Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phantom-DRAWN: direction guidance using rapid and asymmetric acceleration weighted by nonlinearity of perception

This paper describes the design of a novel force perception method and the development of a handheld force display based on the method. The method is based on the nonlinear characteristics of human tactile perception; humans feel rapid acceleration more strongly than slow acceleration. The method uses periodic prismatic motion to create asymmetric acceleration leading to a virtual force vector. A prototype of the handheld force display that generates one-directional force using a relatively simple mechanism was built, and its performance tested in terms of both physical and perceptual characteristics. We verify the feasibility of the proposed method through experiments that determine the display's motor's rotational frequency that maximizes the perception of the virtual force vector.
Eating In: Home, Consumption and Identity

Food is perhaps one of the most mundane and taken for granted parts of our everyday life, yet the ways we think about shopping, cooking and eating are actually intensively reflexive. This paper uses the example of food to explore questions of identity in relation to the specific cultural location of ‘the home’. Using case study examples the paper illustrates some of the complex ways in which identities, throughout the lifecourse, are produced, articulated and contested through food consumption and the spatial dynamics of cooking and eating. In doing so the paper demonstrates that households, rather than being single units of food consumption, can be sites of multiple and sometimes contradictory consumption practices and that it is necessary to understand how patterns of eating are negotiated and contested within households in order to understand how the home functions as a ‘consumption site’.
Active-feedback frequency-compensation technique for low-power multistage amplifiers

An active-feedback frequency-compensation (AFFC) technique for low-power operational amplifiers is presented in this paper. With an active-feedback mechanism, a high-speed block separates the low-frequency high-gain path and high-frequency signal path such that high gain and wide bandwidth can be achieved simultaneously in the AFFC amplifier. The gain stage in the active-feedback network also reduces the size of the compensation capacitors such that the overall chip area of the amplifier becomes smaller and the slew rate is improved. Furthermore, the presence of a left-half-plane zero in the proposed AFFC topology improves the stability and settling behavior of the amplifier. Three-stage amplifiers based on AFFC and nested-Miller compensation (NMC) techniques have been implemented by a commercial 0.8-/spl mu/m CMOS process. When driving a 120-pF capacitive load, the AFFC amplifier achieves over 100-dB dc gain, 4.5-MHz gain-bandwidth product (GBW) , 65/spl deg/ phase margin, and 1.5-V//spl mu/s average slew rate, while only dissipating 400-/spl mu/W power at a 2-V supply. Compared to a three-stage NMC amplifier, the proposed AFFC amplifier provides improvement in both the GBW and slew rate by 11 times and reduces the chip area by 2.3 times without significant increase in the power consumption.
Properties of bipolar VIPergic interneurons and their excitation by pyramidal neurons in the rat neocortex

In the rat neocortex, a subset of GABAergic interneurons express the neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Previously, we demonstrated that a population of VIPergic interneurons could be accurately identified by their irregular spiking (IS) pattern and their bipolar morphology. IS interneurons were studied in neocortical slices from 16–22‐day‐old rats using whole‐cell recordings, intracellular labelling and single‐cell RT‐PCR. In response to a depolarizing pulse, IS interneurons typically discharged a burst of action potentials followed by spikes emitted at an irregular frequency. Several seconds of depolarization, micromolar concentrations of 4‐aminopyridine, and nanomolar concentrations of either dendrotoxin I or K converted this irregular pattern to a sustained discharge, suggesting the involvement of an ID‐like K+ current. The main glutamate receptor subunits detected in IS cells were GluR1 flop and GluR2 flop, GluR5 and GluR6, and NR2B and NR2D for the α‐amino‐3‐hydroxyl‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), kainate and N‐methyl‐d‐aspartic acid (NMDA) subtypes, respectively. Paired whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings indicated that pyramidal neurons provide intracortical glutamatergic inputs onto IS interneurons. Most connections had high probabilities of response and exhibited frequency‐dependent paired pulse depression. Comparison of the amplitude distribution of paired responses suggested that most of these connections consisted of multiple functional release sites. Finally, two discrete subpopulations of IS cells could be identified based on the duration of the initial burst of action potentials and the differential expression of calretinin and choline acetyltransferase.
Psychological effects of air-raids

Data collected from 50 observers confirm newspaper accounts of the imperturbability of the majority of the population. Acclimatization even to heavy raids at night has been remarkable. A considerable proportion manage to sleep through the terrific racket. There is no doubt that being with others helps the majority of people, and that those who live alone tend to find raids much more trying. Introspective accounts of what it feels like when bombs fall close are difficult to obtain and often contradictory. There have been fewer cases of neurosis than were expected. There have been no new or unexpected types of "air-raid neurosis. " Among people showing neurotic trends before raids began, roughly one-half have shown no change, a quarter have become worse, and a quarter have actually improved. In general, the psychological disorders attributable to raids seem to be considerably less serious than the social disorganization consequent on the destruction of so many homes and personal belongings, the disruption of communications, and the difficulties of feeding, evacuation, etc. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)
Exploiting regularities in Web traffic patterns for cache replacement

Caching web pages at proxies and in web servers' memories can greatly enhance performance. Proxy caching is known to reduce network load and both proxy and server caching can significantly decrease latency. Web caching problems have different properties than traditional operating systems caching, and cache replacement can benefit by recognizing and exploiting these differences. We address two aspects of the predictability of traffic patterns: the overall load experienced by large proxy and web servers, and the distinct access patterns of individual pages. We formalize the notion of "cache load" under various replacement policies, includingLRU andLFU, and demonstrate that the trace of a large proxy server exhibits regular load. Predictable load allows for improved design, analysis, and experimental evaluation of replacement policies. We provide a simple and (near) optimal replacement policy when each page request has an associated distribution function on the next request time of the page. Without the predictable load assumption, no such online policy is possible and it is known that even obtaining an offline optimum is hard. For experiments, predictable load enables comparing and evaluating cache replacement policies using partial traces, containing requests made to only a subset of the pages. Our results are based on considering a simpler caching model which we call the interval caching model . W e relate traditional and interval caching policies under predictable load, and derive (near)-optimal replacement policies from their optimal interval caching counterparts.
Midlife Transition and Women's Spirituality Groups: A Preliminary Investigation

The purpose of this preliminary study was to describe midlife transition, spirituality, and healing of relationships for members of women's spirituality groups. Ten women completed the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (R. Paloutzian & C. Ellison, 1982) and a 45-minute interview about spirituality, religion, life transitions, relationships, and beneficial aspects of women's spirituality groups. Qualitative analysis found themes to describe spirituality: connection with a Higher Power, personal choice, connectedness with nature and people, healing, and support. The women viewed spirituality and religion as separate, yet connected, entities. Benefits of women's spirituality groups included the groups' being therapeutic, providing valued relationships, and providing social support.
Examining Correlates of Civic Engagement Among Immigrant Adolescents in the United States

Using a diverse urban sample of immigrant adolescents in the United States (N = 345) followed from 10th grade (Mage = 15.69) to 12th grade, this study examined the extent to which ecological assets (i.e., community connections and social network resources) predicted civic commitments (i.e., community engagement, social responsibility) as potentially mediated by fair society beliefs. The authors also examined whether ethnicity and generation status moderated these associations. As hypothesized, fair society beliefs were higher and predicted greater civic commitments only among Asian youth. Ecological assets were associated with greater civic commitments for all participants; these links were primarily direct for Latino immigrants and indirect (via fair society beliefs) for Asian youth. First-generation immigrants had more ecological assets and were more civically committed, however social network resources predicted fair society beliefs and community engagement only for second-generation youth. These differences indicate that immigrant youth are best understood as a heterogeneous group and suggest the need for further investigation of cultural variations in civic developmental processes.
Gender and Organisational Restructuring in the National Health Service: Performance, Identity and Politics

Over the past decade, debates within economic geography and organizational sociology have shown that gender is embedded within economic discourses, organisational relations and processes of restructuring. The argument has been widely illustrated through reference to "identity", with examples offered of the ways in which organizations and organisational change draw on specific performances of masculine and feminine identities. However, whilst we now know a great deal about organisational expectations of gendered performance at work, we actually know little of how these required performances impact individual constructions of identity. This paper aims to explore this gap between organisational discourses of gender, on the one hand, and the construction of individual identities, on the other. The paper uses narrative analysis of interviews with five nurses working in two hospitals in the British National Health Service (NHS) to trace the place and articulations of organisation, profession and gender in the construction and presentation of self. The paper reveals complex processes of negotiation and resistance and both stable and shifting identifications as individuals actively construct gendered identities inter alia through their interpretations of organisational and professional change. This emphasis on agency, resistance and personal politics has important implications for thinking about the nature and form of workplace politics and may offer a missing piece of the puzzle in recent bids to build new forms of labour organisation.
The effects of student verbal and nonverbal responsiveness on teacher self‐efficacy and job satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of student verbal and nonverbal responsiveness on teacher self‐efficacy and job satisfaction. Over a quarter (26%) of the total variance in teacher self‐efficacy and over half (53%) of the total variance in teacher job satisfaction were attributable to student verbal and nonverbal responsiveness. Rather than student verbal and nonverbal responsiveness interacting, the analyses of variance yielded significant main effects for both the verbal responsiveness and nonverbal responsiveness independent variables on each of the teacher self‐efficacy and job satisfaction dependent variables. Overall, student nonverbal responsiveness had a greater effect on teacher self‐efficacy and job satisfaction than verbal responsiveness. Also, teacher job satisfaction was more susceptible to student verbal and nonverbal responsiveness than teacher self‐efficacy. Limitations and implications are reviewed.
Pharmacy residents' perception of preceptors as role models.

PURPOSE Pharmacy residents' perception of preceptors as role models was evaluated. METHODS A 55-item survey instrument was developed, pilot tested, and distributed to pharmacy residents in Kentucky. Respondents used a 5-point Likert scale to rate the importance of selected preceptor characteristics in current and ideal preceptors. The percentage of residents who viewed their preceptors as role models was the primary outcome. The secondary outcome was the lack of concordance, if any, between each characteristic, quality, and component by comparing characteristics valued by residents versus characteristics exemplified by current preceptors. RESULTS A total of 69 pharmacy residents (77% response rate) responded to the survey. There was no significant difference between the proportion of residents who thought it was important for a preceptor to be a role model (67 of 69 residents [97%]) and the proportion who perceived their current preceptor as a role model (59 of 69 residents [86%]) (p = 0.271). The mean resident response showed that current preceptors exhibited clinical (p = 0.014) and teaching (p < 0.001) qualities significantly less than did ideal preceptors. The mean resident response showed no significant difference in ideal and current preceptors' personal qualities. CONCLUSION Pharmacy preceptors in Kentucky were perceived by pharmacy residents to be role models with excellent personal qualities but needing improvement in teaching and clinical qualities. Preceptors with less than 10 years of experience were perceived to have better teaching and clinical qualities and to be more effective when compared with preceptors with more years of experience.
Gender independent kids: A paradigm shift in approaches to gender non-conforming children

Recent years have seen a substantial change in how children who challenge gender norms (referred to in this article as “Gender Independent”) are regarded by professionals, by their families and by the public at large. Pathologized and treated for decades as a mental illness, childhood gender non-conformity would seem to be imbued with new meaning, as evidenced by a growing number of public voices claiming gender variance as part of human diversity. Call it a paradigm shift: from disorder to diversity, from treatment to affirmation, from pathology to pride, from cure to community. This commentary article reflects on recent shifts in language, shifts in identity options, and shifts in the focus of intervention with gender non-conforming children. Drawing on existing research and public discourse, I consider what the field of human sexuality can learn from “Gender Independence. ”
Peer Debriefing in Qualitative Research: Emerging Operational Models

Using a qualitative research methodology detailed by Lincoln and Guba, peer debriefing sessions were examined by interviewing education graduate students who completed dissertations and who participated in peer debriefing. The following patterns emerged: (a) Trust was the foundation for selection of the debriefer and the debriefing interaction, (b) the focus for the debriefer and researcher was on methodology, and (c) research skills were continuously developed. Analysis of the data also showed that debriefers worked in pairs or in small groups. Some debriefing groups met for the total time from proposal to dissertation defense, and others began at different stages of the research process. As a result, some groups relied on memory or journal notes for the review of collected data. Implications are included.
Oligomerization of the microtubule‐associated protein tau is mediated by its N‐terminal sequences: implications for normal and pathological tau action

Despite extensive structure‐function analyses, the molecular mechanisms of normal and pathological tau action remain poorly understood. How does the C‐terminal microtubule‐binding region regulate microtubule dynamics and bundling? In what biophysical form does tau transfer trans‐synaptically from one neuron to another, promoting neurodegeneration and dementia? Previous biochemical/biophysical work led to the hypothesis that tau can dimerize via electrostatic interactions between two N‐terminal ‘projection domains’ aligned in an anti‐parallel fashion, generating a multivalent complex capable of interacting with multiple tubulin subunits. We sought to test this dimerization model directly. Native gel analyses of full‐length tau and deletion constructs demonstrate that the N‐terminal region leads to multiple bands, consistent with oligomerization. Ferguson analyses of native gels indicate that an N‐terminal fragment (tau45–230) assembles into heptamers/octamers. Ferguson analyses of denaturing gels demonstrates that tau45–230 can dimerize even in sodium dodecyl sulfate. Atomic force microscopy reveals multiple levels of oligomerization by both full‐length tau and tau45–230. Finally, ion mobility–mass spectrometric analyses of tau106–144, a small peptide containing the core of the hypothesized dimerization region, also demonstrate oligomerization. Thus, multiple independent strategies demonstrate that the N‐terminal region of tau can mediate higher order oligomerization, which may have important implications for both normal and pathological tau action.
Palmitoylation of LIM Kinase-1 ensures spine-specific actin polymerization and morphological plasticity

Precise regulation of the dendritic spine actin cytoskeleton is critical for neurodevelopment and neuronal plasticity, but how neurons spatially control actin dynamics is not well defined. Here, we identify direct palmitoylation of the actin regulator LIM kinase-1 (LIMK1) as a novel mechanism to control spine-specific actin dynamics. A conserved palmitoyl-motif is necessary and sufficient to target LIMK1 to spines and to anchor LIMK1 in spines. ShRNA knockdown/rescue experiments reveal that LIMK1 palmitoylation is essential for normal spine actin polymerization, for spine-specific structural plasticity and for long-term spine stability. Palmitoylation is critical for LIMK1 function because this modification not only controls LIMK1 targeting, but is also essential for LIMK1 activation by its membrane-localized upstream activator PAK. These novel roles for palmitoylation in the spatial control of actin dynamics and kinase signaling provide new insights into structural plasticity mechanisms and strengthen links between dendritic spine impairments and neuropathological conditions. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.06327. 001
Prevalence of anisometropia in Taiwanese schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study investigated the prevalence and distribution of anisometropia in Taiwanese schoolchildren using nationwide data from refractive surveys performed in 1995 and 2000. METHODS Complete survey data was obtained for 11,175 students in 1995 and 10,878 students in 2000. The refractive status of each student was measured using an autorefractometer under cycloplegia and rechecked with retinoscopy. The difference in refractive status between each participant's eyes was determined. Chi-squared statistic was used to assess the difference between the 2 surveys. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the trend and effects of covariates. RESULTS Most of the schoolchildren (77.6% in 1995, 71.9% in 2000) were not anisometropic. Most of the anisometropic differences were in the range 0.5 to 1.0 D (14.1% in 1995 vs 17.9% in 2000). About 6% of schoolchildren in 1995 and 7.0% in 2000 had anisometropic differences in the range from -1.0 to -2.0 D. Fewer than 4% of students had a level of anisometropia greater than 2.0 D (2.7% vs 3.2%, respectively). The prevalence of anisometropia and the extent of anisometropic difference both increased with age and with maximal myopic refraction (both p < 0.0001). Both the prevalence and extent of anisometropia showed significant differences between the 2 surveys (both p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Most of the Taiwanese schoolchildren surveyed were non-anisometropic. The prevalence and amount of anisometropia were significantly increased from 1995 to 2000. The mechanisms responsible for these increases have not been determined, but may be related to increase of myopic refraction.
Relationship between suicidality and impulsivity in bipolar I disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study

Mahon K, Burdick KE, Wu J, Ardekani BA, Szeszko PR. Relationship between suicidality and impulsivity in bipolar I disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Bipolar Disord 2012: 14: 80–89. © 2012 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Repensando o fenômeno do envelhecimento na agenda política das cidades: a importância da promoção da mobilidade de pedestres

Cities are now facing a double challenge: not only urban population is growing but it is also getting older. Though several guidelines have been developed in order to look at this cities/ageing nexus through a new perspective, the overall view, holistic by nature (involving issues such as social inclusion, communication, employment, housing and transports), lacks some specificity and clarification in what concerns the quality of public space and the aspects that prevent and generate mobility amongst the elderly. In this context of promoting attractive spaces as economic development engines, on the one hand, and striving to maintain older people in their community (ageing in place), on the other, the issue at stake is of added value for policy making and delivery. By focusing mainly in the subject of service's spatial location and pedestrian mobility, this paper develops an understanding of this subject by synthesising the evidence and providing an interdisciplinary perspective that potentially benefits public policy debates regarding the development of an elderly friend community capable of providing conditions to optimise individual capacities and maintain a healthy quality of life amongst older people.
Multi-scale superpixel classification for optic cup localization

In this paper, we present a multi-scale approach based on superpixel classification for optic cup localization. Our approach provides 3 major contributions. First, a contrast enhancement scheme is proposed to reduce illumination influence and enhance feature discrimination. Second, features are extracted from multiple superpixels scales for richer description of the optic cup. Third, a unique cup is localized by integrating the multi-scales together using majority voting. Our approach was validated on a clinical online dataset, ORIGA-light, of 650 population-based images. Overall, our approach is able to achieve a 0.248 non-overlap ratio (m1) and a 0.085 absolute CDR error (δ). Experimental results also shows that our multi-scale approach has a complementary effect to increase performance stability, and is able to achieve a higher accuracy when compared with the previous state-of-the-art superpixel-based method.