Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Good samaritanism: an underground phenomenon?

A field experiment was performed to investigate the effect of several variables on helping behavior, using the express trains of the New York 8th Avenue Independent Subway as a laboratory on wheels. Four teams of students, each one made up of a victim, model, and two observers, staged standard collapses in which type of victim (drunk or ill), race of victim (black or white) and presence or absence of a model were varied. Data recorded by observers included number and race of observers, latency of the helping response and race of helper, number of helpers, movement out of the "critical area," and spontaneous comments. Major findings of the study were that (a) an apparently ill person is more likely to receive aid than is one who appears to be drunk, (b) race of victim has little effect on race of helper except when the victim is drunk, (c) the longer the emergency continues without help being offered, the more likely it is that someone will leave the area of the emergency, and (d) the expected decrease in speed of responding as group size increases— the "diffusion of responsibility effect" found by Darley and Latane—does not occur in this situation. Implications of this difference between laboratory and field results are discussed, and a brief model for the prediction of behavior in emergency situations is presented.
Predictors of academic achievement, motivation and student disengagement in university students

The aim of this study was to expand the work on academic achievement and motivation by examining the relationships among success-orientation, fear-of-failure and academic disengagement in university students. Further, the cognitive-behavioural Quadripolar and Motivation and Engagement theories were included to determine whether the models independently contribute to the prediction of self-handicapping and defensive pessimism. Participants were 110 university students enrolled at the University of Tasmania who completed a standardised questionnaire assessing achievement orientation. The hypothesis that fear-of-failure would positively correlate with self-handicapping and defensive pessimism in university students was partially supported. A strong positive correlation was found between fear-of-failure and self-handicapping, however a non-significant correlation was found between fear-of-failure and defensive pessimism. Secondly, the hypothesis that success-orientation would be negatively associated with self-handicapping however positively associated with defensive pessimism was refuted as a non-significant correlation was found for both relationships. The hypothesis that there would be an interaction between success-orientation and fear-of-failure on self-handicapping was also refuted. Lastly, due to the substantially small sample it was not possible test the hypothesis that the dimensions of the Quadripolar Model of Need Achievement would be positively associated with theoretically similar dimensions of the Motivation and Engagement Wheel. Instead, the dimensions of each model were compared for predictive utility regarding self-handicapping and defensive pessimism. It was concluded that fear-of-failure in university students is a significant predictor of self-handicapping. However further research is required with a larger sample size to determine if the two theories are independent from each other.
MYC Deregulation in Gastric Cancer and Its Clinicopathological Implications

Our study investigated the relationship between MYC alterations and clinicopathological features in gastric cancers. We evaluated the effect of MYC mRNA expression and its protein immunoreactivity, as well as copy number variation, promoter DNA methylation, and point mutations, in 125 gastric adenocarcinoma and 67 paried non-neoplastic tissues. We observed that 77% of the tumors presented MYC immunoreactivity which was significantly associated with increased mRNA expression (p<0.05). These observations were associated with deeper tumor extension and the presence of metastasis (p<0.05). MYC protein expression was also more frequently observed in intestinal-type than in diffuse-type tumors (p<0.001). Additionally, MYC mRNA and protein expression were significantly associated with its copy number (p<0.05). The gain of MYC copies was associated with late-onset, intestinal-type, advanced tumor stage, and the presence of distant metastasis (p<0.05). A hypomethylated MYC promoter was detected in 86.4% of tumor samples. MYC hypomethylation was associated with diffuse-type, advanced tumor stage, deeper tumor extension, and the presence of lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). Moreover, eighteen tumor samples presented at least one known mutation. The presence of MYC mutations was associated with diffuse-type tumor (p<0.001). Our results showed that MYC deregulation was mainly associated with poor prognostic features and also reinforced the presence of different pathways involved in intestinal-type and diffuse-type gastric carcinogenesis. Thus, our findings suggest that MYC may be a useful marker for clinical stratification and prognosis.
2-Dimentional Multi Tunneling effect of PtSi / Porous Si Schottky barrier

We report a multi tunnelling junction characteristic in P-type porous silicon core coated with thin film platinum silicide. Detailed analysis of electron transport in this device admits the existence of a structure like a twodimensional Multi Tunnelling Junctions (2D-MTJ) clearly originate from the sharp edge of created platinum silicide on porous surface. Furthermore, using SIMON simulator, electrical characteristics of proposed 2D-MTJ that modelled as a set of islands, has been extracted to investigate experimental data curves. In accordance with both studies, same oscillations based on coulomb blockade oscillations were observed. In addition the value of current tends to increase proportionally with temperature and for high drain voltage; the device behaves like a single island Single Electron Tunnelling (SET) junction as the simulation predicts. This is probably due to this fact that multiple tunnelling junctions are electrically enlarged and merged into a single island owing to the high applied drain voltage. Also temperature dependence of the coulomb oscillation as a function of gate voltage offers the possible application of this device up to room treatment without cooling payments in comparison to MTJs.
Public Enterprise Reforms and Efficiency in Regulated Environments: the Case of the Postal Sector

Purpose. This paper focuses on analyzing the effect that public reforms have on the efficiency of state-owned enterprises in regulated environments. Design, methodology, approach. The research is focused in the postal sector where public and private companies must obey a legal framework related to provide a universal service. The analysis is carried out using a panel of 7 European postal operators for the period 1997-2003. The activity analyzed was the letter mail division; we take as key variable the unit cost of a letter and use a translog cost function where as independent variables we include traffic levels, labor cost per employee, quality and availability of the service as well as the type of ownership (public or private). Additionally, in a second stage the geographical differences among countries are considered. Findings. Results indicate that postal operators that experienced organizational changes without being privatized, such as the Spanish and Greek operators, do not have higher unit costs than privatized postal operators like the one of Germany and the Netherlands. Moreover, we find that in all cases the operator of Ireland appear to be the most efficient. In this case restructuring process has been carried out giving an important leadership role to workers. This suggests us that labor culture could be a key variable to study when analyzing reform processes in public enterprises. Originality, value. Our findings show that in a regulated environment like in the postal sector, public and private companies can obtain similar efficiency levels in term of unit costs.
Telerehabilitation for Stroke Survivors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Telerehabilitation is an emerging technology through which medical rehabilitation care can be provided from a distance. Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to investigate the efficacy of telerehabilitation in poststroke patients. Methods Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified by searching MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, and Web of Science databases. Continuous data were extracted for relevant outcomes and analyzed using the RevMan software as the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% CI in a fixed-effect meta-analysis model. Results We included 15 studies (1339 patients) in our systematic review, while only 12 were included in the pooled analysis. The combined effect estimate showed no significant differences between the telerehabilitation and control groups in terms of the Barthel Index (SMD –0.05, 95% CI –0.18 to 0.08), Berg Balance Scale (SMD –0.04, 95% CI –0.34 to 0.26), Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity (SMD 0.50, 95% CI –0.09 to 1.09), and Stroke Impact Scale (mobility subscale; SMD 0.18, 95% CI –0.13 to 0.48]) scores. Moreover, the majority of included studies showed that both groups were comparable in terms of health-related quality of life (of stroke survivors), Caregiver Strain Index, and patients’ satisfaction with care. One study showed that the cost of telerehabilitation was lower than usual care by US $867. Conclusions Telerehabilitation can be a suitable alternative to usual rehabilitation care in poststroke patients, especially in remote or underserved areas. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the health-related quality of life and cost-effectiveness with the ongoing improvements in telerehabilitation networks.
HP1a Recruitment to Promoters Is Independent of H3K9 Methylation in Drosophila melanogaster

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) proteins, recognized readers of the heterochromatin mark methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me), are important regulators of heterochromatin-mediated gene silencing and chromosome structure. In Drosophila melanogaster three histone lysine methyl transferases (HKMTs) are associated with the methylation of H3K9: Su(var)3-9, Setdb1, and G9a. To probe the dependence of HP1a binding on H3K9me, its dependence on these three HKMTs, and the division of labor between the HKMTs, we have examined correlations between HP1a binding and H3K9me patterns in wild type and null mutants of these HKMTs. We show here that Su(var)3-9 controls H3K9me-dependent binding of HP1a in pericentromeric regions, while Setdb1 controls it in cytological region 2L:31 and (together with POF) in chromosome 4. HP1a binds to the promoters and within bodies of active genes in these three regions. More importantly, however, HP1a binding at promoters of active genes is independent of H3K9me and POF. Rather, it is associated with heterochromatin protein 2 (HP2) and open chromatin. Our results support a hypothesis in which HP1a nucleates with high affinity independently of H3K9me in promoters of active genes and then spreads via H3K9 methylation and transient looping contacts with those H3K9me target sites.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Longitudinal Value of Local Cut Scores Using State Test Data

We used existing reading (n = 1,498) and math (n = 2,260) data to evaluate state test scores for screening middle school students. In Phase 1, state test data were used to create a research-derived cut score that was optimal for predicting state test performance the following year. In Phase 2, those cut scores were applied with future cohorts. Diagnostic accuracy of the research-derived cut scores was compared with the state’s proficiency benchmark from the previous year. Across grades and content areas, research-derived cut scores yielded higher sensitivity and lower specificity values relative to state-defined cut scores. Marked decreases in sensitivity and specificity were not observed in subsequent years. Results provide evidence for procedures in which previous state test data are repurposed for screening decisions.
Evaluating the scalability of distributed systems

A system design is scalable if it can be economically deployed at a range of scales, in both small and large configurations. Little attention has been paid to measuring and comparing the scalability of different designs of software for distributed operation. Recently a new measure of scalability (called here P-scalability since it bused on the "power" metric) has been defined specifically for distributed systems. The paper generalizes the metric, defines a scaling path embodying a strategy modifying the system as it is scaled up, and employs scalability enabling parameters which adapt the system to give the maximum value of the scalability metric, at any point along the scaling path.
EVIDENCE BASED PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY AND PRACTICE Modelling potential responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome in Japan: the role of initial attack size, precaution, and quarantine

Background: There has been an outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) worldwide. With the use of detailed epidemiological data from other countries, this article describes the possible reason for the SARS epidemic not appearing in Japan, and simulates the impact of different control strategies that can break the transmission cycle of SARS associated coronavirus. Method: Mathematical modelling is used for predicting the epidemiological outcome and simultaneously for evaluating the effect of interventions on SARS. The study estimates the initial attack size that would result in failed invasion. Three different interventions have been incorporated into the public health response policies; precautionary public health measures, isolation of infected people, and quarantine of exposed humans. Results: The maximum number of humans newly infected could be roughly estimated on the basis of the initial attack size, using simple formulas. It is seen that the introduction of only a few cases into certain communities would not lead easily to an epidemic. The possible trajectories of SARS epidemic depend on the levels of public health interventions as quarantine and precautionary public health measures greatly affected the transmissibility of the disease. It is shown that there exist threshold levels of interventions at which the SARS epidemic settles down. Conclusion: Initial attack size is one of the determinants of whether SARS can successfully invade the community or not. Two of the most effective policy procedures to prevent new infections would be to apply stringent precautionary measures and to impose quicker and more effective quarantine of the exposed populace.
You're Hired! An Examination of Crowdsourcing Incentive Models in Human Resource Tasks

human resource tasks, such as screening a large number of job candidates, are labor-intensive and rely on subjective evaluation, making them excellent candidates for crowdsourcing. We conduct several experiments using the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform to conduct resume reviews. We then apply several incentive-based models and examine their effects. Next, we assess the accuracy measures of our incentive models against a gold standard and ascertain which incentives provide the best results. We find that some incentives actually encourage quality if the task is designed appropriately.
Decoding individual natural scene representations during perception and imagery

We used a multi-voxel classification analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to determine to what extent item-specific information about complex natural scenes is represented in several category-selective areas of human extrastriate visual cortex during visual perception and visual mental imagery. Participants in the scanner either viewed or were instructed to visualize previously memorized natural scene exemplars, and the neuroimaging data were subsequently subjected to a multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. We found that item-specific information was represented in multiple scene-selective areas: the occipital place area (OPA), parahippocampal place area (PPA), retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and a scene-selective portion of the precuneus/intraparietal sulcus region (PCu/IPS). Furthermore, item-specific information from perceived scenes was re-instantiated during mental imagery of the same scenes. These results support findings from previous decoding analyses for other types of visual information and/or brain areas during imagery or working memory, and extend them to the case of visual scenes (and scene-selective cortex). Taken together, such findings support models suggesting that reflective mental processes are subserved by the re-instantiation of perceptual information in high-level visual cortex. We also examined activity in the fusiform face area (FFA) and found that it, too, contained significant item-specific scene information during perception, but not during mental imagery. This suggests that although decodable scene-relevant activity occurs in FFA during perception, FFA activity may not be a necessary (or even relevant) component of one's mental representation of visual scenes.
Video-Aided Model-Based Source Separation in Real Reverberant Rooms

Source separation algorithms that utilize only audio data can perform poorly if multiple sources or reverberation are present. In this paper we therefore propose a video-aided model-based source separation algorithm for a two-channel reverberant recording in which the sources are assumed static. By exploiting cues from video, we first localize individual speech sources in the enclosure and then estimate their directions. The interaural spatial cues, the interaural phase difference and the interaural level difference, as well as the mixing vectors are probabilistically modeled. The models make use of the source direction information and are evaluated at discrete time-frequency points. The model parameters are refined with the well-known expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. The algorithm outputs time-frequency masks that are used to reconstruct the individual sources. Simulation results show that by utilizing the visual modality the proposed algorithm can produce better time-frequency masks thereby giving improved source estimates. We provide experimental results to test the proposed algorithm in different scenarios and provide comparisons with both other audio-only and audio-visual algorithms and achieve improved performance both on synthetic and real data. We also include dereverberation based pre-processing in our algorithm in order to suppress the late reverberant components from the observed stereo mixture and further enhance the overall output of the algorithm. This advantage makes our algorithm a suitable candidate for use in under-determined highly reverberant settings where the performance of other audio-only and audio-visual methods is limited.
Analysis of Motion Self-Occlusion Problem Due to Motion Overwriting for Human Activity Recognition

Various recognition methodologies address to recognize and understand varieties of human activities. However, motion self-occlusion due to motion overlapping in the same region is a daunting task to solve. Various motion-recognition methods either bypass this problem or solve this problem in complex manner. Appearance-based template matching paradigms are simpler and hence these approaches faster for activity analysis. In this paper, we concentrate on motion self- occlusion problem due to motion overlapping in various complex activities for recognition. In the Motion History Image (MHI) method, the self-occlusion is evident and it should be solved. Therefore, this paper compares our directional motion history image concept with basic the Motion History Image, Multi-level Motion History representation and Hierarchical Motion History Histogram representation to solve the self-occlusion problem of basic the Motion History Image representation. We employ some complex aerobics and find the robustness of our method compared to other methods for this self-occlusion problem. We employ seven higher order Hu moments to compute the feature vector for each activity. Afterwards, k-nearest neighbor method is utilized for classification with leave-one-out paradigm. The comparative results clearly demonstrate the superiority of our method than other recent approaches. We also present several experiments to demonstrate the performance and strength of the DMHI method in recognizing various complex actions. Index Terms—MHI, DMHI, MMHI, HMHH, motion recognition, feature vector
Sgo1 Regulates Both Condensin and Ipl1/Aurora B to Promote Chromosome Biorientation

Correct chromosome segregation is essential in order to prevent aneuploidy. To segregate sister chromatids equally to daughter cells, the sisters must attach to microtubules emanating from opposite spindle poles. This so-called biorientation manifests itself by increased tension and conformational changes across kinetochores and pericentric chromatin. Tensionless attachments are dissolved by the activity of the conserved mitotic kinase Aurora B/Ipl1, thereby promoting the formation of correctly attached chromosomes. Recruitment of the conserved centromeric protein shugoshin is essential for biorientation, but its exact role has been enigmatic. Here, we identify a novel function of shugoshin (Sgo1 in budding yeast) that together with the protein phosphatase PP2A-Rts1 ensures localization of condensin to the centromeric chromatin in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Failure to recruit condensin results in an abnormal conformation of the pericentric region and impairs the correction of tensionless chromosome attachments. Moreover, we found that shugoshin is required for maintaining Aurora B/Ipl1 localization on kinetochores during metaphase. Thus, shugoshin has a dual function in promoting biorientation in budding yeast: first, by its ability to facilitate condensin recruitment it modulates the conformation of the pericentric chromatin. Second, shugoshin contributes to the maintenance of Aurora B/Ipl1 at the kinetochore during gradual establishment of bipolarity in budding yeast mitosis. Our findings identify shugoshin as a versatile molecular adaptor that governs chromosome biorientation.
Unification modulo a property of the El Gamal Encryption Scheme

Equational Unification has recently been applied in the field of formal analysis of cryptographic protocols. Formal methods have been very useful in detecting nontrivial flaws in protocols and also to verify their correctness; see Meadows [7] for a survey of formal verification of cryptographic protocols. Terms in this approach are often assumed to be in the free algebra, i.e., the function symbols are not interpreted; in particular algebraic properties of function symbols are ignored. Thus two terms are equal only if they are syntactically equal; thus the analysis only requires standard unification. However, it is possible to extend this analysis by also considering algebraic properties of terms, to get a deeper analysis against attacks that can possibly exploit those properties [4, 5]. Therefore, Eunification algorithms provide tools to achieve this goal. In this work, we consider an axiom which is observed in El Gamal encryption. We briefly explain how a message is encrypted within the El Gamal scheme. Let p be a prime, g a generator of Zp and x the private key obtained from the range 1 to p− 2. Define h = gmod p. The public key is the tuple (p, g, h). A message m is encrypted by first selecting a random integer r s.t. gcd(r, p − 1) = 1 and then computing a ≡ gmod p, b ≡ m ∗ hmod p The ciphertext of m is the pair (a, b). Let us define B(m, r) = m ∗ h. When using this functionality, there is an important property of B that could be taken into account. This property is unfolded as follows: