Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social democracy’s mobilization of new constituencies

Social democratic parties have changed their electoral appeals substantially to cater to new voter segments. This article examines social democracy’s fortunes in attracting new voters among the salaried middle class across different electoral systems. Previous research ignored the importance of electoral systems and was inconclusive as to whether social democratic parties succeeded in mobilizing new constituencies. I argue that electoral systems play a crucial role since proportional systems enhance the electoral competiveness of left-libertarian parties, social democracy’s most serious challengers among the salaried middle class. In contrast, majoritarian systems allow social democratic parties to gain a foothold among these voters as left-libertarians remain marginalized. Using ISSP data for 11 Western democracies, the findings demonstrate that social democratic parties were outperformed by their left-libertarian challengers among the salaried middle class under highly proportional systems, but not under majoritarian systems.
INDIGENOUS MIXED SOIL BACTERIA IN PRESENCE OF COMPATIBLE PLANTS ARE MORE EFFICIENT IN PCB DEGRADATION

This paper presents data on comparative studies of unknown mixed cultures of indigenous microorganisms versus single cultures isolated from PCB-contaminated soil samples containing varying concentrations of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Remediation of PCBs was studied using isolated indigenous mixed cultures, by indigenous single colony cultures, in presence or absence of the leguminous alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plant. The congener 2 , 3, 4-PCB was used as known standard to spike the mixture of clean soil and vermiculite. Analytical methods such as HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) and GC (gas chromatography) were used for PCB degradation quantification. The plant experiments were carried out in a controlled growth chamber environment with a 16-hr fluorescent and incandescent light period which mimicked day light. Results obtained suggest that higher the PCB concentration in soil, the more efficient the indigenous soil bacteria particularly in presence of plants. Mixed indigenous cultures were 2 –3 times more efficient than single cultures. When compared to known PCB co-metabolizing bacteria such as Comamonas testosteroni and Rhodococcus sp. , indigenous bacteria showed not only higher amount of PCB degradation, but also significantly better growth as evidenced by the CFU (colony forming units) counts. When the alfalfa plant was present, the indigenous mixed cultures were even more effective than known and unknown single cultures. These findings suggest that a combination of endemic microorganisms utilized with alfalfa plant is a promising approach for bioremediation of PCBcontaminated soils.
Prediction of infant temperament from catecholamine and self‐report measures of maternal stress during pregnancy

The current study examined how maternal catecholamine levels and perceived stress, and anxiety during pregnancy were related to indices of infant temperament at 3 months postpartum. Forty‐three (n = 43) pregnant women completed stress and anxiety questionnaires at 28–30 weeks gestation and consented to a blood draw that yielded estimates of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system function, epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE), respectively. At 3 months postpartum, these women reported on their newborn's temperament using the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire. Maternal catecholamine levels obtained during pregnancy were not significantly associated with maternal report of perceived stress, life event, or pregnancy‐related anxiety. However, maternal NE during pregnancy was associated with higher report of infant soothability and maternal E was marginally associated with lower ratings of infant soothability. Exploratory analyses revealed that infant sex moderated the relationship between maternal catecholamines and infant temperament. Mothers with higher levels of prenatal NE rated infant boys as having lower activity levels than girls, and mothers with higher levels of prenatal E rated infant boys as having higher distress to limitations. These findings support future research on the relationship between maternal catecholamine levels during pregnancy and the development of infant temperament.
Influence of Experience, Grade Level, and Subject Area on Teachers' Assessment Practices

Abstract Teachers' self-reported assessment practices and the influence of teaching experience, grade level, and subject area on those practices were explored in this study. Questionnaires were administered to 893 teachers in 34 schools. Teachers reported using performance and observation-based assessment methods most frequently and had the most confidence in the validity of these assessment techniques. Correlational analyses revealed that the more teachers reported using alternative methods of assessment, the more likely they were to report feeling prepared to develop those types of assessments and to report being confident in their validity. The same pattern of results was found for more traditional types of assessment. The most experienced teachers (20 years or more) indicated that they used alternative methods of assessment more often than the least experienced teachers (6 years or less) did. Elementary school teachers reported using alternative assessment strategies significantly more often than did .
Light matters: phototaxis and signal transduction in unicellular cyanobacteria

Many photosynthetic microorganisms have evolved the ability to sense light quality and/or quantity and can steer themselves into optimal conditions within the environment. Phototaxis and gliding motility in unicellular cyanobacteria require type IV pili, which are multifunctional cell surface appendages. Screens for cells exhibiting aberrant motility uncovered several non‐motile mutants as well as some that had lost positive phototaxis (consequently, they were negatively phototactic). Several negatively phototactic mutants mapped to the tax1 locus, which contains five chemotaxis‐like genes. This locus includes a gene that encodes a putative photoreceptor (TaxD1) for positive phototaxis. A second chemotaxis‐like cluster (tax3 locus) appears to be involved in pilus biogenesis. The biosynthesis and regulation of type IV pilus‐based motility as well as the communication between the pilus motor and photosensory molecules appear to be complex and tightly regulated. Furthermore, the discovery that cyclic AMP and novel gene products are necessary for phototaxis/motility suggests that there might be additional levels of communication and signal processing.
A statistically aligned recombination operator for finite state machines

Learning finite state machines from samples of data has been extensively studied within machine learning and since the dawn of evolutionary computation. Conventional crossover or recombination operators used for finite state machines suffer from the competing conventions problem, caused by the combinatorial number of isomorphisms of each distinct machine. This paper introduces an efficient alignment operator to counteract this phenomenon. Results show that when in the neighbourhood of the target machine, the aligned crossover operator reaches the optimum in far few steps (on average) than either a naive crossover operator or a standard flip-style mutation operator.
The many faces of abjection: a review of recent literature

The concept of abjection came into prominence in the 1980s with the publication of Julia Kristeva’s seminal text Pouvoirs de l’horreur (1980), translated into English in 1982 as Powers of Horror, which exerted an influence on the Anglo-American world in fields such as the visual arts and film. Abjection is a culturally complex concept that concerns the impulse to reject what threatens the stability of the self, thus endangering its boundaries. Kristeva locates its first use in the development of the self before the Mirror stage, where the infant begins to reject the mother in order to establish the boundaries of the self. The abject is described as that which brings about a condition of abjection and thus is cast out. But once it has been cast out, the abject does not disappear but rather hovers at the margins of existence and poses an ongoing threat to the stability of the self. The inability to rid ourselves of the abject characterizes the human condition and explains why it is so compelling. From an experiential point of view, the abject emerges in bodily functions, food loathing, socio-cultural rituals and in cultural products such as artworks. On a cognitive level, the abject can be used to provide insight on a number of subjects including our fear of things that are foreign, our desire to engage in aspects of culture that elicit profound horror, the relationship between the body and language and the way in which we construct identity. In its cast out status, the abject is marginalized. This idea of marginality also involves another aspect of abjection, its social dimension. The social aspect of abjection has been explored by theorists such as Georges Bataille (whose writing on abjection actually predates Kristeva’s study) and Butler in Bodies that Matter: On the Discursive Limits of “Sex” (1993), where she looks at the relationship between naming and power. Fear of the other is central to abjection. The object of the other may be an external force, but the fear of this other stems from within and is a deep-rooted fear of the other-in-the-self that we want to expel. An example of this other consists in the bodily fluids, that even on the outside of the body, have an integral relationship with the self – always being tied to the body image (Schilder, 1978, p. 213). The fear of the other may be displaced onto individuals and groups in society who are on the fringes and are
Does the amount of fat mass predict age-related loss of lean mass, muscle strength, and muscle quality in older adults?

BACKGROUND An excessive amount of adipose tissue may contribute to sarcopenia and may be one mechanism underlying accelerated loss of muscle mass and strength with aging. We therefore examined the association of baseline total body fat with changes in leg lean mass, muscle strength, and muscle quality over 7 years of follow-up and whether this link was explained by adipocytokines and insulin resistance. METHODS Data were from 2,307 men and women, aged 70-79 years, participating in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study. Total fat mass was acquired from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Leg lean mass was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8. Knee extension strength was measured by isokinetic dynamometer in Years 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8. Muscle quality was calculated as muscle strength divided by leg lean mass. RESULTS Every SD greater fat mass was related to 1.3 kg more leg lean mass at baseline in men and 1.5 kg in women (p < .01). Greater fat mass was also associated with a greater decline in leg lean mass in both men and women (0.02 kg/year, p < .01), which was not explained by higher levels of adipocytokines and insulin resistance. Larger fat mass was related to significantly greater muscle strength but significantly lower muscle quality at baseline (p < .01). No significant differences in decline of muscle strength and quality were found. CONCLUSIONS High fatness was associated with lower muscle quality, and it predicts accelerated loss of lean mass. Prevention of greater fatness in old age may decrease the loss of lean mass and maintain muscle quality and thereby reducing disability and mobility impairments.
Lexical simplification: optimising the pipeline

Introduction: This thesis was submitted by Matthew Shardlow to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the year 2015. Lexical simplification is the practice of automatically increasing the readability and understandability of a text by identifying problematic vocabulary and substituting easy to understand synonyms. This work describes the research undertaken during the course of a 4-year PhD. We have focused on the pipeline of operations which string together to produce lexical simplifications. We have identified key areas for research and allowed our results to influence the direction of our research. We have suggested new methods and ideas where appropriate.Objectives: We seek to further the field of lexical simplification as an assistive technology. Although the concept of fully-automated error-free lexical simplification is some way off, we seek to bring this dream closer to reality. Technology is ubiquitous in our information-based society. Ever-increasingly we consume news, correspondence and literature through an electronic device. E-reading gives us the opportunity to intervene when a text is too difficult. Simplification can act as an augmentative communication tool for those who find a text is above their reading level. Texts which would otherwise go unread would become accessible via simplification.Contributions: This PhD has focused on the lexical simplification pipeline. We have identified common sources of errors as well as the detrimental effects of these errors. We have looked at techniques to mitigate the errors at each stage of the pipeline. We have created the CW Corpus, a resource for evaluating the task of identifying complex words. We have also compared machine learning strategies for identifying complex words. We propose a new preprocessing step which yields a significant increase in identification performance. We have also tackled the related fields of word sense disambiguation and substitution generation. We evaluate the current state of the field and make recommendations for best practice in lexical simplification. Finally, we focus our attention on evaluating the effect of lexical simplification on the reading ability of people with aphasia. We find that in our small-scale preliminary study, lexical simplification has a nega- tive effect, causing reading time to increase. We evaluate this result and use it to motivate further work into lexical simplification for people with aphasia.
MECHANISMS OF EVOLUTION IN ANIMAL MITOCHONDRIAL DNA *

The mitochondrial genome of multicellular animals is a covalently closedcircular duplex DNA that is, in many respects, ideally suited for evolutionary studies. It is relatively easy to prepare in highly purified form and in amounts sufficiently large to allow its analysis by a number of different methods. It is small and simple enough to be easily characterizable by these methods. It appears to lack many of the complicating features-e.g., large size, intervening sequences, and the presence of different repetition classes-that are found in nuclear DNA, chloroplast DNA, and the mitochondrial DNA of lower eukaryotes and plants. Also, it is possible to correlate the changes observed in animal mitochondrial DNA with time, because the evolutionary history of the animals themselves is known from the fossil record. There is evidence that, at least in vertebrates, the mitochondrial gene content and relative gene order is very similar, if not identical, among different Despite this apparently conservative feature, the sequence of animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) appears to evolve very rapidly, at least among 8-11 Comparison of the rates of DNA base substitution among mammalian species indicates that mtDNA evolves 5 to 10 times faster than single-copy nuclear DNA. $ Three central questions regarding the evolution of animal mtDNA are: What kind of evolutionary change does animal mtDNA undergo? What mechanisms are responsible for the generation of change? How can the high rate of change observed be tolerated in the genome of an intracellular organelle whose function is so vital for the cell? Fairly substantial answers to the fust two questions can be provided. At present, only a speculative answer to the third question is possible, although a more substantial answer may be available in a few years when more is known about the exact functions carried out by the mtDNA gene products. Although this report contains previously unpublished data that bear on the above questions, I have also relied on past studies (my own and those of others) to provide support for the conclusions presented. In this respect I have tried to select papers that are representative of the studies that bear on a given point, and have made no attempt to provide a comprehensive survey of the literature. As a consequence, many contributions to this area of investigation have not been cited.
Assessing user preference of video game controller button settings

Only very few studies exist linking preference in controller usage to physiological effects and user experience (UX). While many games already feature different controller layouts, there is a lack of research on whether giving control to participants over their button choices affects their UX in the game. In our study, participants were given two predetermined button configurations for playing FIFA 12. Their preferences were assessed through electroencephalography (EEG) and a Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ). Our results show no significant difference in EEG intensity between participants using their preferred or non-preferred button settings. Preference also appears to have no significant effect on subjective feelings assessed by the GEQ. We have identified three distinct factors that may have potentially compromised this study. These findings could help to structure future research in this area.
Synthetic biology of cyanobacteria: unique challenges and opportunities

Photosynthetic organisms, and especially cyanobacteria, hold great promise as sources of renewably-produced fuels, bulk and specialty chemicals, and nutritional products. Synthetic biology tools can help unlock cyanobacteria's potential for these functions, but unfortunately tool development for these organisms has lagged behind that for S. cerevisiae and E. coli. While these organisms may in many cases be more difficult to work with as “chassis” strains for synthetic biology than certain heterotrophs, the unique advantages of autotrophs in biotechnology applications as well as the scientific importance of improved understanding of photosynthesis warrant the development of these systems into something akin to a “green E. coli. ” In this review, we highlight unique challenges and opportunities for development of synthetic biology approaches in cyanobacteria. We review classical and recently developed methods for constructing targeted mutants in various cyanobacterial strains, and offer perspective on what genetic tools might most greatly expand the ability to engineer new functions in such strains. Similarly, we review what genetic parts are most needed for the development of cyanobacterial synthetic biology. Finally, we highlight recent methods to construct genome-scale models of cyanobacterial metabolism and to use those models to measure properties of autotrophic metabolism. Throughout this paper, we discuss some of the unique challenges of a diurnal, autotrophic lifestyle along with how the development of synthetic biology and biotechnology in cyanobacteria must fit within those constraints.
Patient Reported Delays in Seeking Treatment for Tuberculosis among Adult and Pediatric TB Patients and TB Patients Co-Infected with HIV in Lima, Peru: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health challenge worldwide, and particularly in Peru with one of the highest incidence rates in Latin America. TB patient behavior has a direct influence on whether a patient will receive timely diagnosis and successful treatment of their illness. Objectives: The objective was to understand the complex factors that can impact TB patient health seeking behavior. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with adult and parents of pediatric patients receiving TB treatment (n = 43), within that group a sub-group was also co-infected with HIV (n = 11). Results: Almost all of the study participants recognized delays in seeking either their child’s or their own diagnosis of their TB symptoms. The principal reasons for treatment-seeking delays were lack of knowledge and confusion of TB symptoms, fear and embarrassment of receiving a TB diagnosis, and a patient tendency to self-medicate prior to seeking formal medical attention. Conclusion: Health promotion activities that target patient delays have the potential to improve individual patient outcomes and mitigate the spread of TB at a community level.
The UniTrap resource: tools for the biologist enabling optimized use of gene trap clones

We have developed a comprehensive resource devoted to biologists wanting to optimize the use of gene trap clones in their experiments. We have processed 300 602 such clones from both public and private projects to generate 28 199 ‘UniTraps’, i.e. distinct collections of unambiguous insertions at the same subgenic region of annotated genes. The UniTrap resource contains data relative to 9583 trapped genes, which represent 42.3% of the mouse gene content. Among the trapped genes, 7 728 have a counterpart in humans, and 677 are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of human diseases. The aim of this analysis is to provide the wet lab researchers with a comprehensive database and curated tools for (i) identifying and comparing the clones carrying a trap into the genes of interest, (ii) evaluating the severity of the mutation to the protein function in each independent trapping event and (iii) supplying complete information to perform PCR, RT-PCR and restriction experiments to verify the clone and identify the exact point of vector insertion. To share this unique resource with the scientific community, we have designed and implemented a web interface that is freely accessible at http://unitrap.cbm. fvg.it/.
The Old, Old-Old, and the Oldest Old: Continuation or Distinct Categories? An Examination of the Relationship between Age and Changes in Health, Function, and Wellbeing

This study aims to examine whether old age, old-old age, and oldest-old age comprise distinct categories via comparing persons aged 75–84, 85–94, and 95+ on demographics, health, function, and wellbeing. The sample was drawn from a representative longitudinal cohort of older persons in Israel. Matched cohort comparisons found a significant decline in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), instrumental ADL, cognitive function, percent of participants who go outside their home, and physical activity, with an increase in physical and mobility difficulties, and no difference in depressed affect or loneliness. Longitudinal results showed increased widowhood, institutionalization, comorbidity, physical and mobility difficulties, loneliness, and depressed affect, as well as decreased subjective health and physical activity over time. In the absence of changes in social support as manifested by marital status and community living, there was no decline in wellbeing. Current evidence of various gradual quantitative differences suggest that in most respects old age may be better conceptualized as a single phase marked by a continual quality.