Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Trimming on the Strong Law of Large Numbers

Trimmed' sample sums may be defined for r = 1, 2,. , by and We _ c _v(l)_y(2)_ _yW where Sn = X1 + X-, + . + Xn is the sum of independent and identically distributed random variables Xit M^s=. 25 M "' denote Xx,. , Xn arranged in decreasing order, and X^ is the observation with i x n ^ the yth largest modulus. We investigate the effects of these kinds of trimming on various forms of convergence and divergence of the sample sum. In particular, we provide integral tests for -Sn/n-*±», and analytical criteria for almost sure relative stability when the number of points trimmed, r, is fixed, but n—> °°. Some surprising results occur. For example, when r = 0,1, 2,. , Sn may be almost surely negatively relatively stable (5n/5n —* 1 a.s. as n —* «> for some non-stochastic sequence Bn f o°) only if « <EX^ =£(), and a striking corollary of this is an example of a random walk Sn which is recurrent (even has mean 0), but for which 5n and ( r 5n are transient when r s* 1.
Cross-Professional Partnerships: Innovation in Continuing Education for Social Workers and Extension Educators

There is a need to train professionals across disciplines to work collaboratively on program development and implementation to address the caregiving issues prevalent in our aging society. The North Carolina State University Departments of Social Work and Family and Consumer Sciences provided a training opportunity for social workers and county extension educators. The goals of the “Institute” were to provide a continuing education program that cultivated partnerships to develop and implement innovative local programming for older adults and their families. The program was also intended to increase the partnership capacity in the involved counties. This paper describes and evaluates the continuing education program and the potential of this training model for community partnership-building in the service of elders and families.
The Time Course of Preparation after a First Peak: Some Constraints of Reacting Mechanisms

The aim of this work was to study the time-course of preparation when a two choice stimulus arrives, in a predictable (Experiment I) or unpredictable (Experiment II) manner, after the moment at which it was expected. Subjects watched the screen of an oscilloscope on which a spot moved horizontaly. Vertical lines marked (a) the starting point of the spot's course, t0, and (b) the points in time, t1 … t1, at which the stimulus could arrive. In Experiment I five intervals between t1 and t1, ranging from 150 to 900 ms were used in different blocks of trials. In Experiment II three t1-t1 intervals, ranging from 100 to 400 ms mixed in a random way were used. In both cases subjects were asked to react as fast as possible when the stimulus was presented at moment t1. The time course of preparation was studied when the stimulus arrived at moment(s) t1. The results show that reaction time reaches a maximum 250 ms after t1, irrespectively the predictability of the t1-t1 interval. It is also shown that an interval of about 1 s was necessary to obtain reaction times as rapid as those observed at moment t1. The results are discussed in terms of the evolution of an hypothetical “state of preparation” after a maximum which remains unused.
Beyond Low-Order Statistical Response Surfaces: Latent Variable Regression for Efficient, Highly Nonlinear Fitting

The number and magnitude of process variation sources are increasing as we scale further into the nano regime. Today's most successful response surface methods limit us to low-order forms - linear, quadratic -- to make the fitting tractable. Unfortunately, not all variational scenarios are well modeled with low-order surfaces. We show how to exploit latent variable regression ideas to support efficient extraction of arbitrarily nonlinear statistical response surfaces. An implementation of these ideas called SiLVR, applied to a range of analog and digital circuits, in technologies from 90 to 45 nm, shows significant improvements in prediction, with errors reduced by up to 2IX, with very reasonable runtime costs.
Impact of Inclusion of Varying Percentages of Repeaters on Equating

Restricted equating samples are often used to equate test results. Previously eligible students may be excluded because this group of students is not stable from year to year and their inclusion may bias the results. The present study evaluated the impact of including previously eligible students in the equating samples, where the percentage of repeaters varied from 5% to 40% in 5% increments. Whereas including previously eligible students in the equating samples had impact on the results for the equating samples, there was little impact on the equating results for the population. Thus it seems reasonable to include these students in the equating samples, thereby increasing the representativeness of the equating sample. Whether the findings of the study are generalizable to situations where a fixed number of common items are used in all forms to be equated and the time between the two administrations is shorter than a year needs to be addressed in future research.
Interdependence between the Euro Area and the Us: What Role for Emu?

This paper investigates whether the degree and nature of interdependence between the United States and the euro area have changed with the advent of EMU. Using real-time data, it addresses this issue from the perspective of financial markets by analysing the effects of monetary policy announcements and macroeconomic news on daily interest rates in the United States and the euro area. The paper finds that the interdependence of money markets has steadily increased over time, with the spillover effects from the United States to the euro area being somewhat stronger than in the opposite direction. Moreover, for the early stages of EMU, we find evidence that the markets were going through a learning process about the ECB monetary policy. Towards the end of our sample period, the importance attached to euro area consumer prices and M3 has reached levels that are remarkably similar to the role of German consumer prices and M3 for German interest rates prior to EMU. JEL Classification: E43, E52, F42
Discovery of Extremely Embedded X-ray Sources in the R Coronae Australis Star Forming Core

We detected three extremely embedded X-ray sources in the R Corona Aus-tralis (R CrA) star forming core, IRS 7 region. Two weak X-ray sources are associated with the VLA centimeter radio sources 10E & W, whereas the third brightest source detected in the two XMM-Newton observations on March 2003 has no counterpart at any wavelengths. The large K-band upper-limit (19.4m) measured with the University of Hawaii 88-inch Telescope and strong absorption derived in X-rays (NH - 2 . 8 ~ 1 0 ~ equivalent to Av ~ 1 8 0 ~ ) indicate that the source is younger than typical Class I protostars, i.e. a Class 0 protostar or an intermittent phase between Class 0 and Class I protostars. The X-ray luminosity was less than one thirtieth (log -Lx 529.3 ergs s-') in the former Chandra
Shape‐selective stereo processing in human object‐related visual areas

Object related areas in the human ventral stream were previously shown to be activated, in a shape‐selective manner, by luminance, motion, and texture cues. We report on the preferential activation of these areas by stereo cues defining shape. To assess the relationship of this activation to object recognition, we employed a perceptual stereo effect, which profoundly affects object recognition. The stimuli consisted of stereo‐defined line drawings of objects that either protruded in front of a flat background (“front”), or were sunk into the background (“back”). Despite the similarity in the local feature structure of the two conditions, object recognition was superior in the “front” compared to the “back” configuration. We measured both recognition rates and fMRI signal from the human visual cortex while subjects viewed these stimuli. The results reveal shape selective activation from images of objects defined purely by stereoscopic cues in the human ventral stream. Furthermore, they show a significant correlation between recognition and fMRI signal in the object‐related occipito‐temporal cortex (lateral occipital complex). Hum. Brain Mapping 15:67–79, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Privacy Issues in Internet Surveys

Surveys administered over the Internet have been plagued by low response rates and at times have provoked respondent rebellions against researchers who stand accused of broadcasting noxious unwanted e-mail or “spam. ” This article examines the issue from the perspective of social science research on privacy in an effort to understand the unique privacy context of Internet-based survey research. Online surveyors commit multiple violations of physical, informational, and psychological privacy that can be more intense than those found in conventional survey methods. Internet surveys also invade the interactional privacy of online communities, a form of privacy invasion seldom encountered with traditional survey methods. The article concludes with recommendations for improving response rates to online surveys using accepted privacy protection practices already found on the Internet as well as emerging Internet technologies.
Tissue extract from Eisenia foetida as a wound-healing agent.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study was aimed at demonstrating the influence of Eisenia foetida earthworm extract (G-90) on wound healing in an animal model. Medicinal properties of earthworms have been long known, especially in Eastern countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four groups of Wister rats (36 in each group) were wounded under anaesthesia; the skin was surgically incised in a circular manner (the circular incision in reference measuring 2 cm in diameter) and afterwards daily treated for 24 days in a following manner: Group 0--the control group deprived from any treatment whatsoever; Group 1--treated with physiological saline solution; Group 2--treated with Panthenol D and serving as a positive control, and Group 3--treated with G-90 (10 ng/ml). The animals were sacrificed on days 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 post wounding and the diameter of wound was measured by virtue of photometric method. The excised wounds were routinely fixed and embedded into paraffin section and dully stained for histopathological analysis. The presence of microorganisms on the wounds was assessed as well. RESULTS The best antibacterial wound shielding was achieved with G-90 treatment. Besides antibacterial shielding, the wounds treated with G-90 were also protected from inflammation. G-90 was shown to shorten the inflammatory, and accelerate the proliferative and the maturation phase, stimulating thereby the regeneration of an injured epidermis. Statistical analysis revealed G-90 (p=0.018) to be superior over other treatments. CONCLUSIONS Thus, Eisenia foetida earthworm extract (G90) might be considered as a new wound-healing agent suitable for use in both veterinary and human medicine practice.
A novel approach in risk evaluation for ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of cargo using process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA)

The ship-to-ship transfer (STS) of oil and oil products plays currently an important role on a worldwide scale. Usually, it refers to the transfer of cargo between seagoing ships positioned alongside each other. Although the procedure of STS transfer has become a day-to-day practice, it remains a difficult operation, which deserves special consideration. To reduce the adverse effect of a potential accident on humans as well as on the environment, a risk assessment is necessary to be done to evaluate the hazards that derive from such a difficult procedure. To this end, the process failure mode and effect analysis (PFMEA), which is under the umbrella of the traditional failure mode and effect analysis, is properly modified and applied to assess the hazards of a typical STS transfer procedure. PFMEA is based on the risk priority number with regard to each risk related to the procedure of interest by multiplying the numerical values of the severity, occurrence and detection indices. Although PFMEA is currently applied mainly to manufacturing processes, the aim of the paper was to implement this methodology to STS transfer of petroleum products. According to the study of PFMEA implementation, the petroleum cargo is the product similar to the product in a manufacturing procedure; hence, the different phases of the STS procedure are similar to the production line of the manufactured product. Moreover, proposals to eliminate the disadvantages of the implementation of PFMEA by a qualitative manner (using linguistic terms) are proposed. The objective target of this effort is to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of implementing the PFMEA in a maritime activity and therefore to address the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach.
Ricin Trafficking in Cells

The heterodimeric plant toxin ricin binds exposed galactosyls at the cell surface of target mammalian cells, and, following endocytosis, is transported in vesicular carriers to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Subsequently, the cell-binding B chain (RTB) and the catalytic A chain (RTA) are separated reductively, RTA embeds in the ER membrane and then retrotranslocates (or dislocates) across this membrane. The protein conducting channels used by RTA are usually regarded as part of the ER-associated protein degradation system (ERAD) that removes misfolded proteins from the ER for destruction by the cytosolic proteasomes. However, unlike ERAD substrates, cytosolic RTA avoids destruction and folds into a catalytic conformation that inactivates its target ribosomes. Protein synthesis ceases, and subsequently the cells die apoptotically. This raises questions about how this protein avoids the pathways that are normally sanctioned for ER-dislocating substrates. In this review we focus on the molecular events that occur with non-tagged ricin and its isolated subunits at the ER–cytosol interface. This focus reveals that intra-membrane interactions of RTA may control its fate, an area that warrants further investigation.
Mathematical model of LoRaWAN channel access

While 3GPP has been developing NB-IoT, the market of Low Power Wide Area Networks has been mastered by cheap and simple Sigfox and LoRa/LoRaWAN technologies. Being positioned as having an open standard, LoRaWAN has attracted also much interest from the research community. Specifically, many papers address the efficiency of its PHY layer. However MAC is still underinvestigated. Existing studies of LoRaWAN do not take into account the acknowledgement and retransmission policy, which may lead to incorrect results. In this paper, we carefully take into account the peculiarities of LoRaWAN transmission retries and show that it is the weakest issue of this technology, which significantly increases failure probability for retries. The main contribution of the paper is a mathematical model which accurately estimates how packet error rate depends on the offered load. In contrast to other papers, which evaluate LoRaWAN capacity just as the maximal throughput, our model can be used to find the maximal load, which allows reliable packet delivery.
Mother-daughter and absent father: Oedipal issues in the therapy of an 11-year-old girl with an eating disorder

Abstract In this paper I attempt to explore particular aspects of the therapeutic process, especially the unusual way in which the therapy of this 11-year-old girl, referred for possible or potential anorexia nervosa, came to a sudden end. The oedipal configuration provides a useful theoretical framework in which to consider the course and vicissitudes of treatment. The restoration of a link between the child and her father allowed a distance to be created between mother and daughter. The meaning of this is considered both in terms of external events and clinically within the transference relationship.
Structural and Computational Analysis of the Quinone-binding Site of Complex II (Succinate-Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase)

The transfer of electrons and protons between membrane-bound respiratory complexes is facilitated by lipid-soluble redox-active quinone molecules (Q). This work presents a structural analysis of the quinone-binding site (Q-site) identified in succinate:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (SQR) from Escherichia coli. SQR, often referred to as Complex II or succinate dehydrogenase, is a functional member of the Krebs cycle and the aerobic respiratory chain and couples the oxidation of succinate to fumarate with the reduction of quinone to quinol (QH2). The interaction between ubiquinone and the Q-site of the protein appears to be mediated solely by hydrogen bonding between the O1 carbonyl group of the quinone and the side chain of a conserved tyrosine residue. In this work, SQR was co-crystallized with the ubiquinone binding-site inhibitor Atpenin A5 (AA5) to confirm the binding position of the inhibitor and reveal additional structural details of the Q-site. The electron density for AA5 was located within the same hydrophobic pocket as ubiquinone at, however, a different position within the pocket. AA5 was bound deeper into the site prompting further assessment using protein-ligand docking experiments in silico. The initial interpretation of the Q-site was re-evaluated in the light of the new SQR-AA5 structure and protein-ligand docking data. Two binding positions, the Q1-site and Q2-site, are proposed for the E. coli SQR quinone-binding site to explain these data. At the Q2-site, the side chains of a serine and histidine residue are suitably positioned to provide hydrogen bonding partners to the O4 carbonyl and methoxy groups of ubiquinone, respectively. This allows us to propose a mechanism for the reduction of ubiquinone during the catalytic turnover of the enzyme.
Estimating forest leaf area index using satellite images: comparison of k-NN based Landsat-NFI LAI with MODIS-RSR based LAI product for Finland

Leaf area index (LAI) is a key variable for many ecological models, but it is typically not available from basic forest inventories. In this study, we (1) construct a high-resolution LAI map using k nearest-neighbor (k-NN) imputation based on National Forest Inventory data and Landsat 5 TM images (Landsat-NFI LAI), and (2) examine a moderate-resolution LAI map produced based on reduced simple ratio derived from MODIS reflectances (MODISRSR LAI). The maps cover all the forested areas in Finland. Country-level averages of Landsat-NFI and MODIS-RSR LAI were at same level, but several geographical and land-use related differences between them were detected. Difference was the largest in the lake district of Finland and in northern Finland, and it increased with decreasing share of forests and increasing share of deciduous trees. As MODIS-RSR LAI does not take into account the subpixel variation in land use, Landsat-NFI LAI was found to produce more reliable estimates.
Understanding parental gender preferences in advanced societies: Lessons from Sweden and Finland

Extending recent research on parental gender preferences in the Nordic countries, this study uses unique register data from Finland and Sweden (1971-1999) that provide us with the opportunity to compare childbearing dynamics and possible underlying sex preferences among natives and national minorities, namely Finnish-born immigrants in Sweden and members of the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. Moreover, our Swedish data allow us to investigate regional and educational differences in child-sex specific fertility behavior of two-child mothers in 1981-1999. For Finland, we observe a continuous boy preference among the national majority and the Swedish-speaking minority as reflected in higher third-birth rates of mothers of two girls than of mothers of two boys. Evidence of similar preferences is found for Finnish-born migrants in Sweden, where the native-born population appears to have developed a girl preference, though. In all cases, we also observe clear indications of a preference for having at least one child of each sex. Generally speaking, our findings support an interpretation of parental gender preferences as a longstanding cultural phenomenon, related to country of childhood socialization rather than language group. Our analysis of regional and educational differentials in Sweden reveals no evidence which supports diffusion theories of persistence and change in parents’ sex preferences for children.
Exploring the impact of high performance work systems in professional service firms: A practices-resources-uses-performance approach.

This article aims to explore how a system of human resource management (HRM) practices influence firm performance in a professional service context. It integrates multidisciplinary theory and research findings. The system of HRM practices are labeled as high performance work systems (HPWS). In this article, it is proposed that HPWS influence firm performance through two steps: (1) by creating resources of human, social and organizational capital; and (2) by efficient uses of these resources. It indicates that firms using higher level of HPWS will experience better performance. The underlying mechanism is that HPWS first promote employees’ ability, relationships, and opportunities; that is, the resources. These resources then facilitate the uses process, which is represented by 4 means: (1) sensing the changes in the external environment; (2) team formation and utilization; (3) leveraging knowledge from seniors to juniors; and (4) combining and exchanging knowledge. Uses finally lead to higher organizational performance. This approach is called the practices-resources-uses-performance linkage model. Employing this linkage process tool, managers are able to diagnose the requirements for organizational development. They can effectively adopt and implement HPWS. This article introduces a novel perspective for investigating the underlying mediating mechanisms that explain the link between HPWS and Professional Service Firm (PSF) performance.
The Logic of Perception

The theory of visual perception that Irvin Rock develops and supports in this book with numerous original experiments, views perception as the outcome of a process of unconscious inference, problem solving, and the building of structural descriptions of the external world. It is a radical departure from his earlier work and contrasts with traditional perceptual theories like those of James J. Gibson or the Gestalt view.Rock experiments with a series of phenomena, like motion perception, illusory contours, and size and brightness constancy, and shows that they can be understood in terms of the knowledge applied by the visual system to the interpretation of the retinal image. His work largely complements that being done in artificial intelligence, demonstrating that the visual system is far more subtle and intelligent in many tasks which have not yet been modelled on the computer.Irvin Rock, a noted investigator of perceptual phenomena for nearly three decades, is Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University.