Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Postmodernism and Social Policy: A Great Leap Backwards?

ABSTRACT Postmodernism claims that the universalist themes of modern society (society-wide political ideologies, the nation-state, the theme of rational planning in government policy, the large-scale public or private sector bureaucracy) are obsolete, to be replaced by a plural interest in diversity and choice. These ideas have strong implications for both the theory of social policy, which typically stresses universal themes of inequality and privilege, and the practice of social policy, which relies on rational analysis to inform society-wide government provision. This article suggests that such an approach ignores the significance of market liberalism and the associated trends to inequality, privatisation, retrenchment and the regulation of the poorest groups. From this perspective, postmodernism functions as an ideological smokescreen, preventing us from recognising some of the most important trends in modern social policy. It is unfortunate if, at a time when the results of increasing inequality are everywhere apparent, one of the dominant approaches in social science obscures the issue.
Bone Mineral Density and Singh Index Predict Bone Mechanical Properties of Human Femur

The aim of our study was to assess the predictive value of the Singh index (SI), which estimates bone architecture, and bone density (BMD) when dealing with the mechanical competence of bone and to analze possible differences in bone properties between gender in humans. The relationship between SI, BMD, and mechanical competence was analyzed in 106 bone cylinders from 37 human femoral heads obtained during hip-joint replacement surgery for low energy fracture or for osteoarthritis. Bones from osteoporotic patients are less dense and more brittle compared with bones from osteoarthritic patients, as expected. Among osteoporotic patients female bones were more brittle than those from males, although BMD was similar. In osteoarthritic patients there were no significant differences among sexes. Bone mechanical competence varies according to BMD and to SI categories. Thus, our study suggests that bone strength is predicted by both BMD and bone architecture.
Seasonal Changes in Mood and Behavior Are Linked to Metabolic Syndrome

Background Obesity is a major public health problem worldwide. Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor to the cardiovascular diseases. It has been reported that disruptions of the circadian clockwork are associated with and may predispose to metabolic syndrome. Methodology and Principal Findings 8028 individuals attended a nationwide health examination survey in Finland. Data were collected with a face-to-face interview at home and during an individual health status examination. The waist circumference, height, weight and blood pressure were measured and samples were taken for laboratory tests. Participants were assessed using the ATP-III criteria for metabolic syndrome and with the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire for their seasonal changes in mood and behavior. Seasonal changes in weight in particular were a risk factor of metabolic syndrome, after controlling for a number of known risk and potential confounding factors. Conclusions and Significance Metabolic syndrome is associated with high global scores on the seasonal changes in mood and behavior, and with those in weight in particular. Assessment of these changes may serve as a useful indicator of metabolic syndrome, because of easy assessment. Abnormalities in the circadian clockwork which links seasonal fluctuations to metabolic cycles may predispose to seasonal changes in weight and to metabolic syndrome.
Progressive distributed top-k retrieval in peer-to-peer networks

Query processing in traditional information management systems has moved from an exact match model to more flexible paradigms allowing cooperative retrieval by aggregating the database objects' degree of match for each different query predicate and returning the best matching objects only. In peer-to-peer systems such strategies are even more important, given the potentially large number of peers, which may contribute to the results. Yet current peer-to-peer research has barely started to investigate such approaches. In this paper we discuss the benefits of best match/top-k queries in the context of distributed peer-to-peer information infrastructures and show how to extend the limited query processing in current peer-to-peer networks by allowing the distributed processing of top-k queries, while maintaining a minimum of data traffic. Relying on a super-peer backbone organized in the HyperCuP topology we show how to use local indexes for optimizing the necessary query routing and how to process intermediate results in inner network nodes at the earliest possible point in time cutting down the necessary data traffic within the network. Our algorithm is based on dynamically collected query statistics only, no continuous index update processes are necessary, allowing it to scale easily to large numbers of peers, as well as dynamic additions/deletions of peers. We show our approach to always deliver correct result sets and to be optimal in terms of necessary object accesses and data traffic. Finally, we present simulation results for both static and dynamic network environments.
Le construit de culture et la recherche en éducation

Dans cet article, je tente dans un premier temps de definir la culture en tant que construit hypothetique. J’essaie ensuite de clari­fier les relations logiques qui peuvent exister entre le statut de variable accorde au construit de culture d’une part, et, d’autre part, trois grands types d’objectifs que peuvent poursuivre des chercheurs qui s’interes­sent a l’impact de la culture sur les processus de socialisation et sur l’apprentissage scolaire. Je cherche aussi a identifier le lien conceptuel qui existe entre le developpe­ment d’une conception « culturaliste » ou, au contraire, le developpement d’une conception centree sur l’aspect dynamique de la socialisation. Je tente enfin d’identifier les consequen­ces de ces conceptions sur la prise en compte des effets et de l’impact des processus d’acculturation sur le stress vecu par les eleves en situa­tion de migration.
Mechanical Commercial Avoidance: A Uses and Gratifications Perspective

Abstract This study utilizes the uses and gratifications perspective borrowed from communications theory to provide an initial understanding of the motivations that stimulate zipping (fast-forwarding through pre-recorded programming) and zapping (switching channels during commercial breaks) behavior. Results indicate that individuals engage in both types of mechanical commercial avoidance for certain identifiable gratifications, such as enjoyment. In addition, findings suggest that affinity with the television medium is related to zapping (but not zipping). Zipping and zapping appear to be distinct activities, and it is possible that certain advertising creative techniques may be differentially appropriate for countering the behaviors. Results also suggest that males and females differ in their motivations for engaging in mechanical commercial avoidance.
A Lightweight Online Network Anomaly Detection Scheme Based on Data Mining Methods

This paper presents our preliminary work in network anomaly detection. The experimental results demonstrate an inspiring and promising trend for lightweight on-line network anomaly detection, which is rather meaningful for the ever-increasing network traffic and the accompanied network threats. In our future work, we will further verify and optimize our methods in terms of the concrete applications, as well as deploying it in our national backbone network to detect anomalies such as DoS, DDoS, probe, spam, etc.
Designing Digital Tables for Highly Integrated Collaboration

Digital tabletop systems are currently receiving considerable attention, but present systems do not allow the fluid and natural work that is evident when people work around a traditional table. This fluidity is particularly obvious in highly-integrated collaboration, where people work together in a closely coordinated fashion. Highly-integrated collaboration is common on regular tables, but is not well supported in digital tabletop systems. As a first step in determining how this support can be added to digital tables, we carried out an observational study of groups doing highly integrated tasks on regular tables. We saw that people perform several kinds of actions around tables that have not been considered before in digital table design, and we also found that digital tables impose several physical constraints on highly integrated collaboration. These findings suggest possible design opportunities that can help digital tables improve support for highly integrated collaboration, and can help make digital tabletop systems a compelling alternative to the traditional table.
The relationship between IPOs and long-term industry performance: Evidence from Tehran Stock Exchange

Article history: Received May 12, 2013 Received in revised format 12 August 2013 Accepted 28 September 2013 Available online October 1 2013 Every year, the companies with favorable perspective are entered into stock exchange through Initial public offering (IPO). This issue is a treat for share of competitors in market and usually, IPO is offered while industry is in top of its valuation, which could be corrected after offering price. In this regard, we study the relationship between IPO and long-term performance of industry, identification and explaining the effective factors. In addition, the relationship of IPS has compared with portfolios of corresponding competitors. In this study, we conclude that the portfolios of competitors had an undesirable performance three years after initial offering. Six effective variables are verified on performance including industry concentration, industry valuation and homogeneity, size of offering, industry operating leverage and industry financial leverage. Undesirable effects of industry is specified when the industry valuation is rather high, industry is in top of valuation or concentration is high in industry, also, when the homogeneity of industry is more, undesirable effect is less. © 2013 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells Reverse the Anergic State of CD4+CD25+ T Cells without Reversing Their Suppressive Function

Dendritic cells (DC) are potent inducers of immunity to foreign Ags, but also contribute to self-tolerance by induction of regulatory T cells or deletion/anergy of self-reactive T cells. In this study, we have studied the capacity of DC to activate naturally occurring CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells as well as the ability of CD4+CD25+ T cells to suppress the DC-mediated activation of CD4+CD25− T cells. Mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, but not splenic DC, were able to induce the proliferation of CD4+CD25+ T cells in the presence of a polyclonal stimulus and in the absence of exogenous IL-2. The DC-induced proliferative response of the CD4+CD25+ T cells was partially dependent on IL-2 produced by a small number of contaminating CD25+ effector cells. Because bone marrow-derived dendritic cells induce proliferation of both CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD25− T cells in vitro, it was impossible to assay the suppressive function of the CD4+CD25+ T cells using [3H]TdR uptake or CFSE dilution. We therefore measured IL-2 production in cocultures of CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD25− T cells using the IL-2 secretion assay. Surprisingly, CD4+CD25+ T cells markedly suppressed IL-2 secretion by the CD4+CD25− T cells without inhibiting their proliferation. Collectively, these results suggest that Ag presentation by DC can induce the expansion of CD4+CD25+ T cells while simultaneously activating their ability to suppress cytokine secretion by effector T cells.
Front national economic policy: From neo‐liberalism to protectionism

Abstract This article focuses on the changes in the economic policy of the Front National (FN) which have taken place in the last 3–4 years. It argues that the apparent switch from neo‐liberalism to protectionism by the FN must be treated with caution: protectionism per se is not new to the FN, nor can one state that neo‐liberal policies have disappeared from its economic agenda. I discuss whether changes in the field of economic policy reflect wider changes to the overall ideological configuration of the FN, arguing that such changes represent part of a wider move by the FN in the direction of a political programme espousing a ‘Third Way’ between capitalism and communism. Finally, it discusses the reasons behind the changes in both the economic policy of the party and its ideological configuration.
Joint action and development

Given the premise that joint action plays some role in explaining how humans come to understand minds, what could joint action be? Not what a leading account, Michael Bratman’s, says it is. For on that account engaging in joint action involves sharing intentions and sharing intentions requires much of the understanding of minds whose development is supposed to be explained by appeal to joint action. This paper therefore offers an account of a different kind of joint action, an account compatible with the premise about development. The new account is no replacement for the leading account; rather the accounts characterise two kinds of joint action. Where the kind of joint characterised by the leading account involves shared intentions, the new account characterises a kind of joint action involving shared goals.
Read Before You Cite!

We report a method for estimating what percentage of people who cited a paper had actually read it. The method is based on a stochastic modeling of the citation process that explains empirical studies of misprint distributions in citations (which we show follows a Zipf law). Our estimate is that only about 20% of citers read the original. Many psychological tests have the so-called “lie-scale. ” A small but sufficient number of questions that admit only one true answer, such as: “Do you always reply to letters immediately after reading them? ” are inserted among others that are central to the particular test. A wrong reply for such a question adds a point on the lie-scale, and when the lie-score is high, the over-all test results are discarded as unreliable. Perhaps, for a scientist the best candidate for such a lie-scale is the question: “Do you read all of the papers that you cite? ” Comparative studies of the popularity of scientific papers has been a subject of much recent interest [1‐8], but the scope has been limited to citation distribution analysis. We have discovered a method of estimating what percentage of people who cited the paper had actually read it. Remarkably, this can be achieved without any testing of the scientists, but solely on the basis of the information available in the ISI citation database. Freud [9] had discovered that the application of his technique of psychoanalysis to slips in speech and writing could reveal a lot of hidden information about human psychology. Similarly, we find that the application of statistical analysis to misprints in scientific citations can give an insight into the process of scientific writing. As in the freudian case, the truth revealed is embarrassing. For example, an interesting statistic revealed in our study is that a lot of misprints are identical. Consider, for example, a four-digit page number with one digit misprinted. There can be 10 4 such misprints. The probability of repeating someone else’s misprint accidentally is 10 ! 4 . There should be almost no repeat misprints by coincidence. One concludes that repeat misprints are due to copying someone else’s reference, without reading the paper in question. In principle, one can argue that an author might copy a citation from an unreliable reference list, but still read the paper. A modest
The study of q-logarithmic modulation spectral normalization for robust speech recognition

This paper presents a novel use of the generalized logarithm operation (q-logarithm) in refining the modulation spectrum of speech features for noise-robust speech recognition. The resulting new method, generalized logarithmic modulation spectral mean normalization (GLMSMN), equalizes the average of the magnitude modulation spectrum in q-logarithmic domain for different utterances in order to alleviate the effect of noise. In the Aurora-2 connected-digit database and evaluation task, the presented GLMSMN operating on the MVN features reveals significant improvement in recognition accuracy in comparison with the MFCC baseline and MVN. The overall averaged recognition accuracy brought by GLMSMN can be nearly 90%.
Using Desktop Videoconferencing to Deliver Interventions to a Preschool Student With Autism

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of functional communication training on elopement when consultation support is delivered via desktop videoconferencing. An ABAB design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of functional communication training to reduce the elopement of a preschool student with autism. Intervention development, teacher training, and data collection were conducted at a distance using technology. Results show that the teaching staff was able to implement the intervention with a high degree of fidelity and that elopement was significantly reduced during intervention phases. The authors discuss the implications of using desktop videoconferencing to deliver consultation support, along with future applications in early childhood settings.
At a critical juncture? Change and continuity in the institutional development of the council secretariat

This article provides a historical institutionalist perspective on the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers–an institution that has expanded significantly over the course of the integration process and whose role in the institutional politics of the EU has been recognised as significant in the recent literature on the subject. Charting the history of the institution, we demonstrate the way in which the original institutional design contributed to a particular trajectory which can be understood as a ‘path-dependent’ development. However, we also identify recent developments which can be seen as a break with the historical legacy of the Secretariat–an observation which raises the question as to whether the institution is at a critical juncture in its development. The article closes with an examination of the present and future challenges the Council Secretariat is facing at this time.
PERCUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL STIMULATION IN STRENGTH TRAINING: AN UPDATE

Numerous studies have used percutaneous electrical stimulation (PES) in the context of training programs to develop strength and physical performance in healthy populations (sedentary or trained). Significant increases in muscle and fiber cross-sectional area, isokinetic peak torque, maximal isometric and dynamic strength, and motor performance skills have been found after PES training. These strength gains are explained on the basis of the characteristics of PES motor units (MUs) recruitment: (a) a continuous and exhausting contractile activity in the same pool of MUs during the entire exercise period, (b) a supramaximal temporal recruitment imposed by the high frequency chosen (up to 40 Hz), and (c) a synchronous recruitment of neighboring fibers. The PES training method is complementary to voluntary training, mainly because the application of PES causes an unconventional spatial recruitment of MUs that, depending on the muscular topography, may entail the preferential recruitment of the fast-twitch MUs. In addition, the method does not specifically develop elasticity in skeletal muscle, and it must be accompanied by a technical workout.
A Comparison of Approaches to Estimate the Inbreeding Coefficient and Pairwise Relatedness Using Genomic and Pedigree Data in a Sheep Population

Genome-wide SNP data provide a powerful tool to estimate pairwise relatedness among individuals and individual inbreeding coefficient. The aim of this study was to compare methods for estimating the two parameters in a Finnsheep population based on genome-wide SNPs and genealogies, separately. This study included ninety-nine Finnsheep in Finland that differed in coat colours (white, black, brown, grey, and black/white spotted) and were from a large pedigree comprising 319 119 animals. All the individuals were genotyped with the Illumina Ovine SNP50K BeadChip by the International Sheep Genomics Consortium. We identified three genetic subpopulations that corresponded approximately with the coat colours (grey, white, and black and brown) of the sheep. We detected a significant subdivision among the colour types (F ST = 5.4%, P<0.05). We applied robust algorithms for the genomic estimation of individual inbreeding (F SNP) and pairwise relatedness (Φ SNP) as implemented in the programs KING and PLINK, respectively. Estimates of the two parameters from pedigrees (F PED and Φ PED) were computed using the RelaX2 program. Values of the two parameters estimated from genomic and genealogical data were mostly consistent, in particular for the highly inbred animals (e.g. inbreeding coefficient F>0.0625) and pairs of closely related animals (e.g. the full- or half-sibs). Nevertheless, we also detected differences in the two parameters between the approaches, particularly with respect to the grey Finnsheep. This could be due to the smaller sample size and relative incompleteness of the pedigree for them. We conclude that the genome-wide genomic data will provide useful information on a per sample or pairwise-samples basis in cases of complex genealogies or in the absence of genealogical data.
Attention Cycles and Frames in the Plant Biotechnology Debate

Power in policy making revolves in part around the ability to control media attention to an issue while framing an issue in favorable terms. These two characteristics of media coverage both reflect and shape where an issue is decided,by whom,and with what outcomes. In understanding this process, a number of studies have observed cyclical waves in media attention and historical shifts in how an issue is framed,linking these features to policy decisions. Yet there has been little theoretical specification and testing of the social mechanisms that drive these cycles. With this in mind, this study outlines a model for understanding “mediated issue development. ” The theoretical components of the model include the type of policy arena where debate takes place,the media lobbying activities of strategic actors,the journalistic need for narrative structure,and the competition from other issues for attention across policy and media environments.Related factors include the type of journalist assigned coverage and the level of attention from opinion pages. Using data from a content analysis of twenty-five years of coverage at the New York Times and Washington Post,the model is applied and tested against the issue of plant biotechnology. Generalizability of the model is the primary goal,and the authors conclude with comparisons to other issues such as the Human Genome Project and intelligent design. Understanding, however, why plant biotechnology remains at low levels of controversy in the United States compared to the rest of the world remains the object of considerable curiosity, and the focus of this study posits several explanations.
Vection can be induced without explicit motion signal using backscroll illusion

We demonstrated that vection is induced by a motion stimuli that does not have an explicit, bottom-up motion component. The stimulus motion used in this experiment was animation movie clips of walking people, with no positional changes within the stimulus field. There were no low-level motion signals in the direction of gait. The results indicate that strong vection was observed under optimal stimuli conditions, that is, large visual field and multiple walkers. These results suggest that vection can be elicited solely by motion signals extracted at relatively higher levels within the visual system. This is the first report that a pure high-level motion related to “implied motion” induces vection.