Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the stretch factor of convex polyhedra whose vertices are (almost) on a sphere

Let $P$ be a convex polyhedron in $\mathbb{R}^3$. The skeleton of $P$ is the graph whose vertices and edges are the vertices and edges of $P$, respectively. We prove that, if these vertices are on the unit-sphere, the skeleton is a $(0.999 \cdot \pi)$-spanner. If the vertices are very close to this sphere, then the skeleton is not necessarily a spanner. For the case when the boundary of $P$ is between two concentric spheres of radii $1$ and $R>1$, and the angles in all faces are at least $\theta$, we prove that the skeleton is a $t$-spanner, where $t$ depends only on $R$ and $\theta$. One of the ingredients in the proof is a tight upper bound on the geometric dilation of a convex cycle that is contained in an annulus.
Tests de pensamiento creativo de Torrance (TTCT): elementos para la validez de constructo en adolescentes portugueses

Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT): Elements for construct validity in Portuguese adolescents. The aim of this work is to study the unidimensional and multidimensional nature of creativity when assessed through divergent thinking tasks, as proposed in Torrance's battery (Torrance Creative Thinking Test, TTCT). This battery is made up of various tasks with verbal and figurative content, aimed at estimating the level of creativity according to the dimensions or cognitive functions of fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration of the individuals' ideas. This work used a sample of 595 Portuguese students from 5th and 6th grade. The results of confirmatory factor analysis reveals that the unidimensional model (a general factor of creativity) and the model of factors as a function of the cognitive dimensions of creativity, based on task content, do not fit well. The model with the best fit has a hierarchical factor structure, in which the first level comprises the factors for each of the subtests applied and the second level includes verbal or figurative content. The difficulty to verify the structural validity of the TTCT is noted, and the need for further studies to achieve, in practice, better individual creativity scores.
Refining the GIANT dynamic bandwidth allocation mechanism for XG-PON

XG-PON requires an effective dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) mechanism for upstream traffic to support quality of service for different classes of traffic. We propose X-GIANT, which extends GPON based GigaPON Access Network (GIANT) DBA, with validated optimisations to the originally proposed key parameters - service timers and assured vs non-assured ratio of medium priority traffic. We implement X-GIANT in a standard-compliant XG-PON module designed for the state-of-the-art ns-3 simulator, tune the above key parameters and show that mean-delay and throughput for different classes of traffic obey the XG-PON requirements and respect priorities at both light and heavy upstream loads. We also show that X-GIANT shows better mean-delay performance than Efficient Bandwidth Utilisation (EBU), a recently proposed, GIANT-derived, priority-based DBA mechanism for XG-PON, for all three classes of traffic simulated.
Individual Differences in Attitudes about Elder Abuse: The Elder Abuse Attitude Test (EAAT)

RÉSUMÉ Cette étude porte sur les différences individuelles dans les attitudes vis-à-vis de l'abus et des mauvais traitements faits aux personnes âgées et d'autres questions de moral sociale contemporaine. La première étude faisait partie d'une enquête de grande envergure dont l'objectif consistait à établir des exemples d'abus et de mauvais traitements faits aux aînés au moyen d'un sondage auprès de 572 personnes âgées et médecins. En utilisant une série de grilles d'analyse de validation de construits, un test unifactoriel d'attitudes vis-à-vis de l'abus et des mauvais traitements faits aux aînés (Elder Abuse Attitude Test – EAAT) a été élaboré pour mesurer les différences individuelles dans l'évaluation des exemples d'abus et de mauvais traitements faits aux personnes âgées. Ce test comportait 13 questions et un taux de cohérence interne de plus de 0,9. La seconde étude comprenait le test unifactoriel d'attitudes vis-à-vis de l'abus et des mauvais traitements faits aux aînés dans un sondage sur les attitudes vis-à-vis de questions sociales plus générales. Les résultats du test, les 31 questions du sondage et des échelles d'attitudes extrêmes et conciliantes ont été analysés dans le cas de 257 répondants. Les corrélations simples et l'analyse factorielle ont révélé un lien entre le test, l'échelle d'attitudes extrêmes et les questions soulignant que société devrait fournir des ressources financières et d'autres types de ressources pour la prévention et le traitement de l'abus à l'égard des enfants, des conjoints et des personnes âgées. Les attitudes extrêmes n'ont pas été corrélées avec quatre autres attitudes. L'article conclut que les personnes susceptibles d'adopter des attitudes extrêmes sont davantage persuadées que la société a la responsabilité d'éliminer les situations d'abus. ABSTRACT This research examined individual differences in attitudes about elder abuse and other concerns in contemporary social morality. Study 1 was part of a larger investigation intended to identify examples of elder abuse through a survey of 572 seniors and practioners. Using a series of construct validation filters, a unifactorial Elder Abuse Attitude Test (EAAT) was developed that measures individual differences in evaluating examples of elder abuse. The EAAT contains 13 items and had an internal consistency exceeding 9. Study 2 included the EAAT in a survey of attitudes about wider social issues. Data on the EAAT, 31 survey items, and indexes of extremity and agreement set were analysed for 257 respondents. Zero-order and factor analysis showed relationships of the EAAT with extremity set and items stating that society should provide fiscal and other resources towards the prevention and remediation of child, spousal, and elder abuse. Attitude extremity was uncorrelated with four other attitude factors. We conclude that people more prone to attitude extremity have stronger convictions about the responsibility of society to attenuate abusive situations.
Poker, Sports Betting, and Less Popular Alternatives

The authors argue that the recent increase in poker play among adolescent males in the United States was primarily attributable to high-status male youth who are more able to organize informal gambling games (e.g., poker and sports betting) than are low-status male youth who are left to gamble on formal games (e.g., lotteries and slot machines). Using participation in sports as a proxy for status, the authors test the prediction that male athletes were more likely to engage in informal gambling and were largely responsible for the recent and much-discussed poker craze among adolescents. These and related predictions are supported using data from consecutive cross-sectional surveys of American youth from 2002 to 2008. Despite their social status, however, male youth engaging in informal gambling are more at risk for gambling problems than are those engaging in formal gambling. The authors discuss the dilemmas that their findings present for the prevention of problem gambling in young people.
The Ability of Low Level Laser Therapy to Prevent Muscle Tissue Damage Induced by Snake Venom

Antivenom therapy has been ineffective in neutralizing the severe local fast developing tissue damage following snakebite envenoming. Herein, some effects of in situ helium neon (HeNe) laser irradiation on rat nerve‐muscle preparation injected with Bothrops jararacussu venom are described. The tibialis anterior muscle was injected with venom diluted in 0.9% saline solution (60 μg/0.02 mL) or saline solution alone. Sixty minutes after venom injection, laser (HeNe) treatment was administered at three incident energy densities: dose 1, a single exposure of 3.5 J cm−2; dose 2, three exposures of 3.5 J cm−2; dose 3, a single exposure of 10.5 J cm−2. Muscle function was assessed through twitch tension recordings whereas muscle damage was evaluated through histopathologic analysis, morphometry of area of tissue affected and creatine kinase (CK) serum levels, and compared to unirradiated muscles. Laser application at the dose of 3.5 J cm−2 reduced the area of injury by 64% (15.9 ± 1.5%vs 44.2 ± 5.7%), decreased the neuromuscular blockade (NMB) by 62% (11.5 ± 2.5%vs 30.4 ± 5.2%) and reduced CK levels by 58% (from 455 ± 4.5% to 190.3 ± 23.4%) when compared with unirradiated controls. Dose 2 showed a poorer benefit than dose 1, and dose 3 was ineffective in preventing the venom effects. Measurements of the absorbance of unirradiated and irradiated venom solution showed no difference in absorption spectra. In addition, no difference in the intensity of partial NMB in nerve‐muscle preparation was shown by unirradiated and irradiated venom. The results indicate that the laser light did not alter venom toxicity. We conclude that HeNe laser irradiation at a dosage of 3.5 J cm−2 effectively reduces myonecrosis and the neuromuscular transmission blocking effect caused by B. jararacussu snake venom. Thus, low level laser therapy may be a promising tool to minimize the severity of some of the local effects of snake envenoming.
Supporting Online Material Materials and Methods Figs. S1 to S4 References Movies S1 to S9 Spontaneous Cortical Activity Reveals Hallmarks of an Optimal Internal Model of the Environment

actin depolymerization at the mDia1-bound barbed end. This inhibition occurs in the submillimolar range of P i , which is two orders of magnitude lower than the dissociation constant of P i and G-actin (26). Thus, binding of P i to F-actin inhibits profilin-induced depolymerization (Fig. 4E). ADP-G-actin (5 mM) elongated mDia1-bound F-actin faster in the presence of 20 mM P i than in its absence (Fig. 3C). This effect of P i was more prominent in the presence of profilin than in its absence (Fig. 3C). The decrease in the actin off-rate (Fig. 4D) corresponds well with the increase in the ADP-actin elongation rate by 3 to 20 mM P i (Fig. 4E). We thus suggest that P i cancels the inhibitory effect of profilin on ADP-actin elon-gation (Fig. 3C) by abolishing the enhanced barbed end off-rate. The discrepancy of the effect of 1 mM P i on depolymerization and assembly (Fig. 4, D, and E) is because slow dissociation of P i prebound to a fraction of the ADP-F-actin subunits [dissociation constant (K d) ≈1.5 mM] may limit terminal subunit dissociation during de-polymerization (26), but not dissociation of assembling ADP-actin, which is mostly free from P i. Profilin thus allows processive elongation of the FH1-FH2–bound barbed end regardless of the actin-bound nucleotide, but attenuates ADP-actin elongation by increasing the barbed end off-rate. Our results urge reconsideration of the ATP-specific acceleration mechanism for formin-associated actin elongation. Helical rotation of mDia1 was observed during processive ADP-actin elongation in the presence of P i (Fig. 4F and movie S7). The distance per half-rotation was 35.8 nm (Fig. 4G). Our data demonstrate continuous rotation of mDia1-bound filaments during both elongation and depolymerization. The distance per half-rotation of F-actin is in the range of 34.6 to 36.8 nm regardless of the actin-bound nucleotide and presence of P i and profilin (Figs. 2 to 4). These findings indicate that helical rotation of FH2 is an intrinsic property derived from the helical structure of F-actin. Cellular actin filaments are highly cross-linked as evidenced by single-molecule observations showing movement of actin subunits with no change in their relative positions (29). Therefore, formins must rotate in the cell. The rotation speed of for3p at the cell tip and proces-sively moving mDia1 can reach 250 and 1700 rpm, respectively. If anchoring the growing end of F-actin is the function of formins, the link between formins and cellular structures …
Problem-solving processes of expert and typical school principals: a quantitative look

Principals are increasingly expected to be the instructional as well as administrative leaders of their schools. However, little is known about how principals reason through the instructional issues that they face. An analysis of principal reasoning in instructional contexts is critical. The study presented in this article draws on interviews with 36 predominantly elementary school principals in an urban setting. The authors look at principal problem-solving by comparing the cognitive processes that principals of varying degrees of expertise use in solving instructional scenarios. This quantitative approach tests the hypothesis that expert principals use more expert processes and typical principals use more typical processes. The results confirm that expert principals relied more on gathering data across all instructional scenarios and spent more time following up on their solutions when solving problems in the mathematics domain. Typical principals were more likely to share anecdotes that were negative or unsuccessful in nature across all domains.
Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders

Abstract The author responds to Hill et al.'s “Gender Identity Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence: A Critical Inquiry” and Moser and Kleinplatz's “DSM-IV-TRand the Paraphilias: An Argument for Removal. ” The author sees the paper as raising the issue of whether there are any cases for which sexual and gender identity diagnoses are appropriate. The author believes a central issue is how does one decide that something is just unusual (normal variation) or something is disordered (pathological). The author believes the concept of “medical disorder” can be applied to human behavior and gives examples to support that view. The author supports an essentialist view that some “things” (like being human and modes of sexual expression) have properties or qualities that are invariable and represent the true essence of the “thing. ” From this perspective, the author finds the arguments for eliminating the categories of GID and paraphilias from the DSM as weak at best.
Exploiting Conversation Structure in Unsupervised Topic Segmentation for Emails

This work concerns automatic topic segmentation of email conversations. We present a corpus of email threads manually annotated with topics, and evaluate annotator reliability. To our knowledge, this is the first such email corpus. We show how the existing topic segmentation models (i.e., Lexical Chain Segmenter (LCSeg) and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA)) which are solely based on lexical information, can be applied to emails. By pointing out where these methods fail and what any desired model should consider, we propose two novel extensions of the models that not only use lexical information but also exploit finer level conversation structure in a principled way. Empirical evaluation shows that LCSeg is a better model than LDA for segmenting an email thread into topical clusters and incorporating conversation structure into these models improves the performance significantly.
Juggling a way of being: A grounded theory of how one group of nurses navigates tension among personal and professional values 'in the moment'

Despite nursing’s espoused professional values of caring and social justice, some patients are stigmatized and receive discriminatory nursing care. There is a gap in existing literature about how nurses deal with the tension they experience when personal and professional values collide. The purpose of this study was to generate a substantive theory of the process that nurses use when faced with values tension in clinical practice and how this affects their behaviour. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology informed by symbolic interactionism and critical social theory, the theory of Juggling a Way of Being was co-constructed with data obtained through interviews with registered nurses (n=8) who provide frontline care in an emergency department in Atlantic Canada. The study’s findings revealed a process fraught with tension as nurse participants assimilated internal and external stressors, adjusted the patient-centered/nurse-centered lens according to their interpretation of the situation, and achieved a point of action or inaction. Implications for nursing practice and administration, education and research are discussed.
The Transfer Paradox: Effects of Contextual Interference on Retention and Transfer Performance of a Complex Cognitive Skill

In an exploratory study, the effects of contextual interference on retention and transfer performance were studied for learning a complex cognitive skill, namely, troubleshooting a computer-based simulation of a chemical process plant. Support was found for the “transfer paradox”: high contextual interference had negative effects on performance during practice and none on number of retention problems solved after the training but positive effects on number of new problems solved (transfer). Implications for the design of training are discussed.
Earliest autobiographical memories in college students from three countries: Towards a situated view

The relationship between culture and autobiographical memory has become an important research topic since research over the past three decades has shown (cross)-cultural variations in the content and style of autobiographical memories that are related to differences in how people from diverse cultures describe themselves and others. However, most research has compared North-American to Asian cultures, leaving a need to address the relationship in others. Our study examines differences in characteristics of autobiographical memory in three countries: Mexico, Spain and Denmark, using Qi Wang’s methodology and categories of analysis. College students from these three countries were asked to describe their earliest memory. Results confirm the expected differences, with Danish and Spanish participants’ earliest memories dating significantly earlier than that of the Mexican participants. At the same time, Danish participants were less likely to spontaneously mention emotions and feeling states in their earliest memories. On the other hand, Mexicans demonstrated a higher level of autonomous orientation than the participants in the other two groups. Gender was found to interact with several indicators, and even displayed a cross-over effect in emotion. The findings are interpreted as supporting the view of cultured self-construals, while also suggesting the need for more attention to the situated character of cultural differences.
RECQL4 is essential for the transport of p53 to mitochondria in normal human cells in the absence of exogenous stress

Mutations in RECQL4 helicase are associated with Rothmund–Thomson syndrome (RTS). A subset of RTS patients is predisposed to cancer and is sensitive to DNA damaging agents. The enhanced sensitivity of cells from RTS patients correlates with the accumulation of transcriptionally active nuclear p53. We found that in untreated normal human cells these two nuclear proteins, p53 and RECQL4, instead colocalize in the mitochondrial nucleoids. RECQL4 accumulates in mitochondria in all phases of the cell cycle except S phase and physically interacts with p53 only in the absence of DNA damage. p53–RECQL4 binding leads to the masking of the nuclear localization signal of p53. The N-terminal 84 amino acids of RECQL4 contain a mitochondrial localization signal, which causes the localization of RECQL4–p53 complex to the mitochondria. RECQL4–p53 interaction is disrupted after stress, allowing p53 translocation to the nucleus. In untreated normal cells RECQL4 optimizes de novo replication of mtDNA, which is consequently decreased in fibroblasts from RTS patients. Wild-type RECQL4-complemented RTS cells show relocalization of both RECQL4 and p53 to the mitochondria, loss of p53 activation, restoration of de novo mtDNA replication and resistance to different types of DNA damage. In cells expressing Δ84 RECQL4, which cannot translocate to mitochondria, all the above functions are compromised. The recruitment of p53 to the sites of de novo mtDNA replication is also regulated by RECQL4. Thus these findings elucidate the mechanism by which p53 is regulated by RECQL4 in unstressed normal cells and also delineates the mitochondrial functions of the helicase.
The Presence of Panic Disorder among African American Hypertensives: A Pilot Study

This pilot study examines the presence ofpanic disorder among an urban African American essential hypertensive sample enrolled at a hospital-affiliatedfamily practice center Symptomatology associated with panic disorder, including the presence of isolated sleep paralysis, is also explored. Panic disorder was more likely to be presentforhypertensives thanfornormotensives. Seven of thepatients with panic disorder and hypertension experienced isolated sleep paralysis.
Potential use of singing in educational settings with pre-pubertal children possessing speech and voice disorders: a psychological perspective

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether children who possess speech and voice disorders could benefit from engaging in singing activities in educational settings, based on the psychological benefits of such activities. The impact of singing on children's psychological state and well-being was investigated with a participant population of 76 pre-pubertal children. Voice recordings, interviews and a survey were conducted. The main finding was that singing has a positive effect on children's overall vocal functioning and on their psychological well-being. Thus, singing could be exploited in educational settings with children suffering from speech and voiced disorders in order to achieve improvement in such domains.
Greatwall Phosphorylates an Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2Α That Is Essential for Mitosis

Beyond the Greatwall Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation provide a central mechanism that controls the eukaryotic cell division cycle and entry of cells into mitosis. A form of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) has an important role inhibiting phosphorylation-dependent activation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) itself and also dephosphorylating substrates of the active CDK1 that promote mitosis. PP2A activity is inhibited when another protein kinase, known as Greatwall, is activated (see the Perspective by Virshup and Kaldis). Mochida et al. (p. 1670) and Gharbi-Ayachi et al. (p. 1673) searched for substrates of Greatwall that might participate in the cell cycle regulatory machinery. When phosphorylated by Greatwall, a pair of small related proteins, Arpp19 and α-endosulfine, inhibited activity of PP2A. These effects were critical for regulation of mitosis in Xenopus egg extracts and in human cancer cells. Greatwall itself is phosphorylated and activated by CDK1—thus, apparently contributing to a feed-forward loop that contributes to the switchlike commitment of cells to mitosis. An inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A is identified as a component of the machinery controlling cell division. Entry into mitosis in eukaryotes requires the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1). Cdk1 is opposed by protein phosphatases in two ways: They inhibit activation of Cdk1 by dephosphorylating the protein kinases Wee1 and Myt1 and the protein phosphatase Cdc25 (key regulators of Cdk1), and they also antagonize Cdk1’s own phosphorylation of downstream targets. A particular form of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) containing a B55δ subunit (PP2A- B55δ) is the major protein phosphatase that acts on model CDK substrates in Xenopus egg extracts and has antimitotic activity. The activity of PP2A-B55δ is high in interphase and low in mitosis, exactly opposite that of Cdk1. We report that inhibition of PP2A-B55δ results from a small protein, known as α-endosulfine (Ensa), that is phosphorylated in mitosis by the protein kinase Greatwall (Gwl). This converts Ensa into a potent and specific inhibitor of PP2A-B55δ. This pathway represents a previously unknown element in the control of mitosis.