Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A pilot study on the validity and reliability of the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND The Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) was developed to measure patients' enablement, which is an indicator of the effectiveness of a primary care consultation; however, to date, the PEI has not been tested in Asian populations. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to test the acceptability, validity, reliability and other psychometric properties of a Chinese [Hong Kong (HK)] translation of the PEI in Chinese patients in Hong Kong and whether these properties would be affected by different timing of administration. METHODS A Chinese (HK) translation of the PEI was developed by iterative forward-backward translations and the content validity was assessed by a cognitive debriefing interview with 10 Chinese patients. It was then administered to 152 adult patients attending a government-funded primary care clinic in Hong Kong both immediately after the consultation and 2-3 weeks later by telephone. Internal construct validity was assessed by item-scale correlations and factor analysis, test-retest reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation (ICC) and sensitivity was assessed by known group comparison. RESULTS The Chinese (HK) PEI was semantically equivalent to the original PEI for all items. Acceptability of the PEI was high with 83.1% response and 100% completion rates. Statistical analyses showed no difference between test and retest means as well as good reproducibility (ICC 0.75). Internal reliability determined by Cronbach's alpha was >0.8 irrespective of timing of administration. Scale construct validity was confirmed by strong (r>0.4) item-scale correlations and resumed to a one-factor hypothesized structure. PEI scores were significantly higher in younger patients supporting sensitivity. There was no significant difference in the psychometric properties or scores between the assessment results from immediately after and 2-weeks post-consultation. CONCLUSIONS A Chinese (HK) translation of the PEI equivalent to the original is now available for application to Chinese populations. Pilot testing supported its acceptability, validity, reliability and sensitivity. Further studies to confirm its construct validity and responsiveness will help to establish the Chinese (HK) PEI as an outcome measure of the effectiveness of primary care consultations in Chinese patients.
Distance Education Alumni: How Far Have They Gone?

SUMMARY This evaluation compared 34 distance education (DE) and 38 on-campus alumni regarding employment-related outcomes; professional activities; satisfaction with MSW program components; and development of knowledge, skills, and values. Findings showed equivalent outcomes in most respects. DE alumni were generally positive about the extent to which the program enabled them to develop professionally.
Ancient DNA suggests the leading role played by men in the Neolithic dissemination

The impact of the Neolithic dispersal on the western European populations is subject to continuing debate. To trace and date genetic lineages potentially brought during this transition and so understand the origin of the gene pool of current populations, we studied DNA extracted from human remains excavated in a Spanish funeral cave dating from the beginning of the fifth millennium B.C. Thanks to a “multimarkers” approach based on the analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (autosomes and Y-chromosome), we obtained information on the early Neolithic funeral practices and on the biogeographical origin of the inhumed individuals. No close kinship was detected. Maternal haplogroups found are consistent with pre-Neolithic settlement, whereas the Y-chromosomal analyses permitted confirmation of the existence in Spain approximately 7,000 y ago of two haplogroups previously associated with the Neolithic transition: G2a and E1b1b1a1b. These results are highly consistent with those previously found in Neolithic individuals from French Late Neolithic individuals, indicating a surprising temporal genetic homogeneity in these groups. The high frequency of G2a in Neolithic samples in western Europe could suggest, furthermore, that the role of men during Neolithic dispersal could be greater than currently estimated.
Code Layout as a Source of Noise in JVM Performance

We describe the effect of a particular form of "noise" in benchmarking. We investigate the source of anomalous measurement data in a series of optimization strategies that attempt to improve runtime performance in the garbage collector of a Java virtual machine. The results of our experiments can be explained in terms of the difference in code layout, and hence instruction and data cache behaviour. We show that unintended changes in code layout due to code modifications as trivial as symbol renaming can contribute up to 2.7% of measured machine cycle cost, 20% in data cache misses, and 37% in instruction cache misses.
Retail pharmacy staff perceptions of design strengths and weaknesses of electronic prescribing

OBJECTIVE This paper explored pharmacy staff perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) design in retail pharmacies using the sociotechnical systems framework. This study examined how adoption of e-prescribing technology is affecting clinical practice and patient care. MATERIALS AND METHODS Direct observations and think aloud protocols were used to collect data from seven retail pharmacies. RESULTS Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians reported strengths of e-prescribing design that facilitated pharmacy work which included: legibility, ease of archiving, quick access to prescriptions and consistency in the format of electronic prescriptions (e-prescriptions). Design weaknesses and potential hazards to patient care associated with e-prescribing systems were due to differences between pharmacy and prescriber computer systems which resulted in the selection of wrong patient or drug (name, directions, dose, strength, formulation, package sizes). There were unique strengths and weaknesses in the design of e-prescriptions peculiar to the three pharmacy computer systems examined in this study. DISCUSSION Findings from this study can help inform policy on creating e-prescribing design standards for pharmacy. e-Prescribing system developers can use the results of this study to identify and apply the most usable features of the three main pharmacy computer systems to design systems that support dispensing efficiency and safety. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to highlight design flaws with e-prescribing in retail pharmacies. The sociotechnical systems framework was useful in providing an indepth understanding of the pharmacist and pharmacy technician's interface with e-prescribing technology. This information can be used by policy makers to create e-prescribing standards for pharmacies.
Consumption and meanings of team licensed merchandise

This study examined the motives driving the purchase of team licensed merchandise and the meanings embedded in those products. Data from 135 attendees at two National Football League (USA) games revealed that the primary motives for the display of team licensed merchandise were fans’ desire to publicly show their affiliation with the team and to express their support for the organisation, while the need to belong in the group of team supporters was also a strong motive. Furthermore, study participants overwhelmingly attached symbolic meanings to their possessions, emphasising social relationships and connectedness as well as elements of personal history. To a lesser extent, experiential meanings were attached to team licensed products. This study makes original contributions to the relatively narrow in scope research on sport licensing by exploring the functional, experiential and symbolic meanings that create value for those products and for their owners.
Measurement of Spatial Abilities

to the various paper-and-pencil, apparatus, and psychomotor tests of spatial ability. Some well-known types of spatial tests, familiar to all of us, are surface development, paper and apparatus form boards, rotated figures, mechanical movements, complex coordination, and paper folding. Inevitably the question of whether spatial ability is unitary or whether several fundamental types of spatial abilities can be
Effect of perceived stress on depression of Chinese “Ant Tribe” and the moderating role of dispositional optimism

This study examines the moderating role of dispositional optimism on the relationship between perceived stress and depression of the Chinese “Ant Tribe. ” A total of 427 participants from an Ant Tribe community completed the measures of perceived stress, optimism, and depression. The structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that dispositional optimism moderated the association between perceived stress and depression. The Ant Tribe with high perceived stress reported higher scores in depression than those with low perceived stress at low dispositional optimism level. However, the impact of perceived stress on depression was insignificant in the high dispositional optimism group.
Why Don't You Use It? Assessing the Determinants of Enterprise Social Software Usage: A Conceptual Model Integrating Innovation Diffusion and Social Capital Theories

Social software has recently attracted the attention of organizations. Nowadays organizational social software applications are often bundled within enterprise social software platforms (ESSPs). Given the popularity of social software in the private realm (e.g., Facebook), organizations expect their employees to use the ESSPs in the same frequency right after rollout. However, employees do not always meet this expectation, leading to internal social software platforms that starve for attention. While there is some research investigating users’ motives to adopt social software in the private realm, empirical research on social software adoption in an enterprise setting is still scarce. As a step towards closing this research gap, we collected a rich set of qualitative data aiming at investigating the determinants of employees’ ESSP usage. Based on theory and the collected qualitative data, this paper proposes a conceptual ESSP adoption model combining the theoretical perspectives of innovation diffusion theory and social capital theory.
Genetic control of Lucilia cuprina, past and prospects.

The Lucilia cuprina genetic control program conducted by members of CSIRO Entomology is reviewed. A strategy for reviving interest in area-wide control of this pest is suggested through the development of mass-rearing abilities, leading to the application of SIRM to eradicate the pest from Tasmania. Genetic control methods could be integrated in the SIRM program if appropriate strains could be developed, particularly sexing strains. The potential exists to gain synergy with other SIRM programs within Australia if a multi-species SIRM facility capable of producing sterile L. cuprina and other pest species is constructed.
EPAS1 variants in high altitude Tibetan wolves were selectively introgressed into highland dogs

Background Admixture can facilitate adaptation. For example, black wolves have obtained the variant causing black coat color through past hybridization with domestic dogs and have higher fitness than gray colored wolves. Another recent example of the transfer of adaptive variation between the two species has been suggested by the similarity between high altitude Tibetan mastiffs and wolves at the EPAS1 gene, a transcription factor induced in low oxygen environments. Methods Here, we investigate the directionality of admixture in EPAS1 between 28 reference highland gray wolves, 15 reference domestic dogs, and 21 putatively admixed highland wolves. This experimental design represents an expanded sample of Asian dogs and wolves from previous studies. Admixture was inferred using 17,709 publicly available SNP genotypes on canine chromosome 10. We additionally conducted a scan for positive selection in the highland dog genome. Results We find an excess of highland gray wolf ancestry at the EPAS1 locus in highland domestic dogs, suggesting adaptive introgression from wolves to dogs. The signal of admixture is limited in genomic extent to a small region on chromosome 10, indicating that it is the focus of selection in an oxygen-limited environment. Discussion Our results suggest that an adaptive variant of EPAS1 in highland wolves was transferred to highland dogs, carrying linked variants that potentially function in hypoxia response at high elevation. The intertwined history of dogs and wolves ensures a unique evolutionary dynamic where variants that have appeared in the history of either species can be tested for their effects on fitness under natural and artificial selection. Such coupled evolutionary histories may be key to the persistence of wild canines and their domesticated kin given the increasing anthropogenic modifications that characterize the future of both species.
Brief report: deletion of the dystrophin muscle-promoter region associated with X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy.

Several forms of hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy have been identified; with the exception of those resulting from mutations of mitochondrial DNA,1,2 no pathological finding can be used to differentiate the conditions, so their distinction depends on the pattern of transmission. Autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, and matrilinear forms have been reported; several families with X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy have also been described3–5. X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy is a progressive myocardial disease presenting as congestive heart failure in teenage boys without clinical signs of skeletal myopathy5. No information is available on the pathogenetic defect involved in this disorder, although cardiomyopathy is .
Multi-Source Domain Adaptation: A Causal View

This paper is concerned with the problem of domain adaptation with multiple sources from a causal point of view. In particular, we use causal models to represent the relationship between the features X and class label Y , and consider possible situations where different modules of the causal model change with the domain. In each situation, we investigate what knowledge is appropriate to transfer and find the optimal target-domain hypothesis. This gives an intuitive interpretation of the assumptions underlying certain previous methods and motivates new ones. We finally focus on the case where Y is the cause for X with changing PY and PX|Y , that is, PY and PX|Y change independently across domains. Under appropriate assumptions, the availability of multiple source domains allows a natural way to reconstruct the conditional distribution on the target domain; we propose to model PX|Y (the process to generate effect X from cause Y ) on the target domain as a linear mixture of those on source domains, and estimate all involved parameters by matching the target-domain feature distribution. Experimental results on both synthetic and real-world data verify our theoretical results.
Cell Cycle Regulation in Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells: From Isolation to Activation

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside mostly in the bone marrow and are defined by their ability to self-renew and to give rise by proliferation and differentiation to all blood lineages. Despite this strict definition HSCs cannot be unequivocally identified in the hematopoietic cell pool. Despite innumerable studies over the years, which focused on the search of the ideal phenotypic marker to selectively isolate stem cells, most of the known markers still define heterogeneous populations in different stages of commitment. Functional features attributed to stem cells have also been investigated, and among these the use of fluorescent markers which allow tracking of the cell division record of each cell. A second issue, after the initial isolation process, is the expansion ex vivo in order to obtain production of large numbers of homogeneous cell populations for both biological studies and clinical applications. Expansion ex vivo is difficult to modulate and normally occurs only along with commitment and consequent loss of multipotentiality. Moreover expansion obtained ex vivo is significantly reduced to that achievable in vivo. One of the key features of HSCs is a very slow proliferation rate, but when the appropriate stimuli are delivered, the proliferation rate can drastically increase. In normal physiological conditions a strict balance is maintained between the number of cells that maintain the original pool and those that proliferate and differentiate. Numerous data in recent years are providing some clue to elucidate the key steps in this tightly controlled process, but the dynamics that regulate which and how many cells self-renew to maintain the pool, and which proliferate and become committed to give rise to the mature blood elements, are still unclear.
Promoting Active Engagement in Small Group Learning Experiences for Students with Autism and Significant Learning Needs

Students with disabilities have greater success when teachers have high expectations, use evidence-based practices, and design engaging learning experiences. Educators and other professionals often disagree about how to create such environments for students with autism, especially during small group academic instruction. This study evaluated the effects of interactive reading materials using visual cues and music on the engagement behavior of six students with autism. Results from an ABCAC reversal design indicated an increase in students' engagement with the use of interactive reading materials in comparison to traditional read-alouds. Directions for future research and important implications for classroom practice are discussed.
Awareness of one's own body: An attentional theory of its nature, development, and brain basis.

is provided in screen-viewable form for personal use only by members of MIT CogNet. Unauthorized use or dissemination of this information is expressly forbidden. If you have any questions about this material, please contact This discussion address es a person ' s awareness of the disposition of his body parts and his belief that they are his own , and makes suggestions about their brain basis. In what way and under what circumstances are we normally aware of these facts about ourselves , and what can neuropsychological analysis contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms involved ? Specifically , is there a localized neuronal representation dedicated to bringing the body into awareness , ~ eparate from the cerebral representation of somatosensory input in the sensory strip ? Or does awareness of the body derive from selective attention to somatosensory input from the various body parts , without need for the ad hoc construct of a separate " body scheme " ? If the latter is the case, how are shifts in attention to body parts organized ? What reciprocal relationships might exist between attending to body parts and awareness of the self (self-consciousness) ? How does awareness of the self develop ? 1 Impairments , of Bodily Awareness 1 am body entirely and nothing beside. Nietzsche , Thus Spake Zarathustra Critchley (1950a) listed diverse organically determined anomalies in people ' s experience of their own bodies. Among these are neuropsychological impairments of bodily awareness labeled asomatognosias. These deficits comprise the inability to specify parts of one ' s own body by naming them or indicating them when named (autotopagnosia) (Pick 1908) and the unawarenes that a body part is one ' s own (some cases of neglect) or that its function is impaired (anosognosia). Bonnier (1905) argued that what is lost in these disorders is the spatial representation of body parts whose sensation is preserved. Such a representation would be distinct from the mapping that constitutes the first cortical relay in the somatosensory cortex. There certainly are multiple somatosensory maps in the cortex (e. g. , Mori Kinsboumf 206 Marcel The locomotor system ' s specialization for movement and for posture (which is often preparation for movement) is primarily adapted toward exploring the environment and either acting upon a particular target or withdrawing Body Parts ? et al. 1991) but they are not hierarchically organized. Also , critical findings in …
Cooperative Secret Communication with Artificial Noise in Symmetric Interference Channel

We consider the symmetric Gaussian interference channel where two users try to enhance their secrecy rates in a cooperative manner. Artificial noise is introduced along with useful information. We derive the power control and artificial noise parameter for two kinds of optimal points, max-min point and single user point. It is shown that there exists a critical value Pc of the power constraint, below which the max-min point is an optimal point on the secrecy rate region, and above which time-sharing between single user points achieves larger secrecy rate pairs. It is also shown that artificial noise can help to enlarge the secrecy rate region, in particular on the single user point.
Maternity and Its Discontents

This article is an ethnographic look at the importance of control of the female body in contemporary U.S. society. Specifically, this article examines how the idea of “getting the body back” is significant in the lives of postpartum women. The authors highlight how pregnancy signifies a state of being out of control, particularly for women involved in the paid labor force, and the struggle to reassert and literally regain particular identities after childbirth is paramount but given less attention. The authors interviewed and observed women in a semiurban area in the Midwest who were pregnant or recently gave birth. They found that for women who already are forced to negotiate boundaries when pregnant, there is a particular imperative to regain ownership of a postpartum body. Drawing upon narratives from these women, this article contributes to discourse on the body and the contradictory messages women receive about the flexibility of identity.
Finding universal dimensions of individual variation in multicultural studies of values: The Rokeach and Chinese value surveys.

Both cross-cultural psychology and theories of value would benefit from the empirical identification of value dimensions that are pancultural and comprehensive. Accordingly, in this article, I report the results of a 21-culture study of the Chinese Value Survey (CVS) and a 9-culture study of the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS). The analysis began with a "deculturing" of the data to remove the cultural positioning effect, then proceeded with a pooled factor analysis to discover pancultural patterns of association among the values. Two factors emerged from the CVS, four from the RVS. The individuals in each survey were then given factor scores, which were analyzed for sex and culture effects. Average scores for individuals from the cultures common to both surveys suggest that the CVS contained a dimension of valuing not found in the RVS. The discussion focuses on the factors' validity, their use in cross-cultural research, and the potential of different cultural traditions for extending psychology's conceptual net.
Experimental validation of a battery dynamic model for EV applications

This paper presents an improved and easy-to-use battery dynamic model. The charge and the discharge dynamics of the battery model are validated experimentally with four batteries types. An interesting feature of this model is the simplicity to extract the dynamic model parameters from batteries datasheets. Only three points on the manufacturer’s discharge curve in steady state are required to obtain the parameters. Finally, the battery model is included in the SimPowerSystems simulation software and used in a detailed simulation of an electric vehicle based on a hybrid fuel cell-battery power source. The results show that the model can accurately represent the dynamic behaviour of the battery.