Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Toxicity of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are globally distributed synthetic chemicals. Their unique properties make them widely used, in industry and elsewhere. These are a group of compounds with varying carbon chain lengths and functional groups. The toxicity evaluation of PFAAs is important to better assess their organismal and environmental impact. The developmental toxicity of a group of PFAAs was evaluated in zebrafish (Danio rerio), using the embryotoxicity and locomotor behavior endpoints. Structure related relationships were examined using endpoints based on lethal and sublethal effect. The EC50 based toxicity ranking of the PFAAs indicated that the toxicity pattern was governed by carbon chain length and attached functional group. The behavior analyses showed that the PFAAs have distinct patterns in terms of locomotor activity of larvae. Radiolabeled 14C-PFOA was used to investigate the uptake, kinetics and distribution of the chemical in zebrafish. An uptake and elimination approach to experimentation was employed for kinetic assessment. A parallel equilibrium model bioconcentration strategy for 100-fold exposure range determined the internal body burden. Whole-body autoradiography and liquid scintillation techniques revealed the tissue distribution of PFOA. Remarkable levels of radioactivity were observed in target organs. The labeling of oocytes confirmed the maternal transfer of PFOA in zebrafish. In another study the effects of PFOA on reproduction and sexual development in zebrafish were evaluated. Reproductive traits like spawning, fecundity and fertilization were not altered in a short term experiment. The period of sexual differentiation in zebrafish was examined to determine the effects of PFOA on development, growth and gonad maturation. The development and growth of the zebrafish were not affected, but a trend in decreased survival in maternally exposed embryos was observed. The expression of Vtg mRNA level in the liver of PFOA-exposed male fish was not induced. Similarly, an inhibitory trend of PPARα mRNA expression in the liver of the highest PFOA exposed zebrafish was observed. The developmental toxicity ranking of PFAAs and kinetic assessment of PFOA with bioconcentration in zebrafish will provide an insight into risk assessment and replacement strategies of the compounds.
An Explanatory Item Response Theory Approach for a Computer-Based Case Simulation Test

Problem: Practitioners working with multiple-choice tests have long utilized Item Response Theory (IRT) models to evaluate the performance of test items for quality assurance. The use of similar applications for performance tests, however, is often encumbered due to the challenges encountered in working with complicated data sets in which local calibrations alone provide a poor model fit. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the item calibration process for a performance test, computer-based case simulations (CCS), taken from the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) Step 3® examination may be improved through explanatory IRT models. It was hypothesized that explanatory IRT may help improve data modeling for performance assessment tests by allowing important predictors to be added to a conventional IRT model, which are limited to item predictors alone. Methods: The responses of 767 examinees from a six-item CCS test were modeled using the Partial Credit Model (PCM) and four explanatory model extensions, each incorporating one predictor variable of interest. Predictor variables were the examinees’ gender, the order in which examinees encountered an individual item (item sequence), the time it took each examinee to respond to each item (response time), and examinees’ ability score on the multiple-choice part of the examination. Results: Results demonstrate a superior model fit for the explanatory PCM with examinee ability score from the multiple-choice portion of Step 3. Explanatory IRT model extensions might prove useful in complex performance assessment test settings where item calibrations are often problematic due to short tests and small samples. Recommendations: Findings of this study have great value in practice and implications for researchers working with small or complicated response data. Explanatory IRT methodology not only provides a way to improve data modeling for performance assessment tests but also enhances the
Engaging Survivors: Assessing ‘Testimony’ and ‘Trauma’ as Foundational Concepts

University of Michigan, Residential College, College of Literature, Science and the Arts, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1245, USA; Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies, York University, Kaneff Tower, 7th Floor, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3; Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies (VWI)/ Institute of Sociology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, A-1180 Wien, Höhnegasse 5/8, Hungary; State University of New York at Albany, 3616 Henry Hudson Parkway, Apt 4CN Bronx, NY 10463, USA; Yale University School of Medicine, 30 Ranch Road Woodbridge, CT 06525, USA; James Madison College and Michigan State University, 5555 White Ash Lane, Haslett, MI 48840, USA; CNRS UMR IRICE (Paris1 Pantheon Sorbonne), 130, rue du faubourg Poissonnière 75010 Paris, France
Psychosocial Health of an African Group before Awareness of HIV Status: A Comparative Study

This study aimed to explore the psychosocial health profiles of people with and without HIV before they learned their infection status. A total of 1,025 participants (males = 386, females = 639, age range = between 32 and 87, infected = 153) completed questionnaires on psychosocial well-being and were tested for HIV. Participants who were infected with HIV had a lower sense of coherence and a lower capacity to succeed in joint community activities than the participants infected with HIV. Some differences were detected between rural and urban areas. It is concluded that mental health and quality of life may be compromised in some ways even before HIV status is known and overt symptoms of infection noticed. Proactive interventions on community level to promote mental health and prevent problems are suggested focusing amongst others on coping skills, relationship building, and finding meaning and engagement in community activities.
Befriending the enemy: Outgroup friendship longitudinally predicts intergroup attitudes in a coexistence program for Israelis and Palestinians

One of the largest Middle East coexistence programs annually brings together Israeli and Palestinian teenagers for a 3-week camp in the United States. For 3 years, we longitudinally tracked how this intervention affected Israelis’ and Palestinians’ relationships with, and attitudes toward, each other. Specifically, we measured participants’ outgroup attitudes immediately before and after camp, and, for 2 years, 9 months following “reentry” to their home countries. In all 3 years, participants’ attitudes toward the outgroup improved from precamp to postcamp. Participants who formed an outgroup friendship during camp developed more positive feelings toward outgroup campers, which generalized to an increase in positivity toward all outgroup members. Although the positivity faded upon campers’ reentry, there was significant residual positivity after reentry compared to precamp. Finally, positivity toward the outgroup after reentry was also predicted by outgroup friendships. Future contact interventions may profit from encouraging individuals to make and maintain outgroup friendships.
Identifying Sensitive Data Items within Hadoop

Recent growth in big-data is raising security and privacy concerns. Organizations that collect data from various sources are at a risk of legal or business liabilities due to security breach and exposure of sensitive information. Only file-level access control is feasible in current Hadoop implementation and the sensitive information can only be identified manually or from the information provided by the data owner. The problem of identifying sensitive information manually gets complicated due to different types of data. When sensitive information is accessed by an unauthorized user or misused by an authorized person, they can compromise privacy. This paper is the first part of our intended access control framework for Hadoop and it automates the process of identifying sensitive data items manually. To identify such data items, the proposed framework harnesses data context, usage patterns and data provenance. In addition to this the proposed framework can also keep track of the data lineage.
The stellar content of soft X-ray surveys. II. Cross-correlation of the ROSAT All-Sky Survey with the Tycho and Hipparcos catalogs

We present the result of the cross-correlation of the ROSAT All-Sky Survey with the Tycho and Hipparcos catalogs. The constructed RASS Tycho (RasTyc) and RASS Hipparcos (RasHip) samples respectively consist of 13 875 and 6 200 matches and represent the largest and most comprehensive samples of stellar X-ray sources constructed so far. The X-ray horizon allows to probe distances up to about 200 pc for F G RasTyc RasHip stars younger than 100 Myr but only to 80 pc or less for older ones. The magnitude limit of the optical catalogs determine the horizon for K M RasTyc RasHip stars which are sampled only within about 50 pc (or less) of the Sun whatever their ages are. We compare the Hipparcos and RasHip HR-diagrams and discuss the differences. X-ray selection strengthens the Zero Age Main Sequence but evolved stars are detected as well. We compute detection rate, mean Fx/Fopt and X-ray luminosity with an unprecedented color bin resolution for on (between the Zero and Terminal Age Main Sequence i.e. class V) and off (above the Terminal Age Main Sequence i.e. class III) main sequence regions. Once corrected for Fx/Fopt bias, the detection rate is remarkably constant for G-M on main sequence stars but reveals a peak of detection for F-type stars. Detection rate in the A-type stars region is compatible with those computed for F-M stars, as expected if a late type companion is responsible for the X-ray emission. High mass stars evolving along the post-main sequence evolutionary tracks are clearly detected in the main sequence turnoff and blue part of the “clump” while no significant detection arises on the cool side. Theoretical considerations naturally explain these observations. We address the question of the presence of very young stars in the solar neighborhood and derive an upper limit on the number of “possible” isolated pre-main sequence stars in the RasTyc-RasHip samples. Finally we discuss briefly the pending questions for which the RasTyc and RasHip samples are likely to give new insight.
Classification of speech and language profiles in 4-year-old children with cerebral palsy: a prospective preliminary study.

PURPOSE In this study, the authors proposed and tested a preliminary speech and language classification system for children with cerebral palsy. METHOD Speech and language assessment data were collected in a laboratory setting from 34 children with cerebral palsy (CP; 18 male, 16 female) with a mean age of 54 months (SD = 1.8). Measures of interest were vowel area, speech rate, language comprehension scores, and speech intelligibility ratings. RESULTS Canonical discriminant function analysis showed that 3 functions accounted for 100% of the variance among profile groups, with speech variables accounting for 93% of the variance. Classification agreement varied from 74% to 97% based on 4 different classification paradigms. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study provide preliminary support for the classification of speech and language abilities of children with CP into 4 initial profile groups. Further research is necessary to validate the full classification system.
Value Adaptation Among Intra-European Migrants

This article challenges the common assumption that basic human values remain stable during the lifetime of an individual. It demonstrates that migrants’ values are highly likely to change after emigrating to a new country. Using cross-sectional data, we estimated the link between individual values of intra-European migrants and country of birth and residence, as well as values that are common there. Values were measured by Schwartz’s questionnaire as well as Inglehart’s Self-Expression items. Cross-classified multilevel regression models were applied to the sample of migrants, selected from five rounds of the European Social Survey. The results demonstrated the significance of both the country of residence and the country of birth as well as values, which are common in these countries. Surprisingly, the association of migrants’ values with the country of residence appeared to be higher than the one of country of birth. Furthermore, migrants’ values better correspond to values that are common in the country of residence than values widespread in the country of birth. Assuming that value-based self-selection of migrants is negligible, the results support the idea that basic values are subject to change over an individual life span and not only during one’s formative years.
Measuring the Long‐Term Impact of a Community Conflict Resolution Process: A Case Study Using Content Analysis of Public Documents

What are the enduring effects of community-based conflict resolution processes? According to the research reported here, lessons participants learn in conflict resolution processes disseminate to their communities; secondly, such dissemination can be measured by content analysis of participants' constituent organization newsletters. The authors illustrate their findings with a case study of the New Community Meeting conflict resolution model (NCM), implemented 1997-98 in an Oregon community to address business-environmental conflict over growth and sustainable development. Content analysis of business and environmental newsletters over 21 months, including before and after NCM, shows increasing positive and decreasing negative references to former adversaries over the period, together with advocacy for collaboration. The authors frame this study using social exchange theory, and conclude that this theoretical paradigm fits conflict resolution and consensus-building processes well.
Workplace flexibility and control in temporary agency work

This article explores workers’ experiences of flexibility, control, and autonomy in organisations with extensive contracting of staff from temporary work agencies (TWAs). The starting point for this article is in theoretical perspectives on workplace flexibility and organisational control practices. I argue that workers’ opportunities to control and have autonomy over their work and accomplish workplace flexibility are interconnected with the controlling practices that are present in their everyday working life. In organisations with extensive hiring of temporary agency workers (TAWs), this is complicated further, as workers from different organisations, with different management strategies, are working together at the same work site. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with TAWs and regular employees in three user firms with extensive contracting of TAWs. A questionnaire was also completed by them. The results show that there are few opportunities for either TAWs or regular staff to achieve workplace flexibility in terms of making choices about where, when, and for how long they are going to work. The findings contradict assumptions that formal differences between the employment conditions of regulars and agency workers affect their opportunities for workplace flexibility. Similar technical control systems were used in the user firms despite differences between assembly line production and customer support. Despite these similarities in the opportunities for flexibility for both groups of workers, the findings showed some differences between TAWs’ and regulars’ everyday experiences of flexibility and control. The findings showed how close surveillance by technological systems was intertwined with a normative control, which means the awareness among TAWs of their replaceable position implicates anxiety about the consequences of absence from work. As a consequence of their vulnerable position, TAWs were striving to prove themselves to be competent to both the user firms and the agency. This highlights the dualistic controlling practices that TAWs are subjected to by user firms as well as the agency in their everyday work. This constitutes an effective and powerful system of organisational control.
Structural effects on inter-unit knowledge sharing: The role of coordination under different knowledge sharing needs

This paper aims to develop an analytical model of the effects of organisation structure on the sharing of knowledge within organisations. The importance of such effects has been identified in a number of different studies which have stressed the difficulty of sharing knowledge across internal organisational We draw on a review of the existing literature to analyse the interplay between structure and knowledge sharing. Three major perspectives are identified which reflect different epistemological assumptions and disciplinary perspectives; business strategy (Cohen Wenger, 1991) perspectives. These identify several structural effects on knowledge sharing, including; the impact of knowledge specialisation and absorptive capacity; the distribution of inter-personal networks; the distributed nature of participation in the work process. We draw on these existing perspectives to develop a synthetic model of the interplay between knowledge sharing and structure. Knowledge sharing is defined as a reciprocal process of understanding, influence and exchange which is embedded in the activities of the organisation. The interplay between structure and knowledge sharing is thus defined in terms of the relative interdependencies between people resulting from the differentiation and coordination of organizational produce important effects (opportunities and constraints) on knowledge sharing. These effects are analysed using a classification of integration mechanisms between units based on the two dimensions of formal-informal coordination and personal-impersonal coordination. This analysis produces a typology of integration based on four modal forms; norms, systems, informal networks and formal networks. Norms refer to the existence of common knowledge, mental models and shared identity. The systems mode is formed by procedures and processes. The third modal form relies on personal networking, while formal networks, e.g. teams and liaisons, are enabling the formal (official) relationships between units. Our analysis highlights the characteristics of each of these modal forms in terms of the amount of knowledge, complexity of knowledge and flexibility in the knowledge that can be shared. We observe that each modal form is associated with distinctive constraints for particular kinds of knowledge needs (Hansen, 1999). Some modes, such as informal networks and norms are able to deal with the need for sharing complex knowledge but do not allow enough flexibility in the knowledge sharing possibilities. 3 1. Introduction.
Guided socialbots: Infiltrating the social networks of specific organizations' employees

A dimension of the Internet that has gained great popularity in recent years is the platform of online social networks (OSNs). Users all over the world write, share, and publish personal information about themselves, their friends, and their workplaces within this platform of communication. In this study we demonstrate the relative ease of creating malicious socialbots that act as social network “friends”, resulting in OSN users unknowingly exposing potentially harmful information about themselves and their places of employment. We present an algorithm for infiltrating specific OSN users who are employees of targeted organizations, using the topologies of organizational social networks and utilizing socialbots to gain access to these networks. We focus on two well-known OSNs – Facebook and Xing – to evaluate our suggested method for infiltrating key-role employees in targeted organizations. The results obtained demonstrate how adversaries can infiltrate social networks to gain access to valuable, private information regarding employees and their organizations.
Overnight Sleep Enhances Hippocampus-Dependent Aspects of Spatial Memory.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Several studies have now demonstrated that spatial information is processed during sleep, and that posttraining sleep is beneficial for human navigation. However, it remains unclear whether the effects of sleep are primarily due to consolidation of cognitive maps, or alternatively, whether sleep might also affect nonhippocampal aspects of navigation (e.g., speed of motion) involved in moving through a virtual environment. DESIGN Participants were trained on a virtual maze navigation task (VMT) and then given a memory test following either a day of wakefulness or a night of sleep. Subjects reported to the laboratory for training at either 10:00am or 10:00pm, depending on randomly assigned condition, and were tested 11 h later. Overnight subjects slept in the laboratory with polysomnography. SETTING A hospital-based academic sleep laboratory. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS Thirty healthy college student volunteers. INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Point-by-point position data were collected from the VMT. Analysis of the movement data revealed a sleep-dependent improvement in maze completion time (P < 0.001) due to improved spatial understanding of the maze layout, which led to a shortening of path from start to finish (P = 0.01) rather than faster exploration speed through the maze (P = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS We found that overnight sleep benefitted performance, not because subjects moved faster through the maze, but because they were more accurate in navigating to the goal. These findings suggest that sleep enhances participants' knowledge of the spatial layout of the maze, contributing to the consolidation of hippocampus-dependent spatial information. CITATION Nguyen ND; Tucker MA; Stickgold R; Wamsley EJ. Overnight sleep enhances hippocampus-dependent aspects of spatial memory. SLEEP 2013;36(7):1051-1057.
Integrating the Security Aspect into Design Space Exploration of Embedded Systems

Conventionally, the process of design space exploration (DSE) in embedded system design considers performance, energy and cost as important objectives for optimization. However, in many domains such as in modern day cars the security aspect is becoming more and more significant. On the other hand, the inclusion of security aspect adds a new dimension to the existing complexity of large design spaces, thus an automated support for this is highly desired. The goal of this work is to integrate the security constraint in an automated DSE process to obtain an architecture which is both cost-optimized and secure. In specific, for a given system, our approach defines a formal notion of security, which along with other parameters is fed as an input to the DSE process to obtain an architecture satisfying the defined security and real-time requirements. An evaluation of the proposed approach is also performed using an example automotive embedded system.