Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Moving-IAT: Evaluating the Potential of a Single-Block Variant of the Implicit Association Test in Personality Assessment

Accumulated evidence suggests that indirect measures such as the Implicit Association Test (IAT) provide an increment in personality assessment explaining behavioral variance over and above self-reports. Likewise, it has been shown that there are several unwanted sources of variance in personality IATs potentially reducing their psychometric quality. For example, there is evidence that individuals use imagery-based facilitation strategies while performing the IAT. That is, individuals actively create mental representations of their person that fit to the category combination in the respective block, but do not necessarily fit to their implicit personality self-concept. A single-block IAT variant proposed by attitude research, where compatible and incompatible trials are presented in one and the same block, may prevent individuals from using such facilitation strategies. Consequently, for the trait need for cognition (NFC), a new single-block IAT version was developed (called Moving-IAT) and tested against the standard IAT for differences in internal consistency and predictive validity in a sample of 126 participants. Although the Moving-IAT showed lower internal consistency, its predictive value for NFC-typical behavior was higher than that of the standard IAT. Given individual’s strategy reports, the single-block structure of the Moving-IAT indeed reduces the likelihood of imagery-based strategies.
Benchmarking Deep Reinforcement Learning for Continuous Control

Recently, researchers have made significant progress combining the advances in deep learning for learning feature representations with reinforcement learning. Some notable examples include training agents to play Atari games based on raw pixel data and to acquire advanced manipulation skills using raw sensory inputs. However, it has been difficult to quantify progress in the domain of continuous control due to the lack of a commonly adopted benchmark. In this work, we present a benchmark suite of continuous control tasks, including classic tasks like cart-pole swing-up, tasks with very high state and action dimensionality such as 3D humanoid locomotion, tasks with partial observations, and tasks with hierarchical structure. We report novel findings based on the systematic evaluation of a range of implemented reinforcement learning algorithms. Both the benchmark and reference implementations are released at this https URL in order to facilitate experimental reproducibility and to encourage adoption by other researchers.
Inattentive Responding in MTurk and Other Online Samples

The focal article by Landers and Behrend (2015) makes the case that samples collected on microtask websites like Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) are inherently no better or worse than traditional samples of convenience from university students or organizations. We wholeheartedly agree. However, having successfully used MTurk and other online sources for data collection, we feel that the focal article was insufficient regarding the caution required in identifying inattentive respondents and the problems that can arise if such individuals are not removed from the dataset. Although we focus on MTurk, similar issues arise for most “low-stakes” assessments, including student samples, which seem to be increasingly collected online.
An Introduction to Quantum Error Correction

Quantum states are very delicate, so it is likely some sort of quantum error correction will be necessary to build reliable quantum computers. The theory of quantum error-correcting codes has some close ties to and some striking differences from the theory of classical error-correcting codes. Many quantum codes can be described in terms of the stabilizer of the codewords. The stabilizer is a finite Abelian group, and allows a straightforward characterization of the error-correcting properties of the code. The stabilizer formalism for quantum codes also illustrates the relationships to classical coding theory, particularly classical codes over GF(4), the finite field with four elements.
A therapeutic agent with oriented carbohydrates for treatment of infections by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7

Infection with Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7, which causes diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis in humans, often results in fatal systemic complications, such as neurological damage and hemolytic–uremic syndrome. Because Stx circulating in the blood is a major causative factor of these complications, the development of a Stx neutralizer that functions in the circulation holds promise as a viable therapy. Here we developed a series of carbosilane dendrimers, in which trisaccharides of globotriaosyl ceramide, a receptor for Stx, were variously oriented at their termini (referred to as SUPER TWIG), and identified a SUPER TWIG with six trisaccharides as a Stx neutralizer functioning in the circulation. This SUPER TWIG specifically bound to Stx with high affinity (Kd = 1.1 × 10−6 M) and inhibited the incorporation of the toxin into target cells. Intravenous administration of the SUPER TWIG along with Stx to mice substantially reduced the fatal brain damage and completely suppressed the lethal effect of Stx. Moreover, the SUPER TWIG protected mice from challenge with a fatal dose of E. coli O157:H7, even when administered after the establishment of the infection. The SUPER TWIG neutralized Stx in vivo by a mechanism in which the accumulation and immediate degradation of Stx by phagocytic macrophages present in the reticuloendothelial system were induced. Taken together, our findings indicate that this SUPER TWIG is therapeutic agent against infections by Stx-producing E. coli.
Reconocimiento de sufrimientos pasados, confianza y mejora de actitudes intergrupales en Bélgica

This article examines the role of intergroup trust and recognition of past sufferings onintergroup attitudes. We conducted an experiment among Dutch-speaking students in which we manipulated the degree of importance that French-speakers gave to historical episodes of past victimizations in order to test its impact on the attitudes towards the French-speakers. Results show that intergroup attitudes were most favorable among the high-trusting Dutch-speaking participants when they were led to believe that the French- speakers judged important the events where both communities were considered as victims, compared to the conditions where only French-speaking or only Dutch-speaking sufferings were considered important. This suggests some level of intergroup trust is a condition forthe positive effect of shared memories of victimization on attitudes.
In the rheumatoid pannus, anti‐filaggrin autoantibodies are produced by local plasma cells and constitute a higher proportion of IgG than in synovial fluid and serum

IgG anti‐filaggrin autoantibodies (AFA) are the most specific serological markers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They include the so‐called ‘anti‐keratin antibodies’ (AKA) and anti‐perinuclear factor (APF), and recognize human epidermal filaggrin and other (pro)filaggrin‐related proteins of various epithelial tissues. In this study we demonstrate that AFA are produced in rheumatoid synovial joints. In 31 RA patients, AFA levels were assayed at equal IgG concentrations in paired synovial fluids (SF) and sera. AFA titre‐like values determined by indirect immunofluorescence and immunoblotting and AFA concentrations determined by ELISA were non‐significantly different in serum and SF, clearly indicating that AFA are not concentrated in SF. In contrast, we demonstrated that AFA are enriched in RA synovial membranes, since the ELISA‐determined AFA in low ionic‐strength extracts of synovial tissue from four RA patients represented a 7·5‐fold higher proportion of total IgG than in paired sera. When small synovial tissue explants from RA patients were cultured for a period of 5 weeks, the profile of IgG and AFA released in the culture supernatants was first consistent with passive diffusion of the tissue‐infiltrating IgG (including AFA) over the first day of culture, then with a de novo synthesis of IgG and AFA. Therefore, AFA‐secreting plasma cells are present in the synovial tissue of RA patients and AFA can represent a significant proportion of the IgG secreted within the rheumatoid pannus.
High-Speed CMOS Chip Design for Manchester and Miller Encoder

In this paper, we propose a modified Manchester and Miller encoder that can operate in high frequency without a sophisticated circuit structure. Based on the previous proposed architecture, the study has adopted the concept of parallel operation to improve data throughput. In addition, the technique of hardware sharing is adopted in this design to reduce the number of transistors. The study uses TSMC CMOS 0.35-um 2P4M technology. The simulation result of HSPICE indicates that it functions successfully and works at 200-MHz speed. The average power consumption of the circuit under room temperature is 549 uW. The total core area is 70.7 um × 72.2 um. As expected, the circuit can be easily integrated into Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) application.
Ansiedade, depressão e desesperança em pacientes amputados de membros inferiores

Amputação consiste na retirada de um membro, total ou parcialmente, por cirurgia ou trauma. A causa mais frequente de amputações é vascular (75% em membros inferiores), seguida por traumas (20%) e tumores (5%). Após a amputação, o paciente geralmente passa por uma série de reações emocionais. Dentre as mais comuns, pacientes amputados podem apresentar quadros de ansiedade, depressão e desesperança. Objetivo: Verificar a incidência de Ansiedade, Depressão e Desesperança em pacientes com amputação de membros inferiores que chegaram ao Centro de Reabilitação. Método: Participaram desta pesquisa 31 pacientes no período de maio a agosto de 2011. Os pacientes foram submetidos à realização de um questionário de caracterização da amostra e as escalas Beck de Ansiedade, Depressão e Desesperança. Resultados: Os pacientes que tinham companheiro apresentaram menores níveis de Ansiedade e Desesperança e os pacientes que saíam semanalmente apresentaram menores pontuações na escala de depressão. Conclusão: Os pacientes com amputação de membros inferiores apresentaram boas estratégias de enfrentamento ou estão em processo de negação de sua condição atual, ou ainda aliviados pela melhora do quadro álgico.
Nitric Oxide, Peroxynitrite and Malondialdehyde Levels as Markers for Nitrosative/Oxidative Stress in Iraqi Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus Erythematosus is an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology affecting multiple organ system. Reactive nitrogen and oxygen species are claimed to play a role in this disease. However, the potential of Nitrosative/Oxidative Stress to elicit an autoimmune, response remain till now largely unexplored in humans. This study was done to investigate the status and contribution of nitrosative/oxidative stress in Iraqi patients for systemic lupus erythematosus. Blood samples from 19 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 19 age-and sex- matched apparently healthy controls were evaluated for serum levels of nitrosative/oxidative stress markers including nitric oxide, peroxynitrite and malondialdehyde. Nitric oxide levels were measured by spectrophetometric method depending on Griss method, while peroxynitrite levels were measured by spectrophetometric method based on peroxynitrite mediated nitration of phenol. Malondialdehyde levels were measured by the thiobarbitoric acid method. Serum nitric oxide levels were significantly elevated in SLE patients (mean + SE 263.58 + 35.42 mol/L) as compared with healthy control (162.48 +10.42 mol/L). Peroxynitrite levels were also significantly elevated in a disease group (mean + SE 7.23 +0.92 mol/L) as compared to healthy control (4.47 + 0.38 mol/L). On the other hand, malondialdehyde levels were slightly elevated in SLE patient (mean + SE 4.53 + 0.22 nmol/ml) as compared to control group (4.32 + 0.58nmol/ml). The study findings support an association between nitrosative/oxidative stress and SLE through elevated level of NO, peroxynitrite and MDA in the serum of SLE patients.
Successful Social Networking in Public Libraries

"Most commentaries to date on library use of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have focused on a handful of well-funded public libraries with high-profile employees. Now Crawford's Successful Social Networking in Public Libraries fills in the rest of the picture, offering for the first time an in-depth look at how a large variety of public libraries are using social networks. Examining more than 6,000 libraries across the US, Crawford Analyzes social network usage by libraries of different sizes and funding levels, showing how many of them are active and effective in quite different ways Offers many examples that will help other libraries establish or refine their own social networking activities Presents several key questions that libraries should ask themselves, such as "Who do we want to reach? " and "What's the best way to interact with communities? " Gives libraries guidelines to set social networking goals and conduct ongoing evaluation Includes illuminating comments from numerous librarians on the front lines of communication"
Invertebrate Gleaning: Forgotten Fisheries

Gleaning is important for the food security of many coastal communities, but data and information on these fisheries are extremely limited. Invertebrate gleaning is a popular fishing method in Bulukumba, Indonesia. The gleaners in Bulukumba recognised only one type, general gleaning. During general gleaning (2-4 hours), all species found will be collected. Women (95%) were more dominant than men (5%). The majority of gleaners utilize catch gleaning for food (62%) and a substantial majority for income (38%). A total of 15 species were collected and identified from gleaning catches, with 2.936 individual items. Gastropods were the dominated group (82.31%) followed by bivalves (7.36%), crustaceans (1.22%) and echinoderms (9.12%). Chicoreus brunneus was the dominant species in all gleaning sites except in Sama Bahari village, where the catch was dominated by Canarium urceus. Invertebrate gleaning plays an important role in providing food and income to coastal communities.
Mining query logs to optimize index partitioning in parallel web search engines

Large-scale Parallel Web Search Engines (WSEs) needs to adopt a strategy for partitioning the inverted index among a set of parallel server nodes. In this paper we are interested in devising an effective term-partitioning strategy, according to which the global vocabulary of terms and the associated inverted lists are split into disjoint subsets, and assigned to distinct servers. Due to the workload imbalance caused by the skewed distribution of terms in user queries, finding an effective partitioning strategy is considered a very complex task. In this paper we first formally introduce Term Partitioning as a new optimization problem. Then we show how the knowledge mined from past WSE query logs can be profitably used to discover good solutions of this problem. Finally, we report many results to show that we are able to effectively reduce both the average number of servers activated per each query, along with the workload imbalance. Experiments are conducted on large query logs of real WSEs.
CHARACTERIZING THE COOL KOIs. VI. H- AND K-BAND SPECTRA OF KEPLER M DWARF PLANET-CANDIDATE HOSTS

We present H- and K-band spectra for late-type Kepler Objects of Interest (the “Cool KOIs”): low-mass stars with transiting-planet candidates discovered by NASA's Kepler Mission that are listed on the NASA Exoplanet Archive. We acquired spectra of 103 Cool KOIs and used the indices and calibrations of Rojas-Ayala et al. to determine their spectral types, stellar effective temperatures, and metallicities, significantly augmenting previously published values. We interpolate our measured effective temperatures and metallicities onto evolutionary isochrones to determine stellar masses, radii, luminosities, and distances, assuming the stars have settled onto the main sequence. As a choice of isochrones, we use a new suite of Dartmouth predictions that reliably include mid-to-late M dwarf stars. We identify five M4V stars: KOI-961 (confirmed as Kepler 42), KOI-2704, KOI-2842, KOI-4290, and the secondary component to visual binary KOI-1725, which we call KOI-1725 B. We also identify a peculiar star, KOI-3497, which has Na and Ca lines consistent with a dwarf star but CO lines consistent with a giant. Visible-wavelength adaptive optics imaging reveals two objects within a 1 arcsec diameter; however, the objects' colors are peculiar. The spectra and properties presented in this paper serve as a resource for prioritizing follow-up observations and planet validation efforts for the Cool KOIs and are all available for download online using the “data behind the figure” feature.
Structural Change on Multiple Time Scales as a Correlate of Musical Complexity

We propose the novel audio feature structural change for the analysis and visualisation of recorded music, and argue that it is related to a particular notion of musical complexity. Structural change is a meta feature that can be calculated from an arbitrary frame-wise basis feature, with each element in the structural change feature vector representing the change of the basis feature at a different time scale. We describe an efficient implementation of the feature and discuss its properties based on three basis features pertaining to harmony, rhythm and timbre. We present a novel flowerlike visualisation that allows us to illustrate the overall structural change characteristics of a piece of audio in a compact way. Several examples of real-world music and synthesised audio exemplify the characteristics of the structural change feature. We present the results of a web-based listening experiment with 197 participants to show the validity of the proposed feature.
Treatment of uncomplicated hemorrhoids with a Hemor-Rite® cryotherapy device: a randomized, prospective, comparative study

Hemorrhoids are one of the most common ailments known. Often described as “varicose veins of the anus and rectum”, hemorrhoids are enlarged, bulging blood vessels in, and about the anus and lower rectum. About 75% of people will have hemorrhoids at some point in their lives. This paper shares the results from the clinical evaluation conducted to study effects of cryotherapy in treating uncomplicated hemorrhoids. The device used in the study is based on topically-applied cold therapy which can produce vasoconstriction in the tissues, tissue hypoxia, analgesia, and muscle relaxation. Cryotherapy was shown to be statistically similar or superior to proctology ointment in some of the parameters studied such as reduction of pain and hemorrhage. Overall it was observed that cryotherapy device contributes to improving the quality of life of patients with hemorrhoids.
Making Each Other’s Daily Life: Nurse Assistants’ Experiences and Knowledge on Developing a Meaningful Daily Life in Nursing Homes

Background: In a larger action research project, guidelines were generated for how a meaningful daily life could be developed for older persons. In this study, we focused on the nurse assistants’ (NAs) perspectives, as their knowledge is essential for a well-functioning team and quality of care. The aim was to learn from NAs’ experiences and knowledge about how to develop a meaningful daily life for older persons in nursing homes and the meaning NAs ascribe to their work. Methods: The project is based on Participatory and Appreciative Action and Reflection. Data were generated through interviews, participating observations and informal conversations with 27 NAs working in nursing homes in Sweden, and a thematic analysis was used. Result: NAs developed a meaningful daily life by sensing and finding the “right” way of being (Theme 1). They sense and read the older person in order to judge how the person was feeling (Theme 2). They adapt to the older person (Theme 3) and share their daily life (Theme 4). NAs use emotional involvement to develop a meaningful daily life for the older person and meaning in their own work (Theme 5), ultimately making each other’s daily lives meaningful. Conclusion: It was obvious that NAs based the development of a meaningful daily life on different forms of knowledge: the oreticaland practical knowledge, and practical wisdom, all of which are intertwined. These results could be used within the team to constitute a meaningful daily life for older persons in nursing homes.
Temperament, Cognitive Ability, Emotion Knowledge, and Adaptive Social Behavior

Few studies have related emotion knowledge to positive behavioral outcomes in middle childhood, and none of these included both temperament and cognitive ability in the analysis. In the present study of 166 seven-year-old children from economically disadvantaged families, we show that temperamental inhibition, cognitive ability, a traditionally studied index of emotion knowledge (emotion recognition), and emotion memories contribute to the concurrent prediction of adaptive social behavior. We also found that temperament and cognitive ability relate significantly to emotion recognition which, in turn, partially mediates the relations of inhibition and cognitive ability to adaptive social behavior. Emotion memories relate significantly to the behavioral outcome after removing the variance due to inhibition, cognitive ability, and emotion recognition. We argue that compared to memories tagged simply as good (pleasant) or bad (unpleasant) events, discrete emotion memories have greater adaptive value because they provide more useful information and have the capacity to facilitate the anticipation and management of emotion arousal.
The Influence of Environmental Values on Green Purchase Behaviour: Direct, Indirect, or Both?

This paper aims to examine the influence of environmental values on green purchase behaviour through environmental attitude only, green purchase attitude only, or a combination of both from Malaysian consumers’ perspectives. The result shows that the unidimensional structure of environmental values from the combination of altruistic and biospheric values does not directly influence green purchase behaviour. It demonstrated an indirect effect on green purchase behaviour via environmental attitude (two-path mediated effect) as well as through a combination of both environmental attitude and green purchase attitude (three-path mediated effect). A specific attitude towards green purchases acts as a better predictor of green purchase behaviour, as compared to the general attitude towards the environment. This offers a useful insight to the practitioners in better formulating and implementing marketing strategy to go green in Malaysia.