Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulating Force in Putting by Using the Borg CR100 scale®

Studies investigating the regulation of force of motor actions are scarce, and particularly so in the area of sports. This is surprising, considering that in most sports precise force is of great importance. The current study demonstrates how a psychophysical scale, the Borg CR100 scale® (Borg and Borg, 2001), can be used to assess subjective force as well as regulate force in putting. Psychophysical functions were calculated on the relationships between judgments of force using the CR100 scale and the length of putting shots, examined in a laboratory setting, where 44 amateur golfers played on both flat and uphill surfaces. High agreement and consistency between CR 100 ratings and distances putted was demonstrated. No significant differences in handling the scale were observed between younger (mean age ≈37 years) and older (mean age ≈69 years) players or between players of different skill level. This study provides a new innovative use of an existing instrument, the Borg CR 100 scale®, in order to understand the regulation of force needed for putts of various lengths and surfaces. These results and the potential future benefits of the psychophysical approach in golf are discussed.
A full-scale test of the language farming dispersal hypothesis

One attempt at explaining why some language families are large (while others are small) is the hypothesis that the families that are now large became large because their ancestral speakers had a technological advantage, most often agriculture. Variants of this idea are referred to as the Language Farming Dispersal Hypothesis. Previously, detailed language family studies have uncovered various supporting examples and counterexamples to this idea. In the present paper I weigh the evidence from ALL attested language families. For each family, I use the number of member languages as a measure of cardinal size, member language coordinates to measure geospatial size and ethnographic evidence to assess subsistence status. This data shows that, although agricultural families tend to be larger in cardinal size, their size is hardly due to the simple presence of farming. If farming were responsible for language family expansions, we would expect a greater east-west geospatial spread of large families than is actually observed. The data, however, is compatible with weaker versions of the farming dispersal hypothesis as well with models where large families acquire farming because of their size, rather than the other way around.
Management 'intuition': An interpretative account of structure and content of decision schemas using cognitive maps

In this paper, the structure and content of executive perceptions are considered using cognitive mapping to isolate ‘intuitive’ elements within their individual decision schemas. An inductive approach is used to develop three propositions drawn from the literature. These are explored using the results of interviews with senior executives of two UK retail organizations. Three of the maps represent different levels of seniority and roles and are used to explore potential differences within the organization. Similarities and differences between organizations are examined with reference to an additional map of an individual in a second organization. [1] Propositions are interpreted and developed with reference to the maps and textual extracts from the interviews, to provide additional insight into the concept of intuition prior to larger‐scale studies. The study highlights the need to explore differences in schemas both within and between different industry sectors. It emphasizes three important aspects of intuition as a way in which individuals ‘cut through’ a decision situation to make an ‘unexplained’ relationship between input and cognition without really thinking in‐depth. First, they appear to trade‐off depth for breadth of information. Second, they use personal experiences, surrogate indicators, and typologies to rationalize their decisions. Finally, the study shows there are important overlaps and differences in the content of decision schemas that represent ground for agreement and disagreement and as a basis for negotiating group decisions. These insights are used to redevelop and extend the propositions by way of conclusion.
GAIN AND NOISE FIGURE PERFORMANCE OF ERBIUM DOPED FIBER AMPLIFIERS (EDFA)

Fiber loss is a fundamental limitation in realising long haul point-to-point fiber optical communication links and optical networks. One of the advanced technologies achieved in recent years is the advent of erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) that has enabled the optical signals in an optical fiber to be amplified directly in high bit rate systems beyond Terabits. In this study, an EDFA simulation program has been written in Matlab to characterize Gain, Noise Figure and ASE power variations of a forward pumped EDFA operating in C band (1525-1565 nm) as functions of Er 3+ fiber length, injected pump power, signal input power and Er 3+ doping density. The program solves the rate and propagation equations numerically and shows the results graphically. Thus, Gain and Noise Figure performance of an EDFA given with its physical parameters can be graphically obtained or the required physical parameters of an EDFA with desired operating performance can easily be optimised.
patS Minigenes Inhibit Heterocyst Development of Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120

ABSTRACT The patS gene encodes a small peptide that is required for normal heterocyst pattern formation in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. PatS is proposed to control the heterocyst pattern by lateral inhibition. patS minigenes were constructed and expressed by different developmentally regulated promoters to gain further insight into PatS signaling. patS minigenes patS4 to patS8 encode PatS C-terminal 4 (GSGR) to 8 (CDERGSGR) oligopeptides. When expressed by PpetE, PpatS, or PrbcL promoters, patS5 to patS8 inhibited heterocyst formation but patS4 did not. In contrast to the full-length patS gene, PhepA-patS5 failed to restore a wild-type pattern in a patS null mutant, indicating that PatS-5 cannot function in cell-to-cell signaling if it is expressed in proheterocysts. To establish the location of the PatS receptor, PatS-5 was confined within the cytoplasm as a gfp-patS5 fusion. The green fluorescent protein GFP-PatS-5 fusion protein inhibited heterocyst formation. Similarly, full-length PatS with a C-terminal hexahistidine tag inhibited heterocyst formation. These data indicate that the PatS receptor is located in the cytoplasm, which is consistent with recently published data indicating that HetR is a PatS target. We speculated that overexpression of other Anabaena strain PCC 7120 RGSGR-encoding genes might show heterocyst inhibition activity. In addition to patS and hetN, open reading frame (ORF) all3290 and an unannotated ORF, orf77, encode an RGSGR motif. Overexpression of all3290 and orf77 under the control of the petE promoter inhibited heterocyst formation, indicating that the RGSGR motif can inhibit heterocyst development in a variety of contexts.
Estimation of apolipoprotein E genotype‐specific relative mortality risks from the distribution of genotypes in centenarians and middle‐aged men: Apolipoprotein E gene is a “frailty gene,” not a “longevity gene”

We developed a method to estimate genotype‐specific average relative mortality risk, R, from genotype distributions in cross‐sectional studies of people belonging to different age‐groups, and applied the method to new data from a study of apolipoprotein E genotypes (apoE) in 177 Danish centenarians and data from a study of 40‐year‐old Danish men. Twenty‐one percent of the centenarians were ϵ2‐carriers (genotypes ϵ2ϵ2 and ϵ3ϵ2) and 15% were ϵ4‐carriers (genotypes ϵ4ϵ4 and ϵ4ϵ3) compared to 13 and 29%, respectively, of the young men. The R‐values were 0.95 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.02) for ϵ2‐carriers and 1.13 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.22) for ϵ4‐carriers, using ϵ3ϵ3‐ and ϵ4ϵ2 genotypes as reference. Corresponding values for ϵ4‐carriers were obtained by using published data from a French and a Finnish study of centenarians, whereas the values for ϵ2‐carriers were about 0.90 with these data. The method to estimate mortality risk and the results associate with the view that the apoE gene is a “frailty gene. ” On the other hand, if odds ratios are used to summarize data from studies of this kind, they are more impressive and may propagate the misconception that apoE is a “longevity gene”. Genet. Epidemiol. 19:202–210, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reduced brain delivery of homovanillic acid to cerebrospinal fluid during human aging.

BACKGROUND Markers of human brain dopamine metabolism are reported to decline with age. However, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentration of homovanillic acid (HVA), a major dopamine metabolite, is reported to not change or to increase in elderly individuals. OBJECTIVE To estimate the rate of delivery of HVA from the brain to CSF, taking into account the HVA concentration gradient in the spinal subarachnoid space and CSF flow. METHODS Homovanillic acid concentrations were measured in 5 serial 6-mL aliquots of CSF removed from the L3-4 or L4-5 interspaces of 7 healthy young (mean +/- SD age, 28.7 +/- 4.6 years) subjects and 7 healthy elderly (mean +/- SD age, 77.1 +/- 6.3 years) subjects. Cisterna magna HVA concentrations were estimated from the slopes of the HVA concentrations along the spinal subarachnoid space. The products of cisternal HVA concentrations and published values for CSF flow were used to estimate lower limits for brain delivery of HVA to CSF, according to the Fick principle. RESULTS The mean +/- SD HVA concentration in the initial lumbar CSF sample in the young subjects, 116 +/- 66 pmol/mL, did not differ significantly from 140 +/- 86 pmol/mL in the elderly subjects. Estimated cisternal HVA concentrations equaled 704 and 640 pmol/mL, respectively, in the young and elderly subjects. Multiplying these concentrations by CSF flow rates of 591 and 294 mL/d, respectively, gave lower limits for rates of delivery of HVA from the brain to CSF. These rates equaled 416 and 175 nmol/d, respectively. CONCLUSION A 50% decline in the lower limit for the rate of HVA delivery from the brain to CSF in elderly individuals is consistent with other evidence that brain dopaminergic neurotransmission declines with age.
Phonetic and social selectivity in speech accommodation

Phonetic and Social Selectivity in Speech Accommodation by Molly Elizabeth Babel B.A. (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities) 2004 M.A. (University of California, Berkeley) 2006 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics in the GRADUATE DIVISION of the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY Committee in charge: Professor Keith Johnson, Chair Professor Andrew Garrett Professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton Spring 2009
An Efficient Primal-Dual Hybrid Gradient Algorithm For Total Variation Image Restoration

We propose a simple yet eﬃcient algorithm for total variation (TV) minimizations with applications in the image processing realm. This descent-type algorithm alternates between the primal and dual formulations and exploit the information from both the primal and dual variables. It converges signiﬁcantly faster than some popular existing methods as demonstrated in our experiments. This approach is to some extent related to projection type methods for solving variational inequalities. It can be applied to solve other TV model and L 1 minimization problem.
Women and Leadership Positions: Social and Cultural Barriers to Success

Women continue to aspire for leadership positions in all spheres of governance in both the public and private sector. However it has not been easy. The paper will examine the many challenges women still face in taking leadership positions with specific reference to African women. Included in the paper are the barriers related to culture and cultural expectations, the choice and/or balance between work and family, and women’s own fear of success. Women continue to aspire to leadership positions in all spheres of governance both in the public and private sectors. Great strides have been made in the political realm, and women’s participation in both the freedom struggles and democratic processes of many African countries have been notable. However, this participation has not always translated into equal representation in political leadership positions. Once elections are conducted, and positions are assigned, one realizes that women are no longer visible. Some countries like South Africa have made much progress within a short space of time in their efforts toward a gender-neutral society, but for others the pace has been much slower. It should also be noted that attaining positions of power and leadership is one thing, but could it be that women pay a higher price than men? Gwendolyn Mikell (1997) captured the dilemma for women in her statement that “Contemporary African women sometimes think of themselves as walking a political/gender tightrope” (p.1), in that African women are concerned about the large number of economic and political problems facing their communities, but at the same time they are “grappling with how to affirm their own identities while transforming societal notions of gender and familial roles” (Mikell, 1997, p.1). The paper examines the many challenges women still face in taking leadership positions, including the barriers related to culture and cultural expectations; the choice and/or balance between work and family; and the stress that accompanies positions of leadership as experienced differently by men and women. However, there is no doubt that there are success stories. Of interest are the efforts women have made to rise above such circumstances and fight for recognition, despite the risks of being “labeled” and of breaking family ties. A section of the paper is specifically devoted to political activism as one
Central obesity, type 2 diabetes and insulin: exploring a pathway full of thorns

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is rapidly increasing. This is strongly related to the contemporary lifestyle changes that have resulted in increased rates of overweight individuals and obesity. Central (intra-abdominal) obesity is observed in the majority of patients with T2D. It is associated with insulin resistance, mainly at the level of skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and liver. The discovery of macrophage infiltration in the abdominal adipose tissue and the unbalanced production of adipocyte cytokines (adipokines) was an essential step towards novel research perspectives for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing the development of insulin resistance. Furthermore, in an obese state, the increased cellular uptake of non-esterified fatty acids is exacerbated without any subsequent β-oxidation. This in turn contributes to the accumulation of intermediate lipid metabolites that cause defects in the insulin signaling pathway. This paper examines the possible cellular mechanisms that connect central obesity with defects in the insulin pathway. It discusses the discrepancies observed from studies organized in cell cultures, animal models and humans. Finally, it emphasizes the need for therapeutic strategies in order to achieve weight reduction in overweight and obese patients with T2D.
Fear of Failure, Disorganization, and Subjective Well-Being in the Context of Preparing for an Exam

The present study investigated the relationships between fear of failure, disorganization, and affective well-being while preparing for a college exam. The study comprised a sample of N = 280 students and used a longitudinal crosslagged design. The results of structural equation modeling partly supported the hypotheses. Fear of failure was found to be related to disorganization in the cross-sectional but not in the longitudinal data. As expected, fear of failure negatively predicted change in affective well-being. Affective well-being predicted change in disorganization during exam preparation and exam performance. Contrary to our expectations, however, disorganization did not predict exam performance over and above affective well-being. Implications for further studies investigating the role of well-being in the learning context are discussed.
Leading in a Management Paradigm

Introduction Robertson (1998) laments the fact that the model of management and leadership that has emerged in tertiary level institutions, particularly FE colleges and statutory universities has sought to imitate that employed in the commercial sector. He argues that insufficient attention has been given to the problems that have arisen from the transfer of general management theory to the specific conditions that pertain in tertiary level institutions. He also notes that much of the research that has been undertaken on leadership in universities has been conducted in institutions where the effect of managerialism has been minimal and suggests that colleagues in the new universities may have been slow in “committing their critiques to the public domain (for reasons of ) professional security. ” He argues that:
Körperbildtherapie bei Essstörungen

Körperbildstörungen spielen bei Essstörungen eine bedeutsame Rolle. Die Integration körperbezogener Interventionen in die Therapie von Anorexia nervosa (AN) und Bulimia nervosa (BN) ist daher ein vielversprechender Ansatzpunkt, um die Behandlung zu optimieren. Der folgende Artikel führt in verschiedene Facetten der Körperbildstörung ein und beschreibt anwendungsnah spezifische Interventionsbausteine zur Veränderung des gestörten Körperbildes.
Cameron's Conservatism: Why God, Why Now?

In recent months David Cameron has emphasised both his personal religious faith and the ongoing importance of Christianity and religion in Britain. This article seeks to explain why Cameron has made increasing reference to religious themes, and examines the extent to which they have been reflected in the approach of the current Coalition government. It is argued that Cameron's references to religion have been indicative of still tentative attempts to reaffirm, and in respects redefine, the role of Christianity and faith in British public life in response to the pressures of greater secularisation, religious pluralism and vocal challenges to religious privilege.
Responsive Interaction Interventions for Children With or at Risk for Developmental Delays

The purpose of this article is to synthesize the available studies regarding responsive interaction intervention (RII) for children with or at risk for developmental delays with a focus on six dimensions: (a) the characteristics of participants, (b) the features of RII, (c) the measurement of treatment fidelity, (d) the overall effectiveness of RII as reflected by the percentage of studies reporting significant changes in adult or child outcomes, (e) the measurement of maintenance and generalization of RII effects, and (f) the social validity or level of acceptability. Through a search of articles from 1990 to 2010, the authors identified 26 studies (31 articles) employing group experimental or quasiexperimental designs incorporating these dimensions. Overall, the results of the reviewed studies indicated that implementation of RII resulted in significant positive changes in adults’ responsive behaviors and children’s emotional and social-communicative outcomes. Although the most frequently reported child outcomes were in the social-communication domain, the most consistently significant positive outcomes for parent and child outcomes were in the emotional domain. The authors identify several gaps in this literature and suggest areas where research is needed.
Project on Elite Athlete Commitment (PEAK): II. A Direct Test and Expansion of the Sport Commitment Model With Elite Amateur Sportsmen

Prospective interview data obtained using the Scanlan Collaborative Interview Method (Scanlan, Russell, Wilson, & Scanlan, 2003) allow further testing and expansion of the Sport Commitment Model (Scanlan, Carpenter, Schmidt, Simons, & Keeler, 1993) and provide a deeper understanding of the commitment process. We examine the Model constructs of Sport Enjoyment, Involvement Opportunities, Involvement Alternatives, Personal Investments, Social Constraints, and a potential new construct, Social Support, to understand how and under what conditions each of the constructs operates. The data from 15 New Zealand All Black rugby players support the Model predictions, show its generalizability from American youth sport to amateur elite-level New Zealand athletes, and suggest possible Model expansion and modification.
Hemoglobin–oxygen affinity in high-altitude vertebrates: is there evidence for an adaptive trend?

ABSTRACT In air-breathing vertebrates at high altitude, fine-tuned adjustments in hemoglobin (Hb)–O2 affinity provide an energetically efficient means of mitigating the effects of arterial hypoxemia. However, it is not always clear whether an increased or decreased Hb–O2 affinity should be expected to improve tissue O2 delivery under different degrees of hypoxia, due to the inherent trade-off between arterial O2 loading and peripheral O2 unloading. Theoretical results indicate that the optimal Hb–O2 affinity varies as a non-linear function of environmental O2 availability, and the threshold elevation at which an increased Hb–O2 affinity becomes advantageous depends on the magnitude of diffusion limitation (the extent to which O2 equilibration at the blood–gas interface is limited by the kinetics of O2 exchange). This body of theory provides a framework for interpreting the possible adaptive significance of evolved changes in Hb–O2 affinity in vertebrates that have colonized high-altitude environments. To evaluate the evidence for an empirical generalization and to test theoretical predictions, I synthesized comparative data in a phylogenetic framework to assess the strength of the relationship between Hb–O2 affinity and native elevation in mammals and birds. Evidence for a general trend in mammals is equivocal, but there is a remarkably strong positive relationship between Hb–O2 affinity and native elevation in birds. Evolved changes in Hb function in high-altitude birds provide one of the most compelling examples of convergent biochemical adaptation in vertebrates. Summary: Evolved changes in hemoglobin–oxygen affinity in high-altitude birds and mammals provide striking examples of convergent biochemical adaptation.
Effects of Antibiotics and Probiotics on Suckling Pig and Weaned Pig Performance

Effects of various antibiotics or a probiotic on growth and death loss in suckling pigs and the effect of a probiotic on nursery pig performance were determined. In Experiment 1, suckling pigs received either oxytetracycline (n = 21), erythromycin (n = 21), penicillin G procaine (n = 21), or tylosin (n = 22) i.m. , or no antibiotic (n = 21), within 24 hours after farrowing. There was no effect of treatment (P= 0.83) on survival until weaning, and pig body weights at 7 (P= 0.84), 14 (P= 0.96), and 21 (P= 0.90) days of age were not different among groups. In Experiment 2, suckling pigs received an oral gavage of 2 mL of probiotic (5 ×1 0 6
Three-Point Likert Scales Are Good Enough

Three-Point Likert Scales Are Good Enough Jacob Jacoby and Michael S. Matell 495 Personality and Performance-Satisfaction of Industrial Salesmen Henry O. Pruden and Robert A. Peterson 501 Shopping Orientations and Product Usage Rates William R. Darden and Fred D. Reynolds 505 Comments on "Exploratory Analysis of Marketing Data: Trees vs. Regression" Douglas C. Crocker 509 "Exploratory Analysis of Marketing Data": A Reply J. Scott Armstrong 511 Dissonance Reduction or Artifact? Sadaomi Oshikawa 514 Dissonance Reduction or Artifact? A Reply Jagdish N. Sheth 516 Comments on "Fitting Parameters to Complex Models by Direct Search" R. R. Meyer and M. H. Rothkopf 518 "Fitting Parameters by Direct Search": A Reply Theodore A. Van Wormer and Doyle L. Weiss 519