Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human-in-the-loop optimization of exoskeleton assistance during walking

Optimum human input Exoskeletons can be used to augment human abilities—for example, to lift very heavy loads or to provide greater endurance. For each user, though, a device will need to be adjusted for optimum effect, which can be time-consuming. Zhang et al. show that the human can be included in the optimization process, with real-time adaptation of an ankle exoskeleton (see the Perspective by Malcolm et al.). By using indirect calorimetry to measure metabolic rates, the authors were able to adjust the torque provided by the device while users were walking, running, and carrying a load. Science, this issue p. 1280; see also p. 1230 An exoskeleton control system can optimize itself by measuring and minimizing human energy use during walking. Exoskeletons and active prostheses promise to enhance human mobility, but few have succeeded. Optimizing device characteristics on the basis of measured human performance could lead to improved designs. We have developed a method for identifying the exoskeleton assistance that minimizes human energy cost during walking. Optimized torque patterns from an exoskeleton worn on one ankle reduced metabolic energy consumption by 24.2 ± 7.4% compared to no torque. The approach was effective with exoskeletons worn on one or both ankles, during a variety of walking conditions, during running, and when optimizing muscle activity. Finding a good generic assistance pattern, customizing it to individual needs, and helping users learn to take advantage of the device all contributed to improved economy. Optimization methods with these features can substantially improve performance.
Beliefs associated with Eating Disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Development of the Obsessive Beliefs about Body Size and Eating Survey (OBBSES)

There is a great deal of evidence suggesting an elevated rate of comorbidity between eating disorders (EDs) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The current study focused on elucidating possible cognitive similarities associated with these disorders through the development of a measure called the Obsessive Beliefs about Body Size and Eating Survey (OBBSES). More specifically, six belief domains identified as important for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group, 1997) were used as a framework for developing a measure (the OBBSES) that can be used to examine these types of beliefs in the context of EDs. The development of the OBBSES involved three phases: phase one included item generation and the grouping of items into initial subscales by an expert panel; phase two involved pilot testing, preliminary psychometric analyses, and item selection in a sample of Vanderbilt undergraduate students; and phase three included a factor analysis and validity study in a sample of Vanderbilt students and community members. The results of the phase three factor analysis suggested a five-factor solution. These five factors were Appearance Perfectionism, Vulnerability to Weight Gain, Eating Control, Magical Thinking, and Thought Control. The results from the phase three validity study suggested that the OBBSES has good convergent validity and good test-retest reliability. The discriminant validity of the OBBSES was less strong; however as eating disorders are highly correlated with depression and anxiety, this result was not surprising. The results of this study suggest that the OBBSES may be a useful tool for examining cognitive similarities between EDs and OCD in order to better understand their co-occurrence and to potentially identify subgroups of patients with specific types of beliefs that may be associated with the development and/or maintenance of both an ED and OCD. Future research should include the administration of the OBBSES in clinical samples of patients with EDs and OCD as well as other anxiety disorders.
The Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change and Smokers in Southern Appalachia

Background:The southern Appalachian states show a high prevalence of smoking, with associated high rates of both heart disease and cancer, yet cultural differences raise questions concerning the applicability of the most frequently used model for smoking cessation, the transtheoretical model, for smokers from this region of the country. ObjectiveTo identify, by examining the applicability of the transtheoretical model for southern Appalachian smokers, the percentage of individuals in each of the five stages of change, the use of the processes of change from the trans-theoretical model, and the scores on recognized predictors of smoking cessation including the temptation to smoke, the perceived barriers to cessation, the pros and cons of smoking, and nicotine dependence. Methods:This population-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study used a random sample of 3,800 telephone numbers, which were called up to eight times. The 659 smokers or former smokers who agreed to participate were mailed a written questionnaire consisting of six well-established scales that measure constructs from the transtheoretical model. The final sample consisted of 357 usable questionnaires. Results:The distribution of smokers in northeastern Tennessee differed from national samples across the first three stages of change, with 56% in precontemplation, as compared with previous findings of 40% in national samples. The subjects' scores for the pros of smoking were similar across the stages of change in this sample, and although the scores for the cons differed significantly across the stages in the sample, post hoc analysis indicated that the only significant change occurred between precontemplation and contemplation. The scores for temptation to smoke did not differ significantly across the stages of change in this sample. Discussion:Smokers from Appalachian Tennessee differ from smokers in other parts of the United States, and these findings raise questions about the applicability of the transtheoretical model for this population.
Electrochemical-SERS analysis of R6G using a microcontroller based Portable Potentiostat

The first Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) spectra were obtained from an electrochemical cell, which led to the discovery of the SERS effect in mid-1970s. Up to date, a lot of papers have been published on various aspects of SERS from electrochemical systems. SERS consists in a very sensitive technique for detection of analytes at very low concentrations. Furthermore, SERS can give information of how the analytes interacts with the metal surface, becoming a very useful technique for surface engineering and research. To fully explore this metal-analyte interaction SERS has been perform in an electrochemical environment. Thus, in this Electrochemical-SERS (EC-SERS) technique there are two distinctively different properties of electric fields, an electromagnetic field and a static electrochemical field, coexisting in electrochemical systems in the interface of the electrolyte, containing the target analyte, and the nanostructured metal electrode. To apply the desired potential at the nanostructured working electrode, a microcontroller based portable potentiostat device was design and fabricated to fit in the Raman microscope along with an electrochemical cell that can hold the electrolyte and the respective electrodes to perform simultaneously SERS measurements. Great efforts have been done to comprehensively understand SERS and EC-SERS spectra based on the chemical and physical enhancement mechanisms to provide meaningful information for revealing the mechanisms of electrochemical adsorption and reaction. Finally, Rhodamine-6G was used as target analyte for EC-SERS measurements with the objective of providing a new insight of the charge transfer mechanisms reported in theoretical calculations which are hard to detect experimentally using higher excitation energies due to the strong fluorescence yield.
Effects of input properties, vocabulary size, and L1 on the development of third person singular –s in child L2 English

This study was designed to investigate the development of third-person singular (3SG) –s in children who learn English as a second language (L2). Adopting the usage-based perspective on the learning of inflection, we analyzed spontaneous speech samples collected from 15 English L2 children who were followed over a 2-year period. Assessing the contribution of a wide range of predictors, we show that word frequency, allomorph, lexicon size, inflectional properties of the first language (L1), and months of exposure to English all have impact on English L2 children's use of 3SG –s in obligatory contexts. This study enhances both our understanding of the development of 3SG –s and of child L2 acquisition. The outcomes support a usage-based approach to learning inflection and emphasize the importance of a multifactorial analysis of language development.
3D Finite Element Monte Carlo Simulations of Multigate Nanoscale Transistors

A 3D ensemble Monte Carlo device simulation tool with quantum corrections based on the tetrahedral decomposition of a simulation domain has been developed for the modeling of electron transport in nonplanar nano-MOSFETs. This 3D tool includes a presimulation drift-diffusion transport model which can also be used separately. A discretization by finite element method can accurately describe a 3D device geometry and speed up complex 3D simulations. The quantum corrections are included via a density gradient approach and the interface roughness via Ando's model. ID - VG characteristics of a 25-nm gate length Si silicon-on-insulator (SOI) FinFET, selected as an application example, shows an excellent agreement with experimental data including the subthreshold slope. We show that the device on-current for a (110) channel orientation could be improved by about 15% for a (100) channel orientation. The role of quantization of energy levels affecting the distribution of electron density at sidewalls of the SOI FinFET is found to be different at low (0.05 V) and high (1.0 V) gate biases.
Ceramic Based Small LTE MIMO Handset Antenna

A compact multiband antenna for handset and tablet applications is presented, covering most LTE Bands (698-960 and 1710-2690 MHz). This study utilizes a new ceramic material suitable for the internal antenna design which gives a shorter guided wavelength and wider bandwidth for each resonant mode to achieve antenna size reduction, sufficient space utilization, and very low correlation coefficient as MIMO antennas. The occupied volume of the antenna radiator is only 35 × 11 × 5 mm<sup>3</sup>, equal to 0.082 λ<sub>m</sub> × 0. 026λ<sub>m</sub> × 0. 012λ<sub>m</sub> (λ<sub>m</sub> is the wavelength at 700 MHz) whose radiation aperture is only λ<sub>m</sub>/11 so the antenna is a good candidate as an internal antenna.
Star formation in RCW 108: Triggered or spontaneous?

We present visible, near IR, and mm-wave observations of RCW 108, a molecular cloud complex in the AraOB1 association that is being eroded by the energetic radiation of two O-type stars in the nearby cluster NGC 6193. The western part of the RCW108 cloud contains an embedded compact HII region, IRAS 16362-4845, ionized by an aggregate of early-type stars. We notice a lack of stars later than A0 in the aggregate and speculate that this might be a consequence of its extreme youth. We examine the distribution of stars displaying IR excesses projected across the molecular cloud. While many of them are located in the densest area of the molecular cloud near IRAS16362-4845, we also find a group concentrating towards the edge of the cloud that faces NGC 6193, as well as some other stars beyond the edge of the molecular cloud. The intense ionizing radiation field by the O stars in NGC6193 is a clear candidate trigger of star formation in the molecular cloud, and we suggest that the existence and arrangement of stars in this region of the cloud supports a scenario in which their formation may be a consequence of this. However, IR excess stars are also present in some areas of the opposite side of the cloud, where no obvious candidate external trigger is identified. The existence of such tracers of recent star formation scattered across the more massive molecular cloud associated with IRAS 16362-4845, and the low star formation efficiency that we derive, indicate that it is in a state to still form stars. This is in contrast to the less massive cloud close to NGC 6193, which seems to be more evolved and mostly already recycled into stars, and whose internal kinematics show hints of having been perturbed by the presence of the massive stars formed out of it.
Improved Method for Noninvasive Measurement of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow by 133Xenon Inhalation Part I: Description of Method and Normal Values Obtained in Healthy Volunteers

A clinical method for noninvasive measurement of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and blood volume (rCBV) is described, basedon Obrist's 10 minute, desaturation method after 1 minute inhalationof 133Xe. Sixteen collimated probes are placed over both hemispheres and brain stem-cerebellar regions. End-tidal 18>Xe curves are used for correction of recirculation. KEV discriminators are set to record gamma and x-ray activity separately. Values are printed out automatically by a computer on a brain map. Extracerebral contamination is reduced by 1) computing curves from gamma activity, 2) applying pressure on the scalp beneath the probes, 3) 1 minute inhalation of 133Xe and recording desaturation curves for 10 minutes, thereby minimizing slow clearance from extracranial tissues. Normal values for both fast and slow compartments are reproducible and are in good agreement with the carotid injection method. The speech dominant hemisphere has higher flow than the right under conditions described. Posterior portions of the cranium over the cerebellum andbrain stem appear to have higher flow gray values than the cerebral cortex. Gray matter flow decreases with advancing age.
Genetic Influences on Smoking: A Brief Review

Smoking is a complex behavior influenced by environmental and genetic factors. A number of twin studies demonstrate genetic influences on multiple aspects of smoking including initiation, dependence, continuation, amount consumed, and cessation. It is likely that this genetic risk involves a complex interaction between multiple genes in different biologic pathways. These may include genes involved in the general aspect of dependence (eg, genes within the dopaminergic system) and those more specific to nicotine dependence (eg, genes encoding nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and nicotine-metabolizing enzymes). Genome-wide linkage analyses and gene association studies provide approaches for identifying these genes. This review provides a brief highlight of data from some of the candidate gene association studies and discusses some of the discrepancies found in the literature. In addition, the authors have reviewed some recent studies examining how genetic variations in drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug targets can influence the response to treatment with drugs such as bupropion and nicotine. These latter studies provide the potential for maximizing treatment efficacy by individualizing the type, dosage, and duration of the treatment based on an individual's genotype/phenotype. Significant advances have been made in understanding the genetic contribution to smoking behaviors. These and future studies will provide potential directions for novel prevention and treatment strategies.
COMPUTER USER SELF-EFFICACY SCALE – CUSE: UN ESTUDIO DE VALIDACIÓN Y ADAPTACIÓN PARA POBLACIÓN PORTUGUESA

0 0 1 177 976 USAL 8 2 1151 14.0 Normal 0 21 false false false ES JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:ES; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} The instrument Computer User Self-Efficacy Scale (CUSE; Cassidy & Eachus, 2002) was developed in order to measure and analyze the self-efficacy of the adult population in the context of computer use. Arises in a context where many authors were interested in the study of self-efficacy and who considered that this had a strong influence on the performance of tasks that were required the use of computers. The present preliminary study aims to adapt and to validate the instrument Computer User Self-Efficacy Scale (CUSE; Cassidy & Eachus, 2002) for the portuguese population, specifically in the retired population who uses the computer. The results indicate that this scale has a high internal consistency and acceptable standards featuring reliability and validity. It was also found that self-efficacy is positively correlated with moderate and statistically previous experience with using computers. The results indicate that the instrument Computer User Self-Efficacy Scale (CUSE; Cassidy & Eachus, 2002) is valid for the study and analysis of the effectiveness of self-use of computers in portuguese people who are retired and who use computer.
SEA effectiveness in Spain: insights from practice

ABSTRACT Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is fairly well-established in Spain, informing decision-makers on the likely environmental consequences of their plans and policies. However, limited attention has been paid to the study of SEA effectiveness in Spain, particularly with regards to practitioner and stakeholder views. This paper aims to bridge this knowledge gap by gathering and examining views on SEA’s participatory aspects, the performance of the procedural elements and the overall role of SEA in decision-making. The paper describes the legal implementation of SEA in Spain, and discusses current views on its effectiveness, grounded on the authors’ own experiences.
The role of the terrain-modified wind on driving the fire behaviour over hills: an Experimental and Numerical Analysis

This paper analyses the fire behaviour over two hills placed in series in the direction of the wind. Laboratory-scale experiments under various slope and wind velocity conditions with changing the distance between the hills revealed two sorts of extreme fire behaviour that might take place. One is a lateral fire spread over the lee slopes (fire channelling), and the other is an eruptive fire behaviour (blow-up) happens over the windward face of the secondly ordered hill in the direction of the wind. The changes in the blowing wind velocity and the distance between the hills were found to have a significant effect on fire behaviours, where increasing the wind speed or the distance resulted in a faster rate of spread of the fire. Also, the change of the ignition point, or spreading direction of the fire relatively to the wind direction has a significant effect on the fire channelling behaviour where it was found that the fire channelling is more extreme if the fire is spreading against the main wind direction. Numerical analysis of the adiabatic flow field showed that the change the presence of these extreme fire behaviour is related directly to the terrain-modified flow topology. The interactions between the terrain-modified wind mechanisms and the fire result in accelerated flows that drive the indicated extreme fire behaviours.
Electronic Interface for Lidar System and Smart Cities Applications

This work deals with the design of a new readoutelectronics for silicon photomultipliers sensors. The so-calledSiPMs sensors are an emerging technology currentlydiffusing in many applications and, among them, in thedefinition of a new generation of LIDAR systems. Thelatter, nowadays have a primary role in the evolutionprocess that is involving Smart Cities, being an enablingtechnology in different fields. The solution here proposed isrealized at electronic level with a 150 nm technology processfrom LFoundry and results provide a feasibledemonstration of the capability of the proposed designapproach to be employed in practical application.
An Assessment of Skills and Competencies Necessary for Entry-Level Student Affairs Work

This study identifies selected skills and competencies attained by entry-level student affairs professionals through master’s-level graduate education and the degree to which these skills and competencies were perceived as necessary for entry-level student affairs work. Given a list of 28 skills drawn from preservice preparation and student affairs assessment literature, more than 1,200 new entrants to the student affairs field were asked to rate each skill in terms of (a) the degree to which the skill was attained in the respondent’s master’s degree program and (b) the degree to which it was used in their first professional position.
Anti-racism ‘from below’: exploring repertoires of everyday anti-racism

ABSTRACT While a focus on institutional anti-racism challenges structural formations of racialized inequality, the inattention to quotidian resistance misses the complex manner in which racism is negotiated in everyday life. Examining ‘everyday anti-racism’ can better identify the cultural repertoires that frame how individuals deal with racism across different contexts. This paper shares findings from ethnographic research with Filipino migrants living in Sydney. Specifically, it focuses on middle-class Filipino migrants and their use of social mobility to manage routine racism. The experience of middle-class racial minorities presents distinct perspectives as their strategies do not sit comfortably with anti-racism ideals of ‘equality for all’. I advance the concept of everyday anti-racism to argue for a broader anti-racism politics that captures situated approaches to combating racism. Furthermore, I propose that the identity repair in middle-class contexts offer a chance to build anti-racism praxis that cuts across traditional solidarities.