Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multivariable nonlinear predictive control of cement mills

A multivariable controller for cement milling circuits is presented, which is based on a nonlinear model of the circuit and on a nonlinear predictive control strategy. Comparisons with previous LQ control strategies show improved performances with respect to an important source of perturbations of the circuit: a change of hardness of the raw material.
Factors affecting the implementation of curriculum reform in Hong Kong: Key findings from a large‐scale survey study

Purpose – The objective of this paper was to examine key hindering and facilitating factors in schools during the first stage of the curriculum reform (2001‐2006) in Hong Kong and to identify key strategies to address these challenges.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 150 primary and 120 secondary schools with 7,869 key stakeholders including principals, curriculum leaders, teachers, and students participated in the study. The data for this study was collected from the following two major methods: survey questionnaire and in‐depth interviews. The response rate was 95 percent.Findings – In spite of the different roles played by each stakeholder in the curriculum reform, the perceptions of school principals, curriculum leaders, and teachers were very similar with regards to the factors that facilitated and hindered their successful implementation of the reform. Consistent with the current literature, the findings clearly indicated that the recent curriculum reform in Hong Kong was still facing severa.
Plant Hormones Alter Fiber Initiation in Unfertilized, Cultured Ovules of Gossypium hirsutum

Fiber initiation in two commercial cultivars of Gossypium hirsutum, MD51 and MAXXA GTO, was compared. MAXXA GTO produced significantly more fiber initials in ovules grown either in vivo or in vitro. Unfertilized ovules grown in culture without plant hormones exhibited a steady increase in fiber number over the experimental period. Exogenous applications of the plant hormones indole-3-acetic acid or gibberellic acid, either pre-anthesis to flower buds and developing flowers or post-anthesis to ovules, were examined in the MAXXA GTO cultivar. Unfertilized ovules treated pre-anthesis with 0.1 mg L -1 indole-3-acetic acid produced a greater number of fibers than did ovules treated with 1.0 mg L -1 gibberellic acid or water. Post-anthesis treatment with 1.0 mg L -1 gibberellic acid in the culture medium increased fiber production, compared with water or 0.1 mg L -1 indole-3-acetic acid applied in the culture medium. Application of either hormone (depending on concentration and time of treatment) resulted in an increase in fiber production, compared with controls. Fiber production in the absence of hormone treatment, either pre- or post-anthesis, suggests that hormones may not be a requirement for fiber initiation. Manipulation of the hormonal levels might cause an increase in the proportion of epidermal cells that differentiated as fibers. On the other hand, the hormone treatments might induce cell division, resulting in more epidermal cells and, consequently, a greater number of fiber initials. These results
An Evaluation of Prepracticum Helping Skills Training for Graduate Social Work Students

Although foundational practice classes play a key role in helping prepracticum students develop counseling skills, we know little about the effectiveness of this form of helping skills training. This study assessed the effect of helping skills training delivered in foundational practice classes on proximal indicators of counseling skills acquisition, including measures of counseling self-efficacy, empathy, anxiety, and hindering self-awareness or rumination. Participating students made significant gains in counseling self-efficacy that were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Reductions in anxiety, rumination, and personal distress in interpersonally challenging situations were observed at follow-up, indicating that students made a successful transition to the field following training. The frequency of large-group role plays in particular was related to gains in students’ counseling self-efficacy.
Energy Stable and Momentum Conserving Hybrid Finite Element Method for the Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations

A hybrid method for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is presented. The method inherits the attractive stabilizing mechanism of upwinded discontinuous Galerkin methods when momentum advection becomes significant, equal-order interpolations can be used for the velocity and pressure fields, and mass can be conserved locally. Using continuous Lagrange multiplier spaces to enforce flux continuity across cell facets, the number of global degrees of freedom is the same as for a continuous Galerkin method on the same mesh. Different from our earlier investigations on the approach for the Navier-Stokes equations, the pressure field in this work is discontinuous across cell boundaries. It is shown that this leads to very good local mass conservation and, for an appropriate choice of finite element spaces, momentum conservation. Also, a new form of the momentum transport terms for the method is constructed such that global energy stability is guaranteed, even in the absence of a pointwise solenoidal velocity field. Mass conservation, momentum conservation, and global energy stability are proved for the time-continuous case and for a fully discrete scheme. The presented analysis results are supported by a range of numerical simulations.
Metacognitive beliefs in obsessive-compulsive patients: A comparison with healthy and schizophrenia participants

Introduction. Distorted metacognitive beliefs are increasingly considered in theoretical models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, so far no consensus has emerged regarding the specific metacognitive profile of OCD. Methods. Participants with OCD (n=55), schizophrenia (n=39), and nonclinical controls (n=49) were assessed with the Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30). Results. Except for positive beliefs about worry, both patient samples exceeded nonclinical controls on all MCQ subscales. The MCQ “need to control thoughts” and “negative beliefs about uncontrollability and danger” subscales showed strong correlations with obsessions, and scores in the former scale were elevated in hallucinators. In contrast to several prior studies, “cognitive confidence” was related neither to core OCD nor to schizophrenia symptomatology. Conclusions. Notwithstanding large pathogenetic differences between OCD and schizophrenia, findings suggest that obsessions and hallucinations may share a common metacognitive pathway. Need to control thoughts and dysfunctional beliefs about the malleability of worries may represent critical prerequisites for the two phenomena to emerge.
Toward an Aspirational Learning Model Gleaned from Large-Scale Assessment

The aspirational model resulted from the authors’ secondary analysis of the Mother/Child (M/C) test block from the 2008 National Assessment of Educational Progress restricted data that examined the responses of the national sample of 8th-grade students (n = 1648). This test block presented no artmaking task and consisted of the same 13 questions between 1997 and 2008. Constructs operating in M/C were identified as art knowledge, technical knowledge, aesthetic properties, and meaning. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used for data preparation, and linear structural relationships was used to conduct structural equation modeling analysis. Polychoric correlation matrix was employed to generate the model-fit statistics and path diagram with 13 variables and four constructs. Findings clarify an aspirational model, which moves from art knowledge to technical knowledge to aesthetic knowledge to meaning. Technical knowledge appears requisite to developing aesthetic understanding and meaning. Authors reason that an aspirational model like M/C might be used in curriculum planning and implementation.
Quadratic Gaussian privacy games

A game-theoretic model for analysing the effects of privacy on strategic communication between agents is devised. In the model, a sender wishes to provide an accurate measurement of the state to a receiver while also protecting its private information (which is correlated with the state) private from a malicious agent that may eavesdrop on its communications with the receiver. A family of nontrivial equilibria, in which the communicated messages carry information, is constructed and its properties are studied.
Analysis of myeloperoxidase activity in wound fluids as a marker of infection

Background Neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes play a crucial role in the host defence against bacterial and fungal infections. They participate in the inflammatory response through the liberation of peptides and enzymes like myeloperoxidase (MPO). Therefore, MPO has a potential as a marker enzyme for the diagnosis of wound infection. Methods Substrate specificities and reaction pathways of MPO were investigated for new MPO substrates: crystal violet, leuco crystal violet, fast blue RR (4-benzoylamino-2,5-dimethoxybenzenediazonium chloride hemi(zinc chloride) salt) and various systematically substituted model substrates based on 2,7-dihydroxy-1-(4-hydroxyphenylazo)naphtalene-3,6-disulphonic acid. In addition, fast blue RR was covalently bound to siloxanes allowing immobilization of the substrate, while cellobiosedehydrogenase was integrated for generation of hydrogen peroxide required by MPO. Results Elevated concentrations of MPO were found in infected wounds compared with non-infected wounds (92.2 ± 45.0 versus 1.9 ± 1.8 U/mL). Various soluble and immobilized substrates were oxidized by MPO in wound samples and the influence of substrate structure and reaction pathways were elucidated for selected compounds. Conclusions Incubation of different MPO substrates with infected wound fluid samples resulted in a clear colour change in the case of elevated MPO concentrations, thus allowing early diagnosis of wound infection.
Influence of Lifestyle Factors on Mammographic Density in Postmenopausal Women

Background Mammographic density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Apart from hormone replacement therapy (HRT), little is known about lifestyle factors that influence breast density. Methods We examined the effect of smoking, alcohol and physical activity on mammographic density in a population-based sample of postmenopausal women without breast cancer. Lifestyle factors were assessed by a questionnaire and percentage and area measures of mammographic density were measured using computer-assisted software. General linear models were used to assess the association between lifestyle factors and mammographic density and effect modification by body mass index (BMI) and HRT was studied. Results Overall, alcohol intake was positively associated with percent mammographic density (P trend = 0.07). This association was modified by HRT use (P interaction = 0.06): increasing alcohol intake was associated with increasing percent density in current HRT users (P trend = 0.01) but not in non-current users (P trend = 0.82). A similar interaction between alcohol and HRT was found for the absolute dense area, with a positive association being present in current HRT users only (P interaction = 0.04). No differences in mammographic density were observed across categories of smoking and physical activity, neither overall nor in stratified analyses by BMI and HRT use. Conclusions Increasing alcohol intake is associated with an increase in mammography density, whereas smoking and physical activity do not seem to influence density. The observed interaction between alcohol and HRT may pose an opportunity for HRT users to lower their mammographic density and breast cancer risk.
Risk factors and outcomes for patients with vascular disease and serious bleeding events

Objective To determine the risk and outcomes of serious bleeding events in patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease or risk factors. Methods 68 375 outpatients with prior ischaemic vascular events or multiple atherosclerotic risk factors were followed in this prospective observational study; 64 977 had 1-year follow-up data. Main outcome measures were rates of serious bleeding events and 1-year outcomes for patients with and without serious bleeding events. Results The 1-year rate of serious haemorrhage was 0.92%, with a cerebral haemorrhage rate of 0.11%. Patients with symptomatic vascular disease had a haemorrhage rate of 1.0%, compared with 0.59% in those with risk factors only. Risk factors for serious bleeding included age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, use of antithrombotics and polyvascular disease. Bleeding risk increased with the use of anticoagulants (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.38 to 2.86, p<0.001) or antiplatelet agents combined with anticoagulants (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.74 to 3.71, p<0.001). By logistic regression analysis, patients with a serious bleed (excluding cerebral haemorrhage) had a more than threefold increased risk (HR 3.25, 95% CI 2.58 to 4.10, p<0.0001) of a significant vascular outcome (myocardial infarction, stroke, vascular death) compared with patients without a serious bleed. Conclusions Serious bleeding complications were relatively rare, but significant considering the large population at risk. Predictors of increased bleeding were similar to the risk factors for ischaemic events. Patients who experienced a serious bleed had a significantly higher rate of major vascular events.
Structural analyses of a hypothetical minimal metabolism

By integrating data from comparative genomics and large-scale deletion studies, we previously proposed a minimal gene set comprising 206 protein-coding genes. To evaluate the consistency of the metabolism encoded by such a minimal genome, we have carried out a series of computational analyses. Firstly, the topology of the minimal metabolism was compared with that of the reconstructed networks from natural bacterial genomes. Secondly, the robustness of the metabolic network was evaluated by simulated mutagenesis and, finally, the stoichiometric consistency was assessed by automatically deriving the steady-state solutions from the reaction set. The results indicated that the proposed minimal metabolism presents stoichiometric consistency and that it is organized as a complex power-law network with topological parameters falling within the expected range for a natural metabolism of its size. The robustness analyses revealed that most random mutations do not alter the topology of the network significantly, but do cause significant damage by preventing the synthesis of several compounds or compromising the stoichiometric consistency of the metabolism. The implications that these results have on the origins of metabolic complexity and the theoretical design of an artificial minimal cell are discussed.
Market based compensation and trading

This paper examines the role of trading and market liquidity on market-based management compensation. The paper recognizes the endogenous nature of a firm’s stock price - it is the outcome of trading motivated by anticipations of future firm value. Our central result is that the degree of market-based compensation is proportional to market liquidity. Even though no outside trader has better information than the inside owner of the firm, their trading results in a stock price that is useful for incentive contracting since it allows the filtering out of noise that is not related to performance.
Rise and Fall of Sleep Quantity and Quality With Student Experiences Across the First Year of University

Covariations of self-reported sleep quantity (duration) and quality (disturbances) with affective, stressful, academic, and social experiences across the first year of university in 187 Canadian students (M age=18.4) were examined with multilevel models. Female students reported sleeping fewer hours on average than did male students. In months when negative affect and general levels of stress were higher, sleep quantity was lower. Poorer sleep quality was seen in students living away from home and reporting more financial stress at baseline. In addition, sleep quality was poorer in months when negative affect and general levels of stress were higher (attenuating the effect of financial stress) and better in months when students spent more days with friends. Three themes are presented to explore the mechanisms by which sleep quantity and quality rise and fall in tandem with experiences of the first year of university.
Modification of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Efficiency at Interfaces

We present a theoretical study on the impact of an interface on the FRET efficiency of a surface-bound acceptor-donor system. The FRET efficiency can be modified by two effects. Firstly, the donor’s electromagnetic field at the acceptor’s position is changed due to the partial reflection of the donor’s field. Secondly, both the donor’s and the acceptor’s quantum yield of fluorescence can be changed due to the interface-induced enhancement of the radiative emission rate (Purcell effect). Numerical results for a FRET-pair at a glass-water interface are given.
Error Control Coding for Multilevel Cell Flash Memories Using Nonbinary Low-Density Parity-Check Codes

Conventional flash memories generally utilize simple error control codes, such as Hamming code and BCH code. In future high-density multilevel cell (MLC) flash memories, however, it is estimated that raw bit error rate (BER) will soar with increasing number of charge levels, and hence the conventional error control coding will not be sufficient for these memories. Low-density parity-check (LDPC) code is a class of strong error control codes which are adopted in practical wired/wireless communication systems, and hence the LDPC code is an important candidate for error control code in future MLC memories. Application of the LDPC code to MLC memory is not so straightforward as conventional error control codes because the LDPC code usually employs soft-input decoding to achieve low decoded BER, and hence analysis of the error probability is crucial, especially when nonbinary codes are applied. Therefore, this paper analyzes error characteristics of MLC flash memory from error control coding viewpoint, and then proposes an error control coding using nonbinary LDPC codes. Evaluation shows that the decoded BER of the nonbinary LDPC code is lower than that of conventional binary irregular LDPC code, and also demonstrates that nonbinary LDPC code defined by a parity-check matrix having average column weight w = 2.5 has lower decoded BER than nonbinary LDPC codes with w = 2 and 3.
Fifteen into Three Does Go: Morphology, Genetics and Genitalia Confirm Taxonomic Inflation of New Zealand Beetles (Chrysomelidae: Eucolaspis)

Eucolaspis Sharp 1886 is a New Zealand native leaf beetle genus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) with poorly described species and a complex taxonomy. Many economically important fruit crops are severely damaged by these beetles. Uncertain species taxonomy of Eucolaspis is leaving any biological research, as well as pest management, tenuous. We used morphometrics, mitochondrial DNA and male genitalia to study phylogenetic and geographic diversity of Eucolaspis in New Zealand. Freshly collected beetles from several locations across their distribution range, as well as identified voucher specimens from major museum collections were examined to test the current classification. We also considered phylogenetic relationships among New Zealand and global Eumolpinae (Coleoptera: Chyrosomelidae). We demonstrate that most of the morphological information used previously to define New Zealand Eucolaspis species is insufficient. At the same time, we show that a combination of morphological and genetic evidence supports the existence of just 3 mainland Eucolaspis lineages (putative species), and not 5 or 15, as previously reported. In addition, there may be another closely related lineage (putative species) on an offshore location (Three Kings Islands, NZ). The cladistic structure among the lineages, conferred through mitochondrial DNA data, was well supported by differences in male genitalia. We found that only a single species (lineage) infests fruit orchards in Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand. Species-host plant associations vary among different regions.
An Introduction to ULDBs and the Trio System

We introduce ULDBs: relational databases that add uncertainty and lineage of the data as first-class concepts. The ULDB model underlies the Trio system under development at Stanford. We describe the ULDB model, then present TriQL, our SQL-based query language for ULDBs. TriQL's semantics over ULDBs is defined both formally and operationally, and TriQL extends SQL with constructs for querying lineage and confidence values. We also briefly describe our initial prototype Trio implementation, which encodes ULDBs in conventional relations and automatically translates TriQL queries into SQL commands over the encoding. We conclude with research directions for ULDBs and the Trio system.
Anticancer Activity of Phyllanthus emblica Linn. (Indian Gooseberry): Inhibition of Transcription Factor AP-1 and HPV Gene Expression in Cervical Cancer Cells

Plant products of Phyllanthus emblica Linn. are traditionally consumed for its immense nutritive and medicinal values. However, the molecular mechanism(s) by which it exerts it effects is less understood. In this study, we investigated mechanism of action of P. emblica fruit extract (PE) by studying its effect on activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity and human papillomavirus (HPV) transcription that are essential for tumorigenicity of cervical cancer cells. PE resulted in a dose-and time-dependent inhibition of DNA binding activity of constitutively active AP-1 in both HPV16-positive (SiHa) and HPV18-positive (HeLa) cervical cancer cells. PE-induced AP-1 inhibition was found mediated through downregulation of constituent AP-1 proteins, c-Jun, JunB, JunD, and c-Fos; however, the kinetics of their inhibition varied in both the cell types. Inhibition of AP-1 by PE was accompanied by suppression of viral transcription that resulted in growth inhibition of cervical cancer cells. Growth inhibitory activity of PE was primarily manifested through induction of apoptotic cell death. These results suggest that P. emblica exhibits its anticancer activities through inhibition of AP-1 and targets transcription of viral oncogenes responsible for development and progression of cervical cancer thus indicating its possible utility for treatment of HPV-induced cervical cancers.