Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Step-Father Effect in Child Abuse: Comparing Discriminative Parental Solicitude and Antisociality

Objective: The greater risk of abusing a step-child than a genetically related child has been attributed to discriminative parental solicitude. We tested whether it is better explained by antisociality, whereby more antisocial fathers are more likely both to have step-children and to be generally more violent. Method: We studied police reports of assaults on children by 387 domestically violent men who had a minor child, and their bivariate association with genetic relatedness, offender antisociality, and opportunity to assault step-children. In the subsample of 118 men with the opportunity to assault both step and genetically related children, we tested whether fathers were more likely to assault step-children, overall and among more antisocial men. Results: Number of step-children was associated with both child abuse and 2 of 3 measures of antisociality. When opportunity was controlled, fathers showed evidence of discriminative parental solicitude, being twice as likely to assault step-children as genetically related children. This step-father effect was observed at all levels of antisociality. Conclusion: Antisociality alone cannot explain the step-father effect. Discriminative parental solicitude remains a viable explanation for the step-father effect observed in this study. Research is needed to explore more proximal causes of the step-father effect.
Responsible programming

W ELCOME TO " CERF'S UP! " I am grateful for Editor-in-Chief Moshe Vardi's invitation to continue writing for Communications ; this column succeeds the " From the President " column I penned during my service to ACM in that role. Let me congratulate Alex Wolf, the newly elected ACM president. I know he will give exemplary service to our organization. Congratulations also go to Vicki Hanson and Erik Altman in their new roles as vice president and secretary/ treasurer respectively. I know this team will provide first-rate leadership. I also thank Alain Chenais, who ends his term as Past President and I begin mine. He has been a staunch, reliable, and active leader in ACM matters and I expect this will continue. There are many others elected to new positions or moving on as their terms in office end. I thank them all without enumeration, and commend them to your attention. Lastly, allow me to note the enormous contributions of the ACM staff and, especially , the leadership of John White, CEO, and Pat Ryan, COO of ACM. They have accumulated a truly enviable record of steadfast leadership spanning the terms of many elected ACM officers. Now to the substance of this column: responsible programming. What do I mean by that? In a nutshell, I think it means people who write software should have a clear sense of responsibility for its reliable operation and resistance to compromise and error. We do not seem to know how to write software that has no bugs…at least, not yet. But that, in a sense, is the very subject I want to explore. My very good friend, Steve Crocker, drew me into a conversation about this topic a short while ago. As a graduate student , he had pursued a dissertation on provable correctness of programs. While this is not a new topic, the objective continues to elude us. We have developed related tactics for trying to minimize errors. Model checking is one good example of a systematic effort to improve reliability for which ACM gave the Turing Award in 2007 to Edmund Clarke, Allen Emerson, and Joseph Sifakis. What is apparent, and emphasized by Crocker, is the tools available to programmers for validating assertions about program operation are complex, with user interfaces only a mother could love (my characterization). Formal proofs are difficult, especially for anything but the simplest sort of program. …
Link assessment in an indoor 802.11 network

This paper presents the empirical results and analysis of a link variability study for an indoor, stationary 802.11 network subject to external interference. The objective is to characterize the relationships between the packet loss rate on a link and the transmitter-receiver distance, the SNR as reported by the 802.11 card, and time. Experimental results confirm that distance is not predictive of link reliability. Furthermore, attempting to estimate the packet loss rate by counting missing packets can lead to large estimation errors and latency for estimation parameters of practical interest. We find, however, that the SNR measurements reported by today's 802.11 cards can, under certain circumstances, be reliably predictive of the packet loss rate. These results suggest that SNR-based link assessment can provide for more rapid and accurate measurement of link reliability, but they point to the need for improved SNR measurements and models to adequately predict link quality in environments with significant external interference
Reduced glutamate uptake by retinal glial cells under ischemic/hypoxic conditions

The high-affinity uptake of glutamate by glial cells and neurons of the central nervous system, including the retina, serves to inactivate synaptically released glutamate and maintains glutamate at low concentrations in the extracellular space. This uptake prevents accumulation of glutamate extracellularly and thus minimizes the possibility of glutamate neurotoxicity secondary to ischemic insult. One mechanism whereby glutamate neurotoxicity may occur in ischemic/hypoxic insult is through increased extracellular K+ reversing the electrogenic glutamate uptake into retinal glial (Müller) cells. We investigated glial uptake of the amino acids glutamate, GABA, and D-aspartate in the intact isolated rat retina under high extracellular K+ conditions and under conditions simulating ischemia. Immunocytochemical findings showed that uptake of glutamate and GABA by Müller cells in the intact isolated rat retina continues under conditions simulating ischemia and high extracellular K+ conditions, and uptake of D-aspartate also continues under high K+ conditions. However, under high K+ conditions, the glutamate uptake system saturates at a lower concentration of exogenous glutamate than in the normal K+ condition. These findings provide evidence that disruption of glutamate uptake by Müller cells is likely to be a significant contributing factor to excess glutamate accumulation in the extracellular space which can lead to neurotoxicity.
Construction and Action in Food Evaluation

This study engages both social psychological research on “attitudes” and discursive work on “evaluative practices. ” Methodological constraints in both of these fields have resulted in a relative lack of attention to everyday interaction. By using conversational data, the current study extends discursive research and highlights the constructive and constructed nature of food evaluations. Family mealtimes were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using discursive and conversational analytic procedures. Direct evaluative expressions such as “like” and “nice” were examined in terms of their construction and placement in the talk. The rhetorical organization of these expressions highlighted the extent to which food evaluations are oriented to actions such as accounts, compliments, and offers of food. Examples of these activities are discussed in relation to the interactional construction of evaluations. Implications of the study for the fields of food preferences and health promotion are also addressed.
Geometry-Information-Aided Efficient Radial Velocity Estimation for Moving Target Imaging and Location Based on Radon Transform

Real-time radial velocity estimation is a key challenge for moving target imaging and location in current single-antenna synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-ground moving target indication systems. Since the conventional methods suffer from ambiguity, complexity realization, or heavy computation load for fast moving target motion estimation, this paper emphasizes the estimation efficiency by simple realization. An efficient Radon transform (RT) estimation is proposed to estimate the radial velocity of fast moving target by utilizing the geometry information, and much more geometry information is exploited to realize clutter cancellation, noise cancellation, and estimation error minimizing in the RT domain, which is not proposed by the others. With only two to four angles used to calculate rather than search for the radial velocity of moving targets, the proposed methods simplify the conventional range and angle (2-D) searching procedure into several time range (1-D) searching procedure efficiently. The theoretical and experimental analysis provides qualitative and quantitative evaluations into the effectiveness of the proposed methods. In the single-antenna SAR system, the proposed methods can estimate the radial velocity of fast moving target efficiently and accurately in high signal to clutter plus noise ratio scenarios.
Statistical Reasoning - A Foundation for Semantic Web Reasoning

There has been considerable debate as to the merits and the applicability of probabilistic or statistical reasoning to Semantic Web. Much of this debate seems to have centered on the applicability of statistical methods in a supposedly deterministic setting. In this paper, we argue that statistical reasoning (“reasoning with uncertainty”) need not be a substitute for traditional Description Logic (DL) / First-Order Logic (FOL) reasoning, instead statistical methods can serve as a complement to logic-based reasoning systems in two ways: (i) Offer a meta-reasoning (or audit) mechanism to validate logical reasoning, and (ii) Act as a “filler” where Ontological information either does not exist, or is insufficient to reason conclusively.
APPLYING NEPALI ETHNOPSYCHOLOGY TO PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND PREVENTION OF SUICIDE AMONG BHUTANESE REFUGEES

Addressing mental health needs of 100,000 ethnic Nepali Bhutanese refugees relocated from Nepal is a new challenge for mental health clinicians in the receiving countries. A limitation of current services is the lack of knowledge about cultural understandings of mental health. Ethnopsychology is the study of emotions, suffering, the self, and social relationships from a cultural perspective. Nepali ethnopsychology can be used to develop and adapt mental health interventions for refugees. We discuss applying ethnopsychology to provide safe and effective mental healthcare for Bhutanese refugees, including cultural adaptation of cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. Psychological interventions are proposed for the high rates of suicide among Bhutanese refugees. The contribution of ethnopsychology to applied anthropology and the growing field of neuroanthropology are discussed.
A Regime-Switching Model of Long-Term Stock Returns

Abstract In this paper I first define the regime-switching lognormal model. Monthly data from the Standard and Poor’s 500 and the Toronto Stock Exchange 300 indices are used to fit the model parameters, using maximum likelihood estimation. The fit of the regime-switching model to the data is compared with other common econometric models, including the generalized autoregressive conditionally heteroskedastic model. The distribution function of the regime-switching model is derived. Prices of European options using the regime-switching model are derived and implied volatilities explored. Finally, an example of the application of the model to maturity guarantees under equity-linked insurance is presented. Equations for quantile and conditional tail expectation (Tail-VaR) risk measures are derived, and a numerical example compares the regime-switching lognormal model results with those using the more traditional lognormal stock return model.
Cognitive and neural prerequisites for time in language: Any answers?

In the position article to this volume, Klein outlines a set of questions that are relevant for furthering the linguist’s understanding of what the cognitive and neural prerequisites for time in language might be. He also declares a certain skepticism regarding the likelihood that new methods from other disciplines will provide answers to those questions. The articles in this issue, a selection of state-of-the-art findings concerning time from different disciplines and theoretical frameworks, all address some aspects of those questions. This overview attempts to assess to what extent the questions asked by Klein in his opening statement have been answered by contributions from other disciplines. As a preamble, a general observation is that there is an inherent ambiguity in the notion of “time in language. ” The relationship between time and language is twofold. On the one hand, language production and comprehension occur over time and the processes involved have to be temporally orchestrated. The temporal planning skills required for this complex task may be absent at the beginning of language acquisition (cf. McCormack & Hoerl, this issue) or may become impaired in later acquired language impairments (cf. Wearden, this issue; Kolk, this issue). On the other hand, language refers to time in a variety of ways, as evidenced in the catalogues of linguistic means for expressing temporality and aspect (cf. Klein, this issue; Evans, this issue). These two perspectives can interact, as seen in Kolk’s example of how impaired memory
Enhancing the quality of argument in school science

This article makes a case for why teaching about ‘ideas and evidence’ requires more attention t o the teaching of argument in school science. Based on research work at Kings’ College London conducted with local teachers, it outline s various practical methods and strategies b y which this might be achieved. The difficulties and obstacles are also explored. Why argument ? Contemporary science impinges directly upon man y aspects of people’s lives. Individuals and societies have to make personal and ethical decisions about a range of s ocio-scientific issues, such as genetic engineering, reproductive technologies and food safety, based on information available through the press and other media. Often accounts of ne w developments in s cience report contested claims. Evaluating such reports is not straightforward as it requires, for instance, the ability to assess whether the evidence is valid and reliable, to distinguis h correlations from causes or hypotheses from observations (Millar and Osborne, 1998). Within the context of a s ociety where scientific issues increasingly dominate the contemporary landscape (Beck, 1992; Giddens, 1999), there is an urgent need to improve the quality of y oung people’s understanding of the nature of scientific ‘argument’. Consequently, an important task for science education is to develop children’s ability to understand and practise valid ways of arguing in a s cientific context. They need to be able to recognise not onl y the strengths but also the limitations of s uc h arguments. In our work, then, we have sought to stud y whether the quality of y oung people’s ‘argument’ about scientific issues, and their critical capabilities, can be enhanced in science lessons. For instance, ca n the abilities to r eason, use and criticise argument within a scientific context be taught? And, perhaps more importantly, can these abilities be improved? This is what we are attempting to do in our project ‘Enhancing the Quality of Argument in School Science’ (EQuASS), funded by the Economic and Social Science Research Council. First, it is important to point out that by ‘argument’ we do not mean the pejorative use of the word wit h its confrontational connotations. We mean the putting forward of r easons where claims are justified b y relating them to the dat a on which they are based. Evidence for any claim consists of at least tw o components – dat a and warrants. Warrants are essentially the means by which the data are related t o claims providing the justification for belief. Thus the claim that diversity of species is a product of random variation and selection by the environment was supported originally by Darwin’s data on the variety of finches’ beaks found in the Galapagos. The warrant was that each adaptation gave each species a competitive advantage that ensured their survival on a particular island. A s imple representation of a n argument is provided by Toulmin (1958) (Figure 1).
Strategic misrepresentation in online dating: The effects of gender, self-monitoring, and personality traits

This study examines factors (including gender, self-monitoring, the big five personality traits, and demographic characteristics) that influence online dating service users’ strategic misrepresentation (i.e., the conscious and intentional misrepresentation of personal characteristics). Using data from a survey of online dating service users (N = 5,020), seven categories of misrepresentation — personal assets, relationship goals, personal interests, personal attributes, past relationships, weight, and age — were examined. The study found that men are more likely to misrepresent personal assets, relationship goals, personal interests, and personal attributes, whereas women are more likely to misrepresent weight. The study further discovered that self-monitoring (specifically other-directedness) was the strongest and most consistent predictor of misrepresentation in online dating. Agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness also showed consistent relationships with misrepresentation.
Mirex and Taily at TREC 2013

We describe the participation of the Lowlands at the Web Track and the FedWeb track of TREC 2013. For the Web Track we used the Mirex Map-Reduce library with out-of-the- box approaches and for the FedWeb Track we adapted our shard selection method Taily for resource selection. Here, our results were above median and close to the maximum performance achieved.
The Influence of Age on Serum Concentrations of Cardiac Troponin I

Cardiac troponins serve as serum biomarkers of myocardial injury. The current study examined the influence of age on serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI). An ultrasensitive immunoassay was used to monitor cTnI concentrations in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and Erythrocebus patas monkeys of different ages. The mean cTnI concentrations were highest in 10-day-old rats compared to 25-, 40-, and 80-day-old SD rats. Cardiomyocyte remodeling was apparent in hearts from 10-day-old SD rats as evident by hypercellularity, irregularly shaped nuclei, and moderate numbers of myocytes undergoing mitosis and apoptosis. The mean concentration of cTnI in 5 newborn monkeys was considerably higher than that of three 1-year-old monkeys. Evidence of cardiomyocyte remodeling was also observed in these newborn hearts (loss of myofibrils and cytoplasmic vacuolation). Commercial animal serum samples were also analyzed. The concentrations of cTnI detected in fetal equine and porcine serum were considerably higher than that found in adult equine and porcine serum samples Likewise, fetal bovine serum had higher cTnI concentrations (>2,400 pg/ml) than did adult caprine and laprine samples (2.5–2.7 pg/ml). The present study found age-related differences in cTnI concentrations, with higher levels occurring at younger ages. This effect was consistent across several animal species.
Mixed reality in virtual world teleconferencing

In this paper we present a Mixed Reality (MR) teleconferencing application based on Second Life (SL) and the OpenSim virtual world. Augmented Reality (AR) techniques are used for displaying virtual avatars of remote meeting participants in real physical spaces, while Augmented Virtuality (AV), in form of video based gesture detection, enables capturing of human expressions to control avatars and to manipulate virtual objects in virtual worlds. The use of Second Life for creating a shared augmented space to represent different physical locations allows us to incorporate the application into existing infrastructure. The application is implemented using open source Second Life viewer, ARToolKit and OpenCV libraries.
ETHICS, CHARACTER, AND AUTHENTIC TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The morality of transformational leadership has been sharply questioned, particularly by libertarians, "grass roots" theorists, and organizational development consultants. This paper argues that to be truly transformational leadership, it must be grounded in moral foundations. The four components of authentic transformational leadership (idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration) are constrasted with their counterfeits in the dissembling pseudotransformational leadership on the basis of 1) the moral character of the leaders and their concerns for self and others; 2) the ethical values embedded in the leaders’ vision, articulation, and program, which followers can embrace or reject; and 3) the morality of the processes of social ethical choices and action in which the leaders and followers engage and collectively pursue. The literature on transformational leadership is linked to the long-standing literature on virtue and moral character, as exemplified by Socratic and Confucian typologies. It is linked, as well, to the major themes of the modern Western ethical agenda: liberty, utility and distributive justice Deception, sophistry, and pretense are examined alongside issues of transendence, agency, trust, striving for the congruence of the values, cooperative action, power, persuasion, and corporate governance to establish the strategic and moral foundations of authentic transformational leadership.
Altered depth perception is associated with presence of schizotypal personality traits

Introduction. Impaired depth perception, a fundamental aspect of early visual processing, has been shown in patients with schizophrenia suggesting a disturbance to magnocellular and possibly parvocellular pathways. Despite some evidence showing visual-perceptive deficits in people with schizotypal personality traits (SPT), depth perception has not been evaluated in these subjects. Methods. 12 clinically healthy schizotypy and 17 control participants were examined using a novel stereoscopic depth perception task. A mixed ANOVA design considered the Group (SPT/control) as independent factor, and trial Block (BD/BD + /BD–) and target Condition (SDSS/SDDS/DDSS/DDDS) were considered as repeated measures. Results. Schizotypal participants were not significantly different to controls on simple judgements of depth but demonstrated a subtle impairment in perceiving binocular depth when performing high difficulty judgements. Conclusions. The presence of subtle depth perception problems in schizotypal subjects, similar but less marked than those of schizophrenia patients, may suggest a less pervasive disturbance of early information processing. If so, such deficits could be considered as innate neurological changes that may occur in people vulnerable for schizophrenia, thus with the potential to be a novel intermediate phenotype.
Natural alleles at a tomato fruit size quantitative trait locus differ by heterochronic regulatory mutations

fw2.2 is a major quantitative trait locus that accounts for as much as 30% of the difference in fruit size between wild and cultivated tomatoes. Evidence thus far indicates that fw2.2 alleles modulate fruit size through changes in gene regulation rather than in the FW2.2 protein itself. To investigate the nature of these regulatory changes and the manner in which they may affect fruit size, a pair of nearly isogenic lines has been subjected to detailed developmental, transcriptional, mitotic, and in situ hybridization studies. The results indicate that the large- and small-fruited alleles of fw2.2 differ in peak transcript levels by ≈1 week. Moreover, this difference in timing of expression is associated with concomitant changes in mitotic activity in the early stage of fruit development. The changes in timing of gene expression (heterochronic allelic variation), combined with overall differences in total transcript levels, are sufficient to account for a large portion phenotypic differences in fruit weight associated with the two alleles.