Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Various Anthropometric Indices as Risk Factors for Hearing Impairment in Asian Women

Background The objective of the present study was to examine the associations between various anthropometric measures and metabolic syndrome and hearing impairment in Asian women. Methods We identified 11,755 women who underwent voluntary routine health checkups at Yeungnam University Hospital between June 2008 and April 2014. Among these patients, 2,485 participants were <40 years old, and 1,072 participants lacked information regarding their laboratory findings or hearing and were therefore excluded. In total 8,198 participants were recruited into our study. Results The AUROC value for metabolic syndrome was 0.790 for the waist to hip ratio (WHR). The cutoff value was 0.939. The sensitivity and specificity for predicting metabolic syndrome were 72.7% and 71.7%, respectively. The AUROC value for hearing loss was 0.758 for WHR. The cutoff value was 0.932. The sensitivity and specificity for predicting hearing loss were 65.8% and 73.4%, respectively. The WHR had the highest AUC and was the best predictor of metabolic syndrome and hearing loss. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses showed that WHR levels were positively associated with four hearing thresholds including averaged hearing threshold and low, middle, and high frequency thresholds. In addition, multivariate logistic analysis revealed that those with a high WHR had a 1.347–fold increased risk of hearing loss compared with the participants with a low WHR. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that WHR may be a surrogate marker for predicting the risk of hearing loss resulting from metabolic syndrome.
Bandwidth Enhancement of Microstrip Patch Antenna Using Jerusalem Cross-Shaped Frequency Selective Surfaces by Invasive Weed Optimization Approach

In this paper, we present a novel approach for improving the bandwidth of a microstrip patch antenna using Jerusalem cross- shaped frequency selective surfaces (JC-FSSs) as an artiflcial magnetic ground plane. The invasive weed optimization (IWO) algorithm is employed to derive optimal dimensions of the patch antenna and JC-FSS element in order for the whole structure to work at 5.8GHz with consideration of gain. For the most e-cient design, the antenna and FSS ground plane are optimized together, rather than as separate components. Simulation results demonstrate that this optimum conflguration (the microstrip patch antenna over the artiflcial magnetic ground plane) have a broad bandwidth of about 10.44%. This wide bandwidth is obtained while the thickness of the whole structure is limited to 0.1‚. Further more desirable radiation characteristics have been successfully realized for this structure. The radiation e-ciency of the AMC antenna conflguration was found to be greater than 85% over the entire bandwidth. In general by introducing this novel Jerusalem cross artiflcial magnetic conductor (JC-AMC) in lieu of the conventional perfect electric conductor (PEC) ground plane, the bandwidth enhancement of about 67% and a thinner and lighter weight design has been obtained. Sample antenna and EBG layer are also fabricated and tested, to verify the designs. It is shown that the simulation data in general agree with the measurement results for the patch antennas implemented with FSS ground plane.
Peer mentoring : a model of professional development for experienced teacher pairs

Peer Mentoring: A Model of Professional Development for Experienced Teacher Pairs BJ Buzzard A model using peer support in mentoring as a way o f professional development was produced from an extensive literature search. It set out to suggest strategies to optimise the peer mentoring process between two experienced primary teachers in science teaching. The two year study subsequently collected data from 24 teachers, 12 of whom were participating in an in-service science programme. After one term five mentor pairs were selected as a research cohort for more detailed monitoring. Biographical and demographic information, views and beliefs about teaching and learning in science, and data about the research cohort teachers’ understandings of mentoring, was collected. The data from the research cohort teachers’ understandings o f mentoring was compared with questionnaires from a sample o f over 100 different primary and secondary teachers. The strategies and activities carried out by the research cohort teacher pairs was monitored through questionnaires, interviews, regular individual researcher / tutor teacher mentoring meetings, periodic collective group meetings, teacher’s logs and completed proformas and tape and video recordings. Following the data collection and analysis the Framework used in the Project was reviewed and moderated. It was also found that access to a mentor increased the research cohort teachers’ sense of well being and confidence to teach science. The implications of the study are that mentoring can be a manageable activity for some, self-selected teachers.
The effect of language mode on motion event descriptions in German–French bilinguals*

abstract When describing motion in space, speakers of French and German are known to show different preferences. In French, the verb typically encodes the path, whereas in German the manner in which the figure moves is mapped onto the verb. In this paper, this difference between the two languages is investigated, drawing on the data produced by forty participants. All participants are multilinguals, with German and French as their two strongest languages. They described fifty video clips in two sessions, once in monolingual and once in bilingual mode. The critical stimuli were always described in German in both language modes, the fillers in German in monolingual mode but in French in bilingual mode. The analyses of the manner and path verb uses show that, in a bilingual mode, speakers significantly converge towards the French model, that is, they reduce the preference for manner verbs and increase the proportion of path verbs.
Wear Relief for High-Density Phase Change Memory Through Cell Morphing Considering Process Variation

Due to the scalability and large leakage power, dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) has a lot of challenges in scaling. As an alternative, phase change memory (PCM) has demonstrated promising potential to serve as the main memory in deep submicrometer regime. The broad resistance range of PCM cells enables several cell modes with various densities, pertaining to multiple level cell (MLC), triple state cell (TSC), and single level cell (SLC). High-density mode outperforms low-density ones in terms of capacity and cost-per-bit, but suffers from a weaker cell endurance. Wear leveling strategies are proposed to enhance the memory endurance but encounter more challenges with the aggravating process variation. Due to endurance variations, physical domains are fabricated with irregular tenacity. As a result, balanced write traffic, which is the objective of traditional wear leveling, cannot fully exploit the PCM endurance since the weak parts will be worn out sooner than others. In this paper, considering process variation, we propose a cell morphing based wear leveling scheme. Cell morphing refers to the cell mode transformation between high density (e.g., MLC) and low densities (e.g., TSC and SLC). Instead of redistributing write operations, the proposed wear leveling scheme dynamically transforms weak and frequently written portions into low-density mode for endurance benefits. Multitier cell morphing schemes are proposed to support mode transformation among multiple density levels. The experimental results show 236% endurance improvement for single-tier cell morphing and 209% for two-tier cell morphing with 2% low-density page percentage, when compared with the most related work.
Analysis of the ECMWF Storage Landscape

Despite domain-specific digital archives are growing in number and size, there is a lack of studies describing their architectures and runtime characteristics. This paper investigates the storage landscape of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) whose storage capacity has reached 100 PB and experiences an annual growth rate of about 45%. Out of this storage, we examine a 14.8 PB user archive and a 37.9 PB object database for metereological data over a period of 29 and 50 months, respectively. We analzye the system's log files to characterize traffic and user behavior, metadata snapshots to identify the current content of the storage systems, and logs of tape libraries to investigate cartridge movements. We have built a caching simulator to examine the efficiency of disk caches for various cache sizes and algorithms, and we investigate the potential of tape prefetching strategies. While the findings of the user archive resemble previous studies on digital archives, our study of the object database is the first one in the field of large-scale active archives.
Feasibility of the Detection of Trace Elements in Particulate Matter Using Online High-Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

The feasibility of using an online thermal-desorption electron-ionization high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-AMS) for the detection of particulate trace elements was investigated by analyzing data from Mexico City obtained during the MILAGRO 2006 field campaign. This potential application is of interest due to the real-time data provided by the AMS, its high sensitivity and time resolution, and the widespread availability and use of this instrument. High-resolution mass spectral analysis, isotopic ratios, and ratios of different ions containing the same elements are used to constrain the chemical identity of the measured ions. The detection of Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sn, and Sb is reported. There was no convincing evidence for the detection of other trace elements commonly reported in ambient particulate matter (PM). The elements detected tend to be those with lower melting and boiling points, as expected given the use of a vaporizer at 600°C in this instrument. The detection limit (DL) is estimated at approximately 0.3 ng m−3 for 5 min of data averaging. Concentration time series obtained from the AMS data were compared to concentration records determined from offline analysis of particle samples from the same times and locations by inductively coupled plasma based techniques (ICP; PM2.5) and proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE; PM1.1 and PM0.3). The degree of correlation and agreement between the three instruments (AMS, ICP, and PIXE) varied depending on the element. The AMS shows promise for real-time detection of some trace elements, although additional work including laboratory calibrations with different chemical forms of these elements is needed to further develop this technique and to understand the differences with the ambient data from the other techniques. The trace elements peaked in the morning as expected for primary sources, and the many detected plumes suggest the presence of multiple point sources, probably industrial, in Mexico City, which are variable in time and space, in agreement with previous studies. Copyright 2012 American Association for Aerosol Research
Relationship of Attachment Styles and Emotional Intelligence With Marital Satisfaction

Background The early relationships between infant and care takers are significant and the emotional interactions of these relationships play an important role in forming personality and adulthood relationships. Objectives The current study aimed to investigate the relationship of attachment styles (AS) and emotional intelligence (EI) with marital satisfaction (MS). Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional research, 450 married people (226 male, 224 female) were selected using multistage sampling method in Mashhad, Iran, in 2011. Subjects completed the attachment styles questionnaire (ASQ), Bar-On emotional quotient inventory (EQ-i) and Enrich marital satisfaction questionnaire. Results The results indicated that secure attachment style has positive significant relationship with marital satisfaction (r = 0.609, P < 0.001), also avoidant attachment style and ambivalent attachment style have negative significant relationship with marital satisfaction (r = -0.446, r = -0.564) (P < 0.001). Also, attachment styles can significantly predict marital satisfaction (P < 0.001). Therefore, emotional intelligence and its components have positive significant relationship with marital satisfaction; thus, emotional intelligence and intrapersonal, adaptability and general mood components can significantly predict marital satisfaction (P < 0.001). But, interpersonal and stress management components cannot significantly predict marital satisfaction (P > 0.05). Conclusions According to the obtained results, attachment styles and emotional intelligence are the key factors in marital satisfaction that decrease marital disagreement and increase the positive interactions of the couples.
Variance Risk Premiums

We propose a direct and robust method for quantifying the variance risk premium on financial assets. We show that the risk-neutral expected value of return variance, also known as the variance swap rate, is well approximated by the value of a particular portfolio of options. We propose to use the difference between the realized variance and this synthetic variance swap rate to quantify the variance risk premium. Using a large options data set, we synthesize variance swap rates and investigate the historical behavior of variance risk premiums on five stock indexes and 35 individual stocks.
Antiphospholipid antibodies: findings at arteriography.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and types of abnormalities at arteriography in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) and ischemic cerebrovascular events. METHODS Twenty-three patients with APA and ischemic cerebrovascular events who underwent arteriography were identified. Patients over the age of 65 years were excluded. No patients met diagnostic criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus. All angiograms were reviewed by two neuroradiologists. RESULTS Seventeen patients (74%) between the ages of 28 and 64 years (average age, 40 years) had abnormal angiograms. Sixteen patients had arterial abnormalities and one had dural sinus thrombosis. Ten had solely intracranial abnormalities (nine arterial and one venous), six had solely extracranial arterial abnormalities, and one had both intracranial and extracranial arterial abnormalities. Intracranial arterial abnormalities included stem or branch occlusions of the cerebral or basilar arteries, which were generally solitary (six patients), and findings suggestive of vasculitis (four patients). Four patients had stenoses of the origins of two or more great vessels. Two patients had extracranial internal carotid artery stenoses or occlusions that were not typical of atheromatous disease, considered to be embolic in one patient. In another patient, a stenosis of the origin of the internal carotid artery was present that appeared typical of atheromatous disease. Infarctions were seen on CT or MR studies in 13 of 17 patients with abnormal angiograms. CONCLUSION In our group of patients, typical atheromatous lesions at the common carotid artery bifurcation were rare. Some lesions that are infrequent in the general stroke population (eg, vasculitis-like findings and stenoses at the origin of great vessels) were common. Patients with APA and cerebrovascular events appear to differ from the general stroke population with regard to types of arterial abnormalities seen at arteriography.
Non-Rational Discrete Choice Based On Q-Learning And The Prospect Theory

When modelling human discrete choice the standard approach is to adopt the rational model. This has been shown, however, to fail systematically under some conditions, which makes evident the need for a better approach. The choice model is however only part of the problem because it does not say how to deal with uncertainty, where learning is necessary. In this regard, some evidences support the claim that the brain employs a reinforcement learning strategy and the Q-Learning is a model that copes with it. The Q-Learning, nevertheless, is based on the rational choice defined by Bernoulli principle and von Neumann’s axioms. Then to cope with a non-rational learning algorithm, for modelling human discrete choice, a novel modification to the Q-Learning algorithm is here presented.
Increases in central fat mass and decreases in peripheral fat mass are associated with accelerated arterial stiffening in healthy adults: the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND Central fatness is associated with higher arterial stiffness, a mechanism that may explain adiposity-related increases in cardiovascular disease risk. In contrast, peripheral fat and lean masses may counteract such adverse effects, but evidence of this contention, as derived from longitudinal studies at the general population level, is lacking. OBJECTIVE The objective was to investigate the associations between changes in central (ie, trunk) fat mass, peripheral (ie, limbs) fat mass, and lean masses with changes in arterial stiffness. DESIGN A longitudinal study in 277 (145 women) healthy adults was conducted. Body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and arterial stiffness estimates (ultrasound imaging) were measured repeatedly at the ages of 36 and 42 y. RESULTS Changes (per 10 kg) in trunk fat mass were positively associated and changes in peripheral fat mass were inversely associated with carotid Young's elastic modulus (in 10(3) ⋅ kPa) [β = 0.14 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.25) and -0.16 (-0.30, -0.01), respectively] and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (in m/s) [β = 1.54 (0.02, 3.07) and -1.46 (-3.48, 0.56), respectively]. Individuals in whom trunk fat increased and peripheral fat decreased over the 6-y follow-up (33% of the study population) had the steepest increases in these stiffness estimates. Notably, these changes were accompanied by minor increases in body weight, which remained within the limits of the normal range throughout. CONCLUSIONS Increases in trunk mass and decreases in peripheral fat mass are associated with accelerated arterial stiffening. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing regional changes in body composition, because it may enable identification of individuals with an unrecognized increased cardiovascular disease risk.
Capability Maturity Model

has more consistent wording and should be easier to use. It is based on more than six years of experience with sojhare-process improvement and the contributions of hundreds of reviewers. ofunfulfilled promises about productivity and quality gains from applying new software methodologies and technologies , developers are realizing that their fundamental problem is their inability to manage the software process. In many organizations, projects are often excessively late and over budget, and the benefits of better methods and tools cannot be realized in the maelstrom of an undisciplined, chaotic project. In November 1986, the Software Engineering Institute, with assistance from ,\litre Corp., began developing a process-maturity framework that would help developers improve their software process. In September 1987, the SEI released a brief description of the process-maturit) framework' which u-as later expanded in IVatts Humphrey's hook, Managing the Sojbare Process. ' The SEI also developed two methods software process assessment and software-capability evaluation-and a maturity questionnaire3 to appraise software-process maturity. After four years of experience with the process-maturity framework and the preliminary version of the maturity questionnaire, the SEI evolved the maturity framework into the Capability Maturity Model. The CMM presents sets of recommended practices in a number of key process areas that have been shown to enhance software-development and maintenance capability. The CMM is based on knowledge acquired from software-process assessments and extensive feedback from both industry and government.
Simultaneous optical and X-ray observations of a giant flare on the ultracool dwarf LP 412-31

Cool stars are known to produce flares probably as a result of the magnetic reconnection in their outer atmospheres. We present simultaneous XMM-Newton optical V band and X-ray observations of the M8 dwarf LP 412-31. During the observation a giant flare occurred, with an optical amplitude of 6 mag and total energy of 3 × 10 32 erg in both the V band and soft X-rays. Both flare onset and flare decay were completely covered in both wavebands with a temporal resolution of 20 s, allowing determination of the flare time scales, as well as a study of the temperature evolution of the flaring plasma. The data are consistent with an impulsive energy release followed by radiative cooling without any further energy release during the decay phase. Our analysis suggests that the optical flare originates from a small fraction of the surface of LP 412-31, while the characteristic scale size of the flaring X-ray plasma is of the order of the stellar radius or larger. The absence of any small-scale variability in the light curve suggests a non-standard flare number energy distribution.
Decibel: Isolation and Sharing in Disaggregated Rack-Scale Storage

The performance characteristics of modern non-volatile storage devices have led to storage becoming a shared, rack-scale resource. System designers have an imperative to rethink existing storage abstractions in light of this development. This paper proposes a lightweight storage abstraction that encapsulates full-system hardware resources and focuses only on isolating and sharing storage devices across multiple, remote tenants. In support of this, it prototypes a shared-nothing runtime capable of managing hardware and scheduling this abstraction in a manner that avoids performance interference and preserves the performance of the storage devices for tenants.