Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Product Attributes and Consumer Acceptance of Nutritionally Enhanced Genetically Modified Foods

Using data from a national survey, this study analyzes US consumers' acceptance of genetically modified foods that provide additional nutritional benefits. Using an ordered probit model, this study examines the relation between the willingness to consume genetically modified foods and consumers' economic, demographic and value attributes. Empirical results suggest that despite having some reservations, especially about the use of biotechnology in animals, American consumers are not decidedly opposed to food biotechnology. Consumers' economic and demographic variables are only weakly related to their acceptance of food biotechnology, especially when technology involves plant-to-plant DNA transfer. However, public trust and confidence in various private and public institutions are significantly related to their acceptance of food biotechnology. Overall, consumer acceptance of bioengineered foods is driven primarily by public perceptions of risks, benefits and safety of these food products.
Loss Aversion and Adaptation in the Labor Market: Empirical Indifference Functions and Labor Supply

This paper presents empirically determined indifference functions for income and leisure which exhibit the phenomena of loss aversion and a utility reference point determined by adaptation, as expounded by Kahneman and Tversky and others. Data for this study were gathered in original surveys of seven diverse labor markets. The indifference functions of all show common features consistent with loss aversion/adaptation. These features help explain stability in labor markets in the face of an overtime premium which prevents the many workers in the United States from being at an optimal equilibrium and causes discontinuities in labor supply curves. Labor supply curves derived from indifference curves with the loss aversion adaptation features have much smaller discontinuities than those based on simulated curves without these features. Copyright 1996 by MIT Press.
Analysis of PolInSAR precision for forest and ground parameters estimation in tropical context

The analysis presented in this paper is focused on the TropiSAR PolInSAR, acquired over a dense tropical forest area. Under canopy Ground height estimation based on PolInSAR analysis is explored and shown to be in good agreement with the LIDAR data. The simple estimation based on HH phase center is observed to overestimate the ground height by about 10m and presents a larger standard deviation than the Polin-SAR approach. The single baseline approach for vegetation height estimation performs well when the altitude of ambiguity is favourable with a RMS error ranging from 3 to 5 m, depending on the topography. In order to analyse the effect of topography, we have investigated the relative contribution of the ground and volume layers, obtained based on the Tabb maximum likelihood approach. As expected the topography is mostly affecting the ground contribution, both in term of backscatter variation and of scattering mechanisms. These in turn will influence the estimation performances as given by the Cramer Rao Lower Bound analysis.
Ethno-Cultural Considerations in Cardiac Patients’ Medication Adherence

We aimed to develop an in-depth understanding about factors that influence cardiac medication adherence among South Asian, Chinese, and European White cardiac patients. Sixty-four patients were purposively sampled from an ongoing study cohort. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for analyses. Physicians’ culturally sensitive communication and patients’ motivation to live a symptom-free and longer life enhanced adherence. European Whites were motivated to enhance personal well-being and enjoy family life. South Asians’ medication adherence was influenced by the desire to fulfill the will of God and family responsibilities. The Chinese were motivated to avoid pain, illness, and death, and to obey a health care provider. The South Asians and Chinese wanted to ultimately reduce medication use. Previous positive experiences, family support, and establishing a routine also influenced medication adherence. Deterrents to adherence were essentially the reverse of the motivators/facilitators. This analysis represents an essential first step forward in developing ethno-culturally tailored interventions to optimize adherence.
The Interaction between Human and Physical Capital Accumulation and the Growth-Inequality Trade-off

This paper analyzes the effects of technological change on growth and inequality in a two-sector economy. The key mechanism is the evolution of the differential rates of return to human relative to physical capital as they respond to the changing technology. Productivity enhancement in the human capital sector increases the growth rate permanently, but in the final output sector, it has only a temporary effect. The effects on inequality depend on (i) the underlying source of inequality and (ii) the time horizon over which the productivity increase occurs. The model can generate growth-inequality relationships consistent with the empirical evidence.
Podocyte Number in the Maturing Rat Kidney

Background/Aims: The podocyte is an important cell for maintaining the normal structure and function of the glomerulus. In recent years much attention has been given to the number of podocytes in glomeruli. During this time there has been a debate as to whether podocytes can divide after the capillary-loop stage of development. The aim of this study was to use an unbiased counting method to determine if podocyte number increases after the capillary-loop stage of development. Methods:The fractionator/disector method was used to count podocytes in glomeruli from rats aged 1 day, 5, 12, and 24 weeks. Glomerular volume was also measured with the unbiased Cavalieri principle and used to calculate the density of podocytes per glomerulus. Results: The number of podocytes did not increase from the capillary-loop stage of glomerular development to 24 weeks of age. Glomerular volume increased 3.6-fold during this time, which resulted in a decrease of podocyte density as the rats aged. Conclusion:The study documents that the number of podocytes is stable after the capillary-loop stage of glomerular development. The data does not confirm but adds evidence that podocytes do not divide from the capillary-loop stage of glomerular development to 24 weeks of age in the normal rat.
Signature verification with writing posture analysis

A video-based handwritten signature verification framework is proposed in this paper. Using a camera as the sensor has the advantage that the entire writing processes can be captured along with the signatures. The main contribution of this work is that writing postures are analyzed to achieve the verification purpose because the writing postures cannot be easily imitated or forged. The proposed system is able to achieve low false rejection rates while maintaining low false acceptance rates for database containing both unskilled and skilled imitation signatures.
Glycosyltransferase‐programmed stereosubstitution (GPS) to create HCELL: engineering a roadmap for cell migration

Summary: During evolution of the vertebrate cardiovascular system, the vast endothelial surface area associated with branching vascular networks mandated the development of molecular processes to efficiently and specifically recruit circulating sentinel host defense cells and tissue repair cells at localized sites of inflammation/tissue injury. The forces engendered by high‐velocity blood flow commensurately required the evolution of specialized cell surface molecules capable of mediating shear‐resistant endothelial adhesive interactions, thus literally capturing relevant cells from the blood stream onto the target endothelial surface and permitting subsequent extravasation. The principal effectors of these shear‐resistant binding interactions comprise a family of C‐type lectins known as ‘selectins’ that bind discrete sialofucosylated glycans on their respective ligands. This review explains the ‘intelligent design’ of requisite reagents to convert native CD44 into the sialofucosylated glycoform known as hematopoietic cell E‐/L‐selectin ligand (HCELL), the most potent E‐selectin counter‐receptor expressed on human cells, and will describe how ex vivo glycan engineering of HCELL expression may open the ‘avenues’ for the efficient vascular delivery of cells for a variety of cell therapies.
The Need for an Internal Auditor Report to External Stakeholders to Improve Governance Transparency

SYNOPSIS: This paper considers the need for an internal audit report (IAR) to increase governance transparency for external stakeholders. While the internal audit function is an important and distinct governance mechanism, external stakeholders typically lack the direct relevant information about the function that is available to insiders from other governance mechanisms (e.g., management, audit committee, and external auditor). This information asymmetry is inconsistent with current objectives for governance, transparency, and accountability in the Sarbanes-Oxley era. We evaluate potential IAR disclosure benefits (e.g., increased transparency and accountability) and costs (e.g., increased information load, legal exposure, and reporting costs) using a literature review and the results of 18 semi-structured interviews with analysts, audit committee members, internal auditors, and policymakers. We also propose a model IAR that provides basic descriptive information about the internal audit function for stak.
Reciprocity in Asymmetry: When Does Reciprocity Work?

The impact of reciprocity on mutual cooperation in asymmetric situations has been inadequately studied. Asymmetry can include both preference differences and power imbalances. Distinguishing between the conditions under which reciprocity yields a desirable outcome and those under which it does not, the following are suggested: First, if mutual cooperation is preferable to unilateral defection and unrequited cooperation is preferred to mutual defection then cooperate is always the preferred course of action. Secondly, if an actor believes that their opponent will not cooperate but mutual defection represents the worst outcome then unrequited cooperation is the probably outcome. Third, reciprocity is recommended 1) when mutual cooperation represents the best outcome while unrequited cooperation is the worst outcome, 2) when both parties prefer mutual cooperation to mutual defection and both prefer mutual defection to unrequited cooperation, or 3) when the opponent surely prefers mutual cooperation most. These suggestions with the exception of unilateral concession can be inferred from symmetric payoff structures. The theories of reciprocity based on symmetry can be extended to asymmetry with some restrictions. This has some implications in controversies over soft power or coercion. This work was supported by a research grant from Hallym University, Korea.
Feeding ecology of the crab Cancer polyodon in La Herradura Bay, northern Chile. I. Feeding chronology, food intake, and gross growth and ecological efficiency

Feeding activity pattern and food intake of the crab Cancer polyodon were determined from crab stomach samples taken at 3 to 4 h intervals on 2 days per season in 1988 and 1989. The gross growth efficiency (K,) and the ecological (= population production) efficiency (EE) were calculated in conjunction with growth and production data from a previous study. C. polyodon feeds at night and to a lesser extent during the day. Feeding chronology differed markedly among seasons: in winter, night feeding lasted about twice as long (13 to 15 h) as in spring, but maximum stomach fullness reached only 0.35 % BW (body weight) compared to 0.62 % BW in spring. Summer feeding resembled the spring pattern and autumn feeding the winter pattern. Daily food intake was estimated from the stomach content data and a laboratory-derived evacuation rate using the Elliott & Persson model. Daily rations increased from 2.8 (f 0.71) % BW in winter to 4.4 (+ 0.64) % BW in summer and decreased to 2.7 (k 0.37) % BW in autumn (annual average. 3.19 % BW). K, (weight gain as % of total food ingested) was lower for females (5.3) than for males (10.3), as females convert a high fraction of ingested food into egg production instead of growth. EE [(population biomass production)/(food ingested)] was estimated at 17.8 %.
Shearlet-Based Adaptive Shrinkage Threshold for Image Denoising

An adaptive shrinkage threshold for image denoising in shearlet domain is presented. The shearlet transform not only provides the mean to detect orientations and to lead to sparse representations, but is moreover equipped with a rich mathematical structure similar to wavelets. Finally, a simulation is carried out to show the effectiveness of the new estimator. Experimental results show that the new estimator achieves state-of-art performance in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and visual quality.
The mediating role of mental toughness in sport.

AIM We conducted two studies that examined different models, which included mental toughness and psychological constructs that have been found to be related to this construct. METHODS In Study 1, 531 athletes completed measures of mental toughness, resilience, and emotional intelligence. In Study 2, 522 athletes completed measures of mental toughness, sport motivation, and self-efficacy. RESULTS There were positive paths between the constructs in the model, which were mediated by mental toughness in Study 1. Further, there was a positive path between mental toughness and self-efficacy, but negative paths with introjected regulation and amotivation in Study 2. CONCLUSION This two study paper suggests that it might also be the presence of constructs such as resilience, emotional intelligence, motivation, and/or self-efficacy that enable mentally tough individuals to excel under stressful circumstances rather than just coping.
A User-Oriented Web Retrieval Summarization Tool

The information resources on the web become increasingly global in nature. Their amount is continuingly growing. A solution to summarize the retrieved pages on the fly and to design the simplest user interface is possible approach to improve and speed up the retrieval of the information from the web. This paper discusses the algorithms to implement the aforementioned approach and results of preliminary experiments.
Handwriting in adults with Down syndrome

Abstract Background Although there is growing awareness about the potential for people with Down syndrome (DS) to become literate, we know little about the characteristics of handwriting within this population. Methods Thirty-three participants took part in this experiment. Eleven adults with DS and 22 typically developing individuals (11 children matched on mental age and 11 adults matched on chronological age) performed a copy task. A French adaptation of the Concise Evaluation Scale for Children's Handwriting (BHK) was used to assess speed and quality. Results Handwriting of adults with DS was relatively similar to that of the mental age control group, but comparisons with the chronological age control group showed differences on quality and spatial organisation. Conclusions Results revealed that adults with DS are capable of producing acceptable writing. Observed differences could be explained by the mode of movement control involved in production. Implications for future research and education are discussed.
Pinus contorta invasions increase wildfire fuel loads and may create a positive feedback with fire.

Invasive plant species that have the potential to alter fire regimes have significant impacts on native ecosystems. Concern that pine invasions in the Southern Hemisphere will increase fire activity and severity and subsequently promote further pine invasion prompted us to examine the potential for feedbacks between Pinus contorta invasions and fire in Patagonia and New Zealand. We determined how fuel loads and fire effects were altered by P. contorta invasion. We also examined post-fire plant communities across invasion gradients at a subset of sites to assess how invasion alters the post-fire vegetation trajectory. We found that fuel loads and soil heating during simulated fire increase with increasing P. contorta invasion age or density at all sites. However, P. contorta density did not always increase post-fire. In the largest fire, P. contorta density only increased significantly post-fire where the pre-fire P. contorta density was above an invasion threshold. Below this threshold, P. contorta did not dominate after fire and plant communities responded to fire in a similar manner as uninvaded communities. The positive feedback observed at high densities is caused by the accumulation of fuel that in turn results in greater soil heating during fires and high P. contorta density post-fire. Therefore, a positive feedback may form between P. contorta invasions and fire, but only above an invasion density threshold. These results suggest that management of pine invasions before they reach the invasion density threshold is important for reducing fire risk and preventing a transition to an alternate ecosystem state dominated by pines and novel understory plant communities.
“Winners take all competition”, creative destruction and stock market bubble

From the model of Hobijn and Jovanovic (2001), we modelize a technological shock with uncertainty. We assume that this technological shock appears in the shape of new firms. Only a part of these firms will be productive. Uncertainty relates to the identification of the viable firms. This uncertainty decreases with the time and the diffusion of fundamentalist information that makes it possible to identify without error the viable firms. Without this fundamentalist information, the behavior of agents follows a rule of decision similar to that formulated by Heiner (1983). Uncertainty concerning the identification of viable firms which emerge of the technological shock, leads to a stock market bubble even though agents have a perfect knowledge of the impact of the shock and date on which it occurs. This type of uncertainty seems to characterize firms of the Information Communication Technology industries, which are confronted with a "winners take all" competition.
Exploring the Shared Use of World Heritage Sites: Residents and Domestic Tourists' Use and Perceptions of the Summer Palace in Beijing

Many heritage sites are shared by tourists and local residents, who may have different motivations, preferences and experiences. These common areas offer a setting for understanding how the host and guest populations utilize, interact and perceive a heritage site. Results show that residents and domestic tourists differ in their use patterns but generally share motivations, perceptions and experiences at the Summer Palace. Use conflicts and interplay are examined in relation to their behaviours, perceptions and experiences. Practical implications are generated to inform management and planning decisions for the study site and other heritage sites shared by local users and tourists. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Received 21 May 2014; Revised 10 August 2014; Accepted 20 August 2014
Brain-Computer Interfaces for Communication in Paralysis: A Clinical Experimental Approach

An overview of different approaches to brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) developed in our laboratory is given. An important clinical application of BCIs is to enable communication or environmental control in severely paralyzed patients. The BCI 'Thought-Translation Device (TTD)' allows verbal communication through the voluntary self-regulation of brain signals (e.g., slow cortical potentials (SCPs)), which is achieved by operant feedback train-ing. Humans' ability to self-regulate their SCPs is used to move a cursor toward a target that contains a selectable letter set. Two different approaches were followed to develop Web browsers that could be controlled with binary brain responses. Implementing more power-ful classification methods including different signal parameters such as oscillatory features improved our BCI considerably. It was also tested on signals with implanted electrodes. Most BCIs provide the user with a visual feedback interface. Visually impaired patients require an auditory feedback mode. A procedure using auditory (sonified) feedback of multiple EEG parameters was evaluated. Properties of the auditory systems are reported and the results of two experiments with auditory feedback are presented. Clinical data of eight ALS patients demonstrated that all patients were able to acquire efficient brain control of one of the three available BCI systems (SCP, /i-rhythm, and P300), most of them used the SCP-BCI. A controlled comparison of the three systems in a group of ALS patients, however, showed that P300-BCI and the /i-BCI are faster and more easily acquired than SCP-BCI, at least in patients with some rudimentary motor control left. Six patients who started BCI training after entering the completely locked-in state did not achieve reliable communication skills with any BCI system. One completely locked-in patient was able to communicate shortly with a ph-meter, but lost control afterward.
Reordering Features with Weights Fusion in Multiclass and Multiple-Kernel Speech Emotion Recognition

The selection of feature subset is a crucial aspect in speech emotion recognition problem. In this paper, a Reordering Features with Weights Fusion (RFWF) algorithm is proposed for selecting more effective and compact feature subset. The RFWF algorithm fuses the weights reflecting the relevance, complementarity, and redundancy between features and classes comprehensively and implements the reordering of features to construct feature subset with excellent emotional recognizability. A binary-tree structured multiple-kernel SVM classifier is adopted in emotion recognition. And different feature subsets are selected in different nodes of the classifier. The highest recognition accuracy of the five emotions in Berlin database is 90.549% with only 15 features selected by RFWF. The experimental results show the effectiveness of RFWF in building feature subset and the utilization of different feature subsets for specified emotions can improve the overall recognition performance.
Teacher Power and the Struggle for Democracy: An Educational Movement in Malta.

ABSTRACT This paper gives an account of the formation of a social movement of teachers in Malta, of which the author was a founder‐member. The Movement (Muviment Edukazzjoni Umana) was set up by a group of student‐teachers wishing to link humanistic perspectives with a critical theory of schooling, and mainly as a political response to a centralised state educational system which was considered to be not only unresponsive to the needs of its students and teachers, but also undemocratic at a number of levels. The Movement's main goal is to develop participatory democracies in school communities, and to work as a pressure group in order to influence educational policy‐making at the national level. Towards this end it has embarked on a multi‐faceted project which includes the formation of action groups that tackle a diversity of issues. The paper contextualises the setting up and development of the Movement within a theoretical tradition that privileges social movements, arguing that such a perspective can h.
Genome Sequence of Piezophilic Bacterium Desulfovibrio profundus Strain 500-1, Isolated from a Deep Sediment Layer in the Japan Sea

ABSTRACT Piezophilic Desulfovibrio profundus strain 500-1 was isolated in the Japan Sea from a sediment layer at 500-m depth under a water column of 1,000 m. Here, we report the genome sequence of this strain, which includes a 4,168,905-bp circular chromosome and two plasmids of 42,836 bp and 6,167 bp.