Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-country comparison of plasma lipid relationship to years of schooling in men and women.

BACKGROUND The association between coronary heart disease (CHD) and social status has differed among societies in strength and direction. As years of schooling is a major determinant of socioeconomic status and dyslipidaemia a major CHD determinant, the purpose of this investigation is to estimate the association of years of schooling with plasma lipids and lipoproteins among samples from five countries representing different cultures, socio-political systems and stages of economic development. METHODS Men and women from Chinese, Polish, Russian, Israeli and US samples were studied. Years of schooling were analysed both as a multi-category ordinal variable and divided into two strata: less than the equivalent of high school and greater than or equal to high school equivalence. Fasting plasma cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides were compared across years of schooling strata within each country. Lipid levels were computed unadjusted and then adjusted for age and lipid risk factor variables. RESULTS Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides varied directly with years of schooling in Chinese, Polish and Russian men, and in contrast varied inversely with years of schooling among US white men. The HDL cholesterol varied inversely with years of schooling for Chinese, Polish, and Russian men, but varied directly with years of schooling among US white men. The lipid differences between men of high versus low years of schooling were not explained by age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption or blood pressure medication use. Findings were less consistent for women and for Israelis and US blacks of both genders. CONCLUSIONS Lipid and lipoprotein levels consistent with atherogenicity varied directly with years of schooling in Chinese, Polish, and Russian samples. Opposite trends were present in US whites. These findings are consistent with a hypothesized influence of social status on CHD risk differing among populations in relation to stages in societal economic development.
Probing the limits of representation : Nazism and the "Final Solution"

Introduction Saul Friedlander 1. German Memory, Judicial Interrogation, and Historical Reconstruction: Writing Perpetrator History from Postwar Testimony Christopher R. Browing 2. Historical Emplotment and the Problem of Truth Hayden White 3. On Emplotment: Two Kinds of Ruin Perry Anderson 4. History, Counterhistory and Narrative Amos Funkenstien 5. Just One Witness Carlo Ginzburg 6. Of Plots, Witness and Judgments Martin Jay 7. Representing the Holocaust: Reflections on the Historians' Debate Dominick LaCapra 8. Historical Understanding and Counterrationally: The Judenrat as Epistemological Vantage Dan Diner 9. History beyond the Pleasure Principle: Some Thoughts on the Representation of Trauma Eric L. Santner 10. Habermas, Enlightenment, and Antisemitism Vincent P. Pecora 11. Between Image and Phrase: Progessive History and the "Final Solution" as Dispossession Sande Cohen 12. Science, Modernity, and the "Final Solution" Mario Biagioli 13. Holocaust and the End of History: Postmodern Historiography in Cinema Anton Kaes 14. Whose Story Is It, Anyways? Ideology and Psychology in the Representation of the Shoah in Israeli Literature Yael S. Feldman 15. Translating Paul Celan's "Todesfuge": Rhythm and Repetition as Metaphor John Felstiner 16. "The Grave in the Air": Unbound Metaphors in Post-Holocaust Poetry Sidra DeKoven Ezrahi 17. The Dialectics of Unspeakability: Language, Silence, and the Narratives of Desubjectification Peter Haidu 18. The Representation of Limits Berel Lang 19. The Book of the Destruction Geoffrey H. Hartman Notes Contributors Index
Delusions: A Different Kind of Belief?

Abstract: Delusions are typically considered to be beliefs and analyzed as propositional attitudes, under constraints of rationality and coherence. But, whereas factual beliefs are assessed in terms of falsity and conviction, but other beliefs are not so clear-cut. The characteristics of delusions are considered here in the light of philosophical approaches to belief, and they are compared with other strongly held, nonfactual beliefs. Approaching delusions as beliefs has several drawbacks: (i) It implies that psychiatry is in the business of determining and regulating the acceptable limits of human belief; (ii) it may result in the misidentification of other strong belief as delusion; and (iii) it fails to explain the often debilitating nature of delusions. If delusions are organized and integrated into the psyche in ways that differ from ordinary beliefs, their influence on, and incongruence with, a person’s other thoughts, emotions, and behavior become more explicable, as do the persistent theoretical problems of definition and distinction in the face of a relatively robust diagnostic practice. We argue that, although accepting that delusions might reasonably be considered as a kind of belief, their wider role in the life of a psychotic patient and the ways that they seem to differ from more ordinary belief merits scrutiny.
Expanding the study of organizational behaviour in family business: Adapting team theory to explore family firms

The manuscript “The study of organizational behavior in family business” (this issue), contends “FBs have been largely overlooked in the organizational behavior literature,” yet family businesses are argued to be unique because of the behavioural influence of one particular group—the family. Indeed the authors argue that the very nature of family relationships is at the essence of what makes family firms unique from other organizational forms. This research paradox of the very need for behavioural understanding, contrasted with the lack of organizational behaviour (OB) research in family firms, is both interesting and puzzling. The authors provide excellent guidance on how the field of OB can be used to explore these behavioural influences from the perspective of four relevant topics: values and goals, leadership and power, trust and justice, and conflict. To extend and further the discussion of OB, this commentary introduces the concepts and theories related to teams, to further explore the unique context of family firms.
Oleoresin Capsicum Spray and TASERs

In the last few decades, several less lethal forms of force have been introduced, adopted, and deployed by police agencies. Oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray is now used in nearly every department across the United States; the Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle (TASER) is used in the majority of police departments. Despite their widespread use, we still know relatively little about the factors associated with the use of OC spray and TASERs and the effectiveness of these weapons in incapacitating subjects. Knowing when these weapons are used and whether they are effective would provide for a more complete understanding of their strengths and limitations and inform the debate about where less lethal weapons should be placed on use of force continua. This article contributes to the discussion by analyzing 504 use-of-force incidents where the police used OC spray or TASERs during the event. Data were obtained from a large municipal police department on incidents that occurred in 2010 and 2011. Policy considerations and directions for further research are discussed.
Effects of lutein supplementation on macular pigment optical density and visual acuity in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE There is evidence from several large-scale clinical trials that reduced intake of lutein, a major component of the macular pigment, is a risk factor for the development of AMD. In the present study (LISA; Lutein Intervention Study Austria) it was hypothesized that lutein supplementation increases macular pigment optical density (MPOD). In addition, an investigation was conducted into whether lutein supplementation improves visual acuity (VA) and macular function (mean differential light threshold; MDLT), as assessed with microperimetry. METHODS One hundred twenty-six patients with AMD (AREDS [Age-related Eye Disease Study] stages 2, 3, and 4) were included in this randomized (2:1), placebo-controlled, double-masked parallel group study. Lutein or placebo was administered for 6 months. MPOD was measured with a custom-built reflectometer. VA was assessed with ETDRS (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study) charts, and MDLT was assessed with a microperimeter. RESULTS Lutein significantly increased MPOD by 27.9% ± 2.9% (P < 0.001 versus placebo). No significant effect of lutein supplementation on MDLT or VA was seen, although a tendency toward an increase was seen for both parameters (MDLT, P = 0.096 versus placebo; VA, P = 0.070 versus placebo). A significant correlation was found, however, between the increase in MPOD after 6 months and the increase in MDLT after 6 months (r = 0.25, P = 0.027), as well as between the increase in MPOD after 6 months and the increase in VA after 6 months (r = 0.27, P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates that lutein supplementation increases MPOD, as assessed with an objective METHOD The correlation between the change in MPOD and the change in VA and MDLT indicates that patients who show a pronounced increase in MPOD also benefit in terms of visual function. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00879671.).
Work–home interference and the relationship with job characteristics and well‐being: a South African study among employees in the construction industry

Although the relationship between job characteristics, work–home interference (WHI) and work-related well-being has been researched in Western societies, this relationship has not often been tested in non-Western societies such as South Africa and among low-wage non-professional workers, like construction workers. The aim of this study was to test the mediating effect of negative and positive WHI in the relationship between job characteristics (job demands and job resources) and work-related well-being (burnout and work engagement) in a sample of 528 employees in the construction industry in South Africa. Structural equation modelling showed that, as expected, job demands and job resources were partially related to burnout, both directly and indirectly through negative WHI. Similarly, job resources were partially related to work engagement, both directly and indirectly, through positive WHI. It can be concluded that these results extend previous research by showing that the relationships between job characteristics, WHI and well-being hold true for low-wage workers in a non-Western society. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new Chinese specimen indicates that ‘protofeathers’ in the Early Cretaceous theropod dinosaur Sinosauropteryx are degraded collagen fibres

Alleged primitive feathers or protofeathers in the theropod dinosaur Sinosauropteryx have potentially profound implications concerning feather morphogenesis, evolution of flight, dinosaur physiology and perhaps even the origin of birds, yet their existence has never been adequately documented. We report on a new specimen of Sinosauropteryx which shows that the integumental structures proposed as protofeathers are the remains of structural fibres that provide toughness. The preservation in the proximal tail area reveals an architecture of closely associated bands of fibres parallel to the tail's long axis, which originate from the skin. In adjacent more exposed areas, the fibres are short, fragmented and disorganized. Fibres preserved dorsal to the neck and back and in the distal part of the tail are the remains of a stiffening system of a frill, peripheral to the body and extending from the head to the tip of the tail. These findings are confirmed in the holotype Sinosauropteryx and NIGP 127587. The fibres show a striking similarity to the structure and levels of organization of dermal collagen. The proposal that these fibres are protofeathers is dismissed.
From cultural values to cross‐cultural interfaces: Hofstede goes to Africa

Purpose – Hofstede's theory may be problematic from both a methodological/theoretical and practical view when applied to the 80 per cent of the globe we term developing. It is necessary to break out of an epistemic paradigm and a “view from nowhere” in order to focus on multiple layers of cultural interfaces within power dynamics that influence the nature of hybrid organizations and individual cultural identity. The purpose of this paper therefore is to develop a theory of cross‐cultural interfaces.Design/methodology/approach – Cross‐cultural values theory provides a blunt instrument in Africa, does not take into account global dependencies and is not able to analyse local perceptions of reality within a context of these dependencies. A theory of cultural interfaces is developed that incorporates an Aristotelian phronetic approach to social science.Findings – This moves away from the universals of analytical rationality towards practical value‐rationality that considers culture from a context‐dependent vi.
ProMoT: modular modeling for systems biology

Summary: The modeling tool ProMoT facilitates the efficient and comprehensible setup and editing of modular models coupled with customizable visual representations. Since its last major publication in 2003, ProMoT has gained new functionality in particular support of logical models, efficient editing, visual exploration, model validation and support for SBML. Availability: ProMoT is an open source project and freely available at http://www.mpi-magdeburg.mpg. de/projects/promot/. Contact: mirschel@mpi-magdeburg.mpg. de; mirschel@mpi-magdeburg.mpg. de Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Carotenemia in Normal-weight Bulimia: A Finding Unrelated to Other Physical Manifestations of the Syndrome.

Carotenemia, well described in eating disorders, is considered a marker for one or another pathophysiologic process occurring during the disease. We studied 17 adolescent, normal-weight women with bulimia, 11 of whom were determined clinically to be candidates for outpatient treatment, and 6 of whom were recommended for hospitalization. The outpatient group had an elevated serum carotene level (mean = 309.0 ± 92.0 μg/dl), whereas the inpatient group had a normal level (mean = 164.8 ± 59.2 μg/dl; t = 3.92, p = .002). Our data do not support the relationship of carotenemia to malnutrition, menstrual dysfunction, or any other factor associated with the manifestations of eating disorders. We suggest that carotenemia may be an indicator of some homeostatic mechanism activated in response to the disorder.
Graphic rating scales — How many categories?

Two experiments investigated the reliability and validity of a continuous and various categorized (five, seven, 11) rating scales on two different tasks (involving attitude judgement and psychophysical judgement). Although subjects appeared to prefer the continuous scale, it did not offer any advantages in terms of reliability or validity. It is proposed that a relatively small number of categories (five or six) should generally be used because (a) the five-category scale was most reliable (at least on the attitude judgement task), (b) confidence judgements made by subjects using the continuous scale indicated that they were operating essentially with five or six categories, and (c) other evidence suggests that whereas there is no psychometric advantage in a large number of scale categories (greater than nine to 12), there may be a loss of discriminative power and validity with fewer than five.
On false discovery rate thresholding for classification under sparsity

We study the properties of false discovery rate (FDR) thresholding, viewed as a classification procedure. The ''0''-class (null) is assumed to have a known density while the ''1''-class (alternative) is obtained from the ''0''-class either by translation or by scaling. Furthermore, the ''1''-class is assumed to have a small number of elements w.r. t. the ''0''-class (sparsity). We focus on densities of the Subbotin family, including Gaussian and Laplace models. Nonasymptotic oracle inequalities are derived for the excess risk of FDR thresholding. These inequalities lead to explicit rates of convergence of the excess risk to zero, as the number m of items to be classified tends to infinity and in a regime where the power of the Bayes rule is away from 0 and 1. Moreover, these theoretical investigations suggest an explicit choice for the target level $\alpha_m$ of FDR thresholding, as a function of m. Our oracle inequalities show theoretically that the resulting FDR thresholding adapts to the unknown sparsity regime contained in the data. This property is illustrated with numerical experiments.
Revisiting the Capacity of Noncoherent Fading Channels in mmWave System

Millimeter wave (mmWave) communications use large transmission bandwidth and experience severe propagation conditions. This forces the communication system to operate in the so-called wideband regime, where signals must be increasingly “peaky” in order to attain a large fraction of the peak unconstrained wideband capacity. This paper investigates the capacity of the noncoherent channels as a function of bandwidth for signals with average and peak power constraints operating in the millimeter spectrum. Upper and lower bounds on capacity are provided, and the impact of features peculiar to mmWave channels is investigated. Numerical results for a scenario based on recent experimental campaigns are provided. It is shown that the rate achievable by a typical user in a mmWave cell with “non-peaky” signaling can be bounded away from the peak unconstrained wideband capacity. This suggests to reconsider the role of signaling “peakedness” in future mmWave communications.
Empowering individuals to integrate work and life: insights for management development

Purpose – In efforts to improve employee recruitment and retention and enhance productivity and morale, organizations have implemented policies and practices (e.g. flextime, telework to address employee work-life concerns). However, there is mixed evidence regarding their effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to complement work-life policies, initiatives aimed at empowering employees with the knowledge and skills to manage multiple life roles may be valuable. Little information is available regarding the nature or effectiveness of such initiatives. Through an in-depth analysis of one initiative, Total Leadership, the authors provide insights that can be used in the selection, design, implementation, and evaluation of work-life empowerment efforts. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a mixed methods approach to explore the experiences of 316 participants in the Total Leadership program. Self-assessments (pre and post) were analyzed using quantitative methods (e.g. Cohen’s d-value). Inductiv.
Sparse Antenna Array Optimization With the Cross-Entropy Method

The interest in sparse antenna arrays is growing, mainly due to cost concerns, array size limitations, etc. Formally, it can be shown that their design can be expressed as a constrained multidimensional nonlinear optimization problem. Generally, through lack of convex property, such a multiextrema problem is very tricky to solve by usual deterministic optimization methods. In this article, a recent stochastic approach, called Cross-Entropy method, is applied to the continuous constrained design problem. The method is able to construct a random sequence of solutions which converges probabilistically to the optimal or the near-optimal solution. Roughly speaking, it performs adaptive changes to probability density functions according to the Kullback-Leibler cross-entropy. The approach efficiency is illustrated in the design of a sparse antenna array with various requirements.
Outcrossing as an Explanation of the Apparent Unconventional Genetic Behavior of Arabidopsis thaliana hth Mutants

The reappearance of HTH alleles in the offspring of homozygous Arabidopsis hth mutants is not consistent with classical Mendelian genetics. It has been suggested that stored RNA may be used to restore genetic information. However, Peng et al. reported that hth mutants tend to display outcrossing and suggested that outcrossing might provide an alternative explanation for the apparent genetic instability. We have confirmed and extended these results, corroborating that the apparent non-Mendelian behavior of hth mutants can be explained by their susceptibility to outcrossing.
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man

This reissue of Understanding Media marks the thirtieth anniversary (1964-1994) of Marshall McLuhan's classic expose on the state of the then emerging phenomenon of mass media. Terms and phrases such as "the global village" and "the medium is the message" are now part of the lexicon, and McLuhan's theories continue to challenge our sensibilities and our assumptions about how and what we communicate. There has been a notable resurgence of interest in McLuhan's work in the last few years, fueled by the recent and continuing conjunctions between the cable companies and the regional phone companies, the appearance of magazines such as WiRed, and the development of new media models and information ecologies, many of which were spawned from MIT's Media Lab. In effect, media now begs to be redefined. In a new introduction to this edition of Understanding Media, Harper's editor Lewis Lapham reevaluates McLuhan's work in the light of the technological as well as the political and social changes that have occurred in the last part of this century.