Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Universal Estimation of Directed Information

Four estimators of the directed information rate between a pair of jointly stationary ergodic finite-alphabet processes are proposed, based on universal probability assignments. The first one is a Shannon-McMillan-Breiman-type estimator, similar to those used by Verdú in 2005 and Cai in 2006 for estimation of other information measures. We show the almost sure and L1 convergence properties of the estimator for any underlying universal probability assignment. The other three estimators map universal probability assignments to different functionals, each exhibiting relative merits such as smoothness, nonnegativity, and boundedness. We establish the consistency of these estimators in almost sure and L1 senses, and derive near-optimal rates of convergence in the minimax sense under mild conditions. These estimators carry over directly to estimating other information measures of stationary ergodic finite-alphabet processes, such as entropy rate and mutual information rate, with near-optimal performance and provide alternatives to classical approaches in the existing literature. Guided by these theoretical results, the proposed estimators are implemented using the context-tree weighting algorithm as the universal probability assignment. Experiments on synthetic and real data are presented, demonstrating the potential of the proposed schemes in practice and the utility of directed information estimation in detecting and measuring causal influence and delay.
Using Time Windows to Evaluate Operator Performance

A proper understanding of human performance characteristics is a prerequisite for designers of complex systems. Although human factors texts provide some insights into basic performance issues, the emergence of highly automated computing systems have fundamentally altered the way humans work. The purpose of this article is to present a research approach to quantify and analyze human performance within a complex, time-critical system. The approach is centered on a measurement construct, called a time window, which enables a functional relation between constraints on operator activities and time availability. A blackboard model is developed as the mechanism to generate, maintain, and complete time windows. Moreover, an object-oriented methodology is described that implements the blackboard model within a realistic task context. To demonstrate the utility of time windows, an existing implementation in a real-time human-in-the-loop simulation is also described. Using time window outcomes, some cursory analyse.
The relationship between workgroup identification and organizational identification: The moderating role of perceived similarities between targets

Abstract The present research aims to examine the role played by perceived similarities between the workgroup and the organization in the relationships between workgroup identification, organizational identification, and affective organizational commitment. Using two different samples, we found that when perceived similarities were high, workgroup identification was more strongly related to organizational identification and that this relationship carried over to affective organizational commitment. These results were obtained with both a global measure of perceived similarities (Study 1) and a more narrow measure operationalizing perceived similarities in terms of value congruence (Study 2), confirming the generalizability of our results.
Analysis of Expert Readers in Three Disciplines

The purpose of this study is to describe educationally relevant differences in literacy use among three subject-matter disciplines—history, chemistry, and mathematics. These analyses were drawn from an investigation of the teaching of disciplinary literacy in high schools. The purpose of the overall project was to improve the literacy-teaching preparation in a secondary preservice teacher education program, but this study sought to identify specific features of literacy and literacy use only in the three disciplines. It is the first expert-reader study to consider the reading of mathematicians and chemists (though other kinds of scientists have been studied in this way). To conduct this investigation, three teams were assembled, one for each discipline, including two disciplinary experts (historians, chemists, and mathematicians), two teacher educators who prepare high school teachers to teach those disciplines, and two high school teachers from each discipline. Using think-aloud protocols, transcripts from focus group discussions, a recursive process of member checking, and a cross-disciplinary consideration of reading approaches identified in each discipline, the study identified important differences in the reading behaviors of the six disciplinary experts. Although much of the work was based on think-aloud protocols and interviews with the disciplinary experts, the teachers and teacher educators participated with the disciplinary experts in focus-group discussions of the protocols, and their reactions and insights helped the disciplinary experts to articulate their approaches and to determine implications of the reading behaviors that were observed. Differences were evident in sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, close reading and rereading, critical response to text, and use of text structure or arrangement and graphics.
The Phase of Ongoing Oscillations Mediates the Causal Relation between Brain Excitation and Visual Perception

Why does neuronal activity in sensory brain areas sometimes give rise to perception, and sometimes not? Although neuronal noise is often invoked as the key factor, a portion of this variability could also be due to the history and current state of the brain affecting cortical excitability. Here we directly test this idea by examining whether the phase of prestimulus oscillatory activity is causally linked with modulations of cortical excitability and with visual perception. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied over human visual cortex to induce illusory perceptions (phosphenes) while electroencephalograms (EEGs) were simultaneously recorded. Subjects reported the presence or absence of an induced phosphene following a single pulse of TMS at perceptual threshold. The phase of ongoing alpha (∼10 Hz) oscillations within 400 ms before the pulse significantly covaried with the perceptual outcome. This effect was observed in occipital regions around the site of TMS, as well as in a distant frontocentral region. In both regions, we found a systematic relationship between prepulse EEG phase and perceptual performance: phosphene probability changed by ∼15% between opposite phases. In summary, we provide direct evidence for a chain of causal relations between the phase of ongoing oscillations, neuronal excitability, and visual perception: ongoing oscillations create periodic “windows of excitability,” with sensory perception being more likely to occur at specific phases.
Examining the influence of time and repetition on recent and remote autobiographical memory retrieval using fMRI

Repetition and the passage of time influence the consolidation of long-term episodic memories. The experiments presented here have explored the influence of repetition on recent and remote autobiographical memories both behaviorally with regard to qualitative and quantitative measures of content, and neuroanatomically, focusing on changes within the hippocampus and adjacent structures. The first experiment tested the prediction made by MTT that hippocampal memory traces expand and strengthen as a function of repeated memory retrievals. An fMRI paradigm was used to compare the effect of memory retrieval versus the mere passage of time on hippocampal activation. Participants retrieved remote autobiographical memories that had been previously retrieved either one month earlier, two days earlier, or multiple times during the preceding month. Behavioral analyses revealed that the number and consistency of memory details retrieved increased with multiple retrievals but not with the passage of time. Hippocampal activation did not change as a function of either multiple retrievals or the passage of time. The second behavioral investigation was a follow-up to the first experiment, examining the retrieval of those same memories one year later in order to determine whether the level of detail remained stable or whether the memories returned to their original state. Participants reported even more details than they had recalled at least one year earlier, including new details. This finding was consistent across both multiple and single retrieval conditions. These findings together with those of the first study suggest that both repetition and the passage of time are important factors that may result in an
Online nonnegative matrix factorization with outliers

We propose an optimization framework for performing online Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) in the presence of outliers, based on l\ regularization and stochastic approximation. Due to the online nature of the algorithm, the proposed method has extremely low computational and storage complexity and is thus particularly applicable in this age of BigData. Furthermore, our algorithm shows promising performance in dealing with outliers, which previous online NMF algorithms fail to cope with. Convergence analysis shows the dictionary learned by our algorithm converges to that learned by its batch counterpart almost surely, as data size tends to infinity. We show numerically on a range of face datasets that our algorithm is superior to the state-of-the-art NMF algorithms in terms of running time, basis representations and reconstruction of original images. We also observe that our algorithm performs well even when the density of outliers reaches 40%. We provide explanations behind this seemingly surprising result.
The numeric values of rating scales: a comparison of their impact in mail surveys and telephone interviews

Respondents of a mode experiment were asked to rate politicians along 11-point scales with different numeric values, ranging from "don't think very highly" (0 or -5) to "think very highly of this politician" (10 or +5). As predicted, all politicians received more favorable ratings along the -5 to +5 than along the 0 to 10 scale. Moreover, this effect was independent of the mode of data collection used, demonstrating that the impact of numeric values does not depend on their visual presentation. Schwarz, Knauper, Hippler, Noelle-Neumann, and Clark (1991) observed that the numeric values provided as part of a rating scale may influence respondents' interpretation of the endpoint labels, resulting in pronounced differences in the obtained responses. In one of their studies, German adults were asked to rate their success in life along an 11-point rating scale, with the endpoints labeled "not at all successful" and "extremely successful". When the numeric values ranged from 0 ("not at all successful") to 10 ("extremely successful"), 34 percent of the representative sample endorsed values between 0 and 5. However, only 13 percent endorsed formally equivalent values between -5 and 0, when the scale ranged from -5 ("not at all successful") to +5 ("extremely successful"). Subsequent experiments indicated that this difference reflected differential interpretations of the term "not at all successful. " When the label was combined with the numeric value 0, respondents interpreted it to reflect the absence of success. However, when the same label was combined with the numeric value -5, they interpreted it to reflect the presence of failure. As this example illustrates, the specific numeric values presented as part of a rating scale may change the meaning of the scale's verbal endpoints, essentially resulting in responses to different questions. In the present paper, we provide a conceptual replication of this finding in a different content domain and compare the relative strength of the impact of numeric values under telephone and mail survey conditions. Specifically, we asked German respondents to evaluate politicians along 11-point rating scales, running from 0 (or 5) = "don't think very highly of this politician" to 10 (or +5) = "think very highly of this politician". We assume that the verbal label "don't think very highly of this politician" is interpreted as reflecting the absence of a positive evaluation if combined with the numeric value 0, but the presence of an explicitly negative evaluation if combined with the numeric value -5. Accordingly, the mean response should be more favorable if provided along a -5 to +5, rather than a 0 to 10 scale.
The Influence of Gender on Attitudes, Perceptions, and Uses of Technology

Abstract This study investigates whether gender has an effect on students’ attitudes toward, and their uses of, technology. Data were collected from 59 sixth grade students to examine their attitudes toward and uses of technology by means of The Computer Survey (TCS), computer logs, interviews, classroom observations, field notes, and student work. One of the major findings of the study was that gender differences in attitudes, perceptions, and uses of computers were not found to be significant. The results of this study indicate that gender does affect students’ attitudes toward technology for the participants of this study. The majority of females do not perceive computers as being difficult for themselves, other females, or males. However, several males indicated they were better at using the computer than females.
Two- to four-year-old children's differentiation of knowing and guessing in a non-verbal task

In two experiments, 2- to 4-year-old children's understanding of knowing and guessing was studied in a non-verbal task, requiring the choice of a helper in a hide-and-seek task. Results indicate marked developmental progress in the age range between 30 and 36 months. While 2-year-old children performed at chance level, children above the age of 35 months consistently discriminated between a knowledgeable and an ignorant person, based on this person's perceptual access, in an interactive non-story task. Performance in control tasks indicated that young children were near ceiling in a non-epistemic task of the same format, and that the age trend persisted when only those children were considered whose failure in the epistemic task could not be attributed to memory problems or a failure to understand the task format. These findings are consistent with earlier research in the theory of mind literature (using verbal paradigms), indicating that children begin to understand the relation of perceptual access and knowledge around their third birthday. We discuss the results with respect to recent research indicating that an understanding of knowledge and belief emerges in communication around or before the age of 36 months.
Exploring Prison Adjustment among Female Inmates

This article explores the factor structure and concurrent validity of the Prison Adjustment Questionnaire with a cohort of 777 maximum-security female inmates. Results suggest a two-factor solution of a Distress factor and a Conflict factor, both of which demonstrate good concurrent validity using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) Global Severity Score, institutional misconduct, security level, and self-report violence. Regression analyses indicate scores on the Distress factor were predicted by the BSI Anxiety Scale, having children, not being of minority status, and prior incarceration. Scores on the Conflict factor were predicted by BSI Hostility, BSI Phobic Anxiety, presence of a personality disorder, being married, being the victim of threats and physical assaults, time served, and being incarcerated for a violent crime.
The Sexual Division of Dieting: Women's Voices

This article reports the findings of focus group research on Australian women who have engaged in dieting practices to lose weight. There have been few qualitative sociological studies on dieting, despite it being a common practice among western women. From the empirical data in this study three distinct themes emerged: women participate in the perpetuation and reinforcement of the thin ideal; women clearly trade-off health in the pursuit of dieting to lose weight; and the dominant discourse of the thin ideal is not only mediated in various ways, but is also contested by a reverse discourse of size acceptance. A sociology of food and the body enables the discourses in the area of dieting women to be deconstructed, offering an insight into the gendered context of food, which has implications for the sociology of health and illness.
The Effects of Krill Oil on mTOR Signaling and Resistance Exercise: A Pilot Study

Introduction Krill oil supplementation has been shown to improve postexercise immune function; however, its effect on muscle hypertrophy is currently unknown. Therefore, the aim of present study was to investigate the ability of krill oil to stimulate mTOR signaling and its ability to augment resistance training-induced changes in body composition and performance. Methods C2C12 myoblasts cells were stimulated with krill oil or soy-derived phosphatidylcholine (S-PC), and then, the ratio of P-p70-389 to total p70 was used as readout for mTOR signaling. In double-blind, placebo-controlled study, resistance trained subjects consumed either 3 g krill oil daily or placebo, and each took part in an 8-week periodized resistance training program. Body composition, maximal strength, peak power, and rate of perceived recovery were assessed collectively at the end of weeks 0 and 8. In addition, safety parameters (comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), complete blood count (CBC), and urine analysis (UA)) and cognitive performance were measured pre- and posttesting. Results Krill oil significantly stimulated mTOR signaling in comparison to S-PC and control. No differences for markers on the CMP, CBC, or UA were observed. Krill oil significantly increased lean body mass from baseline (p=0.021, 1.4 kg, +2.1%); however, there were no statistically significant differences between groups for any measures taken. Conclusion Krill oil activates mTOR signaling. Krill oil supplementation in athletes is safe, and its effect on resistance exercise deserves further research.
The satiric vision of politics: Ethics, interests and disorders

In The Tragic Vision of Politics (Lebow, 2003), Richard Ned Lebow argues that a ‘tragic understanding of the political’ provides the best ontological and epistemological foundations for a theory of International Relations. This article challenges that claim. It argues that other literary modes of representing social life can offer equally strong bases for international theories. To that end, it examines the ‘satirical vision of politics’ with reference to satirists as diverse as Aristophanes and Erasmus. It concludes that satire can provide just as good a form of political education as tragedy and just as robust a foundation for the kind of theory Lebow prefers.
Strength-Based Supervision: Frameworks, Current Practice, and Future Directions

In response to an article that described a “Zen-like” method of counselor supervision where the student is “beaten” into understanding, the authors present a different method, likening it to the wu-wei practice in Zen and Taoism. This model is strength-based, punctuating what the counselor does well rather than looking for problems. Wu-wei is different from some traditional models where supervisors tend to assume that their view of the client/counselor relationship is more informed and correct than the counselors they supervise. This article reviews counseling supervision, and suggests that a strength-based wu-wei model and an understanding of isomorphy in supervisory relationships are the preferred practice for the supervision of family counselors. Various contexts are presented in addition to family counseling training. It is posited that this model of supervision potentiates the person-of-the-counselor.
Determinants of Chinese consumers' green purchase behavior

This study examines the influence of various cultural and psychological factors on the green purchase behavior of Chinese consumers. To this end, a conceptual model has been proposed and subjected to empirical verification with the use of a survey. The survey results obtained in two major Chinese cities provide reasonable support for the validity of the proposed model. Specifically, the findings from the structural-equation modeling confirm the influence of the subjects' man–nature orientation, degree of collectivism, ecological affect, and marginally, ecological knowledge, on their attitudes toward green purchases. Their attitudes toward green purchases, in turn, are also seen to affect their green purchase behavior via the mediator of green purchase intention. Although the present findings provide a better understanding of the process and significant antecedents of green purchasing, they also highlight two areas for more thorough investigation. These are the exact role of ecological knowledge in Chinese consumers' green purchasing process and the underlying factors that account for their low level of green purchase. This study also discusses how the present findings may help the Chinese government and green marketers to fine-tune their environmental programs. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Negative T-cell costimulatory pathways: their role in regulating alloimmune responses.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Negative T-cell costimulatory pathways regulate T-cell responses and are of great interest in the development of tolerance-inducing strategies in transplantation. This article provides an update of major contributions to the understanding of the known negative costimulatory pathways, and reviews recent studies on the effects of targeting of these pathways in alloimmunity. RECENT FINDINGS Graft tissue expression of negative costimulatory molecules, especially programmed death receptor ligand 1, plays a major role in regulation of alloimmune responses. The recently demonstrated programmed death receptor ligand 1:B7-1 interaction highlights the complexity and possible redundancy/hierarchy of the functions of these pathways in vivo. CD160 was identified as a ligand of Herpes virus entry mediator and has been established as a new coinhibitory molecule. A soluble form of B7-H3 with possible functional roles has been identified in mice and humans. SUMMARY The understanding of negative costimulatory pathways is embarrassed by complex interactions between simultaneously activated positive and negative costimulatory pathways among themselves and with immunosuppressive agents, differential expression of these molecules on different immune cell subsets as well as their expression in parenchymal cells of transplanted tissues, all of them clearly affecting their functions. Further elucidation of these novel concepts is pertinent for targeting these pathways in translational studies in near future.
Discovering Learners' Perceptions of ESL Classroom Teaching/Learning Activities in a South African Context

Every day, ESL teachers make many decisions in their classrooms about language teaching/learning processes. These include decisions about which activities their learners might possibly enjoy, which are most effective, and which would provide learners with skills that they could use for academic and communicative purposes. The learners, however, are seldom involved in this decision-making process. I argue in this article that they should be. I report on a study that investigated high school ESL learners' perceptions of the language teaching/learning activities they encountered in their classes. Using multimethod, qualitative research procedures, I discovered that the perceptions of these learners often surprised their teachers. I recommend that teachers constantly monitor their learners' perceptions of classroom life. Once they are aware of them, they can, if necessary, plan and implement alternative practices. Finally, I suggest ways in which this can be done.