Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance on the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration and its supplementary tests: Comparing Chinese and U.S. kindergarten children

ABSTRACT Visual-motor integration (VMI) is the ability to coordinate visual perception and motor skills. Although Chinese children have superior performance in VMI than U.S. norms, there is limited information regarding the performance of its basic composition of VMI in regard to visual and motor aspects. This study aimed to examine the differences in performance in VMI, visual perception (VP), and motor coordination (MC) using the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI-6) among Hong Kong Chinese kindergarten children compared to established U.S. norms. Standard scores for each age were statistically compared to the corresponding mean values for U.S. children. This comparison showed significantly higher VMI mean scores for Hong Kong Chinese children than for their age-matched peers. The following equation was derived to allow for a comparison of VMI to U.S. norms (adjusted score = 0.777 (Chinese VMI raw score)—0.796). In extending current knowledge on superior performance in VMI among Chinese children, better VP and MC skills were also observed. This phenomenon might be due to the orthographic feature of traditional Chinese characters and early formal instruction on reading and writing in Hong Kong. This study has not only pointed out the need to administer all three tests of the VMI-6 to identify the underlying causes of VMI problems but has also alerted educators and clinicians as to when to administer the tests to Chinese children in Hong Kong.
Abrupt change in atmospheric CO2 during the last ice age

During the last glacial period atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature in Antarctica varied in a similar fashion on millennial time scales, but previous work indicates that these changes were gradual. In a detailed analysis of one event we now find that approximately half of the CO2increase that occurred during the 1500‐year cold period between Dansgaard‐Oeschger (DO) events 8 and 9 happened rapidly, over less than two centuries. This rise in CO2 was synchronous with, or slightly later than, a rapid increase of Antarctic temperature inferred from stable isotopes.
Battery-Aware Power Allocation for Lifetime Maximization of Wireless Sensor Networks

We consider a wireless sensor network deployed to observe a physical phenomenon. The sensors amplify and forward their observations to a remote fusion center via single hop. The objective is to maximize the operational lifetime of the network such that the estimate of the underlying source at FC satisfies a certain fidelity criterion given by the maximum tolerable estimation distortion. Each sensor is powered by a battery which limits its lifetime and consequently of the network also. Recent studies show that the battery discharge behavior is dependent on the load current: higher current leads to higher losses inside the battery due to the non-linearities of the electrochemical reaction in the battery. This work presents a power allocation design where goal is to maximize the network lifetime incorporating the non-linear discharging behavior of the batteries. The design is based on the knowledge of the instantaneous channel gains as well as when we only know the channel statistics. The numerical examples illustrate that the impact of battery-aware power scheduling on the network life is substantial.
We Are Being Framed! In Believing That Problems of Emotion and Behavior Are Health Problems

Emotional and behavioural problems have an impact on the lives of many people. Worldwide around 450 million people are affected [1]. The cost impact of these problems is huge, in the UK these problems account for 10% of the total healthcare costs (Department of Health, 2005) and the cost of lost employment and productivity is estimated to be 23 billion (Social Exclusion Unit, 2003). Problems with emotion and behaviour are seen as health problems, treated in a health system with medical (=pharmaceutical) interventions. Given the cost to the people involved and the cost to society as a whole it is vital that these problems are dealt with in the best way possible. In this paper I will come to the conclusion that we are not doing so. The aim of this paper is to make a convincing case that problems of emotion and behaviour (depression, anxiety, schizophrenia etc.) are NOT health problems. The medical perspective is not the best explanatory/intervention model for emotional and behavioural problems and I will argue that a psychological perspective does provide a more productive way of understanding problems with emotion and behaviour. Explanatory models of problems with behaviour, emotion and cognition (what could be called: mental distress or madness) have differed through the ages and between cultures. Since the beginning of the 20-ieth century the medical model has been the dominant explanatory model in western society for these problems. Different models have been dominant in other times and are still dominant in other societies. These ‘other’ explanatory models have included:
Appetitive Motivation Predicts the Neural Response to Facial Signals of Aggression

The “behavioral approach system” (BAS) (Gray, 1990) has been primarily associated with reward processing and positive affect. However, additional research has demonstrated that the BAS plays a role in aggressive behavior, heightened experience of anger, and increased attention to facial signals of aggression. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we show that variation in the BAS trait in healthy participants predicts activation in neural regions implicated in aggression when participants view facial signals of aggression in others. Increased BAS drive (appetitive motivation) was associated with increased amygdala activation and decreased ventral anterior cingulate and ventral striatal activation to facial signals of aggression, relative to sad and neutral expressions. In contrast, increased behavioral inhibition was associated with increased activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate, a region involved in the perception of fear and threat. Our results provide the first demonstration that appetitive motivation constitutes a significant factor governing the function of neural regions implicated in aggression, and have implications for understanding clinical disorders of aggression.
Evidence‐based guideline: Treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy—report of the american association of neuromuscular and electrodiagnostic medicine, the american academy of neurology, and the american academy of physical medicine & rehabilitation

The objective of this report was to develop a scientifically sound and clinically relevant evidence‐based guideline for the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). The basic question that was asked was: “What is the efficacy of a given treatment (pharmacological: anticonvulsants, antidepressants, opioids, others; non‐pharmacological: electrical stimulation, magnetic field treatment, low‐intensity laser treatment, Reiki massage, others) to reduce pain and improve physical function and quality of life (QOL) in patients with PDN? ” A systematic review of literature from 1960 to August 2008 was performed, and studies were classified according to the American Academy of Neurology classification of evidence scheme for a therapeutic article. Recommendations were linked to the strength of the evidence. The results indicate that pregabalin is established as effective and should be offered for relief of PDN (Level A). Venlafaxine, duloxetine, amitriptyline, gabapentin, valproate, opioids (morphine sulfate, tramadol, and oxycodone controlled‐release), and capsaicin are probably effective and should be considered for treatment of PDN (Level B). Other treatments have less robust evidence, or the evidence is negative. Effective treatments for PDN are available, but many have side effects that limit their usefulness. Few studies have sufficient information on their effects on function and QOL. Muscle Nerve, 2011.
Lazy Decision Trees

Lazy learning algorithms, exemplified by nearest-neighbor algorithms, do not induce a concise hypothesis from a given training set; the inductive process is delayed until a test instance is given. Algorithms for constructing decision trees, such as C4.5, ID3, and CART create a single "best" decision tree during the training phase, and this tree is then used to classify test instances. The tests at the nodes of the constructed tree are good on average, but there may be better tests for classifying a specific instance. We propose a lazy decision tree algorithm--LAZYDT--that conceptually constructs the "best" decision tree for each test instance. In practice, only a path needs to be constructed, and a caching scheme makes the algorithm fast. The algorithm is robust with respect to missing values without resorting to the complicated methods usually seen in induction of decision trees. Experiments on real and artificial problems are presented.
A new dynamic null model for phylogenetic community structure

Phylogenies are increasingly applied to identify the mechanisms structuring ecological communities but progress has been hindered by a reliance on statistical null models that ignore the historical process of community assembly. Here, we address this, and develop a dynamic null model of assembly by allopatric speciation, colonisation and local extinction. Incorporating these processes fundamentally alters the structure of communities expected due to chance, with speciation leading to phylogenetic overdispersion compared to a classical statistical null model assuming equal probabilities of community membership. Applying this method to bird and primate communities in South America we show that patterns of phylogenetic overdispersion – often attributed to negative biotic interactions – are instead consistent with a species neutral model of allopatric speciation, colonisation and local extinction. Our findings provide a new null expectation for phylogenetic community patterns and highlight the importance of explicitly accounting for the dynamic history of assembly when testing the mechanisms governing community structure.
Mechanical properties of the human posterior lens capsule.

PURPOSE To investigate mechanical properties of the human posterior lens capsule. METHODS Twenty-five human donor eyes were obtained from an eye bank. The age of the donors ranged from 1 to 94 years. Test specimens were prepared as tissue rings from posterior lens capsules by means of excimer laser. Capsular thickness was measured microscopically as the difference in focus between microspherules placed on the outer and inner surfaces of the capsule. The capsular rings were slipped over two pins connected to a motorized micropositioner and a force transducer and stretched at a constant rate with continuous recording of load and deformation. Data for the posterior lens capsule were compared with previously published data for the anterior lens capsule. RESULTS The thickness of the posterior lens capsule ranged from 4 to 9 micro m and showed no significant changes with age. Ultimate mechanical strength of the posterior lens capsule decreased significantly with age. Ultimate strain ranged from 101% to 34%, ultimate load ranged from 15.9 to 1.1 mN, ultimate stress ranged from 16.1 to 1.1 N/mm(2), ultimate elastic stiffness ranged from 52.1 to 5.7 mN, and ultimate elastic modulus ranged from 27.4 to 3.3 N/mm(2). The load-strain and the stress-strain relationships in the posterior lens capsule were nonlinear, and therefore elastic stiffness and elastic modulus varied as a function of strain. In the low-strain region (0%-10% strain), elastic stiffness and elastic modulus ranged between 0.3 to 2.4 mN and 0.3 to 2.3 N/mm(2), respectively, and seemed to increase during the first part of life until middle age. CONCLUSIONS Mechanical strength of the posterior lens capsule was found to decrease markedly with age. The age-related loss of mechanical strength seemed to begin earlier in the posterior lens capsule than in the anterior lens capsule. In accommodative function range (low strains), the mechanical quality of the posterior lens capsule was similar to the anterior lens capsule, which indicates that the mechanical effectiveness of the lens capsule in situ varies proportionally with capsular thickness.
The role of private care in the interval between diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Northern Ireland: an analysis of Registry data

Objective To examine the differences in the interval between diagnosis and initiation of treatment among women with breast cancer in Northern Ireland. Design A cross-sectional observational study. Setting All breast cancer care patients in the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry in 2006. Participants All women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in Northern Ireland in 2006. Main outcome measure The number of days between diagnosis and initiation of treatment for breast cancer. Results The mean (median) interval between diagnosis and initiation of treatment among public patients was 19 (15) compared with 14 (12) among those whose care involved private providers. The differences between individual public providers were as marked as those between the public and private sector—the mean (median) ranging between 14 (12) and 25 (22) days. Multivariate models revealed that the differences were evident when a range of patient characteristics were controlled for including cancer stage. Conclusions A relatively small number of women received care privately in Northern Ireland but experienced shorter intervals between diagnosis and initiation of treatment than those who received care wholly in the public system. The variation among public providers was as great as that between the public and private providers. The impact of such differences on survival and in light of waiting time targets introduced in Northern Ireland warrants investigation.
On the reproduction of gender inequality in the premium effect of the Internet on wage: A case study based on data from the Chinese Women’s Status Survey (third phase)

By using the Propensity Score Matching model, this study proves the existence of an Internet premium effect. After other factors are controlled, it is found that the average wage income of Internet users is 1.38 times that of non-users. At the same time, there are significant gender differences in the premium effect of the Internet on wages: Women’s Internet wage premium is 90.6% that of men. Furthermore, it is found that the Internet premium effect on wages is highly related to users’ online behaviors. Compared with female users, male users are more inclined to use Internet resources to acquire knowledge and human capital; among female users, those with a greater conception of gender equality are more inclined to use the Internet for learning and accumulation of human capital. Using the framework of previous research on gender inequality in cyberspace, this study focuses on how gender perception influences Internet users’ preferences and ways of using the Internet, which is an important cause and mechanism of reproduction of gender inequality in cyberspace.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Open Reading Frame 50 Represses p53-Induced Transcriptional Activity and Apoptosis

ABSTRACT Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) open reading frame 50 (ORF50) encodes a viral transcriptional activator which stimulates the transcription of viral early and late genes of KSHV. Here we show that ORF50 represses transcriptional activity of p53 and p53-induced apoptosis through interaction with CREB binding protein (CBP). This inhibitory effect of ORF50 on the transcriptional activity of p53 was relieved by the addition of CBP. ORF50 mutants, which are defective in interaction with CBP, lost the inhibitory effects on p53. Our data provide a framework for delineating the regulatory mechanisms used by KSHV to modulate cellular transcription and the cell cycle.
Handwritten Digit Recognition using Convolutional Neural Networks and Gabor filters

In this article, the task of classifying handwritten digits using a class of multilayer feedforward network called Convolutional Network is considered. A convolutional network has the advantage of extracting and using features information, improving the recognition of 2D shapes with a high degree of invariance to translation, scaling and other distortions. In this work, a novel type of convolutional network was implemented using Gabor filters as feature extractors at the first layer. A backpropagation algorithm specifically adapted to the problem was used in the training phase for the rest of layers. The training and test sets were taken from the MNIST database. A boosting method was applied to improve the results by using experts that learn different distributions of the training set and combining its results.
Differences in Motor and Functional Abilities between Female Students of the University of Zagreb

Abstract The aim of this paper was to determine the differences in motor and functional abilities of female students of the Faculty of Kinesiology (FK), Faculty of Medicine (FM), and Faculty of Teacher Education (FTE). The sample consisted of 255 female students (78 FK, 84 FTE, 93 FM), tested by six motor tests and Astrand test. Statistical analyses showed significant differences between groups. The best results were achieved by the FK students. FM students were better in strength, more flexible and had a better aerobic capacity than FTE, who had faster movement and better coordination. Students FK, who conducted systematic physical activity, had a significantly better motor-functional status, while FTE and FM students, as a result of more sedentary lifestyle, showed a lower status. This research points to the need of the student population for organized and systematic physical exercise during the entire educational period.
Autonomy in Scaffolding as Learning in Teacher-Student Negotiation of Meaning in a University EFL Classroom

Abstract Based upon sociocultural theory, this study investigates the dynamics of the teacher’s roles and learner autonomy in the process of scaffolding in teacher-student negotiation of meaning in an EFL classroom. The participants were 25 undergraduate students and a Chinese teacher of English at a university in China. The teacher-student dialogue was the central mechanism mediating the construction of negotiation of meaning and form in language learning. The analysis of classroom discourse and the teacher’s retrospection from an interview illustrated the teacher’s different roles in interaction, where scaffolding acted as a structured pedagogical tool. The study revealed that the learners were afforded assistance to progress from other-regulation to self-regulation, and consequently, the teacher exploited opportunities to enhance learner autonomy in negotiation of spaces for autonomy in classroom teaching. The study has probed into the significance of the teacher’s capacity of controlling scaffolding effectively and generated implications for teacher development and learner training.
Retrospective Study of Japanese Patients with Schizophrenia Treated with Aripiprazole

Aim. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate changes in clinical indicators which influence the quality of life (QOL) of patients with schizophrenia treated by antipsychotic therapy before and after switching to aripiprazole. Methods. A retrospective chart review of 27 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and who were switched from one antipsychotic to aripiprazole was performed. Clinical indicators about the daily dosage of antipsychotics and antiparkinsonian drugs, psychiatric condition, and glucose/lipid metabolism, clinical evaluation by nursing observation were used to measure the responsiveness of subjects to aripiprazole. Results. Of the 27 subjects, 14 responded to the switch to aripiprazole with significant improvement of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score (P = 0.04), significant decrease in dosage of antipsychotics in 71% of patients (P = 0.03), and tendency toward reduction in dosage of antiparkinsonian drugs (P = 0.07) and body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.06). However, 8 of 27 subjects had a significant increase in lipid levels after switching to aripiprazole (P = 0.01). Conclusion. QOL for subjects who responded to the switch to aripiprazole improved as indicated by lower doses of antipsychotic and antiparkinson medications, improvement in BPRS score, and a decrease in BMI. Results indicate little influence on patient's QOL.
Need for closure and reactions to innovation

In two studies using Italian (N = 852) and American (N = 94) samples, we hypothesized that high NFC individuals would have lower intentions to use new technological developments, and that this relationship would be mediated by anxiety about the new technology. We found support for this hypothesis in Study 1, but not Study 2. In the second study, we found that the closed-mindedness subscale of the full NFC scale was related to greater anxiety about new technology, which in turn led to lower intentions to use the new technology. This suggests that the closed-mindedness facet of NFC may have been responsible for our results. A meta-analytic synthesis of both studies provided some support for our original mediation hypothesis.
Cooking Perfect Cupcakes: Freeing Curricula Context Gives Student-Centred Pedagogy for Course on Experimental Design

A new subject in postgraduate coursework at UNSW Australia at the Australian Defence Force Academy campus provided a curricula opportunity to allow students to do structured collaborative learning and to choose their own context for an investigative research. The student-centred investigation is necessary to reinforce formative knowledge of advanced optimization and test techniques. The course developer knew from his own educational research [1] that such pedagogy should be inherently inclusive of diverse abilities, interests, learning styles, cultures, prior studies and genders; however, the positive effect on this inaugural course was well beyond the expectations of both the teachers and learners. This paper presents the research of just one of the 15 students to exemplify the inclusiveness of such pedagogy in tertiary curriculum development, in this case for gender-inclusion, however other students benefitted who had less ability for such tertiary concepts, and in one student’s case the pedagogy helped overcome significant cultural barriers. The context chosen by the showcased student’s work was to optimize the baking of cupcakes. Ever wondered how to bake the perfect cupcake? Ever wondered if the recipe you are following is actually correct? How did they come up with the temperature and time for cooking? Her normal work is in highly classified and compartmentalized electronic warfare and so she opted instead for a topic that could be shared with her military colleagues and the public; itself an inclusive and possibly reciprocating gesture. Many people who ordinarily do not associate with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, either through gender, academic ability or culture, can relate to trying to perfect baking of a recipe such as cupcakes. As such, this case study offers a timely and interesting reminder of the inclusive benefits of student-centred context in curricula development, particularly for STEM subjects, reinforcing previous research from the literature reviewed.