Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alternative Explanations of the Volatility Trend: Are They Really That Different?

We analyze the puzzling behavior of the volatility of individual stock returns around the turn of the Millennium. There has been much academic interest in this topic, but no convincing explanation has arisen. Our goal is to pull together the many competing explanations currently proposed in the literature to determine which, if any, are capable of explaining the volatility trend. Different than past studies on this topic, we focus separately on the cross-sectional and time-series explanatory power of the different explanations. We find that Cao et al. (2008) market-to-book ratio tracks average volatility levels well, but has no cross-sectional explanatory power. On the other hand, the low-price proxy suggested by Brandt et al. (2009) has much cross-sectional explanatory power, but has virtually no time-series explanatory power. We also find that all of the variables that track average volatility well do so mainly by capturing changes in the post-1994 period. These variables have no time-series explanatory power in the pre-1995 years, questioning the underlying idea that any of the explanations currently presented in the literature can track the trend in volatility over long periods.
Forecasting Temporal Dynamics of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Northeast Brazil

Introduction Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne disease of increasing importance in northeastern Brazil. It is known that sandflies, which spread the causative parasites, have weather-dependent population dynamics. Routinely-gathered weather data may be useful for anticipating disease risk and planning interventions. Methodology/Principal Findings We fit time series models using meteorological covariates to predict CL cases in a rural region of Bahía, Brazil from 1994 to 2004. We used the models to forecast CL cases for the period 2005 to 2008. Models accounting for meteorological predictors reduced mean squared error in one, two, and three month-ahead forecasts by up to 16% relative to forecasts from a null model accounting only for temporal autocorrelation. Significance These outcomes suggest CL risk in northeastern Brazil might be partially dependent on weather. Responses to forecasted CL epidemics may include bolstering clinical capacity and disease surveillance in at-risk areas. Ecological mechanisms by which weather influences CL risk merit future research attention as public health intervention targets.
What Makes a Best Exemplar in the Affective Domain ?

This paper is part of a broader multilingual research project that addresses the relationships between affective phenomena (as units of personal experience), concepts (as units of cognitive processing) and the lexical items we use in talking about affective experience (as units of verbal communication. The focus will be here on data obtained in six Scandinavian and Romance languages (N=1093) with the help of a reasoning task that supplemented a free listing and a ranking task. The task was specifically designed for assessing whether informants’ choice of best (or most typical) exemplars of a superordinate category in the affective domain relies on a similarity-based strategy of attribute matching and family resemblance computation as suggested by prototype theory. As a consequence, the instructions were formulated so to encourage the use of a similarity-based comparison in justifying the choice of best exemplars. The responses provided by the informants show instead that participants may resort to a variety of alternative criteria (frequency, complexity, basicness, intensity, cultural or personal meaning, etc.) for assigning best-exemplar status. It is contended that such alternative criteria are consistent with a theory(or knowledge-) based approach to concepts and categorization and that a hybrid, multi-strategy approach is more suitable in order to account for categorization in the affective domain.
Mating for male-derived prostaglandin: a functional explanation for the increased fecundity of mated female crickets?

ABSTRACT Direct benefits are considered to be the driving force of high female mating rates, yet species in which females do not receive material resources from males still experience increased fitness from mating frequently. One hypothesis suggests that substances within the ejaculate may boost survival or offspring production. If these materials are limiting to females, they will require continual renewal via mating and could provide a functional understanding of how high mating rates lead to increased female fitness. Using the Texas field cricket, Gryllus texensis, we investigated the sexual transfer of prostaglandin E2, an important mediator of invertebrate reproduction. We determined that like other gryllid species, males include significant quantities of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and its precursor molecule, arachidonic acid (AA), within the spermatophore. These components are passed to females during copulation and then stored within the spermatheca. We then tested the novel hypothesis that PGE2 is ephemerally available after mating and that females must frequently mate to maintain access to this limiting compound. We found that PGE2 within the spermatheca is indeed depleted through time, with only a small amount remaining 1 week after mating, but that its presence can be maintained at high quantities and for prolonged periods of time by remating. Our results support the hypothesis that high female mating rates increase the amount and availability of PGE2 throughout the breeding season, which could explain the positive relationship between female mating rate and fecundity. Summary: Male-derived substances transferred in the seminal fluids of crickets provide a functional explanation for the fitness benefits females gain from mating at high rates.
Outcomes of Combined Cardiovascular Risk Factor Management Strategies in Type 2 Diabetes: The ACCORD Randomized Trial

OBJECTIVE To compare effects of combinations of standard and intensive treatment of glycemia and either blood pressure (BP) or lipids in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS ACCORD enrolled 10,251 type 2 diabetes patients aged 40–79 years at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Participants were randomly assigned to hemoglobin A1c goals of <6.0% (<42 mmol/mol; intensive glycemia) or 7.0–7.9% (53–63 mmol/mol; standard glycemia) and then randomized a second time to either 1) systolic BP goals of <120 mmHg (intensive BP) or <140 mmHg (standard BP) or 2) simvastatin plus fenofibrate (intensive lipid) or simvastatin plus placebo (standard lipid). Proportional hazards models were used to assess combinations of treatment assignments on the composite primary (deaths due to CVD, nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI], and nonfatal stroke) and secondary outcomes. RESULTS In the BP trial, risk of the primary outcome was lower in the groups intensively treated for glycemia (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67; 95% CI 0.50–0.91), BP (HR 0.74; 95% CI 0.55–1.00), or both (HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.52–0.96) compared with combined standard BP and glycemia treatment. For secondary outcomes, MI was significantly reduced by intensive glycemia treatment and stroke by intensive BP treatment; most other HRs were neutral or favored intensive treatment groups. In the lipid trial, the general pattern of results showed no evidence of benefit of intensive regimens (whether single or combined) compared with combined standard lipid and glycemia treatment. The mortality HR was 1.33 (95% CI 1.02–1.74) in the standard lipid/intensive glycemia group compared with the standard lipid/standard glycemia group. CONCLUSIONS In the ACCORD BP trial, compared with combined standard treatment, intensive BP or intensive glycemia treatment alone improved major CVD outcomes, without additional benefit from combining the two. In the ACCORD lipid trial, neither intensive lipid nor glycemia treatment produced an overall benefit, but intensive glycemia treatment increased mortality.
Research portfolio submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

s: Main Research Project Page 2 Service Improvement Project Page 3 Critical Literature Review Page 3 Word count by components Page 4 Acknowledgements Page 8 Critical Literature Review: An evaluative review of the relationship between empathy and posttraumatic stress disorder Page 11 Abstract Page 12 Introduction Page 13 Method Page 17 Results Page 19 Discussion Page 31 References Page 34 Service Improvement Project: Profiling the psychological training and support needs of oncology staff, and evaluating the effectiveness of clinical psychology provision, in a general hospital department Page 38 Abstract Page 39 Introduction Page 40 Phase 1 Method Page 43 Phase 1 Results Page 44 Phase 2 Method Page 47 Phase 2 Results Page 49 Service Improvement Page 51 Discussion Page 53 References Page 56
Fundamental change of circumstances in contract law

Parties to a contract base their consensus on the facts known to them at the time of contracting – should there be an unforeseen change in these circumstances, it may no longer be just for one party to enforce the agreement against the other. Because the losses and gains consequent upon a change in circumstances occur by chance, it is not fair to place the resultant burden on one party alone. Already in Roman times, moral philosophers wrote of the circumstances under which a promise would no longer bind. Over the centuries this was extended into the realm of legally binding contracts under the banner of the clausula rebus sic stantibus, but this doctrine was vague and lax and it did not survive past the nineteenth century. With the rise of considerations of fairness in contracting, however, solutions to the problem of changed circumstances were once again deemed necessary. This occurred in the civil law world, in countries such as Germany and the Netherlands as well as in the common law world, through the export of the English doctrine of frustration. Today most Western legal systems recognise some form of rules to deal with changed circumstances, although the availability of this defence and the types of redress available vary from country to country. Perhaps the best available solutions are to be found in the supranational model rules, such as the Unidroit PICC, the PECL and the DCFR. South Africa allows discharge in situations of objective supervening impossibility, but not for supervening change of circumstances. Comparatively, this leaves a gap in our contract law. The latest developments in constitutional law suggest that fairness in contracting has become an important limitation on the value of contractual certainty. With regard to comparative law, the argument can thus validly be made that fairness in contracting demands that the problem of changed circumstances be addressed. This should best be done through the inclusion of a common law rule, based on the equivalent hardship provisions of the PICC, read with the PECL and the DCFR. Renegotiation by the parties themselves would be the ideal outcome after a fundamental change of circumstances, alternatively a court should modify or discharge the contract itself.
Evaluation by an Aeronautic Dentist on the Adverse Effects of a Six-Week Period of Microgravity on the Oral Cavity

Objective. HDT bed rest condition is a simulated microgravity condition in which subject lies on bed inclined −6 degree feet up. To determine the influence of a simulated microgravity (HDT bed rest) on oral cavity, 10 healthy male volunteers were studied before, during, just after, and after 6 weeks of the simulated microgravity condition of −6° head-down-tilt (HDT) bed rest. Materials and Methods. Facial nerve function, facial sensation, chemosensory system, salivary biomarkers were measured. Results. Lactate dehydrogenase, MIP 1 alpha, malonaldehyde, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, and thiocyanate were found to increase significantly, while flow rate, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphate, protein, amylase activity, vitamin E and C, and mouth opening were decreased in simulation environments in contradiction to normal. The threshold for monosodium glutamate (MSG) and capsaicin increased during microgravity as compared to normal conditions. Moderate pain of teeth, facial oedema, mild pain, loss of sensation of pain and temperature, decreased tongue, and mandibular movement in simulation microgravity environments were observed. Conclusions. These results suggest that reversible effect of microgravity is oedema of face, change in taste, abnormal expression of face, teeth pain, and xerostomia. Further study will be required on large scale on long-term effects of microgravity on oral cavity to prevent the adverse effects.
Uneven-aged silviculture, southern style

Key ~t~~u~s of these methods are that regulation is more important than balance, residual basal area drives stand developII&H, and regeneration is the first indicator of &tainability. Marking uneven-aged stands is best kept simple: mark to cut the poorest trees and leave the best, regardless of target structure or method of regeneration. To be successful in the long term, new methods of regulating uneven-aged and multiaged stands should share these attributes.
Wholesale Competition, Open Access Regulation and Tacit Collusion: Experimental Evidence

We consider the market scenario where wholesale access for a non-integrated reseller is provided competitively by two vertically integrated firms. In a continuous-time economic laboratory experiment with both student and expert participants we compare market outcomes under different modes of wholesale competition as well as under an open access regulation preventing a margin squeeze. We find that wholesale competition can facilitate tacit collusion, which yields wholesale and retail prices even above the monopoly level. However, we show that a simple price commitment rule can substantially reduce tacit collusion. Moreover, we do not find evidence that margin squeeze regulation benefits consumers.
Differential Roles for Snapin and Synaptotagmin in the Synaptic Vesicle Cycle

Evoked synaptic transmission is dependent on interactions between the calcium sensor Synaptotagmin I and the SNARE complex, comprised of Syntaxin, SNAP-25, and Synaptobrevin. Recent evidence suggests that Snapin may be an important intermediate in this process, through simultaneous interactions of Snapin dimers with SNAP-25 and Synaptotagmin. In support of this model, cultured neurons derived from embryonically lethal Snapin null mutant mice exhibit desynchronized release and a reduced readily releasable vesicle pool. Based on evidence that a dimerization-defective Snapin mutation specifically disrupts priming, Snapin is hypothesized to stabilize primed vesicles by structurally coupling Synaptotagmin and SNAP-25. To explore this model in vivo we examined synaptic transmission in viable, adult C. elegans Snapin (snpn-1) mutants. The kinetics of synaptic transmission were unaffected at snpn-1 mutant neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), but the number of docked, fusion competent vesicles was significantly reduced. However, analyses of snt-1 and snt-1;snpn-1 double mutants suggest that the docking role of SNPN-1 is independent of Synaptotagmin. Based on these results we propose that the primary role of Snapin in C. elegans is to promote vesicle priming, consistent with the stabilization of SNARE complex formation through established interactions with SNAP-25 upstream of the actions of Synaptotagmin in calcium-sensing and endocytosis.
Athlete burnout in elite sport: A self-determination perspective

Abstract Using self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) as the theoretical framework, we examined potential antecedents of athlete burnout in 201 elite Canadian athletes (121 females, 80 males; mean age 22.9 years). Employing a cross-sectional design, our primary aims were to investigate the relationships between behavioural regulations and athlete burnout and to examine whether self-determined motivation mediated relationships between basic needs satisfaction and athlete burnout. Our self-determination theory-derived hypotheses were largely supported. Relationships among athlete burnout and behavioural regulations mostly varied according to their rank on the self-determination continuum, with less self-determined motives showing positive associations and more self-determined motives showing negative correlations with burnout. The basic needs of competence and autonomy, plus self-determined motivation, accounted for significant amounts of variance in athlete burnout symptoms (exhaustion, R 2 = 0.31; devaluation, R 2 = 0.49; reduced accomplishment, R 2 = 0.61; global burnout, R 2 = 0.74). Self-determined motivation fully mediated the relationships that competence and autonomy had with exhaustion. Analyses showed indirect relationships between these two needs and devaluation, through their associations with self-determined motivation. Motivation partially mediated the needs-reduced sense of accomplishment relationships, but the direct effects were more prominent than the indirect effects.
Moral Outrage Mediates the Dampening Effect of System Justification on Support for Redistributive Social Policies

To understand how and why people tolerate ongoing social and economic inequality, we conducted two studies investigating the hypothesis that system justification is associated with reduced emotional distress and a lack of support for helping the disadvantaged. In Study 1, we found that the endorsement of a system-justifying ideology was negatively associated with moral outrage, existential guilt, and support for helping the disadvantaged. In Study 2, the induction of a system-justification mind-set through exposure to “rags-to-riches” narratives decreased moral outrage, negative affect, and therefore intentions to help the disadvantaged. In both studies, moral outrage (outward-focused distress) was found to mediate the dampening effect of system justification on support for redistribution, whereas existential guilt (Study 1) or negative affect in general (Study 2; inward-focused distress) did not. Thus, system-justifying ideology appears to undercut the redistribution of social and economic resources by alleviating moral outrage.
The effect of dam age on ewe offspring productive performance and efficiency

The objective of this study was to determine if dam age (i.e., being born to a ewe-lamb vs. mature adult ewe) affected the productive performance and efficiency of singleton ewe offspring to four years of age. Live weight was recorded every two months from birth to four years of age for singleton ewe progeny born to either ewe-lamb dams or adult ewes (ewe-lamb progeny: ELP, n = 20; adult-ewe progeny: AEP, n = 25). The number of lambs born and weaned, and weight (kg) of lamb born and weaned were determined for each ewe for each productive year and as a combined total. Ewe production efficiency was calculated for each year and as a combined total. Results show that AEP were heavier at birth and remained heavier until one year of age (P<0.05). Live weight was again greater (P<0.05) for AEP in mid-pregnancy in 2010 and at weaning in 2011. The number of lambs born and weaned and the weight of lamb born and weaned per ewe did not differ in any of the three productive years or for the combined total. Ewe production efficiency was not affected by dam age, with similar efficiencies reported for ELP and AEP. The results from this study show that despite experiencing a weight penalty, the productive performance and efficiency of singleton ewe progeny born to ewe-lamb dams, if conventionally bred themselves as 18 months of age, appears to be similar to that of singleton ewe progeny born to mature adult ewes.
Image Sharpening via Sobolev Gradient Flows

Motivated by some recent work in active contour applications, we study the use of Sobolev gradients for PDE-based image diffusion and sharpening. We begin by studying, for the case of isotropic diffusion, the gradient descent/ascent equation obtained by modifying the usual metric on the space of images, which is the $L^2$ metric, to a Sobolev metric. We present existence and uniqueness results for the Sobolev isotropic diffusion, derive a number of maximum principles, and show that the differential equations are stable and well-posed both in the forward and backward directions. This allows us to apply the Sobolev flow in the backward direction for sharpening. Favorable comparisons to the well-known shock filter for sharpening are demonstrated. Finally, we continue to exploit this same well-posed behavior both forward and backward in order to formulate new constrained gradient flows on higher order energy functionals which preserve the first order energy of the original image for interesting combined smoothing and sharpening effects.
Capital City Museums and Tourism Flows: an Empirical Study of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

This study uses time series analysis to explore the extent to which the opening of the Museum of New Zealand in 1998 contributed to tourism growth in the nation's capital, Wellington. With the use of a series of different measures for tourism and major events in the city, econometric regressions are undertaken to better understand the relationship between visitors to the museum and tourism growth in the city's short-term commercial accommodation sector. The findings are consistent with the museum having a positive impact on tourist arrivals and overnight stays. These results contribute valuable empirical evidence of the positive role of museums in attracting tourists to urban centres. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
THE USE OF CONCEPT MAPS IN THE TEACHING OF INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY IN ENGINEERING SCHOOLS

1 Jose Antonio Cascales, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Deparatamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental. Paseo Alfonso XIII, no 44. Cartagena 30203. Spain. Tel. : (34) 968 32 55 52. Fax: (34) 968 32 55 55. e.mail: josea.cascales@upct.es 2 Enrique Solano, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Deparatamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental. Tel: (34) 968 32 55 47. Fax: (34) 968 32 55 55. e.mail: enrique.solano@upct.es 3 Gerardo León, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Deparatamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental. Tel: (34) 968 32 56 69. Fax: (34) 968 32 55 55. e.mail: gerardo.leon@upct.es Abstract  Engineering can be considered as a broad discipline that embraces knowledge and training in science, mathematics, business and management, social science and computer technology. A wide range of skills can be defined as necessary to an actual engineer. Among them, technical knowledge skills and intellectual skills play a very important role. The teaching of science subjects must contribute to develop both, knowledge skills, including basic concepts, laws, theories and principles of the science, and intellectual skills, such as logical thinking, problem solving and design. A good understanding of a technical subject need not only the knowledge of the different concepts, but also the relation among them as a way to obtain a suitable meaning of those concepts. In this way, concept maps, as knowledge representation schemes in which the concepts that form the body of the thematic unit are organised in a structure according to different levels of abstraction an inclusion, can play a very important role. In this paper we described the use of concept maps as a tool for enhance the learning of basin principles of chemistry and the acquisition of some intellectual skills.