Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do Recent PhD Economists Feel Prepared to Teach Economics?

A survey of recent economics PhDs who graduated from U.S. PhD programs and are now teaching in either the United States or Canada revealed that only half of the respondents who taught a stand-alone course during their doctoral program had any teacher preparation training. Those who did have training only felt “adequately” prepared for teaching. However, as a general rule, the respondents felt that they were well-prepared for teaching at the completion of their graduate program. The authors did not find significant differences in the responses of those who did complete formal pedagogical training during their doctoral program and those who did not. Those who completed training during their doctoral program appear to currently be more enthusiastic about training.
Foundations of understanding

How can symbols have meaning for a subject? Foundations of Understanding argues that this is the key question to ask about intentionality, or meaningful thought. It thus offers an alternative to currently popular linguistic models of intentionality, whose inadequacies are examined: the goal should be to explain, not how symbols, mental or otherwise, can refer to or ‘mean’ states of affairs in the external world, but how they can mean something to us, the users. The essence of intentionality is shown to be conscious understanding, the roots of which lie in experiences of embodiment and goal-directed action. A developmental path is traced from a foundation of conscious understanding in the ability to perform basic actions, through the understanding of the concept of an objective, external world, to the understanding of language and abstract symbols. The work is interdisciplinary: data from the neurosciences and cognitive psychology, and the perspectives of phenomenologists such as Merleau-Ponty, are combined with traditional philosophical analysis. The book includes a chapter on the nature of conscious qualitative experience and its neural correlates. (Series A)
Adaptive nonlinear congestion controller for a differentiated-services framework

The growing demand of computer usage requires efficient ways of managing network traffic in order to avoid or at least limit the level of congestion in cases where increases in bandwidth are not desirable or possible. In this paper we developed and analyzed a generic Integrated Dynamic Congestion Control (IDCC) scheme for controlling traffic using information on the status of each queue in the network. The IDCC scheme is designed using nonlinear control theory based on a nonlinear model of the network that is generated using fluid flow considerations. The methodology used is general and independent of technology, as for example TCP/IP or ATM. We assume a differentiated-services network framework and formulate our control strategy in the same spirit as IP DiffServ for three types of services: Premium Service, Ordinary Service, and Best Effort Service. The three differentiated classes of traffic operate at each output port of a router/switch. An IDCC scheme is designed for each output port, and a simple to implement nonlinear controller, with proven performance, is designed and analyzed. Using analysis performance bounds are derived for provable controlled network behavior, as dictated by reference values of the desired or acceptable length of the associated queues. By tightly controlling each output port, the overall network performance is also expected to be tightly controlled. The IDCC methodology has been applied to an ATM network. We use OPNET simulations to demonstrate that the proposed control methodology achieves the desired behavior of the network, and possesses important attributes, as e.g., stable and robust behavior, high utilization with bounded delay and loss, together with good steady-state and transient behavior.
Is focal chronic autoimmune thyroiditis an age‐related disease? Differences in incidence and severity between Japanese and British

The incidence of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis in autopsy material from Japanese and British subjects was evaluated. Lymphocytic infiltration in representative thyroid sections from 1826 Japanese cases collected from four different institutions was analysed. The overall incidence of lymphocytic infiltration was significantly higher in females (22·2 per cent) than in males (13·9 percent). In females, the incidence reached 23·2 percent in the fourth decade and showed no increase with age thereafter. The overall incidence of lymphocytic infiltration in thyroid sections from 810 British cases was 42·5 per cent in females and 19·4 per cent in males: an increase in the incidence of thyroiditis from the sixth decade onwards was noted in British females, the figure reaching 50·0 per cent in those aged over 70 years. These findings suggest possible racial differences in susceptibility to chronic thyroiditis. The disorder is not necessarily related to age, increasing severity of disease with age being found only in British females.
Pain and electrophysiological parameters are improved by combined 830-1064 high-intensity LASER in symptomatic carpal tunnel syndrome versus Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. A randomized controlled study.

AIM The aim of the study was to compare LASER versus transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in reducing pain and paraesthesia; and in improving motor and sensory median nerve conduction parameters in mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). DESIGN Randomised blinded pilot study. Patients and staff administered treatments and outcome measures were blinded. SETTING Outpatient; Research and Care Rehabilitation Institute. PARTICIPANTS Twenty CTS symptomatic patients. INTERVENTIONS Fifteen sessions of: 1) 100 Hz TENS (30 minutes; rectangular waves; 80 ms width, intensity below muscle contraction); 2) combined 830-1064 nm LASER (radiating dose: 250 J cm-2 delivered to the skin overlying the course of the median nerve at the wrist for 100 s at 25 W (18 W [1064 nm] + 7 W [830 nm]) via a fiber-optic probe with a spot size of ~1 cm2). Outcome measures. Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and paresthesia; median nerve distal motor latency and sensory nerve conduction velocity. RESULTS LASER improved both positive and negative sensory symptoms. TENS induced clinical improvement but this was not statistically significant and was limited to pain reduction. LASER but not TENS favourably modified the neurophysiological parameters. CONCLUSION High-intensity combined LASER wavelengths of 830 nm and 1064 nm, which produce a better transparency with less scattering and a high energy transfer, are better than TENS in improving both pain and paraesthesia as well as neurophysiological parameters in CTS.
Motor Impairments in Transient Ischemic Attack Increase the Odds of a Subsequent Stroke: A Meta-Analysis

Background and purpose Transient ischemic attack (TIA) increases the risk for a subsequent stroke. Typical symptoms include motor weakness, gait disturbance, and loss of coordination. The association between the presence of motor impairments during a TIA and the chances of a subsequent stroke has not been examined. In the current meta-analysis, we examine whether the odds of a stroke are greater in TIA individuals who experience motor impairments as compared with those who do not experience motor impairments. Methods We conducted a systematic search of electronic databases as well as manual searches of the reference lists of retrieved articles. The meta-analysis included studies that reported an odds ratio relating motor impairments to a subsequent stroke, or the number of individuals with or without motor impairments who experienced a subsequent stroke. We examined these studies using rigorous meta-analysis techniques including random effects model, forest and funnel plots, I2, publication bias, and fail-safe analysis. Results Twenty-four studies with 15,129 participants from North America, Australia, Asia, and Europe qualified for inclusion. An odds ratio of 2.11 (95% CI, 1.67–2.65, p = 0.000) suggested that the chances of a subsequent stroke are increased by twofolds in individuals who experience motor impairments during a TIA compared with those individuals who have no motor impairments. Conclusion The presence of motor impairments during TIA is a significantly high-risk clinical characteristic for a subsequent stroke. The current evidence for motor impairments following TIA relies exclusively on the clinical reports of unilateral motor weakness. A comprehensive examination of motor impairments in TIA will enhance TIA prognosis and restoration of residual motor impairments.
Technology, Trade, and Income Distribution in West Germany: A Factor-Share Analysis, 1976–1994

This paper examines the determinants of functional income distribution in West Germany. The approach is to estimate a complete system of factor share equations for low-skilled labor, high-skilled labor, capital, energy, and materials, taking account of biased technological progress and increasing trade-orientation. Technological progress is found to reduce the share of low-skilled labor and to raise the share of high-skilled labor. The effect of technology bias on the two labor shares is enhanced by substitution of intermediate inputs for low-skilled labor, which is almost absent in the case of high-skilled labor. Trade-induced changes in the composition of aggregate output tend to mitigate these effects, due to the relatively favorable export performance of low-skill intensive industries. The year-to-year variation in the low-skilled share can be attributed to input prices, biased technological progress, and trade-induced structural change in the proportion 19:77:4. For high-skilled labor and capital, the output composition effect of trade contributes about one percent. The results are robust across several specifications examined.
Role-Playing International Intervention in Conflict Areas: Lessons from Bosnia for Northern Ireland Education

Role-playing is a useful exercise in overcoming some of the limits of traditional lecture-based teaching. While lectures presuppose the existence of a knowledgeable professor transmitting information to overall passive students, role-playing requires both the redefinition of the professor/student relationship and the active and purposeful involvement of students. This paper is an initial attempt to assess a role-play designed to achieve three main results: support students to take a more active role and ownership of their learning process; develop students’ research, writing and presentation skills; and apply their knowledge to a specific case. Substantively, the exercise aimed at investigating the dynamics of conflict management and intervention in conflict areas by addressing a crisis situation in a Bosnian town. Because this exercise took place in an area (Northern Ireland) with a long history of conflict, all students had very personal and direct knowledge of inter-communal tensions and clashes. Role-playing gave them an opportunity to investigate critically the dynamics of conflict management and the limits of external intervention.
Ethnic Diversity in the New Zealand Police: Staff Perspectives

Over seas research suggests benefits in having staff from ethnic minorities for po licing multicultural communities. This study ‐ part of a larger study investigating recruitment barriers and retention issues of ethnic minorities in the New Zealand Police ‐ presents the views of personnel from minority cultures about how they experience their professional roles within the organisation. The paper pre ents data from twenty in‐depth interviews conducted with police staff from one police region. Results of the study support overseas research and highlight New Zealand ‐ specific issues. While the sample size is small, the in‐depth interviews provide a rich data source. The paper presents new insights into how New Zealand Police officers from a range of cultural backgrounds perceive the contribution a culturally diverse workforce can make to policing. The study has practical implications for police recruitment and diversity policies.
The Eye is Listening: Music-Induced Arousal and Individual Differences Predict Pupillary Responses

Pupillary responses are a well-known indicator of emotional arousal but have not yet been systematically investigated in response to music. Here, we measured pupillary dilations evoked by short musical excerpts normalized for intensity and selected for their stylistic uniformity. Thirty participants (15 females) provided subjective ratings of music-induced felt arousal, tension, pleasantness, and familiarity for 80 classical music excerpts. The pupillary responses evoked by these excerpts were measured in another thirty participants (15 females). We probed the role of listener-specific characteristics such as mood, stress reactivity, self-reported role of music in life, liking for the selected excerpts, as well as of subjective responses to music, in pupillary responses. Linear mixed model analyses showed that a greater role of music in life was associated with larger dilations, and that larger dilations were also predicted for excerpts rated as more arousing or tense. However, an interaction between arousal and liking for the excerpts suggested that pupillary responses were modulated less strongly by arousal when the excerpts were particularly liked. An analogous interaction was observed between tension and liking. Additionally, males exhibited larger dilations than females. Overall, these findings suggest a complex interplay between bottom-up and top-down influences on pupillary responses to music.
Optimal Feature Representation for Kernel Machines using Kernel-Target Alignment Criterion

Kernel-target alignment is commonly used to predict the behavior of any given reproducing kernel in a classification context, without training any kernel machine. In this paper, we present a gradient ascent algorithm for maximizing the alignment over linear transform of the input space. Our method is compared to the minimization of the radius-margin bound. Experimental results on multi-dimensional benchmarks show the effectiveness of our approach
The Origins of Concept Formation: Object Sorting and Object Preference in Early Infancy.

STARKEY, DAVID. The Origins of Concept Formation: Object Sorting and Object Preference in Early Infancy. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1981, 52, 489-497. Studies of concept formation in infancy have demonstrated that certain experimental settings can elicit spontaneous behavior from infants which has been called "sorting" or "object grouping. " This study pursues the issue of early sorting with infants as young as 6 months and with a broader range of stimuli than has been used previously. 48 infants, 8 males and 8 females at 6, 9, and 12 months, were presented with 8 sets of small, manipulable objects. Each stimulus set consisted of 2 groups of 4 objects each, the groups differing in size, color, form, or some combination of these dimensions. Stimuli thought to be of high salience were included. Variables coded were: which object was touched first, the order in which objects were touched, and grouping together of objects. At both 9 and 12 months, infants showed a high level of sorting activity. At 9 months, 94% showed sequential touching of like objects, while 100% did so at 12 months. 13% at 9 and 44% at 12 months demonstrated at least primitive object grouping. At 6 months selective manipulation was conspicuously absent, leading the author to conclude that this activity must emerge sometime between 6 and 9 months.
Training in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises

The small and medium enterprise (SME) sector is receiving increasing recognition and, as part of this, its human resources needs is a comparatively neglected area. This study of 300 companies consisted of a comprehensive investigation of all aspects of human resources. The focus here is on the training and development aspects. Evidence from the survey itself and the detailed case studies is presented. This shows that training is by no means neglected, although it tends to be hands on rather than theoretical. It is related to both countering competition and the corporate strategy of companies. Management education is a less certain area, and may depend on whether those in charge of companies have themselves been through management education. Suppliers are not invariably in touch with sector needs.
IRAC Imaging of Lockman Hole

IRAC imaging of a 4 . ′ 7 × 4 . ′ 7 area in the Lockman Hole detected over 400 galaxies in the IRAC 3.6 µ m and 4.5 µ m bands, 120 in the 5.8 µ m band, and 80 in the 8.0 µ m band in 30 minutes of observing time. Color-color diagrams suggest that about half of these galaxies are at redshifts 0 . 6 < z < 1 . 3 with about a quarter at higher redshifts ( z > 1.3). We also detect IRAC counterparts for 6 of the 7 SCUBA sources and all 9 XMM sources in this area. The detection of the counterparts of the SCUBA sources and galaxies at z > 1 . 3 demonstrates the ability of IRAC to probe the universe at very high redshifts. reports the results of a SST survey carried out during the SST In-Orbit-Checkout (IOC) period. Observations were taken as one of the Early Release Observations to demonstrate the sensitivity of Spitzer and its capability of detecting galaxies at high redshifts. Lockman Hole ﬁeld. results observations ﬁeld. optical/NIR Of seven sources in the survey area, IRAC detected six and 4.5 µ m bands and four in the 5.8 and 8.0 µ m bands. IRAC also detected mid-infrared counterparts of all 9 XMM sources. Analysis of the Spitzer counterparts of the
Theory based explanation of case law domains: 38

In this paper we put forward a formal description of theories which can be used to record understanding of, and explain decisions in, case law domains. We believe that reasoning with cases involves all of theory construction, use and evaluation, and that awareness of the theory which provides a context for case based arguments is essential to understanding such arguments. Moreover, our account of these theories includes a systematic link between factors and values, which we believe is necessary to explain why some arguments prove to be more persuasive than others. We begin by formalising the various elements that the theories contain, and then provide a set of theory constructors which allow theories to built up from the background of decided cases. We show how such theories can be used to explain decisions on particular cases. We discuss how theories can be compared and evaluated. We then show how the argument moves of HYPO and CATO can be understood in terms of our framework. We conclude with a brief discussion of an implementation of the framework, and a summary of the major features of our approach.
Adolescents' Attention to Beer and Cigarette Print Ads and Associated Product Warnings

Abstract Much of the controversy surrounding the advertising of tobacco and alcohol products concerns the impact on young people. Eye tracking was used to determine how a large sample of adolescents attend to print ads for cigarettes, beer, and other products. In particular, the time spent viewing the ads, the percentages attending to mandated and voluntary warning messages, and the time spent viewing those messages were analyzed. The two cigarette ads had similar mandated warnings but produced very different results, thus demonstrating the importance of conducting warnings research in the context in which the warnings will be used. Finally, preliminary results based on eye tracking indicate that in the beer ad, the voluntary message encouraging responsible drinking had limited warning value.
Game of gifts purchase: Computer-based training of executive functions for the elderly

This paper presents a game that is integrated into a computer-based training program for several cognitive tasks in the elderly. People with Age-Associated Cognitive Decline (AACD) and people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are its target population. The game, which is specially intended to improve or maintain executive functioning, requests users to buy some gifts to some imaginary close relatives, taking into account a budget that should not be exceeded and some specified criteria about their preferences. The aim is the training of users' planning ability, as well as the needed organization to achieve the planned goals. In addition to give details of the design and implementation of this game, the paper presents its validation, using standardized neuropsychological measures. To do that, an experimental pilot study has been carried out with 20 people over 60 years. Once the game has been validated, more people are using it.
Oral maribavir for treatment of refractory or resistant cytomegalovirus infections in transplant recipients

R.K. Avery, F.M. Marty, L. Strasfeld, I. Lee, A. Arrieta, S. Chou, W. Tatarowicz, S. Villano. Oral maribavir for treatment of refractory or resistant cytomegalovirus infections in transplant recipients. Transpl Infect Dis 2010: 12: 489–496. All rights reserved
Investing in Quality: The Current State of Assessment in Criminal Justice Programs

This manuscript describes how criminal justice programs in higher education engage in student assessment. A web‐based survey adapted from the work of Kelly and Klunk (2003, Learning assessment in political science departments: Survey results. PS: Political Science & Politics, 36, 451–455) that focused on (1) general information about the institution, (2) learning objectives developed by the program, (3) assessment instruments used by the program, (4) methods of analyzing the assessment data, (5) application of learning assessment results, and (6) institutional environment was administered to 369 two‐year and four‐year institutions that had criminal justice programs. A response rate of 44 percent was achieved. Based upon regional representation of programs provided by ACJS, it was determined that the sample was fairly represented of national Criminal Justice programs. The manuscript details the assessment activities that are occurring at the departmental/program level. One of the more paradoxical findings is that grades in major course work is the most often used assessment instrument among the programs, but it is not rated the highest in terms of its effectiveness in evaluating student learning objectives. The manuscript concludes with recommendations about the assessment process.
Older people's sense of coherence: relationships with education, former occupation and living arrangements

ABSTRACT Few studies have explored the combination of individual and contextual conditions that influence psychological health among older people. This study aimed to analyse the sense of coherence (SOC) in a sample of Italian senior citizens in relation to gender, educational level, living arrangements and former employment, when controlling for age. The short version of the SOC scale (Antonovsky 1987), which has items for the ‘comprehensibility’, ‘manageability’ and ‘meaningfulness’ components, was administered to a sample of 198 senior citizens of both genders and with an average age of 68.5 years. The findings showed that: (a) senior citizens with a higher level of education and who had retired from jobs with a high level of responsibility perceived reality as more controllable, manageable and meaningful; (b) with greater age, the perception that life's challenges are worth facing decreased; and (c) there was an interaction between living arrangements and education level, viz. those with higher education, and those with lower education living with a spouse or partner, perceived reality as more meaningful and their life challenges as worth facing. It is important to investigate further the activities that help maintain a high sense of coherence throughout the life span, and to design social policies that support senior citizens who live alone, because they appear psychologically weaker than others.