Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Algebraic $K$-theory and sums-of-squares formulas

We prove a result about the non-existence of certain sums-of-squares formulas over a field. This generalizes an old theorem which used topological K-theory to obtain obstruction conditions when the field is the real numbers. Our result applies to arbitrary fields not of characteristic 2, making use of algebraic K-theory in place of topological K-theory.
Receptive and expressive prosodic ability in children with high-functioning autism.

PURPOSE This study aimed to identify the nature and extent of receptive and expressive prosodic deficits in children with high-functioning autism (HFA). METHOD Thirty-one children with HFA, 72 typically developing controls matched on verbal mental age, and 33 adults with normal speech completed the prosody assessment procedure, Profiling Elements of Prosodic Systems in Children. RESULTS Children with HFA performed significantly less well than controls on 11 of 12 prosody tasks (p < .005). Receptive prosodic skills showed a strong correlation (p < .01) with verbal mental age in both groups, and to a lesser extent with expressive prosodic skills. Receptive prosodic scores also correlated with expressive prosody scores, particularly in grammatical prosodic functions. Prosodic development in the HFA group appeared to be delayed in many aspects of prosody and deviant in some. Adults showed near-ceiling scores in all tasks. CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrates that receptive and expressive prosodic skills are closely associated in HFA. Receptive prosodic skills would be an appropriate focus for clinical intervention, and further investigation of prosody and the relationship between prosody and social skills is warranted.
M-Sequence UWB radar for three dimensional through-the-wall imaging

Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology shows a new way for Through-the-wall radar imaging which is of very high importance in urban warfare application. It has a great utilization especially for rescue and security operations. This paper makes use of M-Sequence signals which occupies UWB transmission bandwidth and is also having noise like waveform pattern. Modified back projection approach is used for three dimensional target imaging. The simulations results for a given environment of an object along with its comparison were presented.
Planning with Numerical Expressions in LPG

We present some techniques for handling planning problems with numerical expressions that can be specified using the standard planning language PDDL. These techniques are implemented in LPG, a fully-automated planner based on local search that was awarded at the third international planning competition (2002). First, we present a plan representation for handling numerical expressions called Numerical Action Graph (NA-graph). Then, we propose some extensions of LPG to guide a search process where the search states are NA-graphs. Finally, we give some experimental results showing that our techniques are very effective in terms of CPU-time or plan quality, and that they significantly improve the previous version of the planner.
Teachers and Schools as Agencies of Values Education: reflections on teachers’ perceptions

Abstract This is the first of a two‐part survey of a project conducted over a two‐year period with teachers in Scottish schools with support from the Gordon Cook Foundation. In the first episode of the project the teachers were invited to explore the inadequacies of two extreme models of the moral role of the teacher‐‐paternalism andliberalism‐‐and to try to formulate a satisfactory alternative. In this first part, the authors argue that their difficulties in so doing may have stemmed from rather uncritical subscription to an unsatisfactory ethics of popular consensus. In the next part, it will be concluded that broadly analogous consensualist assumptions about the nature of moral life gave rise to similarly unsatisfactory attempts to deal with problems concerning the hidden curriculum.
Automated In-Situ Laser Scanner for Monitoring Forest Leaf Area Index

An automated laser rangefinding instrument was developed to characterize overstorey and understorey vegetation dynamics over time. Design criteria were based on information needs within the statewide forest monitoring program in Victoria, Australia. The ground-based monitoring instrument captures the key vegetation structural information needed to overcome ambiguity in the estimation of forest Leaf Area Index (LAI) from satellite sensors. The scanning lidar instrument was developed primarily from low cost, commercially accessible components. While the 635 nm wavelength lidar is not ideally suited to vegetation studies, there was an acceptable trade-off between cost and performance. Tests demonstrated reliable range estimates to live foliage up to a distance of 60 m during night-time operation. Given the instrument's scan angle of 57.5 degrees zenith, the instrument is an effective tool for monitoring LAI in forest canopies up to a height of 30 m. An 18 month field trial of three co-located instruments showed consistent seasonal trends and mean LAI of between 1.32 to 1.56 and a temporal LAI variation of 8 to 17% relative to the mean.
Physical Activity and Determinants of Sedentary Behavior in Brazilian Adolescents from an Underdeveloped Region

The purpose of the study was to analyze the physical activity and the determinants of sedentary behavior in 1,268 Brazilian adolescents (638 girls, 630 boys) between the ages of 15 and 18 years, randomly selected from a relatively underdeveloped region. Data were collected from a community-based survey in the city of João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil. Information related to physical activity was derived on the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The prevalence of sedentary behavior was 28.2% for girls and 19.1% for boys, whilst 28.9% of the girls and 36.7% of the boys showed high physical activity. The sedentary behavior varied by sociodemographic and environmental determinants studied. Parents' education, socioeconomic status, school's characteristics, transport to school, paid work, smoking, alcohol use, and BMI scores were significantly related to sedentary behavior for boys and girls.
Cardiac Troponin I A Marker With High Specificity for Cardiac Injury

BackgroundLevels of MBCK can be increased in patients with skeletal muscle injury or renal failure in the absence of myocardial injury, causing diagnostic confusion. This study was designed to determine whether measurement of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a myocardial regulatory protein with comparable sensitivity to MBCK, has sufficient specificity to clarify the etiology of MBCK elevations in patients with acute or chronic skeletal muscle disease or renal failure. Methods and ResultsOf the patients (n=215) studied, 37 had acute skeletal muscle injury, 10 had chronic muscle disease, nine were marathon runners, and 159 were chronic dialysis patients. Patients were evaluated clinically, by ECG, and by two-dimensional echocardiography. Total creatine kinase (normal, <170 IU/L) was determined spectrophotometrically, and cTnI (normal, <3.1 ng/mL) and MBCK (normal, <6.7 ng/mL) were determined with specific monoclonal antibodies. Values above the upper reference limit were considered “elevated. ” Elevations of total creatine kinase were common, and elevations of MBCK occurred in 59%o of patients with acute muscle injury, 78% of patients with chronic muscle disease and marathon runners, and 3.8% of patients with chronic renal failure. Some of the patients were critically ill; five patients were found to have had myocardial infarctions and one had a myocardial contusion. cTnI was elevated only in these patients. ConclusionElevations of cTnI are highly specific for myocardial injury. Use of cTnI should facilitate distinguishing whether elevations of MBCK are due to myocardial or skeletal muscle injury.
A study of the Jesness personality inventory with Scottish children.

Summary. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the application of the Jesness Inventory to Scottish children and to compare findings with English and American data. It was administered to 174 approved school and 306 day school boys in the West of Scotland. Normative data for each age group are given. Many of the sub-scales discriminate well between the two samples. Acquiescent response set is also briefly discussed.
An exact synthesis method for dual-band chebyshev impedance transformers

We propose an exact synthesis method which allows the design of dual-band transformers with an arbitrary even number of uniform sections giving equi-ripple impedance matching in two separate bands centered at two arbitrary frequencies. This method is a generalization of the exact Collin-Riblet synthesis of Chebyshev single-band transformers. As compared to a single-band Collin-Riblet transformer encompassing both required passbands, the proposed design yields significantly better performance in terms of passband tolerance and width.
Four signalling domains in the hybrid histidine protein kinase RodK of Myxococcus xanthus are required for activity

In prokaryotes, the principal signal transduction systems operating at the level of protein phosphorylation are the two‐component systems. A number of hybrid histidine protein kinases in these systems contain several receiver domains, however, the function of these receiver domains is unknown. The RodK kinase in Myxococcus xanthus has an unconventional domain composition with a putative N‐terminal sensor domain followed by a histidine kinase domain and three receiver domains. RodK is essential for the spatial coupling of the two morphogenetic events underlying fruiting body formation in M. xanthus, aggregation of cells into nascent fruiting bodies and the subsequent sporulation of these cells. RodK kinase activity is indispensable for RodK activity. By systematically substituting the conserved, phosphorylatable aspartate residues in the three receiver domains, genetic evidence is provided that each receiver domain is important for RodK function and that each receiver domain has a distinct function, which depends on phosphorylation. Biochemical analyses provided indirect evidence for phosphotransfer from the RodK kinase domain to the third receiver domain. This is the first example of a hybrid histidine protein kinase in which four signalling domains have been shown to be required for full activity.
The Transmissibility of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial Poultry in Industrialised Countries

Background With the increased occurrence of outbreaks of H5N1 worldwide there is concern that the virus could enter commercial poultry farms with severe economic consequences. Methodology/Principal Findings We analyse data from four recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry to estimate the farm-to-farm reproductive number for HPAI. The reproductive number is a key measure of the transmissibility of HPAI at the farm level because it can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the control measures. In these outbreaks the mean farm-to-farm reproductive number prior to controls ranged from 1.1 to 2.4, with the maximum farm-based reproductive number in the range 2.2 to 3.2. Enhanced bio-security, movement restrictions and prompt isolation of the infected farms in all four outbreaks substantially reduced the reproductive number, but it remained close to the threshold value 1 necessary to ensure the disease will be eradicated. Conclusions/Significance Our results show that depending on the particular situation in which an outbreak of avian influenza occurs, current controls might not be enough to eradicate the disease, and therefore a close monitoring of the outbreak is required. The method we used for estimating the reproductive number is straightforward to implement and can be used in real-time. It therefore can be a useful tool to inform policy decisions.
Influence of the extraction solvent on antioxidant activity of Althaea officinalis L. root extracts

Althaea officinalis (Malvaceae) is a well-known plant that is widely distributed throughout the world. Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts from A. officinalis root are used mainly because of their antitussive and expectorant activity. It is well known that these activities are based on the polysaccharide composition, but little is known about the possible antioxidant activity of root extract. The present study evaluated antioxidant activity of root extracts prepared with different extraction solvents applying ABTS·+ (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), hypochlorous acid scavenging assay and iron-induced lipid peroxidation. The results showed that the extract prepared with water as extraction solvent did not possess antioxidant activity, whereas the extracts obtained using ethanol:water as extraction agent showed well pronounced antioxidant activity. In particular, the extracts obtained at low concentration of ethanol in the mixed solvent (50:50 and 70:30, v/v) showed higher scavenging activity for ABTS·+ radicals and hypochlorite ions than the extract obtained with the higher ethanol concentration (90:10, v/v). These results correlated very well with phenolic and flavonoid content of the extracts. The extracts did not show cytotoxic effect on human BV-173 leukemic cells but may have immunomodulating effects due to their antioxidant properties.
Attitudes to Medication after Kidney Transplantation and Their Association with Medication Adherence and Graft Survival: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study

Background. Nonadherence to medication is a common problem after kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to explore attitudes towards medication, adherence, and the relationship with clinical outcomes. Method. Kidney recipients participated in a Q-methodological study 6 weeks after transplantation. As a measure of medication adherence, respondents completed the Basel Assessment of Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medications Scale (BAASIS©-interview). Moreover, the intrapatient variability in the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus was calculated, which measures stability of drug intake. Data on graft survival was retrieved from patient records up to 2 years after transplantation. Results. 113 renal transplant recipients (19–75 years old) participated in the study. Results revealed three attitudes towards medication adherence—attitude 1: “confident and accurate,” attitude 2: “concerned and vigilant,” and attitude 3: “appearance oriented and assertive. ” We found association of attitudes with intrapatient variability in pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus, but not with self-reported nonadherence or graft survival. However, self-reported nonadherence immediately after transplantation was associated with lower two-year graft survival. Conclusion. These preliminary findings suggest that nonadherence shortly after kidney transplantation may be a risk factor for lower graft survival in the years to follow. The attitudes to medication were not a risk factor.
The Effects of Time Pressure on Quality in Software Development: An Agency Model

An agency framework is used to model the behavior of software developers as they weigh concerns about product quality against concerns about missing individual task deadlines. Developers who care about quality but fear the career impact of missed deadlines may take "shortcuts. " Managers sometimes attempt to reduce this risk via their deadline-setting policies; a common method involves adding slack to best estimates when setting deadlines to partially alleviate the time pressures believed to encourage shortcut-taking. This paper derives a formal relationship between deadline-setting policies and software product quality. It shows that: (1) adding slack does not always preserve quality, thus, systematically adding slack is an incomplete policy for minimizing costs; (2) costs can be minimized by adopting policies that permit estimates of completion dates and deadlines that are different and; (3) contrary to casual intuition, shortcut-taking can be eliminated by setting deadlines aggressively, thereby maintaining or even increasing the time pressures under which developers work.
Vitamin D May Not Improve Lipid Levels: A Serial Clinical Laboratory Data Study

Background— Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and is associated with dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. The impact of correcting vitamin D deficiency on blood lipids, strong cardiovascular disease prognostic factors, is unknown. Methods and Results— To determine relationships between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and lipids, we analyzed 4.06 million deidentified patient laboratory test results from September 2009 through February 2011. We performed a cross-sectional study of this population to determine associations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and lipids across clinically defined strata. We also conducted a retrospective cohort study of vitamin D deficient patients to investigate how changes in 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels relate to changes in lipid levels. After exclusions, 107 811 patients with serial testing were selected for cross-sectional analysis. Compared with vitamin D deficient patients (<20 ng/mL), those with optimal levels (≥30 ng/mL) had lower mean total cholesterol (−1.9 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], −1.2 to −2.7; P<0.0001), lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−5.2 mg/dL; 95% CI, −4.5 to −5.8; P<0.0001), higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (4.8 mg/dL; 95% CI, 4.5–5.0; P<0.0001), and lower triglycerides (−7.5 mg/dL; 95% CI, −6.2 to −8.7; P<0.0001). For the retrospective cohort analysis, raising vitamin D levels from <20 to ≥30 ng/mL (n=6260), compared with remaining at <20 ng/mL (n=2332), was associated with a mean increase in total cholesterol (0.77 mg/dL; 95% CI, 0.18–1.36; P=0.01) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.42 mg/dL; 95% CI, 0.08–0.76; P=0.02) but nonsignificant changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.32 mg/dL; 95% CI, −0.01 to 0.66; P=0.06) and triglycerides (0.04 mg/dL; 95% CI, −2.16 to 2.23 mg/dL; P=0.97). Conclusions— Although vitamin D deficiency is associated with an unfavorable lipid profile in cross-sectional analyses, correcting for a deficiency might not translate into clinically meaningful changes in lipid concentrations; however, data from intervention trials are required to confirm these findings.
Awareness, knowledge, use, and attitudes toward evidence based medicine in a developing country: survey of physicians in a canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Aim To assess awareness, knowledge, use, and attitudes toward evidence-based medicine (EBM) and The Cochrane Library (CL) among physicians from Zenica-Doboj Canton (ZDC), Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a self-administered anonymous questionnaire was sent by post to all state owned health institutions (2 hospitals and 11 Primary Health Care Institutions) in ZDC. The main outcome measures were physicians’ awareness of the Cochrane, awareness and use of CL, access to EBM databases, and access to internet at work. 358 of 559 physicians responded (63.69%). Results 23.18% of respondents stated they had access to EBM databases, but only 3.91% named the actual EBM databases they used. The question on the highest level of evidence in EBM was correctly answered by 35.7% respondents, 34.64% heard about Cochrane and 32.68% heard about CL. They obtained information about CL mostly on the internet and from colleagues, whereas the information about EBM was obtained mainly during continuous medical education. Conclusion Although the attitudes toward EBM are positive, there is a low awareness of EBM among physicians in ZDC. Open access to the CL should be used more. Educational interventions in popularizing EBM and Cochrane are needed to raise awareness both among students and practicing physicians, and finally among lay audience.
The Influence of Operating Systems on the Performance of Collective Operations at Extreme Scale

We investigate operating system noise, which we identify as one of the main reasons for a lack of synchronicity in parallel applications. Using a microbenchmark, we measure the noise on several contemporary platforms and find that, even with a general-purpose operating system, noise can be limited if certain precautions are taken. We then inject artificially generated noise into a massively parallel system and measure its influence on the performance of collective operations. Our experiments indicate that on extreme-scale platforms, the performance is correlated with the largest interruption to the application, even if the probability of such an interruption is extremely small. We demonstrate that synchronizing the noise can significantly reduce its negative influence
Stigma and Schizophrenia

Abstract The persistence of stigma related to schizophrenia is addressed as a continuing challenge for social work students working in mental health. Student education is best grounded in direct clinical work with clients in conjunction with field supervision and classroom education. Through direct practice in individual and group sessions, students learn to help clients recognize and cope with stigma so that the potentially negative effects can be lessened. An assertive stance is suggested. Students are encouraged to initiate the topic and, because schizophrenia often affects cognitive abilities, work with clients at their level of understanding. Clinical interventions with first episode of schizophrenia clients by masters level social work students are illustrated and discussed.
Randomised trial of ambulatory oxygen in oxygen-dependent COPD

Long-term oxygen therapy may limit a patient's ability to remain active and may be detrimental to the rehabilitation process. This study aimed to determine the effect of ambulatory oxygen on quality of life and exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease fulfilling the usual criteria of long-term oxygen therapy. In a 1-yr, randomised, three-period, crossover trial, 24 patients (mean age 68 yrs; mean arterial partial pressure of oxygen at rest 7.1 kPa (53 mmHg)) were allocated to one of the six possible sequences generated by three interventions: 1) standard therapy (home oxygen therapy with an oxygen concentrator only); 2) standard therapy plus as-needed ambulatory oxygen; and 3) standard therapy plus ambulatory compressed air. The comparison of ambulatory oxygen versus ambulatory compressed air was double blind. The main outcomes were quality of life (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire), exercise tolerance (6-min walk test) and daily duration of exposure to oxygen therapy. The trial was stopped prematurely after an interim analysis. On average, the patients used few ambulatory cylinders (7.5 oxygen cylinders versus 7.4 compressed air cylinders over a 3-month study period). Ambulatory oxygen had no effect on any of the outcomes. In conclusion, the current results do not support the widespread provision of ambulatory oxygen to patients with oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Attention meets emotion : temporal unfolding of attentional processes to emotionally relevant information

We investigated the interplay of the perception of emotion and the allocation of attentional resources. We contrasted predictions taken from basic emotion theories and appraisal theories, and hypothesized that emotionally relevant information attracts attention, thus biasing perception. We used the modulation of the attentional blink and psychophysical methods, and examined the perception of static, and dynamic, fearful, happy and neutral facial expressions. We showed that the time course of the AB can be decomposed into several periods, each of which is differentially sensitive to emotion-laden information. In a paradigm designed to measure the minimum display duration necessary to make a correct gender decision on emotion-laden faces, we showed that, on average and across all emotions, participants need the face to be displayed for 50 msec, and that they make significantly less mistake when the face is fearful or happy. Results emphasise the importance of inter-individual differences.