Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mass Polarization: Manifestations and Measurements

The debate on mass polarization is itself polarized. Some argue that the United States is in the midst of a culture war; others argue that the claims are exaggerated. As polarization is a multifaceted concept, both sides can be correct. I review four distinct manifestations of polarization that have appeared in the public opinion literature—ideological consistency, ideological divergence, perceived polarization, and affective polarization—and discuss ways in which each has been measured. Then, using longitudinal data from the American National Election Studies (ANES), I update past analyses in order to more clearly show the ways in which Americans have or have not polarized: Americans at the mass level have not diverged, nor have they become more consistent ideologically, but partisans have; perceptions of polarization have increased, but this change is driven by partisans, who increasingly dislike one another.
Analyzing the energy efficiency of a database server

Rising energy costs in large data centers are driving an agenda for energy-efficient computing. In this paper, we focus on the role of database software in affecting, and, ultimately, improving the energy efficiency of a server. We first characterize the power-use profiles of database operators under different configuration parameters. We find that common database operations can exercise the full dynamic power range of a server, and that the CPU power consumption of different operators, for the same CPU utilization, can differ by as much as 60%. We also find that for these operations CPU power does not vary linearly with CPU utilization. We then experiment with several classes of database systems and storage managers, varying parameters that span from different query plans to compression algorithms and from physical layout to CPU frequency and operating system scheduling. Contrary to what recent work has suggested, we find that within a single node intended for use in scale-out (shared-nothing) architectures, the most energy-efficient configuration is typically the highest performing one. We explain under which circumstances this is not the case, and argue that these circumstances do not warrant a retargeting of database system optimization goals. Further, our results reveal opportunities for cross-node energy optimizations and point out directions for new scale-out architectures.
The Wisdom of Competitive Crowds

When several individuals are asked to forecast an uncertain quantity, they often face implicit or explicit incentives to be the most accurate. Despite the desire to elicit honest forecasts, such competition induces forecasters to report strategically and non-truthfully. The question we address is whether the competitive crowd's forecast (the average of strategic forecasts) is more accurate than the truthful crowd's forecast (the average of truthful forecasts from the same forecasters). We analyze a forecasting competition in which a prize is awarded to the forecaster whose point forecast is closest to the actual outcome. Before reporting a forecast, we assume each forecaster receives two signals: one common and one private. These signals represent the forecasters' past shared and personal experiences relevant for forecasting the uncertain quantity of interest. In a set of equilibrium results, we characterize the nature of the strategic forecasts in this game. As the correlation among the forecasters' private signals increases, the forecasters switch from using a pure to a mixed strategy. In both cases, forecasters exaggerate their private information and thereby make the competitive crowd's forecast more accurate than the truthful crowd's forecast.
Recent advances in Japanese broadcast news transcription

In this paper, we report on language modeling and acoustic modeling studies for Japanese broadcast news speech recognition. We constructed a language model that reduces recognition errors by utilizing context-dependent readings of Japanese characters. We also introduced filled-pause modeling into the language model. To improve the model’s performance for a series of sentences spoken by one speaker, an on-line incremental speaker adaptation was combined with automatic detection of speaker changes. By incorporating all the above methods, we achieved a 25.1% reduction in word error rate over the baseline results. This paper also reports on our preliminary studies on topic extraction and summarization of broadcast-news speech.
Blended learning in ethics education: A survey of nursing students

Nurses are experiencing new ethical issues as a result of global developments and changes in health care. With health care becoming increasingly sophisticated, and countries facing challenges of graying population, ethical issues involved in health care are bound to expand in quantity and in depth. Blended learning rather as a combination of multiple delivery media designed to promote meaningful learning. Specifically, this study was focused on two questions: (1) the students’ satisfaction and attitudes as members of a scenario-based learning process in a blended learning environment; (2) the relationship between students’ satisfaction ratings of nursing ethics course and their attitudes in the blended learning environment. In total, 99 senior undergraduate nursing students currently studying at a public nursing college in Taiwan were invited to participate in this study. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted in this study. The participants were asked to fill out two Likert-scale questionnaire surveys: CAAS (Case Analysis Attitude Scale), and BLSS (Blended Learning Satisfaction Scale). The results showed what students felt about their blended learning experiences — mostly items ranged from 3.27—3.76 (the highest score is 5). Another self-assessment of scenario analysis instrument revealed the mean scores ranged from 2.87—4.19. Nearly 57.8% of the participants rated the course ‘extremely helpful’ or ‘very helpful. ’ This study showed statistically significant correlations (r = 0.43) between students’ satisfaction with blended learning and case analysis attitudes. In addition, results testified to a potential of the blended learning model proposed in this study to bridge the gap between students and instructors and the one between students and their peers, which are typical of blended learning, and to create meaningful learning by employing blended pedagogical consideration in the course design. The use of scenario instruction enables students to develop critical analysis and problem solving skills through active learning and social exchange of ideas.
Hyperactivity in boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): The association between deficient behavioral inhibition, attentional processes, and objectively measured activity

Contemporary models of ADHD hypothesize that hyperactivity reflects a byproduct of inhibition deficits. The current study investigated the relationship between children's motor activity and behavioral inhibition by experimentally manipulating demands placed on the limited-resource inhibition system. Twenty-two boys (ADHD = 11, TD = 11) between the ages of 8 and 12 years completed a conventional stop-signal task, two choice-task variants (no-tone, ignore-tone), and control tasks while their motor activity was measured objectively by actigraphs placed on their nondominant wrist and ankles. All children exhibited significantly higher activity rates under all three experimental tasks relative to control conditions, and children with ADHD moved significantly more than typically developing children across conditions. No differences in activity level were observed between the inhibition and noninhibition experimental tasks for either group, indicating that activity level was primarily associated with basic attentional rather than behavioral inhibition processes.
General formulation of equivalent magnetic charge method for force density distribution on interface of different materials

The conventional force calculation methods can be applied only for the total force of the objects surrounded by air or vacuum. In this paper, a new general form of equivalent magnetic charge method is proposed for calculating force density and total forces of materials in contact including ferromagnetic and permanent magnet. It provides surface force density on the interface of different materials. The validity of this method is shown by direct observation of the formulas and numerical tests.
Active Source Estimation for Improved Source Separation

The goal in blind source separation (BSS) is to determine the original source signals, given mixtures of these sources. Recent work in blind source separation (the DUET and DASSS methods) allows source reconstruction from mixtures when the time-frequency components of the sources rarely overlap in the mixtures. While speech mixtures often approximate this constraint, music mixtures rarely do, requiring new approaches. We introduce a method to assign energy to source estimates from music mixtures that builds on partial signal estimates provided by the existing DUET and DASSS algorithms. We estimate harmonic masks from the initial source estimates and assign energy from the mixed signal to sources by estimating the number of active sources in each timefrequency frame and allowing source estimates to share mixture energy from a single frame. This allows dealing with mixtures that contain time-frequency frames in which multiple harmonic sources are active without requiring knowledge of source characteristics.
Preparation and Properties of Bacterial Cellulose/Alginate Blend Bio-Fibers

LiOH/urea/thiourea aqueous systems have been successfully applied to the dissolution of bacterial cellulose (BC) and alginate (AL) to prepare blend fibers. Morphology, compatibility and mechanical properties of the blend fibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and tensile tests. The analyses indicated a good miscibility between alginate and bacterial cellulose, because of the strong interaction from the intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The mechanical properties of BC/AL blend fibers were significantly improved by introducing bacterial cellulose.
Image-Based Delineation and Classification of Built Heritage Masonry

Fundacion Zain is developing new built heritage assessment protocols. The goal is to objectivize and standardize the analysis and decision process that leads to determining the degree of protection of built heritage in the Basque Country. The ultimate step in this objectivization and standardization effort will be the development of an information and communication technology (ICT) tool for the assessment of built heritage. This paper presents the ground work carried out to make this tool possible: the automatic, image-based delineation of stone masonry. This is a necessary first step in the development of the tool, as the built heritage that will be assessed consists of stone masonry construction, and many of the features analyzed can be characterized according to the geometry and arrangement of the stones. Much of the assessment is carried out through visual inspection. Thus, this process will be automated by applying image processing on digital images of the elements under inspection. The principal contribution of this paper is the automatic delineation the framework proposed. The other contribution is the performance evaluation of this delineation as the input to a classifier for a geometrically characterized feature of a built heritage object. The element chosen to perform this evaluation is the stone arrangement of masonry walls. The validity of the proposed framework is assessed on real images of masonry walls.
Grid coupled maximum power point tracked photovoltaic system with selective power conditioning capability

Varying insolation often leave the grid coupled Photovoltaic (PV) systems with partly unutilized power capacity of voltage source converter (VSC). In this paper, an improved method based on current decomposition for reference generation and therefore its indirect control is presented for better utilization of hardware. The proposed control also ensures complete evacuation of maximum tracked power point (MPP) tracked power by regulating the current at DC bus. For maximum power evacuation from the PV array maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique based on Incremental Conductance (IC) method is used. The unutilized capacity of the grid coupled VSC besides maximum power evacuation from the PV array is used for selective and limited power conditioning determined by the proposed algorithm. Synchronous reference frame (SRF) theory base current decomposition is used for determining the limited compensation to be provided by the grid coupled VSC, based on its unutilized capacity. Based on severity of the problems at the load side selective and priority based compensation may also be provided. Simulation based result demonstrate that proposed method provide effective compensation for different types of load along with full PV power evacuation. MATLAB based simulation results also show that efficient working of the MPPT algorithm under fast changing insolation conditions.
Verbal reports as data in text comprehension research: An introduction

The current debate about the use of verbal reports in studying psychological processes refers back to the turn of the Century when the methodology of introspective reports in research on mental processes, whichhad been developed to a highly sophisticated level by the Würzburg school, enjoyed a legitimacy equal to the Wundtian experiments. The advent of behaviorism, with its justified criticism of the vague methodology, removed from the agenda of psychology for several decades not only the introspective methods but also the whole issue of mental processes. Apart from the relatively isolated field of the psychology of thinking, where a kind of introspection, the 'thinkingaloud' method, survived (Patrick, 1935; Maier, 1931; Duncker, 1945), the interest in verbal reports äs data was revitalized only with contemporary cognitive psychology which conceives äs genuine matter of psychology the study of restoring the mind and its processes. Although in recent years several forms of verbal report methodology have evolved and been used in various fields of cognitive psychology, there are still doubts äs to whether these methods are eligible when studying cognitive processes. In this introductory chapter, we shall first briefly review the most influential paper arguing against verbal report methods (Nisbett and Wilson, 1977). We will then present the framework offered by Ericsson and Simon (1980,1984) which puts serious epistemological constraints on such methods. Nevertheless, it legitimizes the verbal report methodology, if properly used. Next, we shall deal with verbal report methods in text research, and emphasize particularly the thinking aloud method (which is apparently the most widely used procedure) and literary text understanding, i.e., special comprehension processes which are very difficult to explore and where verbal
Prevalence of Salmonella spp in cull (market) dairy cows at slaughter.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp in the cecal-colon contents of cull (market) dairy cows at slaughter because of potential public health ramifications. DESIGN Survey study. SAMPLE POPULATION Cecal-colon contents collected from 5,087 cull (market) dairy cows at slaughter at 5 slaughter establishments across the United States. PROCEDURE During 2 periods of the year, winter (January and February) and summer (July through September), 5 cull (market) cow slaughter establishments in the United States--west (WE), southeast (SEE), central (CE), north central (NCE), and south central (SCE)--establishments were visited, and cecal-colon contents of cull dairy cows were obtained at the time of slaughter. Samples were examined by microbiologic culture at a single laboratory for Salmonella spp. RESULTS Salmonella spp were detected in 23.1% of cecal-colon content samples from cull dairy cows across the 5 slaughter establishments. The highest site prevalence (54.5%) was detected at the WE during the summer period, whereas the lowest was found at the CE during the summer (4.3%) and at the NCE during the winter (4.5%). Considerable variation in the daily prevalence of Salmonella spp was found, particularly at the WE and the SCE. Salmonella spp were isolated from 93% of cecal-colon contents collected on a summer day at the WE. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results strongly suggest that there is a high prevalence of Salmonella spp in cull dairy cows at slaughter, which could burden Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point programs implemented in slaughter establishments. Procedures to reduce Salmonella load at the dairy farm and during transport to slaughter could reduce the risk of spread during the slaughter process.
Face Recognition Using Featured Histogram

Face recognition system is a computer application for automatically identifying or verifying a person from a digital image from a source. One of the ways to do this is by comparing selected facial features from the image and a facial database. Face recognition involves three steps: Face Detection, Feature Extraction and Matching. Face detection method detect face area from the image using Viola-jones with computer vision, and some feature like eye, nose and mouth is extracted. The approach uses a set of local features that are easy to calculate and robust to partial occlusions. Histogram for each feature is calculated and used as a matching factor for recognition. The paper explores the use of local feature histograms for feature-based recognition of objects from database images. Since it only requires the calculation of very simple features, it is extremely fast and achieves more accurate recognition performance. The results show that the proposed method is with precision of 97% for the recognition of faces.
The Effect of Nicotinamide on Gene Expression in a Traumatic Brain Injury Model

Microarray-based transcriptional profiling was used to determine the effect of nicotinamide on gene expression in an experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) model. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) was used to evaluate the effect on relevant functional categories and canonical pathways. At 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days, respectively, 70, 58, and 76%, of the differentially expressed genes were up-regulated in the vehicle treated compared to the sham animals. At 24 h post-TBI, there were 150 differentially expressed genes in the nicotinamide treated animals compared to vehicle; the majority (82%) down-regulated. IPA analysis identified a significant effect of nicotinamide on the functional categories of cellular movement, cell-to-cell-signaling, antigen presentation and cellular compromise, function, and maintenance and cell death. The canonical pathways identified were signaling pathways primarily involved with the inflammatory process. At 72 h post-cortical contusion injury, there were 119 differentially expressed genes in the nicotinamide treated animals compared to vehicle; the majority (90%) was up-regulated. IPA analysis identified a significant effect of nicotinamide on cell signaling pathways involving neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, growth factors, and ion channels with little to no effect on inflammatory pathways. At 7 days post-TBI, there were only five differentially expressed genes with nicotinamide treatment compared to vehicle. Overall, the effect of nicotinamide on counteracting the effect of TBI resulted in significantly decreased number of genes differentially expressed by TBI. In conclusion, the mechanism of the effect of nicotinamide on secondary injury pathways involves effects on inflammatory response, signaling pathways, and cell death.
Bone marrow angiogenesis and progression in multiple myeloma

Tumour growth is angiogenesis‐dependent. We found a high correlation between the extent of bone marrow angiogenesis, evaluated as microvessel area, and the proliferating (S‐phase) fraction of marrow plasma cells, evaluated as labelling index (LI), in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and in those with monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS). Angiogenesis itself was significantly associated with active as opposed to non‐active MM and MGUS. The highest microvessel area accompanied rapidly progressive MM with the highest LI. When a cut‐off value of 2% or greater of the microvessel area was used, most patients with active MM were classified correctly. The risk of active disease in patients with MM increased in parallel with the microvessel area. A causal relationship between plasma cell growth, activity phase in MM and marrow angiogenesis is suggested. Since angiogenesis proceeds in step with the enlargement of plasma cell tumours and the activity phase in MM, its measurement could be a useful prognostic marker in patients with plasma cell proliferative disorders.
Mowat-Wilson syndrome.

Mowat et al. (1998) first delineated the syndrome and suggested it was caused by a microdeletion in chomosome 2q22-2q23 or by a de novo mutation of a gene within this region. In 2001, Cachuex et al. (2001) and Wakamatsu et al. (2001) independently identified the cause of the syndrome to be deletions or intragenic mutations of the ZEB2 gene. Zweier et al. (2002) later proposed the name “Mowat-Wilson syndrome”, abbreviated to MWS.
MEK 1 Signaling Mediates Transformation and Metastasis of EpH 4 Mammary Epithelial Cells Independent of an Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition 1

Activation of the mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK)-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is a frequent event in tumorigenesis, and analysis of human breast carcinomas demonstrates that 25–50% of these tumors express elevated levels of activated MAPK1/2. However, a direct role for MEK1 in regulating the invasive and metastatic potential of mammary epithelial cells remains to be established. To directly address the role of constitutive MEK1 signaling in transformation, we have selected the murine mammary epithelial cell line, EpH4, as a model system. EpH4 cells expressing constitutively activated MEK1 display invasive growth in 3-dimensional collagen gels and enhanced motility, and metastatic potential in modified Boyden chamber assays. Furthermore, analysis of markers of normal epithelial morphology by immunofluorescence revealed reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, and mislocalization of -catenin and ZO-1 away from sites of cell-cell contact. However, in contrast to expectations, these changes occurred independently of an epithelial to mesenchymal transition, a change seen frequently in transformed epithelial cells. Moreover, transplantation of EpH4 cells expressing constitutively activated MEK1 into the cleared mammary fat pads of immune-competent hosts rapidly produced tumors that were highly invasive, well vascularized, and readily metastasized to distant organs. Gene expression profiling was performed to identify the downstream targets of MEK1 signaling. Constitutive MEK1 induced the expression of genes involved in proliferation and of matrix metalloproteinases, which regulate invasion and metastasis. These results demonstrate that constitutively activated MEK1 brings about robust tumorigenic changes in murine mammary epithelial cells, and mediates their invasiveness and metastasis in vivo without a requirement for epithelial to mesenchymal transition.