Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liberating Intercultural Technical Communication from “Large Culture” Ideologies: Constructing Culture Discursively

Although contemporary writers on culture have argued for more dynamic approaches to culture in intercultural technical communication scholarship, much of the theoretical position on culture is still heavily based on “large culture” ideologies. Yet, not only do these ideologies fail to account for cultural practices and values within less comprehensive groups within culture, but they do not accommodate the inputs individuals make in specific communication contexts. This article draws from the existing body of work and the critical cultural perspectives on culture advocated by contemporary anthropologists and sociologists, mainly Arjun Appadurai (1996), to argue that we construct culture discursively to address cultural issues in intercultural technical communication. A discursive paradigm of culture sees culture as “socially constructed” in which culture is under construction and reconstruction by active cultural actors, who construct their identities and negotiate systems of knowledge and meaning that come to play during intercultural contacts.
A class of recursion operators on a tangent bundle

We generalize the construction of a class of type (1, 1) tensor fields R on a tangent bundle which was introduced in a preceding paper. The generalization comes from the fact that, apart from a given Lagrangian, the further data consist of a type (1, 1) tensor J along the tangent bundle projection τ: TQ →Q, rather than a tensor on Q. The main features under investigation are two kinds of recursion properties of R, namely its potential invariance under the flow of the given dynamics and the property of having vanishing Nijenhuis torsion. The theory is applied, in particular, to the case of second-order dynamics coming from a Finsler metric.
Resting-State Networks as Simultaneously Measured with Functional MRI and PET

Functional MRI (fMRI) studies reported disruption of resting-state networks (RSNs) in several neuropsychiatric disorders. PET with 18F-FDG captures neuronal activity that is in steady state at a longer time span and is less dependent on neurovascular coupling. Methods: In the present study, we aimed to identify RSNs in 18F-FDG PET data and compare their spatial pattern with those obtained from simultaneously acquired resting-state fMRI data in 22 middle-aged healthy subjects. Results: Thirteen and 17 meaningful RSNs could be identified in PET and fMRI data, respectively. Spatial overlap was fair to moderate for the default mode, left central executive, primary and secondary visual, sensorimotor, cerebellar, and auditory networks. Despite recording different aspects of neural activity, similar RSNs were detected by both imaging modalities. Conclusion: The results argue for the common neural substrate of RSNs and encourage testing of the clinical utility of resting-state connectivity in PET data.
Some Preliminary Observations on Papago Morphophonemics

0. In this paper I will consider two quite different analyses of Papago phonology, both of which satisfy the fundamental requirement of observational adequacy, namely, that morphemes and morpheme sequences which are regarded by Papago speakers as being systematically different in sound be represented differently in the associated linguistic representation of Papago sentences. One of the analyses considered here provides a notation which is phonemic in the traditional sense (see 1 below), while the other (discussed in 2 and 3 below) includes a notation which is closer to what has traditionally been called morphophonemic. Each has associated with it a set of rules which imposes a phonetic interpretation upon strings represented in its notation. Chomsky has called the two different types of phonological representation, respectively, taxonomic phonemic and systematic phonemic. It is primarily from the writings of Sapir, Chomsky, and Halle that the theoretical orientation of this paper derives.2 The central concern here
Perceptions of the family, personality characteristics, and adolescent internalizing symptoms.

OBJECTIVE To explore the influences of adolescent self-reported and interviewer-rated perceptions of family functioning, parent perceptions of the family, and adolescent personality on internalizing symptoms. METHOD Two hundred one adolescent twins (mean age = 16.2 +/- 2.0 years; 90% white) completed the Family Assessment Device (FAD), Eysenck Personality Inventory, Children's Depression Inventory, and Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children and participated in an interview about their relationships with parents. Parents completed the FAD. Twins were divided into two samples for analysis. RESULTS Multiple regression analyses in sample A showed that adolescent perceptions of family function accounted for 35% of the variance in depressive symptoms, but did not significantly predict anxiety. Self-reported perceptions were more strongly associated with symptoms than were interviewer-rated perceptions. Parent FAD and adolescent neuroticism accounted for 24% of the variance in adolescent self-reported perceptions. Results were similar in sample B. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent perceptions of the family are linked to their depressive symptoms and associated with neuroticism. Adolescents who are high in neuroticism may perceive their families more negatively. Clinicians need to carefully discern components of family function that lead to teen depression versus biased cognitions that lead teenagers to perceive family relationships as negative.
A high-Q annular ring antenna as a microwave near-field material sensor

In the past few years, many microwave near-field sensors based on metamaterial unit cells have been reported having a low-quality factor. In this paper, we present an approach to design a sensor with very high localized fields and quality factor. The sensor is based on a loaded annular ring antenna operating at the microwave regime. The sensor is designed and simulated using a full-wave simulation tool. The results shows that a quality factor of 430.5 at −10 dB can be achieved with a fractional bandwidth of 0.0023. A high quality factor gives indication that the sensor can be sensitive to changes in the real and imaginary part of the dielectric constant of the material under test. Our design concept was validated using numerical simulation by detecting small variations in the real part of a dielectric slab.
Specific Noninvasive Detection of Leishmania donovani in Desquamated Buccal Cell Swab Samples from Human Visceral Leishmaniasis-HIV Coinfected Patients

ABSTRACT Diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) coinfection is challenging. Specific diagnosis of VL in HIV-coinfected patients was evaluated by molecular methods in desquamated buccal swab samples, demonstrating 86.3% sensitivity and 98.3% specificity in controls. This test holds significant potential for development as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for VL in HIV-coinfected patients.
Simulation-based optimization using simulated annealing for optimal equipment selection within print production environments

Xerox has invented, tested, and implemented a novel class of operations-research-based productivity improvement offerings that has been described in Rai et al. (2009) and was a finalist in the 2008 Franz Edelman competition. The software toolkit that enables the optimization of print shops is data-driven and simulation based. It enables quick modeling of complex print production environments under the cellular production framework. The software toolkit automates several steps of the modeling process by taking declarative inputs from the end-user and then automatically generating complex simulation models that are used to determine improved design and operating points. This paper describes the addition of another layer of automation consisting of simulation-based optimization using simulated-annealing that enables automated search of a large number of design alternatives in the presence of operational constraints to determine a cost-optimal solution. The results of the application of this approach to a real-world problem are also described.
Effects of Sudden Mass School Desegregation on Interracial Interaction and Attitudes in One Southern City

The extent to which blacks and whites interacted socially on school grounds and their attitudes toward each other were ascertained across time during the first semester of an integration program in three southern secondary schools. Interracial interactions remained sparse throughout the semester and over time showed no increases approaching significance though attitudes did become more tolerant. Several effects on both variables related to race, sex, and grade level are reported.
Local Uncertainty Sampling for Large-Scale Multi-Class Logistic Regression

A major challenge for building statistical models in the big data era is that the available data volume far exceeds the computational capability. A common approach for solving this problem is to employ a subsampled dataset that can be handled by available computational resources. In this paper, we propose a general subsampling scheme for large-scale multi-class logistic regression and examine the variance of the resulting estimator. We show that asymptotically, the proposed method always achieves a smaller variance than that of the uniform random sampling. Moreover, when the classes are conditionally imbalanced, significant improvement over uniform sampling can be achieved. Empirical performance of the proposed method is compared to other methods on both simulated and real-world datasets, and these results match and confirm our theoretical analysis.
Small Worlds and Cultural Polarization

Building on Granovetter's theory of the “strength of weak ties,” research on “small-world” networks suggests that bridges between clusters in a social network (long-range ties) promote cultural diffusion, homogeneity, and integration. We show that this macro-level implication of network structure depends on hidden micro-level assumptions. Using a computational model similar to earlier studies, we find that ties between clusters facilitate cultural convergence under the micro-level assumptions of assimilation and attraction to similar others. However, these assumptions also have negative counterparts—differentiation and xenophobia. We found that when these negative possibilities are no longer assumed away, the effect of long-range ties reverses: Even very small amounts of contact between highly clustered communities sharply increased polarization at the population level. [An appendix to this article is featured as an online supplement at the publisher's website. ]
Ring-constrained join: deriving fair middleman locations from pointsets via a geometric constraint

We introduce a novel spatial join operator, the ring-constrained join (RCJ). Given two sets P and Q of spatial points, the result of RCJ consists of pairs (p, q) (where p ε P, q ε Q) satisfying an intuitive geometric constraint: the smallest circle enclosing p and q contains no other points in P, Q. This new operation has important applications in decision support, e.g., placing recycling stations at fair locations between restaurants and residential complexes. Clearly, RCJ is defined based on a geometric constraint but not on distances between points. Thus, our operation is fundamentally different from the conventional distance joins and closest pairs problems. We are not aware of efficient processing algorithms for RCJ in the literature. A brute-force solution requires computational cost quadratic to input size and it does not scale well for large datasets. In view of this, we develop efficient R-tree based algorithms for computing RCJ, by exploiting the characteristics of the geometric constraint. We evaluate experimentally the efficiency of our methods on synthetic and real spatial datasets. The results show that our proposed algorithms scale well with the data size and have robust performance across different data distributions.
Isolating Red Giant Stars in M31's Elusive Outer Spheroid

Deep UBRI images of a 15′ × 15′ field in the outer spheroid of the galaxy M31 obtained using the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 4 m telescope and I-band images obtained with the Keck 10 m telescope and Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph are used to isolate a sample of candidate red giant branch stars located at a projected radial distance of 19 kpc along the minor axis. These stars are distinguished from the more numerous distant field galaxies on the basis of broadband U - B, B - R, and R - I colors and image morphology; we isolate objects whose colors are consistent with the long, but relatively narrow, locus occupied by red giants in UBRI color space (as observed in Galactic globular cluster giants and predicted by models spanning a wide range of metallicities and ages), and those whose angular sizes are consistent with the stellar point-spread function, FWHM = 0. ″6–0. ″9 (Keck) and FWHM = 0. ″9–1. ″5 (Kitt Peak). We carry out the same analysis of data on a comparison field with a Galactic latitude similar to the M31 halo field. The color-magnitude diagram of objects in the comparison field is well described by a superposition of foreground Galactic dwarf stars (in keeping with a standard empirical model of the Galaxy) against a backdrop of contaminating faint blue field galaxies (I ≳ 21, B - I ∼ 1–2.5), while the M31 halo field contains a clear excess of faint red objects (I ∼ 20–23, B - I ∼ 2–3.5) in addition to these two components. The location of this population of faint red objects in the color-magnitude diagram is as would be expected for red giant stars at the distance of M31. The surface density of RGB candidates in the R = 19 kpc M31 halo field is consistent with the findings of two recent Hubble Space Telescope (HST) studies. The data indicate that M31's halo is much denser and/or larger than that of the Galaxy: (ρ/ρ)(Λ/1.5)-ν ∼ 10 , where Λ is the ratio of the radial scale lengths of M31 and the Galaxy and ν = -3.8 is the assumed power-law index of the density profile; in fact, M31's profile may be steeper than this (ν < -3.8). The color and slope of the red giant branch in M31's outer halo are suggestive of a relatively metal-rich population, [Fe/H] ≳ -1, in agreement with the HST measurements.
HarvestPlus Handbook for Carotenoid Analysis.

2 HarvestPlus Technical Monographs are designed to provide a forum for HarvestPlus research outputs. Technical Monographs can be of two kinds: • state-of-the-art reviews that help to establish and define HarvestPlus research questions or • " gold standard " procedures to be followed in HarvestPlus research. HarvestPlus technical monographs are written by recognized experts in the field and are externally peer reviewed prior to publication.
Education Stakeholders' Translation and Sense-Making of Accountability Policies

Scholars of education policy have consistently found that the capacity, beliefs, and values of local actors affect the relative success or failure of policy implementation. This article examines stakeholders' perceptions of education policy in South Carolina to consider the relationship between interpretations of education policy and attitudes of advocacy. Findings include that not only is the education system failing children, but it also sets up stakeholders, who care about education, to fail. The authors conclude that state-level education policy implementation plays an increasingly important role in shaping the message of education policy and ensuring the understandability of policy messages.
The Cell-Surface Isoform of Colony Stimulating Factor 1 (CSF1) Restores but Does Not Completely Normalize Fecundity in CSF1-Deficient Mice1

Abstract The complete genetic absence of colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) in CSF1-deficient Csf1op/Csf1op mice leads to reproductive defects in males and females. Although the cell-surface or membrane-bound isoform of CSF1 (mCSF1) is biologically active in bone, little is known about its role in reproduction. Transgenic mice expressing mCSF1 under the control of the 2.4-kb rat collagen type I alpha promoter were developed [Tg(Col1a1-mCSF1)1Gqy] and bred onto a Csf1op/Csf1op background [Csf1op/Csf1op; Tg(Col1a1-mCSF1)1Gqy] to examine the effects of the mCSF1 isoform in bone in vivo. Surprisingly, when interbred, these mice were fertile. The Csf1op/Csf1op; Tg(Col1a1-mCSF1)1Gqy transgenic male mice have normal libido, sperm number and percent of motile sperm. In Csf1op/Csf1op; Tg(Col1a1-mCSF1)1Gqy females, puberty and estrus cycles are at expected age and duration. Further, females are able to carry pregnancies to term and nurse their offspring. Crosses of Csf1op/Csf1op; Tg(Col1a1-mCSF1)1Gqy males or females with their control littermates showed no significant differences in either number or viability of offspring. However, crossing Csf1op/Csf1op; Tg(Col1a1-mCSF1)1Gqy males with Csf1op; Tg(Col1a1-mCSF1)1Gqy females resulted in a decline in both the number and viability of offspring, suggesting that a subtle reproductive defect might persist in the transgenic animals that was only manifest when the animals were interbred. Although the gravid murine uterus expresses extremely high levels of CSF1 that are thought to be important for reproduction, uterine tissue levels of CSF1 remained low and unchanged during pregnancy in Csf1op/Csf1op; Tg(Col1a1-mCSF1)1Gqy mice. Low levels of CSF1 protein were detected in serum and in lung and uterine tissue in Csf1op/Csf1op; Tg(Col1a1-mCSF1)1Gqy mouse, which likely result from the known proteolytic shedding of mCSF1 from the cell surface. These data are consistent with the conclusion that mCSF1, when shed from the cell surface, can support reproduction and that high uterine tissue levels of CSF1 may not be required for mouse reproduction.
Interventions for hemiplegic shoulder pain: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials

Purpose. The primary aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of possible interventions for hemiplegic shoulder pain. The secondary aim was to investigate whether reduction of subluxation or spasticity can decrease shoulder pain and whether a change in shoulder pain is related to change in passive shoulder external rotation. Method. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched to obtain the randomised, controlled trials. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of studies. Results. Eight randomised trials were found in electronic databases. Aromatherapy plus acupressure, slow-stroke back massage and intramuscular neuromuscular electric stimulation were more effective than the controls at the end of treatment sessions. Intramuscular botulinum neurotoxin A injection and intraarticular triamcinolone acetonide injection were not helpful at one or three months after the end of treatment. Only intramuscular electric stimulation was effective at three months. These analyses found that shoulder pain improved independently of spasticity and subluxation. It was confirmed that the change in shoulder pain was associated with change in passive shoulder external rotation. Conclusions. Although five interventions were used for managing hemiplegic shoulder pain, their effects were limited in the context of trials.
A feminist information engagement framework for gynecological cancer patients: The case of cervical cancer

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a three-part framework of information engagement for situated gynecological cancers. These particular cancers intertwine with medicalization of sexuality and gender power dynamics, situating information behaviors and interactions in women’s socio-health perceptions. Using Kavanagh and Broom’s feminist risk framework, the framework establishes functional and temporal parameters for sense-making and information engagement. Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs a structured, reiterative literature review with emergent thematic analysis. Nine indices from medicine, information studies, and sociology were searched using combinations of five terms on cervical cancer (CC) and 14 terms on information engagement in the title, abstract, and subject fields. Results were examined on a reiterative basis to identify emergent themes pertaining to knowledge development and information interactions. Findings – Environmentally, social stigma and gender roles inhi.
CONGESTION MANAGEMENT FOR LOSSLESS ETHERNET OPERATION by Jinjing Jiang Prepared under the direction

CONGESTION MANAGEMENT FOR LOSSLESS ETHERNET OPERATION by Jinjing Jiang ADVISOR: Professor Raj Jain May 2008 Saint Louis, Missouri IEEE 802.1 standards committee is working on a new specification for congestion notification in Ethernet networks. The goal of this work is to enable applications of Ethernet in backend data center networks. Such applications typically use Fiber Channel and Infiniband due to their lossfree characteristics. In this thesis, an explicit rate control framework called Forward Explicit Rate Advertising (FERA) for Ethernet applications, especially data centers, is described. The framework guarantees zero packet drops at the congested switches and fast convergence to fair and stable state. In order to manage the congestion, design choices on 2-point and 3-point architectures, the reactive and proactive signaling, explicit and implicit rate controls are compared. Then the core component of the framework, queue control, is carefully studied. Furthermore, we show that this framework can seamlessly cooperate with IEEE 802.3x PAUSE mechanism to recover from severe congestion scenarios. To demonstrate the strength of FERA, both analytic and simulation results comparing with another existing scheme called Backward Congestion Notification (BCN) are provided to show that FERA achieves the design goals.
Attrition in the Productive Lexicon of Two Portuguese Third Language Speakers

This study investigates loss of productive vocabulary in oral language, specifically in Portuguese as a third language for two English-Hebrew bilingual children, ages 9 and 13. The study investigated the lexical loss in Portuguese storytelling behavior after 1, 3, and 9 months of discontinued contact with the language. The analysis focused on the nature of the attrited productive lexicon, lexical production strategies used to compensate for forgotten vocabulary, and lexical retrieval processes during storytelling in Portuguese and in the children's two dominant languages. A significant decrease was found in the total number of words produced in the Portuguese stories of the two children after 9 months, both in comparison to word total in earlier months and in comparison to total words in English and Hebrew stories. There was greater attrition in the case of the younger subject after 9 months than in that of his older sister. He used a more limited number of different words, as well as fewer and shorter T-units per utterance, which was not the case with regard to his sister. He also attrited proportionately more nouns than words from other word classes. The subjects used at least six lexical production strategies in order to compensate for forgotten words—two of them L1-based (borrowing and foreignizing), and four of them intralingual (the use of a general word, approximation, circumlocution, and word abandonment). Their data also provided evidence of lexical retrieval processes. Examples of lexical production strategies and lexical retrieval processes are given.