Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The study of self-efficacy in Latin female immigrants attending a support group at a community based agency

The focus of this study is the effectiveness in increasing self-efficacy and self-esteem levels, parenting skills, awareness about domestic violence issues, and the overall effects of these on the quality of life of at-risk Hispanic female immigrants attending a support group at a community agency. A pre and post-test design was used to evaluate this support group. The author hypothesized that the skills taught in this group would improve the client's self-efficacy, self-esteem, increase their parenting skills, and enhance their knowledge on issues related to domestic violence. Findings from the analysis showed that there was improvement in all these areas. A trend in the results suggested that although not all findings were statically significant, client's, quality, of life was enhanced as a result of their exposure to this group. Community based agencies and all' other agencies providing similar services can benefit from the model used to assess formal outcomes for this type of treatment. Findings about this program's outcome provide valuable insight for social work clinicians working with at-risk populations.
A model predictive control scheme for consensus in multi-agent systems with single-integrator dynamics and input constraints

In this paper we address the problem of driving a group of agents towards a consensus point when agents have a discrete-time single-integrator dynamics and the communication graph is undirected and time-varying. We propose a decentralized Model Predictive Control (MPC) scheme that takes into account constraints on the agent inputs and show that it guarantees consensus under mild assumptions. Since the global cost does not decrease monotonically, it cannot be used as a Lyapunov function for proving consensus. Rather, our proof exploits geometric properties of the optimal path followed by individual agents.
Effect of Haemophilus influenzae endotoxin on the synthesis of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha and expression of ICAM-1 in cultured human bronchial epithelial cells.

Although studies of infective lung diseases have demonstrated that Haemophilus influenzae is a major pathogen, the mechanisms underlying pathogenesis by this organism are not clear. We have cultured human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) to confluency and have investigated the effect of H. influenzae endotoxin (HIE) on: 1) epithelial permeability, by movement of 14C-bovine serum albumin (14C-BSA) across HBEC and measurement of electrical resistance of HBEC; 2) release of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) into the supernatant, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); and 3) expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), by immunofluorescence staining. HIE did not significantly increase the movement of 14C-BSA across HBEC. In contrast, HIE progressively increased the electrical resistance of HBEC, such that this was significant after 24 h. Compared with untreated cells, 10-100 micrograms.ml-1 HIE-treated cells released significantly greater amounts of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha, after 24 h, which was blocked by 10(-5) M hydrocortisone. Similarly, incubation of HBEC with 10-100 micrograms.ml-1 HIE, significantly increased the total number of ICAM-1 positive cells, which were significantly decreased on incubation of the cells in the presence 10(-5) M hydrocortisone. Conditioned medium from HIE-exposed HBEC lead to significant increase in neutrophil chemotaxis and adhesion to endothelial cells in vitro. These results suggest that HIE may affect epithelial cell function and influence inflammation of the airway mucosa via induction of proinflammatory mediators.
Online Store Service Convenience, Customer Satisfaction and Behavioural Intentions: A Focus on Utilitarian Oriented Shoppers

The paper investigates, using transaction cost theory, the concept of service convenience and its influence on utilitarian customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions to repurchase from an online store. Data used in the analysis was collected from utilitarian oriented online shoppers from Gauteng, South Africa using a structured questionnaire. According to the findings search, evaluation, order and possession convenience were identified as unique,reliable and valid dimensions of service convenience in the context of online shopping. The four dimensions were all found to exert significant direct influence on utilitarian customers’ level of satisfaction as well as on intentions to repurchase from specific online stores. The findings further showed that service convenience can be conceptualised as a second order factor made up of all the identified four dimensions and that when conceptualised this way the explanatory power of service convenience on both customersatisfaction and repurchase intentions is greatly enhanced. Additionally, the results show thatoverall satisfaction on the relationship between service convenience and behavioural intentions to repurchase from an online store plays a significant mediating role when service convenience is considered at the dimensional level but not at the overall level. The findings in this study validate the transaction cost theory in the context of online shopping and contribute to a better understanding of the concept of service convenience and its influence on utilitarian oriented online customers. The findings have wide managerial implications on use of convenience as a source of value creation for online store managers and these have been outlined in the paper.
The Consequences of Interpersonal Forgiveness Following Trust Breach

In organizational life, trust breach is a common but destructive phenomenon. This dissertation explores how a prosocial, virtuous response to trust breach -interpersonal forgiveness -might influence the behaviour and attitudes of teams and their members in the wake of such a breach. In a series of three manuscripts, the dissertation looks at the consequences of forgiveness for the person perceived to have broken a victim’s trust (the transgressor), and for the teammates who observe the breach and the response that follows it. Forgiveness is described as playing two important roles. For transgressors, we describe forgiveness as a favour, drawing on social exchange theory to argue that forgiveness triggers reciprocal helping directed at both the victim and the team at large. And for teammates, we argue that forgiveness serves as a powerful signal, communicating the cohesion and efficacy of the group. These predictions are tested experimentally with a laboratory study of transgressor-victim dyads (Chapter 2) and of transgressor-victim-teammate triads (Chapter 3), and a series of two vignette studies from the perspective of teammate observers (Chapter 4). Focusing on the linkages between forgiveness and justice, each study considers the interaction between forgiveness various transgressorinitiated and victim-initiated attempts at restoring justice, including apologies, punishment, and restorative justice practices. Chapter 5 discusses the mixed support found for our predictions, considers how the limitations of our studies might be addressed, and introduces a series of directions for future research.
METRIC DISTORTION AND TRIANGLE MAPS

Suppose T is a geodesic triangle with respect to the spherical or the hyperbolic metric. Let f : T → E be a triangle map onto a euclidean triangle E , and assume that the angle measures of two of the vertices are preserved by f . We prove that the metric distortion of f is extremal on the side of T opposite the angle whose measure is not preserved. As applications we determine the minimum points of the hyperbolic and spherical densities on some symmetric regions.
A relevancy-based services view for driving adoption of wireless web services in the U.S.

Radio, television, PCs, and the inteRnet are all part of our everyday lives. It would be quite difficult to carry on our normal daily functions without them today. Cell phones and wireless web services offer the promise of becoming another technology that consumers are unable to live without. To capitalize on this opportunity, wireless service providers have invested heavily in upgrading their networks to the next generation standard (3G). However, consumer interest in data services does not paint a rosy picture for the providers. A recent BusinessWeek survey shows extremely low penetration of wireless Web (data) services. 1 In this study, we explore the issues that drive (or inhibit) the adoption of wireless web services. The underlying question that we want to explore is: how can service providers explain the value proposition of wireless web services to consumers in the U.S.? In trying to answer this question, we conduct an initial exploration of the services desired by potential adopters of wireless Web services in the U.S. On a more fundamental level, we propose a framework for service providers to design and deliver wireless data services in the U.S. market. Our framework points to the need to think beyond location-based services and have a relevancy-based orientation. After gaining a better understanding of the value proposition of wireless web services to U.S. consumers , we explore pricing as a way for service providers to capitalize on relevan-cy-based value proposition. drivers of wireless web services adoption While wireless service providers tout the benefits of wireless Web services, customers remain skeptical. Venkatesh et al. 10 suggest this may be the case because of two key issues: consumers think that wireless web services are too complicated to use and; consumers think that they do not need wireless web services (for example, an unclear value proposition of wireless web services). The technology acceptance model (TAM) also alludes to these two factors as drivers of adoption of new technology in general. 1 More recently, Venkatesh et al. 11 have suggested the use of Miscrosoft Usability Guidelines (MUG) to focus on the usability of mobile commerce services and applications as driver of adoption. Usability of wireless web services is determined by the context of mobile user experiences: the use context (Time, Location and Convenience) and device context (the limitations of the mobile device used to access the mobile services). Therefore, based on earlier research, our research focuses on …
Variability of Strain and Strain Rate in the Human Tibial Diaphysis During Walking

The following individuals read and discussed the thesis submitted by student Tyler Franklin Rooks, and they evaluated his presentation and response to questions during the final oral examination. They found that the student passed the final oral examination. v ACKNOWLEDEMENTS I would like to thank my thesis advisor Dr. Kotaro Sasaki for all of his help while I was a student at Boise State University (BSU). He was instrumental in the research and writing processes. The different perspective he provided was very helpful in filling in gaps and furthering my understanding of both writing styles and research methods. I would also like to thank the remaining members of my thesis committee, Dr. for all of their help and patience throughout this process. Additionally, I am very thankful for all of the help Dan Leib provided throughout the research process. Without his help and guidance, I would not have been able to complete all of the research. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to all of the researchers at Ball State University's BIOMECHANICS LAB for collecting and processing the experimental data used for this study. Tyler Rooks graduated from Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in Golden, CO with a BS in Engineering with a mechanical specialty in May 2009. Upon completion of his BS degree at CSM, he enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering Master of Science program at Boise State University (BSU). While not attending school, he spent time volunteering in the Musculoskeletal Disorders laboratory at the University of Colorado's School of Medicine (Denver, CO) in the summers while at CSM. While at BSU, he spent time away from school as a fellow for the Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Engineering (ORISE) at Fort Rucker in Alabama. Following completion of the requirements for a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree, he plans to return and complete the remaining time available as a fellow for ORISE. vii ABSTRACT With the prevalence of stress fractures in the military and athletes of all levels, research into the pathology of this injury has taken flight in recent years. One area of research has focused on the role bone strain, which is known to be a factor in bone remodeling, has on stress fracture development. It has been difficult to perform studies in this area of research due to the invasiveness of in vivo measurements of the bone strain. Recently, a methodology …
LSTM Autoencoders for Dialect Analysis

Computational approaches for dialectometry employed Levenshtein distance to compute an aggregate similarity between two dialects belonging to a single language group. In this paper, we apply a sequence-to-sequence autoencoder to learn a deep representation for words that can be used for meaningful comparison across dialects. In contrast to the alignment-based methods, our method does not require explicit alignments. We apply our architectures to three different datasets and show that the learned representations indicate highly similar results with the analyses based on Levenshtein distance and capture the traditional dialectal differences shown by dialectologists.
Word length effects in the left and right cerebral hemispheres : the right visual field advantage

It has long been known that word length has a larger influence on the recognition of words presented in the left visual field than the right visual field, an effect commonly referred to as the length by visual field interaction. The aim of the present thesis was to explore the neural and behavioural effects of the length by visual field interaction. In doing so, it was expected that the results would contribute to and extend the body of behavioural research in this area, particularly in regard to the hemispheric processing of words. Chapter One presents a general overview of the thesis; in Chapter Two, the nature of the right visual field advantage is reviewed, with particular reference to previous work that has demonstrated differential effects of word length in each of the cerebral hemispheres. Models that seek to account for visual field asymmetries are also reviewed. Chapter Three outlines the key methods adopted in the thesis, namely, the divided visual field task and the use of event-related potentials. Chapters Four and Five present the results of two experiments that explored the neural effect of increasing word length in each of the hemispheres. The results provided ERP evidence of early processing dissociations between the hemispheres in terms of words and non-words of different lengths. Experiments 3-6 explored the effect of orthographic uniqueness point in each of the visual fields, as a means of exploring the nature of processing conducted by each hemisphere. Across three experiments, it was shown that words with a late uniqueness point were recognised faster and more accurately than words with an early uniqueness point. This facilitation for late uniqueness point words was evident in the ERP response at 170ms. Furthermore, orthographic uniqueness point was shown to differentially affect each of the hemispheres. Experiments 6-9 provided evidence to suggest that the interaction of length and visual field was influenced by orthographic depth, a property of language that reflects the transparency with which sounds are represented in print. In Chapter Ten, the effect of format distortion on the interaction of length and visual field was explored. Finally, Chapter Ten summarises and discuss the key findings of the present thesis in light of theories that seek to account for lateralised word recognition.
Bleeding risk stratification in acute coronary syndromes. Is it still valid in the era of the radial approach?

Bleeding is the most common adverse event after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It can occur either as a direct complication of the index procedure or spontaneously during the antithrombotic treatment for secondary prevention. Hemorrhagic complications significantly impact the prognosis independently from their timing and have been associated with a poorer quality of life [1]. In addition, anti-thrombotic therapies are now becoming more potent than in the past, and an increase in hemorrhagic events can easily be anticipated in clinical practice with state-of-the-art drug combinations. International guidelines endorse a careful evaluation of the bleeding risk, in order to lower the risk of the devastating consequences of hemorrhagic events with the simultaneous effort to maintain ischemic protection. However, no specific methodology has ever been standardized to assess bleeding risk in patients undergoing PCI, although several bleeding risk scores [2–8], addressing risk stratification in diverse clinical situations, have gained popularity (Table I). They are based on readily available clinical and laboratory values and could improve clinicians’ ability to standardize bleeding risk assessment. Among these, the CRUSADE score [8] was developed from a large registry, which included 71,277 patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and is recommended by European guidelines for the bleeding stratification of patients with NSTEMI [9]. The CRUSADE score estimates the risk of in-hospital bleeding irrespective of the initial therapeutic strategy, and also confirms its discriminatory capacity in the subgroup of patients managed invasively with PCI [8]. Similarly, the ACUITY score has been developed to appraise in-hospital bleeding risk in a wider acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patient population [3]. Importantly, this score also takes into account the type of anticoagulant used during PCI (i.e. heparin + glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors or bivalirudin), considering the protective effect of bivalirudin on peri-procedural bleeding as compared to heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors [3].
Multi-Application Network-on-Chip Design using Global Mapping and Local Reconfiguration

This article proposes a reconfigurable Network-on-Chip (NoC) architecture based on mesh topology. It provides a local reconfiguration of cores to connect to any of the neighboring routers, depending upon the currently executing application. The area overhead for this local reconfiguration has been shown to be very small. We have also presented the strategy to map the cores of an application set onto this architecture. This has been achieved via a two-phase procedure. In the first phase, the cores of the combined application set are mapped tentatively to individual routers, minimizing the communication cost. In the second phase, for each application, positions of individual cores are finalized. A core gets attached to any neighbor of its tentative allocation. We have proposed Integer Linear Programming (ILP) formulation of both the phases. Since ILP takes large amount of CPU time, we have also formulated a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-based solution for the two phases. A heuristic approach has also been developed for the reconfiguration. Comparison of communication cost, latency and network energy have been carried out for the applications, before and after reconfiguration. It shows significant improvement in performance via reconfiguration.
Serum Oxidative Stress Markers and Genotoxic Profile Induced by Chemotherapy in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative parameters of erythrocytes and genotoxicity in leukocytes of patients with breast cancer. Oxidative parameters were detected by spectrophotometry and genotoxic damage by single cell gel electrophoresis. Twenty-eight women with breast cancer were monitored before chemotherapy and after the second and fourth cycles of therapy with cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin. After the fourth cycle, increases (P < 0.05) in the reactive substances to thiobarbituric acid levels, nitrite content, and superoxide dismutase activity and high rates of DNA damage in leukocytes were observed when compared with healthy women group and baseline levels. Similarly, after the second cycle, the same parameters were increased (P < 0.05) when compared with baseline levels. Increase in catalase activity was detected only after the fourth cycle and reduced glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase activity were decreased in all cycles when compared with healthy women, as well as after the second and fourth chemotherapy cycles compared to baseline (P < 0.05). Patients with breast cancer presented an indicative of oxidative stress before, during, and after chemotherapy, as well as increased genotoxic damage in all stages of treatment, demonstrating the clinical applicability of this investigation.
Sea Changes Ashore: The Ocean and Iceland's Herring Capital

The story of Siglufjor›ur (Siglufjordur), a north Iceland village that became the "Herring Capital of the World," provides a case study of complex interactions between physical, biological, and social systems. Siglufjor›ur's natural capital— a good harbor and proximity to prime herring grounds—contributed to its development as a major fishing center during the first half of the 20th century. This herring fishery was initiated by Norwegians, but subsequently expanded by Icelanders to such an extent that the fishery, and Siglufjor›ur in particular, became engines helping to pull the whole Icelandic economy. During the golden years of this "herring adventure," Siglufjor›ur opened unprecedented economic and social opportunities. Unfortunately, the fishing boom reflected unsustainably high catch rates. In the years following World War II, overfishing by an international fleet eroded the once-huge herring stock. Then, in the mid-1960s, large-scale physical changes took place in the seas north of Iceland. These physical changes had ecological consequences that led to the loss of the herring's main food supply. Severe environmental stress, combined with heavy fishing pressure, drove the herring stocks toward collapse. Siglufjor›ur found itself first marginalized, then shut out as the herring progressively vanished. During the decades following the 1968 collapse, this former boomtown has sought alternatives for sustainable development.
Effect of chondroitin sulfate on the growth of solid Ehrlich ascites tumor under the influences of other interstitial components.

Summary The influences of collagen, l-hydroxyproline, fibrinogen, egg albumin, calf serum, and muramidase on tumor growth were studied in relation to the growth-promoting activity of chondroitin sulfate using solid hypotetraploid Ehrlich ascites tumor. One ml of the solutions of substances tested, chondroitin sulfate, and the mixtures of the substance and chondroitin sulfate were given, respectively, s.c. into the back of SMA and ddN mice, followed immediately by the injection of Ehrlich tumor. Average tumor weights in experimental groups were compared with those in control groups, which were given isotonic saline on Day 8 after tumor inoculation. The effect of chondroitin sulfate, which stimulated the growth of tumor, was markedly inhibited by egg albumin, calf serum, and muramidase. It was, however, only weakly inhibited by a collagen preparation, l-hydroxyproline, or fibrinogen, though they tended to inhibit the tumor growth. It may be considered that inhibitory effect of these substances on the growth-promoting activity of chondroitin sulfate was due to the decrease of the negative electric charge of chondroitin sulfate.