Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial attentional distribution is modulated by head direction during eccentric gaze

ABSTRACT Visual perception during eccentric gaze can be facilitated when a visual stimulus appears in front of the head direction. This study investigated the relative effects of gaze location and head direction on visual perception in central and peripheral vision. Participants identified the orientation of a T-shaped figure presented in the centre of a monitor and simultaneously localised a dot appearing in the periphery, while head direction relative to gaze location was to the left, right or centre. Effects of head direction were found only when the dot appeared far from the gaze fixation point, such that dot detection was superior when it appeared to the left (right) of fixation in the left (right) head direction. Experimental results indicated this was not due to a small shift of gaze location. Thus this study suggests that head direction influences visual perception particularly in peripheral vision where visual acuity decreases.
Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in rural area: Why, how, and what next?

Background: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) leads to fall in lung function, quality of life, and ultimately disease progression. The present study is an effort to study in detail about COPD exacerbation in a rural tertiary hospital. Aim: To study demographic, clinical, and laboratory profile of hospitalized patients of AECOPD. Methodology: Retrospective data of 170 consecutive patients of AECOPD were collected from records, were divided into two groups based on severity, and were analyzed: Group 1 for admission in the wards and Group 2 for intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. Results: A total of 141 (82.9%) patients were hospitalized in the wards, whereas 29 (17.1%) were admitted in the ICU. The mean age was 62.36 years in the wards and 64.89 years in the ICU. Nearly 89.4% of patients were smokers. Dyspnea (100%) was the most common symptom followed by cough (99%) and expectoration (98%). The mean respiratory rate at the time of presentation was 26/min in the wards and 31.56/min in the ICU. The mean oxygen saturation was 93% in the wards and 88.62% in the ICU. The mean post forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was 43.98% in ward patients and 29.28% among ICU patients. Arterial blood gas revealed mean PaCO2 of 44.25 mmHg in the wards and 63.24 mmHg in the ICU. The mean pH in the ward was 7.48 compared to 7.34 in the ICU. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) was higher in the ICU (53.74 mmHg) than in the ward (38.87 mmHg). Conclusion: The ratio of hospitalization in ICU to ward was 1:5. The site of treatment depends on respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, post-FEV1%, PAP, pH, and PaCO2.
How Did the Miami Labor Market Absorb the Mariel Immigrants?

Card's (1990) well-known analysis of the Mariel boatlift concluded that this mass influx of mostly less-skilled Cubans to Miami had little impact on the labor market outcomes of the city's less-skilled workers. This paper evaluates two explanations for this. First, consistent with an open-economy framework, this paper asks whether after the boatlift, Miami increased its production of unskilled-intensive manufactured goods, allowing it to "export" the impact of the boatlift. Second, this paper asks whether Miami adapted to the boatlift by implementing new skill-complementary technologies more slowly than would have otherwise been the case. Using a confidential micro data version of the Annual Surveys of Manufactures, I show that following the boatlift, Miami's relative output of different manufacturing industries trended similarly to other cities with similar pre-boatlift trends in manufacturing mix. The response of industry mix to the boatlift therefore appears to be small. Supporting the second type of adjustment, utilization of Cuban labor by Miami's industries rose proportionately to the supply increase generated by the boatlift. In addition, post-boatlift computer use at work was lower in Miami than in other cities with similar levels of computer-based employment before the event, even among non-Hispanic workers in the same detailed cells defined by industry, occupation, and education. This suggests the boatlift induced Miami's industries to employ more unskilled-intensive production technologies. The results suggest an explanation for why native wages are consistently found to be insensitive to local immigration shocks: markets adapt production technology to local factor supplies.
Managing geothermal project implementation conflicts through mediation: A case of Olkaria IV Project, Nakuru county, Kenya

Geothermal energy installations generate conflicts that escalate when improperly managed. Studies from outside Kenya have demonstrated application of mediation in managing conflicts over natural resources. However, its efficacy has not been adequately covered in Kenya. This study used the case of mediation between project affected persons (PAPs) and the developers of Olkaria IV energy project to document the process, to assess its role in resolving conflicts that emanated from the implementation of the project. A PAPs’ household heads survey, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KII) were conducted. Primary data was collected on pre-mediation preparations; mediation attributes, post-mediation buy-in and endorsements and the sequel of mediation. Secondary data was obtained from documents available in the mediation archive. The protagonists, that is, the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and PAPs agreed to use mediation to resolve their conflicts. The mediation neutralized conflicts between KenGen and the PAPs, mended relationships between them, improved PAPs’ livelihoods and smoothened project operations. The community representatives, selected by themselves, regularly reported back and held consultation with the larger community. This promoted acceptability of the results and is here presented as a good practice, in addition to having competent mediators with good listening and probing skills. Further, inclusion of women and youth in the mediation exercise combined with freedom of expression during the mediation clinics, ensured that the weaker gender’s voice was heard and its input incorporated in the agreement. In spite of the above, there is a need for greater democratization for the PAPs representation, and a more comprehensive documentation of the process. The last two provide opportunity for copying this case for an improved mediation process. Finally, it is recommended that policies be formulated to provide for use of mediations as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, in future project developmental conflicts in Kenya.
Larger broods in the Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis near urban areas in southern Finland

I examined if the distance from densely-built (urban) areas is reflected in the brood size of the Northern Goshawk near the southern coast of Finland. The data were collected from 70 nesting territories in 1976–2007, including 270 fledged broods. Within an approximate distance of less than 2.5 km from the nearest urban area, the average brood size was significantly higher than that in more rural environments. In the most densely populated urban area, the brood size was significantly higher than in the least urban areas. In general, urban habitats seemed to provide more stable food and nesting conditions as compared to rural ones. This was suggested by the long-term stability of relatively many of the most urban nesting localities, and by the recent apparently increasing tendency of Goshawks in urban areas to re-occupy earlier abandoned territories and even to establish new ones. For the Northern Goshawk, the urban life habits may locally provide superior alternatives for the rural ones. From a conservation point of view, urban and near-urban territories of the Northern Goshawk might be particularly valuable due to the general scarcity of suitable nest-sites in urban environments.
Enhancing Strategic Planning with Massive Scenario Generation

6 Jump down to document THE ARTS CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS NATIONAL SECURITY POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUBSTANCE ABUSE TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world.
A Queueing-Theoretical Delay Analysis Model for Intra-body Nervous Nanonetwork

—Nanonetworks is an emerging ﬁeld of study where nanomachines communicate to work beyond their individual limited processing capabilities and perform complicated tasks. The human body is an example of a very large nanoscale communication network, where individual constituents communicate by means of molecular nanonetworks. Amongst the various intra-body networks, the nervous system forms the largest and the most complex network. In this paper, we introduce a queueing theory based delay analysis model for neuro-spike communication between two neurons. Using standard queueing model blocks such as servers, queues and fork-join networks, impulse reception and processing through the nervous system is modeled as arrival and service processes in queues. Simulations show that the response time characteristics of the model are comparable to those of the biological neurons.
Improving bioactivity of PEEK composite polymer for bone application

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a promising biomaterial to replace traditional metals or ceramic components for biomedical mimic the bone tissue. However, PEEK has many challenges to feed into 3D printing fused deposition melting (FDM) machine due to its high melting temperature and high viscosity, the main weakness to use in medical application is bioactivity and cell attachment. In this research, biomaterials such as calcium hydroxyapatite (cHAp) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is used to combine with PEEK to make a composite material to improve interfaces biocompatibility. The FDM method is applied to print PEEK/rGO/cHAp lattice structures. The effect of nanoparticle on the biocompatibility of the surface newly manufactured composite (PEEK/cHAp/rGO) are thoroughly investigated. Surface treatment with the addition of rGO and cHAp are used to accelerate the biological activity of recombinant surface coating with improved mechanical and biological behaviour for bone grafting. The PEEK/rGO/cHAp composite characteristics are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and mechanical tests. The result is shown that the composite with the highest ratio of rGO of 5% has more biocompatibility and mechanical strength. The Young modulus and bulk modulus of PEEK increase exponentially with the increase of rGO/cHAp from 3.85 GPa to 54.27 GPa, 25% of 5 wt% addition of rGO. Furthermore, PEEK/cHAp induces apatite formation after several days of immersion in body fluids simulator Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) which contains the ions in body fluid and nutrient agar solution (NAS) to determine their biological viability. The In vivo experimental results are shown that cell aggregation and biological activity in the proposed composite (PEEK/rGO/cHAp) is higher than pure PEEK. The one tested with NAS shows more cell growth compared to DMEM
University of Southern Denmark Yeast Sphingolipid Phospholipase Gene ISC1 Regulates the Spindle Checkpoint by a CDC55-Dependent Mechanism Matmati,

23 Defects in the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) can lead to aneuploidy and 24 cancer. Sphingolipids have important roles in many cellular functions including cell 25 cycle regulation and apoptosis. However, defining specific mechanisms and functions 26 of sphingolipids in cell cycle regulation is missing. Using analysis of concordance for 27 synthetic lethality for the yeast sphingolipid phospholipase ISC1, we identified two 28 groups of genes: The first comprises genes involved in chromosome segregation and 29 stability (CSM3, CTF4, YKE2, DCC1, GIM4) as synthetically lethal with ISC1. The 30 second group, to which ISC1 belongs, comprises genes involved in the spindle 31 checkpoint (BUB1, MAD1, BIM1, KAR3), and they all share the same synthetic 32 lethality with the first group. We demonstrate that spindle checkpoint genes act 33 upstream of Isc1, and their deletion phenocopies that of ISC1. Reciprocally, ISC1 34 deletion mutants were sensitive to Benomyl, indicating a SAC defect. Similar to BUB1 35 deletion, ISC1 deletion prevents spindle elongation in hydroxyurea treated cells. 36 Mechanistically, PP2A-Cdc55 ceramide-activated phosphatase was found to act 37 downstream of Isc1, thus, coupling the spindle checkpoint genes and Isc1 to CDC5538 mediated nuclear functions. 39
Supportive Fintech for Individuals with Bipolar Disorder: Financial Data Sharing Preferences to Support Longitudinal Care Management

Financial stability is a key challenge for individuals living with bipolar disorder (BD). Symptomatic periods in BD are associated with poor financial decision-making, contributing to a negative cycle of worsening symptoms and an increased risk of bankruptcy. There has been an increased focus on designing supportive financial technologies (fintech) to address varying and intermittent needs across different stages of BD. However, little is known about this population's expectations and privacy preferences related to financial data sharing for longitudinal care management. To address this knowledge gap, we have deployed a factorial vignette survey using the Contextual Integrity framework. Our data from individuals with BD (N=480) shows that they are open to sharing financial data for long term care management. We have also identified significant differences in sharing preferences across age, gender, and diagnostic subtype. We discuss the implications of these findings in designing equitable fintech to support this marginalized community.
Effect of mulches on the growth and yield of tomato in the coastal area of Bangladesh under rainfed condition.

An experiment was conducted at Farming Systems Research and Development (FSRD) site Atkapalia, Noakhali to observe the effect of different mulches for production of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Treatments with mulchesrice straw, water hyacinth, and wastage of rice straw significantly increased tomato yield over control (no mulch). Salinity was found to be higher in no mulch treatment than different mulch materials during the experimental period. From the average of two years results it was found that the highest yield (59.41 t/ha) and the highest gross margin (Tk 244450 per hectare) obtained by rice straw mulch followed by water hyacinth mulch with yield 52.5 t/ha and gross margin Tk 223450 per hectare. The benefit cost ratio was found to be highest (5.65) in rice straw followed by water hyacinth (5.56), wastage of rice straw (5.01) and no mulch (4.51). However, tomato could be cultivated in coastal area minimizing soil salinity with application of mulch.
Self-Reported Supervisory Behavior and Belief vs. Actual Self-Reported Supervisory Behavior and Belief vs. Actual Observations of Caregiver Behavior at Beaches Observations of Caregiver Behavior at Beaches

This study examined self-reported supervisory behaviors of caregivers at beaches and ascertained whether self-reported supervision reflects observed behavior. Observations were conducted of caregiver/child pairs at 18 Australian beaches, with questionnaires subsequently completed by caregivers. Caregivers identified visual contact as essential for close supervision and proximity a key determinant in distinguishing supervision and close supervision. Supervisory behavior was associated with child age, while lifeguard patrol had no effect on supervision. All supervision statements from the PSAPQ-BEACH were associated with supervision. Only three statements were significant independent predictors of supervision. Comparisons suggest caregivers’ self-reported supervisory behavior reflects actual supervision. As this is the first study of its kind, it is essential that further prospective research using mixed-method approaches build on this information.
University of Birmingham Attention and Temporal Expectations Modulate Power, Not Phase, of Ongoing Alpha Oscillations

■ The perception of near-threshold visual stimuli has been shown to depend in part on the phase (i.e., time in the cycle) of ongoing alpha (8 – 13 Hz) oscillations in the visual cortex relative to the onset of that stimulus. However, it is currently unknown whether the phase of the ongoing alpha activity can be manipulated by top – down factors such as attention or expectancy. Using three variants of a cross-modal attention paradigm with constant predictable stimulus onsets, we examined if cues signaling to attend to either the visual or the auditory domain influenced the phase of alpha oscillations in the associated sensory cortices. Importantly, intermixed in all three experiments, we included trials without a target to estimate the phase at target presentation without contamination from the early evoked responses. For these blank trials, at the time of expected target and distractor onset, we examined (1) the degree of the uniformity in phase angles across trials, (2) differences in phase angle uniformity compared with a pretarget baseline, and (3) phase angle differences between visual and auditory target conditions. Across all three experiments, we found that, although the cues induced a modulation in alpha power in occipital electrodes, neither the visual condition nor the auditory cue condition induced any significant phase-locking across trials during expected target or distractor presentation. These results suggest that, although alpha power can be modulated by top – down factors such as attention and expectation, the phase of the ongoing alpha oscillation is not under such control. ■
CEO Gender , Corporate Risk-Taking , and the Efficiency of Capital Allocation

We show that CEO gender helps explain corporate decision making. In particular, we document that firms run by female CEOs have lower leverage, less volatile earnings, and a higher chance of survival than firms run by male CEOs. The results are robust to various tests for endogeneity, including firm fixed effects and change specifications, propensity score matching, a switching regression analysis with endogenous switching, and a treatment effects model. We further document that this risk-avoidance behavior appears to lead to distortions in the capital allocation process. These results have important macroeconomic implications for long-term economic growth. a Krannert School of Management, Purdue University, 403 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A. Tel: 765-496-1951. E-mail: mfaccio@purdue.edu. b Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Crawford House, Booth Street East, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K. Tel: +44-161-2750121. E-mail: maria.marchica@mbs.ac. uk. c Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Crawford House, Booth Street East, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K. Tel: +44-161-2750120. E-mail: roberto.mura@mbs.ac. uk. Acknowledgments: We thank Kevin Aretz, Paul Chaney, Dave Denis, Diane Denis, Art Durnev, Andrea Fracasso, Marc Goergen, Markku Kaustia, Seoyoung Kim, Bill O’Brien, Eric Powers, Jeremy Stein, Anjan Thakor, Jin Xu, Deniz Yavuz, Scott Yonker and seminar participants at the University of Florida, the Cardiff Business School, and the 2012 Financial Management Association Meeting for comments and Hossein Khatami for research assistance. We also thank Bobby Foster from Bureau van Dijk and Mark Greenwood for technical assistance. USC FBE FINANCE SEMINAR presented by Mara Faccio FRIDAY, Oct. 11, 2013 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, Room: JKP-102
Examining the functions of the vascular endothelial growth factor/hypoxia-inducible factor signaling pathway in psoriatic arthritis

Objectives The present study aimed to examine the roles of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Patients and methods In this cross-sectional study conducted between November 2020 and May 2021, 64 patients (43 female, 21 male; mean age: 43.2±10.4 years; range, 22 to 60 years) with active PsA were included in the patient group, and 64 healthy volunteers (43 female, 21 male; mean age: 42.8±10.5 years; range, 23 to 61 years) were included in the control group. The demographic features of all cases were recorded. The following indices were used to assess the activity of PsA: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), and Visual Analog Scale. Additionally, Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) were used to evaluate the patients. The biochemical parameters of the patients were calculated. The serum levels of VEGF, HIF, and HO-1 were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results When the molecule levels and clinical features of the groups were evaluated, it was found that the VEGF and HIF-1 levels were higher in the patient group compared to the control group (p<0.05). No difference was observed in the comparison of the HO-1 levels of the patient group and the control group (p<0.05). A positive correlation was found between VEGF, HIF-1, and HO-1 (p<0.05). A positive relationship was found between VEGF and HIF-1 and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, DAPSA score, and PASI score (p<0.05). It was also determined that there was a positive relationship between the HIF molecule and DAS28 (p<0.05). Conclusion According to the results obtained in the present study, VEGF and HIF play a role in the etiology of PsA, and the observation of intermolecular correlation suggests that these molecules move together in pathogenesis.
Usage Intentions, Attitudes, and Behaviors towards Energy-efficient Applications during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Energy waste is an emerging issue worldwide, with energy conservation goals, such as conscious energy consumption, playing a crucial role in helping the environment. The rapid growth of smart appliances has led to the development of mobile applications, with an increased interest among policymakers to design eco-saving plans for optimizing power and battery consumption. This study aims to explore the usage intention of energy-efficient applications, through young consumers? energy conservation behavior, behavioral characteristics, and COVID-19 pandemic experience. Based on empirical investigation, a survey was applied in Romania among 590 mobile app users. The data were tested using partial least square structural equation modeling (SmartPLS, version 3). The results indicate the impact of behavioral characteristics, namely, energy conservation attitude, subjective norms, and environmental knowledge on young users? energy conservation behavior. The influential effect of COVID-19 on energy-saving behavior was also proven. Energy conservation behavior, and functional and hedonic values positively influence Millennials? and Gen Zers? energy-efficient app usage intentions. The study also discusses some implications for policy makers, marketers, and software developers, as well as providing theoretical suggestions for future work.
A New Estimate of the Average Earth Surface Land Temperature

3 Submitted to JGR 4 The Third Santa Fe Conference on Global and Regional Climate Change 5 Manuscript # 2012JD018202 6 7 8 Robert Rohde, Richard A. Muller, Robert Jacobsen, 9 Elizabeth Muller, Saul Perlmutter, Arthur Rosenfeld, 10 Jonathan Wurtele,Donald Groom, Charlotte Wickham 11 12 Corresponding Author Address: 13 Richard A. Muller 14 Berkeley Earth Project 15 2831 Garber St. 16 Berkeley CA 94705 17 email: RAMuller@LBL.gov 18 19 Berkeley Earth Land Temperature Project, Novim Group; University of California, 20 Berkeley; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Oregon State University 21