Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Memory Aids on the Conversations of Elderly Chinese Persons

Abstract The effects of memory books on the quantity and quality of conversations of 3 Mandarin-speaking Chinese persons with dementia were evaluated using a multiple baseline design across behaviors. Memory books containing 10 pages for each of 3 topics (subjects' daily life, family, and themselves), were used during 5-min daily conversational sessions and at 1- or 2-week follow-up sessions with the experimenter. The results revealed that all clients increased the number of on-topic factual statements and reduced ambiguous, unintelligible, and perseverative utterances during treatment and follow-up phases with the memory book. These findings replicate previous research on the effects of memory books on the conversation of English speaking persons with dementia.
Confidence-Based Rejection for Improved Pattern Recognition Myoelectric Control

This study describes a novel myoelectric control scheme that is capable of motion rejection. As an extension of the commonly used linear discriminant analysis (LDA), this system generates a confidence score for each decision, providing the ability to reject those with a score below a selected threshold. The thresholds are class-specific and affect only the rejection characteristics of the associated class. Furthermore, because the rejection stage is implemented using the outputs of the LDA, the active motion classification accuracy of the proposed system is shown to outperform that of the LDA for all values of rejection threshold. The proposed scheme was compared to a baseline LDA-based pattern recognition system using a real-time Fitts' law-based target acquisition task. The use of velocity-based myoelectric control using the rejection classifier is shown to obey Fitts' law, producing linear regression fittings with high coefficients of determination (R2 > 0.943). Significantly higher (p <; 0.001) throughput, path efficiency, and completion rates were observed with the rejection-capable system for both able-bodied and amputee subjects.
Methods for Total Antioxidant Activity Determination: A Review

Endogenous antioxidants are enzymes, like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase or nonenzymatic compounds, such as uric acid, bilirubin, albumin, metallothioneins. When endogenous factors cannot ensure a rigurous control and a complete protection of the organism against the reactive oxygen species, the need for exogenous antioxidants arises, as nutritional supplements or pharmaceutical products, which contain as active principle an antioxidant compound. Amongst the most important exogenous antioxidants, vitamin E, vitamin C, β-carotene, vitamin E, flavonoids, mineral Se are well
Comparative ribosome profiling reveals extensive translational complexity in different Trypanosoma brucei life cycle stages

While gene expression is a fundamental and tightly controlled cellular process that is regulated at multiple steps, the exact contribution of each step remains unknown in any organism. The absence of transcription initiation regulation for RNA polymerase II in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei greatly simplifies the task of elucidating the contribution of translation to global gene expression. Therefore, we have sequenced ribosome-protected mRNA fragments in T. brucei, permitting the genome-wide analysis of RNA translation and translational efficiency. We find that the latter varies greatly between life cycle stages of the parasite and ∼100-fold between genes, thus contributing to gene expression to a similar extent as RNA stability. The ability to map ribosome positions at sub-codon resolution revealed extensive translation from upstream open reading frames located within 5′ UTRs and enabled the identification of hundreds of previously un-annotated putative coding sequences (CDSs). Evaluation of existing proteomics and genome-wide RNAi data confirmed the translation of previously un-annotated CDSs and suggested an important role for >200 of those CDSs in parasite survival, especially in the form that is infective to mammals. Overall our data show that translational control plays a prevalent and important role in different parasite life cycle stages of T. brucei.
Navigating careers: perceptions of sciences doctoral students, post-PhD researchers and pre-tenure academics

While the doctorate was once perceived as preparation for an academic position, internationally more than half of all graduates leave the higher education sector by choice or lack of opportunity. We know little of how they perceive and navigate the transition from PhD to other career. This longitudinal study of 23 sciences doctoral students, post-PhD researchers, and pre-tenure academics in Canada assessed the interpretive value of two constructs in explaining changes in career thinking and decision-making. The interaction of horizons for action (personal influences on future intentions), and opportunity structures (knowledge of career opportunities) provided a means to explain individual shifts over time and differences across roles in career thinking. Generally, over time and across roles, their knowledge of career opportunities grew, but concurrently their personal horizons for action became narrower due to changing personal relationships and responsibilities. Both the significance of the findings and the pedagogical implications are explored.
The Software Process: A Perspective on Improvement

This paper describes a new software improvement approacch currently under development at the University of East Anglia. The two best known software approaches are summarized and used to explain why the new approach has been developed. Six organizations have been evaluated. Observations from these evaluations are included and a preliminary examination of the new approach is presented
A Quantitative Characterization of Weighted Kripke Structures in Temporal Logic

We extend the usual notion of Kripke Structures with a weighted transition relation, and generalize the usual Boolean satisfaction relation of CTL to a map which assigns to states and temporal formulae a real-valued distance describing the degree of satisfaction. We describe a general approach to obtaining quantitative interpretations for a generic extension of the CTL syntax, and show that, for one such interpretation, the logic is both adequate and expressive with respect to quantitative bisimulation.
The role of the thalamus in cortical function: not just a simple relay

Recent work on the visual thalamic relays provides two key properties reviewed here. First, ∼95% of input to lateral geniculate relay cells is non-retinal and dynamically modulates the relay based on behavioral state, including attention. Part of this relates to control of a voltage-gated, low-threshold Ca 2+ conductance that controls the relay cell response mode (tonic or burst). Second, the lateral geniculate nucleus and pulvinar are examples of two relay types: the former is a first order relay, transmitting subcortical (retinal) information, while the latter is mostly a higher order relay, transmitting information from layer 5 of one cortical area to another. Higher order relays seem to be important to corticocortical communication, which challenges the dogma that such communication is based on direct cortico–cortical connections. Other examples of first order and higher order relays also exist. Interesting differences in functional circuitry between first and higher order thalamic relays are beginning to accumulate, which indicate extramodulatory functions for higher order relays. Thus, the thalamus provides a behaviorally relevant, dynamic control over the nature of information relayed, and also plays a key role in basic cortico–cortical communication.
Adaptive Resource Provisioning for Virtualized Servers Using Kalman Filters

Resource management of virtualized servers in data centers has become a critical task, since it enables cost-effective consolidation of server applications. Resource management is an important and challenging task, especially for multitier applications with unpredictable time-varying workloads. Work in resource management using control theory has shown clear benefits of dynamically adjusting resource allocations to match fluctuating workloads. However, little work has been done toward adaptive controllers for unknown workload types. This work presents a new resource management scheme that incorporates the Kalman filter into feedback controllers to dynamically allocate CPU resources to virtual machines hosting server applications. We present a set of controllers that continuously detect and self-adapt to unforeseen workload changes. Furthermore, our most advanced controller also self-configures itself without any a priori information and with a small 4.8% performance penalty in the case of high-intensity workload changes. In addition, our controllers are enhanced to deal with multitier server applications: by using the pair-wise resource coupling between tiers, they improve server response to large workload increases as compared to controllers with no such resource-coupling mechanism. Our approaches are evaluated and their performance is illustrated on a 3-tier Rubis benchmark website deployed on a prototype Xen-virtualized cluster.
Improving child and family outcomes following complicated births requiring admission to neonatal intensive care units

Abstract This paper reviews current research regarding the impact of birth complications, such as preterm labour, on parents and the nuclear family system. Specifically, how parents cope with the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience and the associated decision-making tasks required during complicated births will be investigated. Consequences of poor adaptation to prematurity for the parent, family and infant relationships will also be discussed. The importance of informed decision-making, perceived control, self-esteem and the benefits of certain strategies, such as kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact), in the facilitation of greater levels of attachment and improved relationships, will be highlighted. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research areas to focus on finding better ways to prepare and support parents in these situations, thus improving the quality of relationships between parents and with their child.
Architecture of the IBM System/360

The architecture* of the newly announced IBM System/360 features four innovations: 1. An approach to storage which permits and exploits very large capacities, hierarchies of speeds, read-only storage for microprogram control, flexible storage protection, and simple program relocation. 2. A input/output system offering new degrees of concurrent operation, compatible channel operation, data rates approaching 5,000,000 characters/second, integrated design of hardware and software, a new low-cost, multiple-channel package sharing main-frame hardware, new previsions for device status information, and a standard channel interface between central processing unit and input/output devices. 3. A truly general-purpose machine organization offering new supervisory facilities, powerful logical processing operations, and a wide variety of data formats. 4. Strict upward and downward machine-language compatibility over a line of six models having a performance range factor of 50. This paper discusses in detail the objectives of the design and the rationale for the main features of the architecture. Emphasis is given to the problems raised by the need for compatibility among central processing units of various size and by the conflicting demands of commercial, scientific, real-time, and logical information processing. A tabular summary of the architecture is shown in the Appendices.
Functional Role of the Cerebellum in Gamma-Band Synchronization of the Sensory and Motor Cortices

The cerebellum is an essential structure for the control of movement. It sends abundant ascending projections to the cerebral cortex via the thalamus, but its contribution to cortical activity remains largely unknown. Here we studied its influence on cortical neuronal activity in freely moving rats. We demonstrate an excitatory action of the cerebellum on the motor thalamus and the motor cortex. We also show that cerebellar inactivation disrupts the gamma-band coherence of local field potential between the sensory and motor cortices during whisking. In contrast, phase locking of neuronal activities to local gamma oscillations was preserved in the sensory and motor cortices by cerebellar inactivation. These results indicate that the cerebellum contributes to coordinated sensorimotor cortical activities during motor activation and thus participates in the multiregional cortical processing of information.
Effectiveness of Sensory Discrimination Training When Delivered By Family Members: A Pilot Study

Abstract The proportion of disabled stroke survivors is increasing. These people may experience loss of sensation that negatively impacts on performance and participation in daily activities. The value of adopting active approaches to rehabilitation is growing; however, high costs and demand over an extended period of time impose limits on therapist-based application. Informal carers and family members are a potential, low-cost resource for expanding the scope of rehabilitation across environments and over extended time periods. We systematically developed and established the effectiveness of an approach to retraining lost sensation and function in the hand that has positive outcomes in relation to the ability to feel everyday textures and objects and use the hand in daily tasks. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether family members, as surrogate therapists, are able to effectively conduct the sensory training program in home environments. Three single-case quasi-experiments were conducted in which stroke survivors' spouses implemented the training program across touch or limb position sensations. We found positive treatment effects in all cases. These findings indicate that selected surrogate therapists (spouses) can successfully implement a program of sensory retraining when provided 2 to 3 hours of training and supervision by a qualified therapist.
Haplotype assembly: An information theoretic view

This paper studies the haplotype assembly problem from an information-theoretic perspective. A haplotype is a sequence of nucleotide bases on a chromosome, often conveniently represented by a binary string, that differ from the bases in the corresponding positions on the other chromosome in a homologous pair. Information about the order of bases in a genome is readily inferred using short reads provided by high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies. Associating reads that cover variant positions with specific chromosomes in a homologous pairs, which enables haplotype assembly, is challenging due to limited lengths of the reads and presence of sequencing errors. In this paper, the recovery of the target pair of haplotype sequences using short reads is rephrased as a joint source-channel coding problem. Two messages, representing haplotypes and chromosome memberships of reads, are encoded and transmitted over a channel with erasures and errors, where the channel model reflects salient features of high-throughput sequencing. The focus of this paper is on determining the required number of reads for reliable haplotype reconstruction, and both the necessary and sufficient conditions are presented with order-wise optimal bounds.
The relation between elevation and self-reported prosocial behavior: Incremental validity over the Five-Factor Model of Personality

With the development of the field of positive psychology, new constructs have made their way into the literature. One such construct, elevation, represents a positive moral emotion that is experienced when one witnesses the kind, moral behavior of others (Haidt, 2003). To date, few researchers have examined this construct. The current study examined elevation by locating it in the factor space of the Five-Factor Model of Personality, and determined its relation to the constructs of spiritual transcendence and self-reported prosocial behavior. A total of 188 student participants were recruited. Results indicated that Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, spiritual transcendence, and self-reported prosocial behavior were all positively correlated with elevation. Moreover, the results indicated that elevation provided significant incremental validity in predicting self-reports of prosocial behavior over and above the Five-Factor Model of Personality and spiritual transcendence. Clinical implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are considered.
Becoming‐worker: vocational training for workers in aged care

Women’s care work sits on the boundary between unpaid work in the private domain and poorly paid, low‐status work in the public sphere. It continues to be a site for the expression of complex, high‐level knowledge and skills, and of ongoing gender oppression. The aged‐care industry is a particularly salient example of such work. It is a low‐status, female‐dominated industry, in which entry‐level workers who do the majority of the care work are the lowest paid of any workers in our society. It relies on a continuing supply of women of low socio‐economic status who bring complex care skills from the private sphere into the workplace, with little recognition of this prior learning and little learning support for the ongoing challenges of working in such a complex workplace. This article explores the issues of learning care work in the aged‐care industry. It is based on long‐term collaborative research with an aged‐care educator, and a research study of vocational learning in an aged‐care organisation in regional Australia. The research aimed to explore the provision of new vocational education and training courses in this highly gender‐segregated workplace. It was found that it was important to consider the different sorts of learning in the two parts of the curriculum: learning in preparatory training and learning in the workplace. New knowledge acquired in vocational education and training was often in conflict with what was learned in the workplace because experienced workers had acquired a different set of knowledge and practices in their predominantly workplace learning. The study revealed the ways in which care workers’ subjectivities were formed within complex negotiations around knowledge and care work. It raised issues about the gendered nature of care work and the reproduction of patterns of gendered subjectivity through institutional practices.
Using the Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire with a British and an Indian sample

The Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ) was developed on US undergraduates and has been used in a variety of cultural contexts. This study uses confirmatory factor analysis to investigate whether the factor structure is confirmed in a British (response rate 86%, N = 112) and a (largely Hindu) Indian (100% response, N = 127) female undergraduate sample. The British data did not show good fit (comparative fit index 0.52), although the signs for the factor loadings were consistent with those found with the US sample and the sizes were often similar. The fit for the Indian sample is extremely poor (comparative fit index 0.21), and the signs of the factor loadings were often different to those for the US and British samples. British students showed stronger agreement with items on premenstrual changes. The Indian students showed stronger agreement with items about tiredness and not expecting so much of oneself. The findings are consistent with previous research with Indian samples. The results suggest that the MAQ factor structure is not appropriate to other cultures. Future quantitative cross-cultural research in this area should avoid simple comparisons of factor scores and use more sophisticated statistical modelling techniques now available.
Commitment to nested organizational units : Some basic principles and preliminary findings

Relying on the fact that many organizations exhibit nested organizational structures, we identify several basic principles for understanding what produces different levels of employee commitment to the nested units. The principles identify the importance of the unit's distance from the employee, the capacity of the more proximate units to produce positive emotions, and the attribution process whereby employees assign responsibility for their positive emotions to a particular organizational unit. Specific hypotheses are derived from Lawler's argument about nested units. These hypotheses undergo preliminary tests for two nested organizational structures, one more centralized than the other. The hypotheses are generally supported.
Students' interim literacies as a dynamic resource for teaching and transformation

This article explores the notion of 'interim literacies' by drawing on data from a research project which used linguistic and intertextual analysis of first year student writing in economics to investigate the intersection of academic discourse and student voice. This research has provided a rich set of data to illustrate the ways in which first year student texts are built from a range of past and present discourses, discourse strategies and genres. Students make meaning by reworking past discourses, appropriating and adapting new discourses to make them their own. The article goes on to develop the notion of interim literacies by refining criteria for deciding what interim literacies are and what they are not. The notion of interim literacies is used to move away from a 'deficit' view of English second language writers in the university and it is argued that an analysis and understanding of interim literacies can contribute to teaching and to transformation. The article concludes by providing evidence of the ways in which this research project has impacted on teaching and curricula in the university course where the project was undertaken.
Does Fulbright Make a Difference? The Turkish Perspective

This article reports on the findings of a research project carried out by a team of faculties at the Middle East Technical University and the Fulbright Education Committee in Turkey. The project aimed to investigate the Fulbright program's professional, personal, and social impacts and its effectiveness from the perspectives of Turkish scholars. Data were collected by mail from 277 Fulbright scholars living in various regions of Turkey. All of the scholars agreed that their Fulbright experience in the United States had had positive effects on their professional, social, and personal lives. Scholars were especially satisfied with the effect on their personal lives. For example, the Fulbright experience broadened their world viewpoint in a flexible and international setting. These results suggest that Fulbright scholars contribute to the development of the country, because many of them hold high-ranking positions that allow them to develop and implement policies in different sectors. For the development of the Fulbright program, it is recommended that continuous follow-up studies be conducted to identify its strengths and weaknesses.