the transverse sinus without forming the confluence of the sinuses. Sinus rectus joined to the left transverse sinus. We think that this unusual variation which was not reported before will contribute to the assessment of the neurologic presentations and also to the surgical interventions
Class-wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT): Student and Teacher Outcomes from a Multisite Randomized Replication Trial

The purpose of the study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to demonstrate efficacy of the Class-wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) program. The study was designed to replicate an initial RCT conducted by the CW-FIT developers in 1 site, with 2 additional research groups not involved in its development. The study was conducted across 3 states, in 21 culturally diverse schools, and with 83 teachers (classrooms) assigned to CW-FIT and 74 teachers (classrooms) assigned to the comparison group. The CW-FIT intervention included teaching prosocial skills and use of differential attention (teacher praise and points) for appropriate behaviors using a group contingency, class teams, goal setting, points, and rewards. Class-wide student on-task behavior improved, teacher praise and attention to appropriate behaviors increased, and reprimands decreased in the CW-FIT classes with significantly fewer changes over time for the comparison group.
Banzhaf Random Forests

Random forests are a type of ensemble method which makes predictions by combining the results of several independent trees. However, the theory of random forests has long been outpaced by their application. In this paper, we propose a novel random forests algorithm based on cooperative game theory. Banzhaf power index is employed to evaluate the power of each feature by traversing possible feature coalitions. Unlike the previously used information gain rate of information theory, which simply chooses the most informative feature, the Banzhaf power index can be considered as a metric of the importance of each feature on the dependency among a group of features. More importantly, we have proved the consistency of the proposed algorithm, named Banzhaf random forests (BRF). This theoretical analysis takes a step towards narrowing the gap between the theory and practice of random forests for classification problems. Experiments on several UCI benchmark data sets show that BRF is competitive with state-of-the-art classifiers and dramatically outperforms previous consistent random forests. Particularly, it is much more efficient than previous consistent random forests.
Isolating therapeutic procedures to investigate mechanisms of change in cognitive behavioral therapy for depression

Background: Isolating a therapeutic procedure might be a powerful way to enhance our understanding of how cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) works. The present study explored new methods to isolate cognitive procedures and to study their direct impact on hypothesized underlying processes and CBT outcome. Method: The effects of a cognitive therapy skill acquisition procedure (n = 36) were compared to no procedure (n = 36) on cognitive therapy skills, dysfunctional thinking, distress, and mood in response to induced distress following a social stress test in healthy participants. Results: Participants reported more cognitive therapy skills after the procedure that focused on the acquisition of cognitive therapy skills compared to no procedure, but there were no differences in dysfunctional thinking, distress, and mood between the groups. Conclusions: By demonstrating an experimental approach to investigate mechanisms of change, including the pitfalls that come along with it, the present experiment provides a blueprint for other researchers interested in the underlying mechanisms of change in CBT for depression.
Informatics Platform for Global Proteomic Profiling and Biomarker Discovery Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry*S

We have developed an integrated suite of algorithms, statistical methods, and computer applications to support large-scale LC-MS-based gel-free shotgun profiling of complex protein mixtures using basic experimental procedures. The programs automatically detect and quantify large numbers of peptide peaks in feature-rich ion mass chromatograms, compensate for spurious fluctuations in peptide signal intensities and retention times, and reliably match related peaks across many different datasets. Application of this toolkit markedly facilitates pattern recognition and biomarker discovery in global comparative proteomic studies, simplifying mechanistic investigation of physiological responses and the detection of proteomic signatures of disease.
Close Pairs of Field Galaxies in the CNOC1 Redshift Survey

A redshift sample of 545 field galaxies is used to examine how the galaxy merger rate changes with redshift and how mergers affect the observed properties of galaxies in close pairs. Close pairs are defined as those with projected separations less than 20 h-1 kpc. At a mean redshift of 0.33, it is found that 7.1% ± 1.4% of galaxies are in close physical pairs, compared to 4.3% ± 0.4% locally. The merger rate is estimated to change with redshift as (1 + z)2.8±0.9. These results are shown to be consistent with previous close-pair studies and provide one of the strongest constraints to date on the redshift dependence of the merger rate. As with earlier studies, no significant differences between the mean properties of paired and isolated galaxies are detected. However, using the subset of confirmed close physical pairs, those which appear to be undergoing interactions or mergers (based on their images) are found to have galaxies with strong emission lines and very blue rest-frame colors. In addition, these pairs have low relative velocities, increasing the likelihood that the galaxies will merge. We interpret this as the first clear evidence of merger-induced star formation occurring in field galaxies at this redshift.
Examining the Effects of Controlling for Shared Variance among the Dark Triad Using Meta–Analytic Structural Equation Modelling

Multivariate procedures (e.g. structural equation modelling) are essential to personality psychology, but interpretive difficulties can arise when examining the relations between residualized variables (i.e. the residual content of a variable after its overlap with other variables has been statistically controlled for) and outcomes of interest. These issues have been the focus of recent debate within the research literature on the Dark Triad, which is a collection of interrelated but theoretically distinct personality constructs made up of narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy. The present paper highlights previous work on the issue of partialling and also makes use of recent developments surrounding meta–analytic structural equation modelling to reliably assess the impact of partialling on the empirical profiles of the Dark Triad components. The results show that numerous interpretive difficulties arise after partialling the overlap among the Dark Triad components, most notably for narcissism and Machiavellianism. The results are discussed in the context of contemporary Dark Triad research in addition to discussing the implications for structural equation modelling methods in personality psychology more generally. Recommendations are made for how future research can mitigate the interpretive difficulties that may arise from partialling. Copyright © 2018 European Association of Personality Psychology
Safe Introduction and Quality Control of New Methods in Coronary Surgery

Introduction: The first part of the paper analyses off pump coronary bypass surgery (OPCAB), which is compared with traditional on-pump procedures (ONCAB). Furthermore ,the paper evaluates the use of a new automatic device for performance of the proximal anastomosis and finally the effect of intracoronary shunt on myocardial ischemia during OPCAB. The main goal of the paper is to demonstrate the importance of careful clinical studies during introduction of the new techniques in cardiac surgery. Methods: Statistical analysis was performed on a large clinical database from Buffalo, NY, USA comparing OPCAB and ONCAB. Subsequently, a sequential controlled clinical study compared patients operated with a new automatic connector device to patients operated with classic suture technique. Finally a randomized study was performed to evaluate the effect of the use of an intracoronary shunt during construction of distal anastomosis. Results: The studies from Buffalo demonstrated reduced complications rates in high risk patients when OPCAB techniques were used. The use of connector devices in saphenous venous anastomosis was clearly inferior to standard technique. Intracoronary shunt was found to be beneficial by preventing ischemia. Discussion: Numerous studies have studied the results of OPCAB vs ONCAB and although results are variable it seems that OPCAB is advantageous in high risk patients, while in low risk patients there are much less if any benefit. The results of the studies of connector devices caused the product to be taken off the market. The value of shunt in OPCAB was clearly demonstrated by the randomized studies. Conclusion: The investigations presented in this paper clearly demonstrates the importance of well-designed studies when new surgical methods are introduced. In the present period of rapid technological development, carefully controlled, un-biased clinical trials are crucial to preserve patient safety and avoid unjustified societal cost.
Hoxb8 Intersection Defines a Role for Lmx1b in Excitatory Dorsal Horn Neuron Development, Spinofugal Connectivity, and Nociception

Spinal cord neurons respond to peripheral noxious stimuli and relay this information to higher brain centers, but the molecules controlling the assembly of such pathways are poorly known. In this study, we use the intersection of Lmx1b and Hoxb8::Cre expression in the spinal cord to genetically define nociceptive circuits. Specifically, we show that Lmx1b, previously shown to be expressed in glutamatergic dorsal horn neurons and critical for dorsal horn development, is expressed in nociceptive dorsal horn neurons and that its deletion results in the specific loss of excitatory dorsal horn neurons by apoptosis, without any effect on inhibitory neuron numbers. To assess the behavioral consequences of Lmx1b deletion in the spinal cord, we used the brain-sparing driver Hoxb8::Cre. We show that such a deletion of Lmxb1 leads to a robust reduction in sensitivity to mechanical and thermal noxious stimulation. Furthermore, such conditional mutant mice show a loss of a subpopulation of glutamatergic dorsal horn neurons, abnormal sensory afferent innervations, and reduced spinofugal innervation of the parabrachial nucleus and the periaqueductal gray, important nociceptive structures. Together, our results demonstrate an important role for the intersection of Lmx1b and Hoxb8::cre expression in the development of nociceptive dorsal horn circuits critical for mechanical and thermal pain processing.
Environmental CSR and pro-environmental behaviors to reduce environmental dilapidation

PurposeIt is evident that organizations are continuously contributing toward environmental dilapidation. This may be reduced by focusing their employees’ involvement in pro-environmental behaviors. Pro-environmental behaviors have ramifications for organizations, employees, leaders and natural environment. Therefore, this study aims at investigating environmental related social responsibility and identification as the predictors of pro-environmental behaviors through the moderating role of empathy in the hospitality sector.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected data from 201 pairs (i.e. supervisors and their subordinates) working in the hospitality sector.FindingsThe study found that employees with high empathy exhibit more pro-environmental behavior and organizational identification when perceiving their organization’s involvement in environment-related social responsibilities.Research limitations/implicationsThe data for this study were collected at one point of time and it has implications for organizations and employees.Originality/valueThis study aims to fill the gap of the underlying mechanism that how perceived CSR affect employee pro-environmental behavior.