Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SOCIOLOGICAL RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY

Although rational choice theory has made considerable advances in other social sciences, its progress in sociology has been limited. Some sociologists' reservations about rational choice arise from a misunderstanding of the theory. The first part of this essay therefore introduces rational choice as a general theoretical perspective, or family of theories, which explains social outcomes by constructing models of individual action and social context. “Thin” models of individual action are mute about actors' motivations, while “thick” models specify them ex ante. Other sociologists' reservations, however, stem from doubts about the empirical adequacy of rational choice explanations. To this end, the bulk of the essay reviews a sample of recent studies that provide empirical support for particular rational choice explanations in a broad spectrum of substantive areas in sociology. Particular attention is paid to studies on the family, gender, and religion, for these subareas often are considered least amenabl.
Cluster scaling relations from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations in a dark-energy dominated universe

Context. Clusters are potentially powerful tools for cosmology provided their observed properties, such as the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) or X-ray signals, can be translated into physical quantities like mass and temperature. Scaling relations are the appropriate means to perform this translation. It is, therefore, important to understand their evolution and their modifications with respect to the physics and to the underlying cosmology. Aims. In this spirit, we investigate the effect of dark energy on the X-ray and SZ scaling relations. The study is based on the first hydro-simulations of cluster formation for diferent models of dark energy. We present results for four dark-energy models which differ from each other by their equations-of-state parameter, w . Namely, we use a cosmological constant model $w=-1$ (as a reference), a perfect fluid with constant equation of state parameter $w=-0.8$ and one with $w = -1.2$ and a scalar field model (or quintessence) with varying w . Methods. We generate N -body/hydrodynamic simulations that include radiative cooling with the public version of the Hydra code, modified to consider an arbitrary dark-energy component. We produce cluster catalogues for the four models and derive the associated X-ray and SZ scaling relations. Results. We find that dark energy has little effect on scaling laws, making it safe to use the standard Λ CDM scalings for conversion of observed quantities into cluster temperatures and masses.
MOQL: A Multimedia Object Query Language

We describe a general multimedia query language, called MOQL, based on ODMG's Object Query Language (OQL). In contrast to previous multimedia query languages that are either designed for one particular medium (e.g. images) or specialized for a particular application (e.g., medical imaging), MOQL is general in its treatment of multiple media and di erent applications. The language includes constructs to capture the temporal and spatial relationships in multimedia data as well as functions for query presentation. We illustrate the language features by query examples. The language is implemented for a multimedia database built on top of ObjectStore.
Suppression of switching frequency variation for current sensor-less hysteretic current mode switching supply

This paper presents a suppression method of the switching frequency variation for a hysteretic current mode converter without detecting the inductor current. The renewable energy is difficult to keep the constant output because it is influenced climate change etc. It is need to add the charging system in order to keep the power supply and demand balance. The ac-dc converter is used in the wind power plants which generate the ac output in order to charge the energy to the charging system. The continuous current mode PFC (power factor correction) is controlled in the average current mode, peak current mode and hysteretic current mode. In the hysteretic current mode PFC the switching frequency variates if the circuit conditions are changed. It makes hard to design EMI filter. The continuous current mode PFC is necessary to detect the inductor current. The current detection resistor is a cause of loss. In the proposed method, the ripple of the inductor current is changed by detecting the circuit condition using the digital control. The inductor current is predicted by solving the equations derived from the circuit analysis of main circuit. The converter is operated in the hysteretic current mode using the predicted inductor current. This prediction needs to detect only the input and output voltage. It is able to eliminate current detection and reduce the power loss by current detection resistor. As a result, the proposed method is able to suppress the variation of the switching frequency respect to change in the circuit conditions and kept to operate in the hysteretic current mode without current detection.
Association Between Nonparenting Adult’s Attachment Patterns and Brain Structure and Function

Nursing has a long history of attending to the importance of early attachment experiences to later development. Attachment strategies formed in infancy and early childhood can have lifelong effects on an individual’s behavior and health. Advances in neuroimaging technology allow us to understand how these early experiences map onto the structure and function of the brain and ultimately behavior and health. Previous reviews have discussed the findings of studies observing correlations between attachment strategy and neural function and structure in romantic partners and parents, but far less has been said about nonparenting adults. This article reviews the relationship between attachment strategies developed in childhood and brain structure and function in nonparenting adults. A total of 14 studies met inclusion criteria. Results showed adult attachment patterns of nonparenting adults are pervasively correlated with brain structure and function, with most associations observed in executive regions, followed by affective and reward processing. Notably, no studies found associations between attachment pattern and stress response, in contrast with studies of mothers. These brain regions are linked to the many behavioral, mood and substance abuse disorders observed in adults with insecure attachment patterns. Nurses can use these findings to help prevent, assess and address these health risks in nonparenting adults, as well as provide the brain-based evidence to support the utility of nursing interventions designed to further promote healthy parent–child relationships and secure parent–child attachment.
Magnitude estimation of disfluency by stutterers and nonstutterers

Everyone produces disfluencies when they speak spontaneously. However, whereas most disfluencies pass unnoticed, the repetitions, blocks and prolongations produced by stutterers can have a severely disruptive effect on communication. The causes of stuttering have proven hard to pin down - researchers differ widely in their views on the cognitive mechanisms that underlie it. The present chapter presents initial research which supports a view (Vasic and Wijnen, this volume) that places the emphasis firmly on the self-monitoring system, suggesting that stuttering may be a consequence of over-sensitivity to the types of minor speech error that we all make. Our study also allows us to ask whether the speech of people who stutter is perceived as qualitatively different from that of nonstutterers, when it is fluent and when it contains similar types of minor disfluencies. Our results suggest that for closely matched, naturally occurring segments of speech, listeners rate the speech of stutterers as more disfluent than that of nonstutterers.
Protein Kinase C Beta in the Tumor Microenvironment Promotes Mammary Tumorigenesis

Protein kinase C beta (PKCβ) expression in breast cancer is associated with a more aggressive tumor phenotype, yet the mechanism for how PKCβ is pro-tumorigenic in this disease is still unclear. Interestingly, while it is known that PKCβ mediates angiogenesis, immunity, fibroblast function and adipogenesis, all components of the mammary tumor microenvironment (TME), no study to date has investigated whether stromal PKCβ is functionally relevant in breast cancer. Herein, we evaluate mouse mammary tumor virus–polyoma middle T-antigen (MMTV–PyMT) induced mammary tumorigenesis in the presence and absence of PKCβ. We utilize two model systems: one where PKCβ is deleted in both the epithelial and stromal compartments to test the global requirement for PKCβ on tumor formation, and second, where PKCβ is deleted only in the stromal compartment to test its role in the TME. MMTV–PyMT mice globally lacking PKCβ live longer and develop smaller tumors with decreased proliferation and decreased macrophage infiltration. Similarly, when PKCβ is null exclusively in the stroma, PyMT-driven B6 cells form smaller tumors with diminished collagen deposition. These experiments reveal for the first time a tumor promoting role for stromal PKCβ in MMTV–PyMT tumorigenesis. In corroboration with these results, PKCβ mRNA (Prkcb) is increased in fibroblasts isolated from MMTV–PyMT tumors. These data were confirmed in a breast cancer patient cohort. Combined these data suggest the continued investigation of PKCβ in the mammary TME is necessary to elucidate how to effectively target this signaling pathway in breast cancer.
Cortical network for vibrotactile attention: A fMRI study

We used fMRI to identify brain areas activated during tactile attention tasks. Participants detected the interval containing target stimulation of higher vibrotactile frequency or longer duration. Attributes were selectively or neutrally cued. A control backwards‐counting task included concurrent, but irrelevant corresponding vibrotactile stimulation. Group analyses of average F‐statistic maps, participant conjunction maps, and estimated time courses utilized data mapped to a standard average surface atlas (PALS B12). Repeated‐measures, random‐effects MANOVA examined blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) signal modulation differences amongst tasks in defined regions, where significant responses occurred in at least 50% of the group. Greater than 0.1% increase in BOLD responses were found during at least one of the tactile attention tasks in contralateral parietal opercular OP1, BA 4 finger region, frontal eye field, dorsal premotor, anterior and posterior BA 7, and bilaterally in superior temporal sulcal cortex (BA 22), ventral premotor, supplementary motor area, and frontal operculum/insula. The same tasks suppressed activity in ipsilateral OP4. The BA 22 ROI showed larger responses during neutral cuing. The control task suppressed BOLD in ipsilateral OP1 and OP4 and bilaterally in BA 40, but significantly enhanced responses in dorsal parietal–frontal regions compared with tactile attention tasks. No regional differences were found between selectively cued frequency and duration tasks. Tactile attention effects were most prominent in OP1. Posterior parietal responses possibly reflected the visual attention required for backwards‐counting, whereas the frontal regions potentially related to goal‐directed behavior when identifying target stimulation. Hum Brain Mapp 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Turgid female toads give males the slip: a new mechanism of female mate choice in the Anura

In many anuran species, males vocalize to attract females but will grasp any female that comes within reach and retain their hold unless displaced by a rival male. Thus, female anurans may face strong selection to repel unwanted suitors, but no mechanism is known for doing so. We suggest that a defensive trait (the ability to inflate the body to ward off attack) has been co-opted for this role: by inflating their bodies, females are more difficult for males to grasp and hence, it is easier for another male to displace an already amplexed rival. Inflating a model female cane toad (Bufo marinus) strongly reduced a male's ability to maintain amplexus; and females who were experimentally prevented from inflating their bodies experienced no successful takeovers from rival males, in contrast to control females. Thus, the ability of a female cane toad to inflate her body may allow her to manipulate the outcome of male–male competition. This overlooked mechanism of anuran mate choice may reflect a common evolutionary pattern, whereby females co-opt defensive traits for use in sexual selection.
Fundamental Elements for Successful Performance of CT Colonography (Virtual Colonoscopy)

There are many factors affecting the successful performance of CT colonography (CTC). Adequate colonic cleansing and distention, the optimal CT technique and interpretation with using the newest CTC software by a trained reader will help ensure high accuracy for lesion detection. Fecal and fluid tagging may improve the diagnostic accuracy and allow for reduced bowel preparation. Automated carbon dioxide insufflation is more efficient and may be safer for colonic distention as compared to manual room air insufflation. CT scanning should use thin collimation of ≤3 mm with a reconstruction interval of ≤1.5 mm and a low radiation dose. There is not any one correct method for the interpretation of CTC; therefore, readers should be well-versed with both the primary 3D and 2D reviews. Polyps detected at CTC should be measured accurately and reported following the "polyp size-based" patient management system. The time-intensive nature of CTC and the limited resources for training radiologists appear to be the major barriers for implementing CTC in Korea.
Verification of a model-based diagnosis system for on-line detection of the moisture content of power transformer insulations using finite element calculations

It is a well known fact that the moisture content of a power transformer insulation system is a key parameter for the estimation of its aging condition and operation reliability. Therefore, detection of the moisture content is a very essential task within power transformer diagnostics. While conventional methods for estimation of the water content of the insulation system require a transformer shutdown of several hours, the proposed method calculates the profiles of water concentration in the cellulosic part of the insulation system, as well as the concentration of water in transformer oil from operational parameters. An one-dimensional model for the moisture diffusion in paper estimates the temperature dependent moisture distributions in the paper. It includes temperature dependent diffusion coefficients and acts as a non-linear control loop for the water concentration in transformer oil. Beside experimental work, two-dimensional finite element (FE) calculations of the temperature dependent water concentration distribution in the transformer insulation system have been performed for model verification. The calculations are based on an opensource Whitney-Element solver. The computed results show the validity of the diffusion model and give important guidelines for the required complexity of thermal models.
A portable system for simultaneous acquisition of ECG and PCG in real time

Cardiac malfunctioning is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity today. ECG (Electrocardiogram) and Phonocardiogram, are the two major ways to diagnose the cardiac pathology. ECG can find out defects related to heart electrical activity, Phonocardiogram can find out acoustic information in blood flowing pathway. So, a real time integrated ECG & Phonocardiogram system will give more information about heart. This paper discusses the development of an electronic system that records both electrical activity and heart sounds for better diagnosis of heart pathology. Heart sounds were obtained using a condenser microphone (acted as a transducer) insulated from its surroundings and electrical signals were obtained using surface electrodes. The heart sounds and ECG signals have been amplified and filtered independently of each other. Data acquisition system sends the signals with baud rate of 19200 to the PC. A MATLAB program is written to plot amplitude and powerspectral on a time and frequency varying scale respectively. Further analysis is underway to extract more information from this low cost integrative ECG and Phonocardiogram system. In future this system could be used for telemedicine purpose.
Postwar Period Changes in Employment Volatility: New Evidence from State/Industry Panel Data

Many recent studies have identified a decline in the volatility of U.S. real output over the last half century. This study examines a less discussed and analyzed trend, but one as significant as the drop in output volatility, namely a substantial decline in employment volatility during the postwar period. Using a new panel data set covering industry employment by state since 1952, the authors find that a large decline in employment growth volatility began in the early 1950s and largely ended by the mid- to late 1960s. This study also illuminates the geographical dimension of the declines, an aspect that has heretofore been unexamined. The data indicate that all states have shared in the volatility decline, although the magnitudes have differed. ; A pooled cross-section/time-series model indicates that fluctuations in tate specific (state level differences in demographic and industrial composition) and macro variables (e.g., changes in monetary policy regimes) have each played a potentially substantial role in explaining volatility trends. The authors find that state-specific forces account for between 1 percent and 24 percent of the variations in employment volatility across time and space. Macro variables account for between 30 percent and 76 percent of the movements in employment volatility, a range broadly consistent with the findings of Stock and Watson (2002). An important finding of this study is that "unknown forms of good luck," in the form of smaller shocks to employment, account for between 1 percent and 10 percent of the observed fluctuations. This latter finding suggests a reduced role for unknown forms of good luck in describing the postwar decline in volatility compared to the findings in Stock and Watson's (2002) analysis of the variance of real output growth.
An Application of Detecting Plagiarism using Dynamic Incremental Comparison Method

At present, a lot of information that is provided online is actually being plagiarized or illegally copied. Specifically, it is very tricky to identify some plagiarism from tremendous amount of information because the original sentences can be simply restructured or replaced with similar words, which would make them look different from original sentences. This means that managing and protecting the knowledge start to be regarded as important, though it is important to create the knowledge through the investment and efforts. This dissertation tries to suggest new method and theory that would be instrumental in effectively detecting any infringement on and plagiarism of intellectual property of others. Dynamic incremental comparison method, a method which was developed by this research to detect plagiarism of document, focuses on realizing a system that can detect plagiarized documents and parts efficiently, accurately and immediately by creating positive and various detectors
Recommending process improvement package using direct and indirect relationships of activities

Software process improvement (SPI) has been widely practiced in various domains. SPI uses a process reference model (e.g., CMMI) for planning improvement actions by identifying weaknesses and strengths of the current exercise. Identified findings are analyzed for their relationships to increase the synergy of improvement actions. However, the current practice is monotonic focusing on the identification of weaknesses and strengths. In this work, we present a CMMI-based recommendation method for analyzing correlations of assessment findings. In the model, we define a process correlation model capturing relationships of practices in CMMI. The model is then used for inferring relationships of given findings where findings are viewed as instances of CMMI practices. We take into account both direct and indirect relationships and analyze the precision and recall of the correlation model by different levels of relationship depth. We evaluate the method using industrial data and the results show the potential of the method.
Spectrum of the product of independent random Gaussian matrices.

We show that the eigenvalue density of a product X=X1X2.XM of M independent NxN Gaussian random matrices in the limit N-->infinity is rotationally symmetric in the complex plane and is given by a simple expression rho(z,z)=1/Mpisigma(-2/M)|z|(-2+(2/M)) for |z|<or=sigma, and is zero for |z|>sigma. The parameter sigma corresponds to the radius of the circular support and is related to the amplitude of the Gaussian fluctuations. This form of the eigenvalue density is highly universal. It is identical for products of Gaussian Hermitian, non-Hermitian, and real or complex random matrices. It does not change even if the matrices in the product are taken from different Gaussian ensembles. We present a self-contained derivation of this result using a planar diagrammatic technique. Additionally, we conjecture that this distribution also holds for any matrices whose elements are independent centered random variables with a finite variance or even more generally for matrices which fulfill Pastur-Lindeberg's condition. We provide a numerical evidence supporting this conjecture.
Nonlinear set-membership identification and fault detection using a Bayesian framework: Application to the wind turbine benchmark

This paper deals with the problem of nonlinear set-membership identification and fault detection using a Bayesian framework. The paper presents how the set-membership model estimation can be reformulated from a Bayesian viewpoint in order to determine the feasible parameter set and, in a posterior fault detection stage, to check the consistency between the model and the data. The paper shows that the Bayesian approach, assuming uniform distributed measurement noise and flat model prior probability distribution, leads to the same feasible parameter set as the set-membership technique. To illustrate this point a comparison with the subpavings approach is included. Finally, by means of the application to the wind turbine benchmark problem, it is shown how the Bayesian fault detection test works successfully.
Meeting report: discussions and preliminary findings on extracellular RNA measurement methods from laboratories in the NIH Extracellular RNA Communication Consortium

Extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) have been identified in all tested biofluids and have been associated with a variety of extracellular vesicles, ribonucleoprotein complexes and lipoprotein complexes. Much of the interest in exRNAs lies in the fact that they may serve as signalling molecules between cells, their potential to serve as biomarkers for prediction and diagnosis of disease and the possibility that exRNAs or the extracellular particles that carry them might be used for therapeutic purposes. Among the most significant bottlenecks to progress in this field is the lack of robust and standardized methods for collection and processing of biofluids, separation of different types of exRNA-containing particles and isolation and analysis of exRNAs. The Sample and Assay Standards Working Group of the Extracellular RNA Communication Consortium is a group of laboratories funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health to develop such methods. In our first joint endeavour, we held a series of conference calls and in-person meetings to survey the methods used among our members, placed them in the context of the current literature and used our findings to identify areas in which the identification of robust methodologies would promote rapid advancements in the exRNA field.