Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Output, growth, welfare, and inflation: a survey

In this article, Joseph Haslag surveys both the theoretical results and the empirical evidence relating inflation to per capita real GDP growth. Theory yields mixed results: a permanent change in inflation can raise, lower, or have no impact on per capita output or its rate of growth. The crucial factor seems to be the role money plays in the model economy. However, in most cases, a permanent increase in inflation lowers the average person's welfare. The empirical evidence is similarly inconclusive. A body of evidence suggests that high-inflation countries do grow more slowly than low-inflation countries. However, the systematic relationship between inflation and output growth does not survive when researchers include other potential determinants of growth or adopt an alternative definition of trend.
From episodic to habitual prospective memory: ERP-evidence for a linear transition

Performing a prospective memory task repeatedly changes the nature of the task from episodic to habitual. The goal of the present study was to investigate the neural basis of this transition. In two experiments, we contrasted event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by correct responses to prospective memory targets in the first, more episodic part of the experiment with those of the second, more habitual part of the experiment. Specifically, we tested whether the early, middle, or late ERP-components, which are thought to reflect cue detection, retrieval of the intention, and post-retrieval processes, respectively, would be changed by routinely performing the prospective memory task. The results showed a differential ERP effect in the middle time window (450–650 ms post-stimulus). Source localization using low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis suggests that the transition was accompanied by an increase of activation in the posterior parietal and occipital cortex. These findings indicate that habitual prospective memory involves retrieval processes guided more strongly by parietal brain structures. In brief, the study demonstrates that episodic and habitual prospective memory tasks recruit different brain areas.
Myths in the Russian Collective Memory: The “Golden Era” of Pre-Revolutionary Russia and the “Disaster of 1917”

ABSTRACT This paper examines shared ideas, values and interpretations of the past in the “collective memory” of the 1917 October Revolution. Employing a qualitative approach to examine collective memory “from below,” two age cohorts were interviewed in three Russian cities from a variety of social groups in 2014–2015. What was revealed was the existence of a strong positive myth about the pre-revolutionary era of 1900–1914, as well as positive references to the current Putin era. Both eras were “positive” in that Russia was/is a “normal European power,” “on the rise economically” and “respected by the other powers. ” In terms of the definitive national trauma, an overwhelming majority viewed the 1917 October Revolution as a break or rupture in Russian history that caused appalling destruction. This view of 1917 as catastrophic leads to certain key “lessons”: that revolutionary change is inherently destructive and wasteful and that external forces had (and have) a vested interest in weakening Russia from without whenever she is at her most vulnerable. Overall, at the heart of myths over 1917 we find a central occupation with the threat of disintegration and a yearning for stability and normality, highlighting how collective memory interacts with political values and social identity.
Effects of Visual Information on Adults' and Infants' Auditory Statistical Learning

Infant and adult learners are able to identify word boundaries in fluent speech using statistical information. Similarly, learners are able to use statistical information to identify word-object associations. Successful language learning requires both feats. In this series of experiments, we presented adults and infants with audio-visual input from which it was possible to identify both word boundaries and word-object relations. Adult learners were able to identify both kinds of statistical relations from the same input. Moreover, their learning was actually facilitated by the presence of two simultaneously present relations. Eight-month-old infants, however, do not appear to benefit from the presence of regular relations between words and objects. Adults, like 8-month-olds, did not benefit from regular audio-visual correspondences when they were tested with tones, rather than linguistic input. These differences in learning outcomes across age and input suggest that both developmental and stimulus-based constraints affect statistical learning.
Shortening the Inventory of Learning Styles for quality assurance in a Hong Kong post-secondary education context

A Chinese translation of the 100-item Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) is shortened as a 60-item instrument (which comprises 20 three-item scales) by removal of items that make the least contribution to the ILS scales from both alpha value and factor loading perspectives. The reliability and validation for administering the resultant 60-item ILS in the context of Hong Kong post-secondary education were assessed via analysis and re-analysis of results collected from two studies. The first study involved 1572 students enrolled in different kinds of post-secondary programmes in 2005; the second study involved 206 students enrolled in a special one-year, post-secondary programme in 2010. The internal consistency of most of the scales in the 60-item ILS was found to be good or satisfactory, except for three scales for which a need for further investigation or refinement is indicated. The exploratory factor analyses conducted in the two studies found factor patterns that closely resembled each other, with defining features comprising an active meaning-directed learning pattern that is mixed with reproduction-directed elements, an undirected learning pattern and different versions of a passive idealistic learning pattern. Overall, the current research provides qualified support for the reliability and validity of the shortened ILS for application in the context of Hong Kong post-secondary education.
Plasticity of hippocampal corticosteroid receptors during aging in the rat

Aging is commonly associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis and cognitive impairment. On the basis of suggestions that these disruptions ensue from changes in the hippocampal complement of corticosteroid (mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid) receptors (MR and GR), we examined the availability of hippocampal MR and GR by measuring the in vivo uptake of 3H‐aldosterone and 3H‐dexamethasone (selective MR and GR agonists, respectively); MR and GR mRNA levels were also measured. We observed age‐related declines in both the synthesis of MR and GR and the uptake of their respective ligands. Whereas MR mRNA levels and ligand uptake declined in parallel, GR binding declined more steeply than GR mRNA. This latter result, together with our finding that aged rats show impaired corticosteroid receptor mRNA and protein up‐regulation after corticosteroid withdrawal, indicates decreased transcription of MR and GR genes and posttranslational modification of GR mRNA during aging. Given that corticosteroids can influence MR and GR synthesis and binding, and based on the finding that aged subjects show reduced basal secretion of corticosterone, we propose that this relative hypocorticalism may be responsible for the changes observed in MR and GR activity, which then leads to disturbances in neuroendocrine regulation and cognitive function in aged subjects. —Hassan, A. H. S. , Patchev, V. K. , vonRosenstiel, P., Holsboer, F. , Almeida, O. F. X. Plasticity of hippocampal corticosteroid receptors during aging in the rat. FASEB J. 13, 115–122 (1999)
Unnatural amino acid photo-crosslinking of the IKs channel complex demonstrates a KCNE1:KCNQ1 stoichiometry of up to 4:4

Cardiac repolarization is determined in part by the slow delayed rectifier current (IKs), through the tetrameric voltage-gated ion channel, KCNQ1, and its β-subunit, KCNE1. The stoichiometry between α and β-subunits has been controversial with studies reporting either a strict 2 KCNE1:4 KCNQ1 or a variable ratio up to 4:4. We used IKs fusion proteins linking KCNE1 to one (EQ), two (EQQ) or four (EQQQQ) KCNQ1 subunits, to reproduce compulsory 4:4, 2:4 or 1:4 stoichiometries. Whole cell and single-channel recordings showed EQQ and EQQQQ to have increasingly hyperpolarized activation, reduced conductance, and shorter first latency of opening compared to EQ - all abolished by the addition of KCNE1. As well, using a UV-crosslinking unnatural amino acid in KCNE1, we found EQQQQ and EQQ crosslinking rates to be progressively slowed compared to KCNQ1, which demonstrates that no intrinsic mechanism limits the association of up to four β-subunits within the IKs complex. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.11815. 001
The role of social support, being present and self-kindness in university student well-being

ABSTRACT Poor well-being in university students is a serious concern. Using self-kindness – an attitude of understanding and benevolence in times of adversity or failure – may be key to enabling students to maintain well-being despite the pressures inherent to their student role. This study aimed to test a theoretically guided model of how self-kindness, along with the ability to be in the present moment and the experience of receiving social support, contribute to well-being in university students. Participants were 6195 university students who completed a web-based survey. Structural equation modelling analyses confirmed our hypotheses, showing that: (a) receiving social support is important to the capacity for self-kindness both directly and indirectly through the ability to ‘be present’; and (b) the relationship between social support and well-being is partially mediated by the practices of self-kindness and being present. Overall, the model explained 39% of the variance in student well-being. These findings have implications for our understanding of well-being in university students, as well as the importance of considering self-kindness, on its own, as a target for intervention.
New Insights into the Mechanisms of Water-Stress-Induced Cavitation in Conifers

Cavitation resistance is a key parameter to understand tree drought tolerance but little is known about the mechanisms of air entry into xylem conduits. For conifers three mechanisms have been proposed: (1) a rupture of pit margo microfibrils, (2) a displacement of the pit torus from its normal sealing position over the pit aperture, and (3) a rupture of an air-water menisci in a pore of the pit margo. In this article, we report experimental results on three coniferous species suggesting additional mechanisms. First, when xylem segments were injected with a fluid at a pressure sufficient to aspirate pit tori and well above the pressure for cavitation induction we failed to detect the increase in sample conductance that should have been caused by torus displacement from blocking the pit aperture or by membrane rupture. Second, by injecting xylem samples with different surfactant solutions, we found a linear relation between sample vulnerability to cavitation and fluid surface tension. This suggests that cavitation in conifers could also be provoked by the capillary failure of an air-water meniscus in coherence with the prediction of Young-Laplace's equation. Within the bordered pit membrane, the exact position of this capillary seeding is unknown. The possible Achilles' heel could be the seal between tori and pit walls or holes in the torus. The mechanism of water-stress-induced cavitation in conifers could then be relatively similar to the one currently proposed for angiosperms.
SEQUENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO PUBLIC GOODS

I examine games involving private contributions to a public good and show that less of the public good will be supplied if agents move sequentially than if they move simultaneously. If the agents bid for the right to move first, the agent who values the public good least will win. If each agent chooses the rate at which he will subsidize the other agent’s contributions, the subsidies that support the Lindahl allocation are the unique equilibrium outcome. I also describe two related subsidy-setting games that yield Lindahl allocations in n-person games with general utility functions. This paper will appear in the Journal of Public Economics.
Towards a shift in perspective for inclusive education research – a continental approach

ABSTRACT With a starting point in the tradition of geisteswissenschaftliche Pädagogik, this article presents a challenge to inclusive education research to engage a Continental perspective on educational research. The motivation is to entice inclusive education researchers to begin to ask educational questions of inclusion, as opposed to inclusive questions of education. Recent years has seen a call to re-think inclusive education research and this paper attempts to answer this call by turning to a Continental perspective and the emphasis on an at least relative autonomy for the theory and practice of education. The article explores the relationship between Continental and Anglo-American educational theory, and why they seem to have developed in such distinct directions. Beginning with the Anglo-American perspective, it is outlined how pedagogy and the so-called educational interest became replaced by the scientific standards dominant in other academic disciplines. This is countered by a look at the continued endeavours in the Continental spheres to formulate specifically educational criteria for educational processes. This leads to a negative aim in the form of arguing against neo-liberal policy and the politicisation of inclusive education, and a positive aim in the form of an argument for a move towards constructing a pedagogical ideal of inclusion.
A Bayesian Review of the Poisson-Dirichlet Process

The two parameter Poisson-Dirichlet process is also known as the PitmanYor Process and related to the Chinese Restaurant Process, is a generalisation of the Dirichlet Process, and is increasingly being used for probabilistic modelling in discrete areas such as language and images. This article reviews the theory of the Poisson-Dirichlet process in terms of its consistency for estimation, the convergence rates and the posteriors of data. This theory has been well developed for continuous distributions (more generally referred to as nonatomic distributions). This article then presents a Bayesian interpretation of the Poisson-Dirichlet process: it is a mixture using an improper and infinite dimensional Dirichlet distribution. This interpretation requires technicalities of priors, posteriors and Hilbert spaces, but conceptually, this means we can understand the process as just another Dirichlet and thus all its sampling properties fit naturally. Finally, this article also presents results for the discrete case which is the case seeing widespread use now in computer science, but which has received less attention in the literature.
Azilsartan medoxomil in the management of hypertension: an evidence-based review of its place in therapy

Background Azilsartan (AZI) is a relatively new angiotensin receptor blocker available for the treatment of any stage of hypertension, which was eventually given in combination with chlorthalidone (CLT). Objective To review pharmacology and clinical role of AZI monotherapy and AZI/CLT or AZI/amlodipine combination therapies for hypertension management. Methods PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched using search terms “ azilsartan”, “chlorthalidone,” “pharmacology,” “pharmacokinetics,” “pharmacodynamics,” “pharmacoeconomics,” and “cost-effectiveness. ” To obtain other relevant information, US Food and Drug Association as well as manufacturer prescribing information were also reviewed. Results Randomized controlled trials demonstrated AZI to be superior to other sartans, such as valsartan, olmesartan, and candesartan, in terms of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) reduction with respect. That beneficial effect of azilsartan was also associated with similar safety profiles. When compared to other antihypertensive drugs, azilsartan was found to be superior to any angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, including ramipril, in terms of ABPM results, and noninferior to amlodipine in terms of sleep-BP control. The association of AZI and CLT was then found to be superior to other sartans + thiazide combination therapies in terms of both BP lowering and goal achievement. The combination of AZI and amlodipine has also been tested in clinical trials, but compared only with placebo, demonstrating its superiority in terms of efficacy and similarity in terms of safety. Conclusion Azilsartan is a safe and effective treatment option for every stage of hypertension, both alone or in fixed-dose combination tablets with chlorthalidone or amlodipine. Beneficial effects of AZI were also noted in patients with any degree of renal impairment. In addition, safety profiles of AZI were similar to that of the placebo.
Using Children’s Drawings to Examine Student Perspectives of Classroom Climate in a School-within-a-School Elementary School

This study examines student perceptions of classroom climate at a school-within-a-school (SWAS) elementary school located in the southeastern United States. The elementary school contains a school for students identified as highly gifted within a neighborhood school. Researchers utilized drawings to determine students’ perceptions of their classrooms using an intentionally open-ended prompt that allowed students to focus on the aspects of their classroom they found most compelling. Classrooms with a climate that fostered community proved to be important to students, and they made connections between community and active engagement in academic tasks. Students in the 2 SWAS programs perceived the nature of a community-focused classroom climate differently; in the gifted program, collaboration and group work were privileged, whereas those in the neighborhood program expressed like-mindedness and/or a notion of group connectedness.
Using Developer Information as a Factor for Fault Prediction

We have been investigating different prediction models to identify which files of a large multi-release industrial software system are most likely to contain the largest numbers of faults in the next release. To make predictions we considered a number of different file characteristics and change information about the files, and have built fully- automatable models that do not require that the user have any statistical expertise. We now consider the effect of adding developer information as a prediction factor and assess the extent to which this affects the quality of the predictions.
Unionization, Stochastic Dominance, and Compression of the Wage Distribution: Evidence from Germany

This paper establishes theoretical and empirical linkages between union wage setting and the structure of the wage distribution. Theoretically, we identify conditions under which a right-to-manage model implies compression of the wage distribution in the union sector relative to the nonunion sector as well as first-order stochastic dominance. These implications are investigated using quantile regressions on the 2001 GSES, a large German linked employer–employee data set which contains explicit information on coverage by collective agreements. The empirical results confirm that, in case of industry-wide collective agreements, log union wage effects decline in quantiles, implying union wage compression. This finding, however, cannot be corroborated for wages determined at the firm level. Stochastic dominance is confirmed, as predicted by the theoretical model, for both types of collective agreements.
A method of two stage clustering using agglomerative hierarchical algorithms with one-pass k-means++ or k-median++

The aim of this paper is to propose a two-stage method of clustering in which the first stage uses one-pass k-median++ and the second stage uses an agglomerative hierarchical clustering. To handle medians in the second stage, we proposed two calculation methods. One method uses L1 distance as similarity. Another uses error of L1 distance like the Ward method. In this paper, we compared proposed method and a two-stage method of our study which uses k-means++ in the first stage to examine the effectiveness of L1 distance in two-stage methods. Numerical experiments have been done using two criteria: objective function values and the Rand index.
Side effect machine features for analysis and comparison of DNA promoter sequences

Understanding genomes involves more than just knowing what all the genes are. It also involves knowing how the genes are regulated. An important piece of this concerns gene promoters. These are regions upstream of genes to which groups of protein (transcription factors) bind in order to initiate transcription of the gene. Much work has focused on finding sequence properties of the DNA binding sites, called binding motifs. The presence of a binding motif in a promoter does not, however, mean that the associated transcription factor is likely to bind to that promoter, only that it is possible. There are other, less understood, features of promoter sequences that determine which of all the transcription factors with binding motifs in them will bind to them and in what combinations. Next generation sequencing technologies make it possible to experimentally determine which transcription factors bind to which promoters. This technology requires money and the time of skilled experimental biologists. Experiments have only been performed for a few select model organisms. Our goal is to leverage the experimental results on those organisms to provide information about promoters in other organisms. Towards that end, this work uses side effect machines to find sequence features of promoters. Side effect machines are augmented finite state machines that compute DNA sequence features. These features have been used with classifiers with good results in many diverse DNA sequence classification problems. Useful side effect machines for a given problem are found using an evolutionary algorithm. We present a novel fitness function for side effect machines that produce features that can be used to measure the similarity between promoter sequences. We create a distance measure between promoter sequences that is significantly correlated with a distance measure based on the experiments done on the yeast genome.