Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mindfulness and Binge Eating from a Transdiagnostic Framework: Findings from a Randomised Control Trial

Abstract: Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder are chronic disorders which significantly impact on the quality of life of individuals who suffer from them. There remains considerable diagnostic, etiological and treatment uncertainty regarding them and the ED-NOS category, which is thought to be the most common clinical presentation. This thesis has introduced a Transdiagnostic Process Model of Binge Eating which has provided a parsimonious explanation for the development and maintenance of BN, BED and ED-NOS. This thesis has identified the need for more effective group treatments for BN and BED, as current group treatments have demonstrated modest success. The relatively new area of mindfulness-based treatments has shown encouraging findings on bingeing and psychological variables for BED. There are as yet no known mindfulness-based treatment studies for BN. Further, proposed mindfulness components target the processes outlined in the Transdiagnostic Process Model of Binge Eating. The aim of the thesis was to investigate the effectiveness of a mindfulness group treatment for BN, BED, and ED-NOS. Measures of both primary (eating disorder behaviours) and secondary (psychological factors) variables were included, and clinical significance was assessed. A randomised-controlled trial was conducted, in which 126 females (aged 19 to 66 years) were randomly assigned to an eight session group-mindfulness treatment (n = 61) or waitlist condition (n = 65), of which 45 women completed the active treatment. Results showed that the mindfulness treatment resulted in significant reductions on both primary and secondary variables, with large effect sizes, compared to a Waitlist control group, with the exception of purging behaviours. A substantial proportion of participants evidenced clinically significant change, and mean post-treatment frequencies of bingeing and compensatory behaviours no longer met diagnostic criteria. These improvements were maintained at one-month follow-up. Pre to post treatment increases in mindfulness significantly predicted symptom change, whereas group cohesion and homework mindfulness practice was not significantly related to outcome. The findings of the current study have suggested that mindfulness may be an effective treatment for binge eating, and tentative support has been provided for the Transdiagnostic Process Model of Binge Eating.
Facilitator or Inhibitor? The Use of 360-Degree Videos for Immersive Brand Storytelling

ABSTRACT This study compares a 360-degree narrative video ad with a standard narrative video ad in terms of transportation, ad usefulness, emotional responses, ad attitudes, and brand attitudes. Hypotheses are proposed based on the narrative transportation and the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP) theoretical frameworks and tested using an experimental method. Results demonstrate that the difference in ad effectiveness between a 360-degree narrative video and a standard narrative video becomes significant under the condition that the role of perceived ease of navigation is considered. In particular, a 360-degree narrative video ad outperforms a standard narrative video ad when viewers navigate smoothly, use visual and/or auditory cues to enhance the viewing experience, clearly know where the desired point of view originates, and have control of the viewing direction.
Personal Accounts of Mothers’ Use of Social Media to Support Abstinence from Alcohol

Alcohol consumption by professional educated women and mothers is rising. Drinking alcohol in the home is, for many, becoming a normalised and daily ritual. Previous research focuses on causality, risk factors and health related damage. Few studies focus on mothers of school age children specifically or why some mothers pursue and sustain alcohol free lives. The role of social media in enacting and sustaining abstinence is under researched, as are other factors important for this group in remaining abstinent. Aims: This qualitative study explored the reasons why mothers drank alcohol, and factors contributing to their decision to become alcohol free. It also explored the value and utility of social media in the form of a specific website aimed at providing support in abstinence. Methods: Six UK mothers with school age children who had become abstinent after previously drinking over official limits were recruited via social network website and interviewed. Transcripts were analysed thematically and inductive themes emerged. Results: Participants used alcohol to self-medicate, as a reward/relaxation strategy and because it was a normal part of their professional and daily lives. Reported reasons for abstinence included the negative effects alcohol had upon lives, inability to moderate/drink within guidelines and “trigger” events. Participants reported that their use of social media was inspirational, giving them a platform to share stories and help others and was preferred to traditional support. The use of social media in this way represented a supportive community and assisted vigilance toward the danger of relapse. Positive parenting identity, alternatives to alcohol, abstinence rewards and support from abstinent others were all factors in sustaining abstinence. Conclusions: Health professionals should recognise this hidden and hard to reach group and the potential efficacy of social media in assisting recovery from alcohol related issues.
Novel home-based rehabilitation device to prevent secondary diseases for patients with spinal cord injury

The purpose of this study was to develop a rehabilitation device for preventing deterioration of the neuromuscular system in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Specifically, motorized footrests that could generate passive motion in paralyzed ankles were devised for use with a wheelchair. We here show the concept and structure of our developed device, and confirmed its effectiveness through physiological evaluation. The proposed device used a pair of linear electric actuators attached to the wheelchair frame at one end and the backside of the foot rest at the other end. The vertical motion of the linear actuator translated into rotational motion about the ankle joint. The developed device had the following features: 1) easy to use at home and 2) easy to install on a variety of manual and electric wheelchairs. To test the effectiveness of the developed device, electromyographic activity, muscle oxygenation and circulation in the paralyzed muscles were evaluated in eight individuals with motor complete SCI. As a result, we found that the passive ankle motion could induce rhythmical muscular activity, alteration in the muscle oxygenation level, and enhancement of the blood flow in the calf muscles. The device developed in this study has a very simple structure and is very effective in generating rhythmic movement in paralyzed ankles. Furthermore, the results obtained from the physiological assessments suggested that passive ankle motion could enhance not only the muscle neuronal activity but also the muscle circulatory conditions. Therefore, the developed device seems to be a useful and effective tool for rehabilitation in individuals with SCI.
Predicting emotional response to music through a compound neural network

The emotional effects of music have a cross-cultural component that can be explained through the tonal and non-tonal properties of musical pieces. To investigate the relationship between music and the emotions it arouses, we have built a composite neural network with the aim of predicting both the emotional categorization and the emotional valence and activation of Vieillard et al.’s (2008) musical stimuli. Our neural network uses two Adalines in the first level of the structure to predict activation and emotional valence from a minimal set of temporal and tonal properties of the stimuli (rhythm, tempo, time signature, mode, absolute tonal range and the frequency of the lowest note). In the second level, the network uses a Self-Organizing Map (SOM) network to classify the stimuli into four emotional categories (calm, happiness, fear and sadness). The results have allowed us to replicate the features of the Circumplex Model of Emotion. The percentage of explained variance obtained for activation is satisfactory and higher than in previous research for emotional valence. The percentage of music pieces correctly classified by the SOM was also very high (87%). We discuss the results in relation to competing models of music and emotion.
Forschung zur Bedeutung von Schul- und Unterrichtspraktika in der Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung

Der vorliegende Beitrag systematisiert und akzentuiert Entwicklungen der Forschung zur berufspraktischen Ausbildung angehender Lehrerinnen und Lehrer. Zunächst wird der Lernkontext Praktikum als geschützter Lernraum charakterisiert, anschliessend werden zentrale Erkenntnisse zum Lernen im Praktikum aus historischer Perspektive vorgestellt. Es folgen eine Standortbestimmung aktueller Forschungsentwicklungen unter Berücksichtigung förderlicher Einflussfaktoren mit Bezug zu bildungssystemischen, theoretischen und empirischen Prozessen und die Ableitung von Forschungsdesiderata.
One of the gang? Peer relations among students with special educational needs in Irish mainstream primary schools

Abstract Internationally and in Ireland, the adoption of inclusive education frameworks have been broadly welcomed, particularly by parents of children with special educational needs (SEN). Mainstreaming these children is generally viewed as positive primarily because of the social factors associated with attending mainstream schools for children with SEN. Despite this commonly held view, there is increasing evidence to show that children with SEN have difficulties participating in mainstream environments. Using data from the Growing Up in Ireland study of 8,578 nine year olds, this paper examines whether peer relations differ among typically developing students and students with different types of SEN. We focus on the quantity and quality of peer relations using data on the child’s number of friends and, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the quality of relations with their peers. These measures are examined by controlling for a range of individual, home and school-level factors simultaneously in a regression model. Our findings show that, all else being equal, students with SEN, particularly those with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), are more likely to have fewer friends and experience negative peer relationships compared to their peers without any additional needs. Based on these findings, we argue that specific interventions may be needed to promote positive peer experiences for children with SEN in mainstream education.
A multiple viewed approach to software requirements

A problem in current requirements development techniques is that the viewpoints (including implicit pre-existing assumptions) of multiple participants must be satisfied by the resulting requirements. Choosing a single language for all participants requires the additional burden of learning the new language and being prepared to overlook some requirements for which the language was not intended. This dissertation proposes a framework and methodology whereby multiple requirements specifications can be produced in several languages of the participants' own choosing, then translated into a meta-language (that is, a language capable of capturing features of several different requirements languages) in order to analyze their common features. The meta-language of conceptual graphs is used to capture requirements expressed in various conventional requirements development notations. Once translated into conceptual graphs, the set of requirements is analyzed in order to find the most likely counterpart concepts between the participants' requirements specifications. These counterparts represent the overlap between views and form the basis for joining the multiple graphs into one requirements graph. Ambiguous counterparts (i.e., concepts that cannot be distinguished from other concepts) are also identified, guiding the requirements analyst in asking participants further questions about the assumptions that underlie the concepts.
What Blocks the Gate? Exploring Current and Former English Learners’ Math Course-Taking in Secondary School

This mixed-methods study couples large-scale analyses of student course-taking with case study data to explore what blocks the gate to enrollment in and successful completion of secondary math courses for students ever classified as English learners (ever ELs). Initial quantitative findings indicate that half of all students across six California districts, including ever ELs, repeated a math course between 8th and 10th grades, with limited evidence of additional learning during students’ second time in the course. Ever EL case study findings indicate that interactions between institutional (course placement policies), classroom (ways of knowing), and individual (student motivation) factors shaped students’ math course-taking trajectories, suggesting that opportunity to learn is necessary but not sufficient for educational success.
Multichannel detection of an unknown rank-one signal with uncalibrated receivers

This paper addresses the problem of detecting an unknown rank-one signal using multiple receivers that are uncalibrated in the sense that they each apply an unknown scaling to the received signal, and their respective noise powers are unknown. This problem has been addressed for the case in which the unknown signal can be modeled as a Gaussian random vector. However, that assumption is not applicable to some signal types, such as the constant modulus signals found in radar and communications. For these problems, the signal can be modeled as a deterministic unknown, which is the approach taken here. We derive a generalized likelihood ratio test for this problem under a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) assumption. The resulting detector is invariant to relative scalings of the data, and therefore possesses the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property with respect to the unknown noise powers. Numerical examples show the proposed detector can outperform CFAR detectors derived under the Gaussian assumption.
Aprendizaje-servicio y mejora de la Personalidad Eficaz en futuros docentes de Educación Física

El desarrollo de la “Personalidad Eficaz”, entendido como constructo en el que se relacionan los rasgos de la personalidad con la conducta eficaz en contextos profesionales o academicos, se postula como una de las metas de la formacion universitaria del s. XXI. En esta linea, el Aprendizaje-servicio (ApS) es un metodo pedagogico que podria satisfacer estas necesidades al centrarse en la aplicacion de competencias academicas en contextos reales. El presente trabajo, planteado desde un enfoque mixto de investigacion, emerge con el objetivo de conocer si el ApS contribuye al desarrollo de la “Personalidad Eficaz” en estudiantes de magisterio del area de Educacion Fisica. El estudio que se presenta se concreto en la Universitat Jaume I (Espana) y analiza el resultado de un programa de ApS sobre un grupo de estudiantes de segundo curso del Grado de Magisterio. Del analisis cuantitativo se concluye la existencia de diferencias significativas, a favor del grupo experimental, en los resultados globales del Test de Personalidad Eficaz para Universitarios. Por otra parte, el enfoque cualitativo del estudio se alinea y complementa los resultados cuantitativos, favoreciendo una mejor y mas contextualizada comprension de los mismos.
Measuring the Impact of Biotic Factors on Populations of Immature Emerald Ash Borers (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

ABSTRACT Cohorts of emerald ash borer larvae, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, were experimentally established in July of 2008 on healthy green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) trees in two wooded plots at each of three sites near Lansing, MI, by caging gravid emerald ash borer females or placing laboratory-reared eggs on trunks (0.5–2 m above the ground) of selected trees. One plot at each site was randomly chosen for release of two introduced larval parasitoids, Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), whereas the other served as the control. Stage-specific mortality factors and rates were measured for all experimentally established cohorts and for associated wild (i.e., naturally occurring) emerald ash borer immature stages via destructive sampling of 2.5 m (above the ground) trunk sections of cohort-bearing trees in the spring and fall of 2009. Host tree defense was the most important mortality factor, causing 32.0 to 41.1% mortality in the experimental cohorts and 17.5 to 21.5% in wild emerald ash borer stages by spring 2009, and 16.1 to 29% for the remaining experimental cohorts, and 9.9 to 11.8% for wild immature emerald ash borer stages by fall 2009. Woodpecker predation was the second most important factor, inflicting no mortality in the experimental cohorts but causing 5.0 to 5.6% mortality to associated wild emerald ash borer stages by spring 2009 and 9.2 to 12.8% and 3.2 to 17.7%, respectively, for experimental cohorts and wild emerald ash borer stages by fall 2009. Mortality from disease in both the experimental and wild cohorts was low (<3%) in both the spring and fall sample periods. In the fall 2009 samples, ≈1.5% of experimental cohorts and 0.8% of the wild emerald ash borer stages were parasitized by T. planipennisi. While there were no significant differences in mortality rates because of parasitism between parasitoid-release and control plots, T. planipennisi was detected in each of the three release sites by the end of the study but was not detected in the experimental cohorts or associated wild larvae in any of the three control plots.
Normal serum concentrations of anti-Mullerian hormone in a population of fertile women in their first trimester of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels are used to evaluate the ovarian reserve. AMH serum concentrations have recently been studied among women attending fertility centers, and among women with regular menstrual cycles but normative values have not been established among fertile women: the objective of this study was to establish those values. METHODS This prospective cross-sectional study included 340 healthy fertile women attending a single centre, aged between 15 and 50 years. The women were all in the first trimester of pregnancy, had no serious medical history and attended the abortion service of the University Hospital of Nice, France. Serum AMH was measured using a second-generation AMH enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Median AMH concentration was 2.42 ng/ml (25-75 percentiles 1.19-4.12). The relationship between AMH concentration and age was best fitted by a polynomial function. Serum AMH values rose until age 29 years and then showed a significant decline (R(2)= 0.289, P < 0.001). Normative values for serum AMH were established in different age groups between 15 and 50 years. CONCLUSIONS We established the normative values for serum AMH in a population of French fertile women in their first trimester of pregnancy.
SCION Five Years Later: Revisiting Scalability, Control, and Isolation on Next-Generation Networks

The SCION (Scalability, Control, and Isolation on Next-generation Networks) inter-domain network architecture was proposed to address the availability, scalability, and security shortcomings of the current Internet. This paper presents a retrospective of the SCION goals and design decisions, its attacker model and limitations, and research highlights of work conducted in the 5 years following SCION's initial publication.
A robotic eye controller based on cooperative neural agents

A neural behavior initiating agent (BIA) is proposed to integrate relevant compressed image information coming from others cooperating and specialized neural agents. Using this arrangement the problem of tracking and recognizing a moving icon has been solved by partitioning it into three simpler and separated tasks. Neural modules associated to those tasks proved to be easier to train and show a good general performance. The obtained neural controller can handle spurious images and solve an acute image related task in a dynamical environment. Under prolonged dead-lock conditions the controller shows traces of genuine spontaneity. The overall performance has been tested using a pan and tilt camera platform and real images taken from several objects, showing the good tracking results discussed in the paper.
Using the ODD Protocol for Describing Three Agent-Based Social Simulation Models of Land-Use Change

This article describes three agent-based social simulation models in the area of land-use change using a model documentation protocol, ODD, from the ecological literature. Our goal is to evaluate how well fitted it is to social simulations and how successful it might be in increasing communication between individual- and agent-based modellers. Such shared protocols can facilitate model review, comparison, and replication. We initially conclude that the framework holds promise as a standard communication mechanism, although some refinements may be needed.
Performance consequences of parity placement in disk arrays

Due to recent advances in CPU and memory system performance, 1/0 systems are increasingly limiting the performance of modern computer systems. Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) have been proposed by Patterson et. al. [10] to meet the impending 1/0 crisis. RAIDs substitute many small inexpensive disks for a few large expensive disks to provide higher performance (both transfer rate and 1/0 rate), smaller footprints and lower power consumption at a lower cost than the large expensive disks they replace, Unfortunately, with so many small disks, media availability becomes a serious problem. RAIDs provide high availability by using parity encoding of data to survive disk failures. As will be shown by this paper, the way parity is distributed in a RAID has significant consequences for performance. In particular, we show that for relatively large request sizes of hundreds of kilobytes, the choice of parity placement significantly affects performance (up to 20-30 percent for the typical disk array configurations that are common today) and propose properties that are generally desirable of parity placements.
Perfeccionismo infantil: diferencias en función del sexo y la edad

El objetivo de este estudio consistio en analizar las diferencias en funcion del sexo y la edad en los niveles de perfeccionismo infantil, atendiendo a las dimensiones: Perfeccionismo Socialmente Prescrito (PSP), Perfeccionismo Auto-Orientado Criticas (PAO-C) y Perfeccionismo Auto-Orientado Esfuerzos (PAO-E). La muestra se compuso de 804 alumnos espanoles de Educacion Primaria con edades comprendidas entre 8 y 11 anos (Medad = 9.57; SD = 1.12). Las dimensiones perfeccionistas fueron evaluadas a traves de la version espanola de la Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale. Los resultados del analisis de varianza revelaron diferencias estadisticamente significativas en favor de los varones para las dimensiones PAO-C y PAO-E. Sin embargo, dichas diferencias carecieron de relevancia practica puesto que la magnitud asociada (indice d) fue inferior a . 20. Similarmente, no se observaron diferencias estadisticamente significativas en funcion de la edad para ninguna de las dimensiones perfeccionistas ni se encontro un efecto de interaccion (sexo x edad) significativo.