Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do Self-Assessments Work to Detect Workshop Success?

D'Eon et al. concluded that change in performance self-assessment means from before to after a workshop can detect workshop success in their and other situations. In this commentary, their recommendation is refuted by showing that (a) self-assessments with balanced over- and underestimations are still biased and should not be used to evaluate workshops, even though the means of self-assessments and criterion measures are artificially equal; (b) participants' performance should not be attributed directly to training, even if the self-assessments are psychometrically valid and obtained prior to the workshop as well; (c) self-assessment findings should not be generalized to other situations without further analysis and caution, even if the participants' performance can be attributed to training. For clarifying the recommendation by D'Eon et al. to use ``aggregated self-assessments'' to evaluate workshops, analysis of multilevel data is explained and discussed. Finally, nine rules of thumb in using self-assessments for evaluating training are provided.
Putting Threat into Perspective: Experimental Studies on Perceptual Distortion in International Conflict

Conflicts are often accompanied by mutually distorted perceptions such that threat exerted by the adversary is exaggerated, whereas threat by one’s own side is minimized. The authors investigated the effects of perspective-taking on perceptual distortions using perceived power motivation as an unobtrusive measure of perceived threat. In two experiments, respondents summarized speeches made by Bill Clinton and Saddam Hussein during an episode of the September 1996 Gulf Crisis. Study 1 showed that for participants cued into the perspective of a U.S. military officer, greater levels of distortions were found compared to participants reviewing the speeches from the perspective of a historian. In Study 2, taking the perspective of a mediator in conflict did not reduce perceptual distortion, suggesting that distance to the conflict is an important factor for reducing perceptions of threat. The discussion focuses on the fluidity of threat perceptions and addresses ways in which perspective-taking can minimize the risk of conflict escalation.
Seed removal of Dipteryx alata Vog . ( Leguminosae : Faboidae ) in the edge and interior of Cerrado

Post-dispersal seed agents of mortality include pathogens, invertebrates, and vertebrates, which may shape tropical tree populations and communities. In this study I experimentally evaluated Dipteryx alata endocarp removal both in the interior and edge of Cerrado vegetation. Specifically, I simulated primary dispersion of endocarps by bats and evaluated secondary removal intensity according to habitat, season, and endocarp number. This study was developed in the Pombo Natural Municipal Park, a large Cerrado remnant with an area of 9,000 ha, located in the Western Brazil. In each of the two habitat types, I set down 45 points in which D. alata piles of 1, 3, 7, 15, and 40 endocarps were positioned. On average, endocarp removal in the interior was higher than in the edge, so that the intensity of removal varied from positive density-dependent (interior: rains), to negative density-dependent (edge: both seasons). Also, at both habitat types and seasons non removed endocarps were intensely attacked by fungus. Indeed, seed mortality by fungus infestation was positive density-dependent. The results indicate high propensity of endocarps to escape from removal in the edge, in principle, a defaunated area. As Dipteryx species strongly rely on caviomorph rodents for their dispersal, the scarcity of these vectors might reduce recruitment chances of D. alata in remnants of Cerrado. This imply in future changes in the vegetation structure from the edge to the interior towards low tree diversity.
Changing Strategies in Marketing Kenya's Tourist Art: From Ethnic Brands to Fair Trade Labels

Abstract: This article explores recent changes in Kenya's curio or handicrafts industry. In addition to a crisis in access to raw materials and a diversifying tourist market, the rise in the use of cell phones and the Internet during the early 2000s present unique challenges. Nonetheless, innovative Kenyan entrepreneurs are using these challenges to market and brand products in new ways—by representing modern global interconnectedness as “fair trade” or creatively promoting the authenticity of their products in other ways. Kenya's artisans and traders have also adapted to diverse and complex tastes beyond the desire for an invented tradition of ethnic and “tribal” art.
High-level Coaches’ Perceptions of their Professional Knowledge, Skills, and Characteristics

Abstract The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to describe the different types of knowledge, skills, and individual characteristics of highlevel coaches from individual and team sports, as perceived by the coaches themselves; (b) to assess the similarities and differences between high-level individual and team coaches; and (c) to reflect on possible ways to improve the educational coaching programs for individual and team sports. Thirty-five high-level coaches from individual and team sports completed a questionnaire consisting of three parts: Knowledge, skills, and individual characteristics. Results revealed differences and similarities between team sport coaches (TSC) and individual sport coaches (ISC) in each of the three questionnaire components. It is recommended that coaches’ educational programs consider the research findings between ISCs and TSCs in their efforts to improve coaches’ knowledge and skills.
The Importance of Perspective in Parent-Child Interpretations of Family Communication Patterns

Parents and children surveyed make some different associations among family communication variables. Results support the hypothesis that involvement is more salient than other aspects of family communication for children, and that age-related changes in communication perceptions may reflect differences in what is relevant or salient about family communication for children as they mature. This has many implications for the study of mass communication uses and effects.
Uterine incision-to-delivery interval and perinatal outcomes in transverse versus vertical incisions in preterm cesarean deliveries

Abstract Objective: To compare the uterine incision-to-delivery interval and neonatal and maternal complications in vertical versus transverse uterine incisions in preterm cesarean births. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of singleton cesarean deliveries from 2002 to 2009 between 23 and 34 weeks of gestation. Statistical analysis utilized Wilcoxon rank-sum test and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Of the 773 singleton cesarean deliveries, 586 (75.8%) had a transverse uterine incision and 187 (24.2%) had vertical uterine incision (classical = 134 and low vertical incision = 53). After adjusting for confounders, there was no significant difference in incision-to-delivery interval between the two types of incisions. The risk for maternal transfusion was higher among those with a vertical incision (odds ratio: 2.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.00, 4.67) than those with a transverse incision. Incision type was not associated with any neonatal outcomes studied, including intraventricular hemorrhage, Apgar scores and neonatal mortality. Conclusion: We observed no difference in Uterine Incision-to-Delivery interval and neonatal complications between vertical and transverse incision. Performance of a vertical uterine incision for the sole reason of facilitating a more rapid delivery is not justified. Development of methods to better determine transverse incision feasibility may facilitate a decrease in vertical uterine incisions.
Signature for local mixmaster dynamics in U ( 1 ) symmetric cosmologies

Previous studies have provided strong support for a local, oscillatory approach to the singularity in $U(1)$ symmetric, spatially inhomogeneous vacuum cosmologies on ${T}^{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}R. $ The description of a vacuum Bianchi type IX, spatially homogeneous mixmaster cosmology (on ${S}^{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}R)$ in terms of the variables used to describe the $U(1)$ symmetric cosmologies indicates that the oscillations in the latter are in fact those of local mixmaster dynamics. One of the variables of the $U(1)$ symmetric models increases only at the end of a mixmaster era. Such an increase therefore yields a qualitative signature for local mixmaster dynamics in spatially inhomogeneous cosmologies.
A modular CMOS design of a Hamming network

A modular design approach for the CMOS implementation of a Hamming network is proposed. The Hamming network is an optimum minimum error classifier for binary patterns and is very suitable for a VLSI implementation due to its primarily feedforward structure. First, a modular chip that contains an array of NxM exclusive-NOR transconductors computes the matching scores between M encoded exemplar patterns (with N elements per exemplar) and an unknown input pattern. Then, a winner-take-all (WTA) circuit selects the exemplar pattern that most resembles the input pattern. By interconnecting multiple modular chips, the number and size of the patterns that can be stored in the network can be easily expanded. Measured experimental results are given to illustrate the performance and limitations of the hardware implementations of the Hamming network.
Simple motion textures for ambient affect

The communication of emotion and the creation of affect are core to creating immersive and engaging experiences, such as those in performance, games and simulation. They often rely on atmospheric cues that influence how an environment feels. The design of such ambient visual cues for affect is an elusive topic that has been studied by painters, theatre directors, scenic designers, lighting designers, filmmakers, producers, and artists for years. Research shows that simple motions have the capacity to be both perceptually efficient and powerfully evocative, and motion textures -- patterns of ambient motion throughout the scene -- are frequently used to imbue the atmosphere with affect. To date there is little empirical evidence of what properties of motion texture are most influential in this affect. In this paper we report the results of a study of simple, abstract motion textures that show path curvature, speed and texture layout can influence affective impressions such as valence, comfort, urgency and intensity.
Factors affecting the production of elsinochrome phytotoxin by the citrus scab pathogen, Elsinoe fawcettii.

Elsinochrome (ESC), light-activated, nonhost-selective phytotoxin, is produced by many members of the genus Elsinoe and required for full virulence of the fungus. It appears that approaches disrupting the ESC production will likely reduce disease severity caused by Elsinoe pathogens. In this study, the influence of nutritional and environmental factors on ESC biosynthesis by the citrus scab pathogen E. fawcettii was investigated. Light is critical for initiation of ESC biosynthesis. E. fawcettii produced the highest amounts of ESC when grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) in the light compared to other synthetic media. The fungus synthesized ESC in the presence of high amounts (60 g l) of sucrose, under limiting nitrogen conditions, or in ambient pH; ammonium completely inhibited production of ESC. ESC production was reduced when Ca, Co, Li, cysteine, glutathione, hydrogen peroxide, pyridoxine or -tocopherol was added to PDA; however, addition of Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn or Na ions increased ESC production. Addition of antioxidants, such as ascorbate, chlorogenic acid, catechin, or gallic acid into PDA enhanced ESC production substantially. Our results highlight the complexity of regulation of ESC biosynthesis by E. fawcettii at the biochemical and physiological levels.
Chronic administration of oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for acne vulgaris.

The treatment of acne vulgaris (AV) is a constantly evolving subject in dermatology as new data emerges. Conventional therapies, including use of oral antibiotic agents, must be updated regularly due to concerns regarding changes in antibiotic resistance patterns, optimal use in combination with other acne therapies, applicability for patients recalcitrant to other AV treatments, and new information regarding side effects or drug interactions. The availability of efficacious alternative oral antibiotics for AV, such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ), are important for the clinician, allowing for strategic application in specific cases. This article serves as a concise guide for TMP-SMZ use for AV, including a review of possible adverse side effects.
Do age differences between young and older adults in inhibitory tasks depend on the degree of activation of information?

Three inhibition/interference tasks (Stroop colour, Negative priming embedded within the Stroop colour, and Hayling) were administered to young and older adults, with two main objectives, each of which embedded within a developmental perspective: First manipulate the level of activation of the irrelevant information, and second, assess the number of individuals presenting a reliable effect rather than analyse the results only at the group level. For each task, two versions were used, corresponding to two levels at which the irrelevant information was likely to be activated. Analyses were conducted on relative difference scores rather than on raw response times. Results indicated that age differences in the magnitude of an interference effect were small and even null in the Negative priming task, independently of the salience of the irrelevant information. A bootstrap procedure showed that whereas the majority of both young and older adults presented a reliable interference effect in the Stroop colour and in the Hayling tasks, it was not the case in the Negative priming task. Moreover, correlations between the indices of interference/inhibition were very weak questioning the dimensionality of inhibition. Altogether these findings suggest that highly activated versions of the inhibitory tasks used do not really influence age-related differences in inhibitory control. It is also recommended to use bootstrap procedures more frequently instead of restricting analyses at a group level.
Movements resembling orientation or avoidance elicited by electrical stimulation of the superior colliculus in rats

Some studies have reported that stimulation of the superior colliculus in rats produces orienting responses, as it does in a number of species. However, other studies have reported movements resembling avoidance and escape, which are not characteristic of collicular stimulation in other mammals. This apparent discrepancy was investigated by systematically recording the effects on head and body movements of electrical stimulation at a large number of sites throughout the superior colliculus (SC) and surrounding structures. It was found that the nature of the movements observed depended on the location of the stimulating electrode. Contralateral head and body movements resembling orienting and approach were obtained from sites in the intermediate and deep layers in rostral colliculus, the intermediate white layer and immediately surrounding tissue in central colliculus, and in all layers except deep white in caudal colliculus. At the remaining responsive sites, movements resembling avoidance and escape were obtained. The most common response was an ipsilateral cringelike movement of the body that developed into ipsilateral locomotion, followed by running and jumping as the current was increased. These movements were obtained from sites in the superficial and intermediate layers rostrally; from the intermediate gray and the medial superficial and deep layers in central colliculus; and from the deep layers and underlying tegmentum caudally. The distributions of sites, together with evidence from other studies, suggested the following conclusions: Within the superficial layers, avoidance responses were obtained from a region of the superior colliculus that appeared to represent the upper visual field, whereas orienting responses were obtained from a region apparently representing the lower visual field. Stimulation of the area containing the cells of origin of the predorsal bundle produced orientation and approach movements, whereas the avoidance and escape movements were probably mediated by parts of the ipsilateral descending pathway. The stimulation-induced avoidance and escape may reflect the importance of such responses to visual “events,” particularly in the upper part of the visual field, in animals, like rats, with many predators.
Northern range expansion of European populations of the wasp spider Argiope bruennichi is associated with global warming–correlated genetic admixture and population‐specific temperature adaptations

Poleward range expansions are observed for an increasing number of species, which may be an effect of global warming during the past decades. However, it is still not clear in how far these expansions reflect simple geographical shifts of species ranges, or whether new genetic adaptations play a role as well. Here, we analyse the expansion of the wasp spider Argiope bruennichi into Northern Europe during the last century. We have used a range‐wide sampling of contemporary populations and historical specimens from museums to trace the phylogeography and genetic changes associated with the range shift. Based on the analysis of mitochondrial, microsatellite and SNP markers, we observe a higher level of genetic diversity in the expanding populations, apparently due to admixture of formerly isolated lineages. Using reciprocal transplant experiments for testing overwintering tolerance, as well as temperature preference and tolerance tests in the laboratory, we find that the invading spiders have possibly shifted their temperature niche. This may be a key adaptation for survival in Northern latitudes. The museum samples allow a reconstruction of the invasion's genetic history. A first, small‐scale range shift started around 1930, in parallel with the onset of global warming. A more massive invasion of Northern Europe associated with genetic admixture and morphological changes occurred in later decades. We suggest that the latter range expansion into far Northern latitudes may be a consequence of the admixture that provided the genetic material for adaptations to new environmental regimes. Hence, global warming could have facilitated the initial admixture of populations and this resulted in genetic lineages with new habitat preferences.
An Initial Validation of a Measure of Personal and Social Perceptions of the Sexual Abuse of Males

Objective/Method: The Sexual Abuse of Males Perceptions Scale (SAMPS) is a measure designed to assess an individual’s personal and projected social perceptions of myths about the sexual abuse of boys and men. Myths are rigid, stereotypical beliefs that invalidate the experiences and minimize the profound effects of sexual abuse on boys and men. This study establishes the initial psychometric properties for the SAMPS, based on a sample of 333 students enrolled in diverse courses (i.e., business, psychology, social work, urban and regional planning, and education) at a large, southern university. Results/Conclusions: The SAMPS was developed as a three-factor instrument. Preliminary findings confirm this structure and indicate the SAMPS shows promise for future uses relating to training, research, and clinical practice.
Trust and discrimination in a segmented society: An experimental approach

An experimental approach is used to study ethnic discrimination within the Israeli Jewish society. Our experiment indicates that the segmented structure of Israeli society manifests itself in a consistent pattern of mistrust. In a trust game that we studied, money transferred to players of Eastern ethnic origin (Sephardic Jew) was significantly less than that transferred to players of Western origin (Ashkenazic Jew).
Modification of Herbicide Binding to Photosystem II in Two Biotypes of Senecio vulgaris L.

THE PRESENT STUDY COMPARES THE BINDING AND INHIBITORY ACTIVITY OF TWO PHOTOSYSTEM II INHIBITORS: 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (diuron [DCMU]) and 2-chloro-4-(ethylamine)-6-(isopropyl amine)-S-triazene (atrazine). Chloroplasts isolated from naturally occurring triazine-susceptible and triazine-resistant biotypes of common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris L.) showed the following characteristics. (a) Diuron strongly inhibited photosynthetic electron transport from H(2)O to 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol in both biotypes. Strong inhibition by atrazine was observed only with the susceptible chloroplasts. (b) Hill plots of electron transport inhibition data indicate a noncooperative binding of one inhibitor molecule at the site of action for both diuron and atrazine. (c) Susceptible chloroplasts show a strong diuron and atrazine binding ((14)C-radiolabel assays) with binding constants (K) of 1.4 x 10(-8) molar and 4 x 10(-8) molar, respectively. In the resistant chloroplasts the diuron binding was slightly decreased (K = 5 x 10(-8) molar), whereas no specific atrazine binding was detected. (d) In susceptible chloroplasts, competitive binding between radioactively labeled diuron and non-labeled atrazine was observed. This competition was absent in the resistant chloroplasts.We conclude that triazine resistance of both intact plants and isolated chloroplasts of Senecio vulgaris L. is based upon a minor modification of the protein in the photosystem II complex which is responsible for herbicide binding. This change results in a specific loss of atrazine (triazine)-binding capacity.
West Nile virus/dengue type 4 virus chimeras that are reduced in neurovirulence and peripheral virulence without loss of immunogenicity or protective efficacy

A candidate live attenuated vaccine strain was constructed for West Nile virus (WN), a neurotropic flavivirus that has recently emerged in the U.S. Considerable attenuation for mice was achieved by chimerization with dengue virus type 4 (DEN4). The genes for the structural premembrane and envelope proteins of DEN4 present in an infectious cDNA clone were replaced by the corresponding genes of WN strain NY99. Two of 18 cDNA clones of a WN/DEN4 chimera yielded full-length RNA transcripts that were infectious when transfected into susceptible cells. The two infectious clones shared a motif in the transmembrane signal domain located immediately downstream of the NS2B-NS3 protease cleavage site that separates the DEN4 capsid protein and the WN premembrane protein of the chimera. This motif, Asp and Thr at a position 3 and 6 amino acids downstream of the cleavage site, respectively, was not present in the 16 noninfectious cDNA clones. The WN/DEN4 chimera was highly attenuated in mice compared with its WN parent; the chimera was at least 28,500 times less neurovirulent in suckling mice inoculated intracerebrally and at least 10,000 times less virulent in adult mice inoculated intraperitoneally. Nonetheless, the WN/DEN4 chimera and a deletion mutant derived from it were immunogenic and provided complete protection against lethal WN challenge. These observations provide the basis for pursuing the development of a live attenuated WN vaccine.