Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of temperature on stability of blood homocysteine in collection tubes containing 3-deazaadenosine.

BACKGROUND The accuracy of homocysteine (Hcy) results is currently compromised by the requirement to separate the plasma within 1 h of sample collection. We studied the effect of temperature on the stability of plasma Hcy over a 72-h time course in blood collected into evacuated tubes containing either EDTA alone or both EDTA and 3-deazaadenosine (3DA). METHODS We recruited 100 volunteers, including both diseased and healthy individuals with a range of baseline plasma Hcy values, from two centers. Blood samples were collected into tubes containing EDTA, and EDTA plus 3DA and stored at ambient temperature (20-25 degrees C) or refrigerated (2-8 degrees C). Aliquots of blood were centrifuged at various times up to 72 h, the plasma was removed, and Hcy was measured by HPLC. RESULTS Plasma Hcy measurement covering the sample collection and storage conditions during the whole time course was possible on samples from 59 of those recruited. One-way ANOVA for repeated measures within subjects revealed that only samples that were collected into tubes containing EDTA plus 3DA and stored refrigerated were stable over 72 h (P = 0.2761). CONCLUSIONS A combination of 3DA and storage at 2-8 degrees C will allow collection of samples for plasma Hcy measurement outside of the hospital setting and wider population screening.
Cultural Heritage in CLEF (CHiC) 2013 - Multilingual Task Overview

The Cultural Heritage in CLEF 2013 multilingual task comprised two sub-tasks: multilingual ad-hoc retrieval and semantic enrichment. The multilin- gual ad-hoc retrieval sub-task evaluated retrieval experiments in 13 languages (Dutch, English, German, Greek, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Italian; Norwe- gian, Polish, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish). More than 140,000 documents were assessed for relevance on a tertiary scale. The ad-hoc task had 7 participants submitting 30 multilingual and 41 monolingual runs. The semantic enrichment task evaluated monolingual and multilingual semantic enrichments (suggestions based on a query) in the same 13 languages. Two participants submitted 10 runs. Results indicated that different languages contribute differently to the overall retrieval effectiveness, probably dependent on collection size. Experi- ments showed that using more or all of the provided languages usually increas- es retrieval effectiveness, but not always. For a multilingual task of this scale (13 languages), more participants are necessary in order to provide enough var- iations in runs to allow for comparative analyses.
Cost/Bene t Tradeo of Quality of Service Mechanisms in Integrated Services Networks

Internet Protocol (IP) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) are two switching technologies that are being used (or proposed) for large-scale integrated services networks. Integrated services networks are designed to support real time services, such as telephony as well as data services. Both technologies have the potential to radically change the economics and operations of telephone services. In addition, engineers have developed more e cient approaches than simple over-engineering to supporting the quality requirements of real time services (such as voice). In this paper, we will perform cost-bene t (tradeo ) study of guaranteeing the voice quality of packet telephony of various possible QoS-support approaches (IP/over-engineering, IP/prioritization, IP/RSVP, ATM-CBR, ATM-VBR). We will focus this application on integrated services networks. As with our previous work [19], we will use a simulation model to engineer a large scale network and will then analyze the switching and trunking costs. We will compare the costs of the di erent approaches needed to meet a prespeci ed QoS requirement.
Prospective study of alcohol drinking patterns and coronary heart disease in women and men

Abstract Objective To determine the association between alcohol drinking patterns and risk of coronary heart disease in women and men. Design Population based cohort study. Setting Denmark, 1993-2002. Participants 28 448 women and 25 052 men aged 50-65 years, who were free of cardiovascular disease at entry to the study. Main outcome measures Incidence of coronary heart disease occurring during a median follow-up period of 5.7 years. Results 749 and 1283 coronary heart disease events occurred among women and men. Women who drank alcohol on at least one day a week had a lower risk of coronary heart disease than women who drank alcohol on less than one day a week. Little difference was found, however, between drinking frequency: one day a week (hazard ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.51 to 0.81), 2-4 days a week (0.63, 0.52 to 0.77), five or six days a week (0.79, 0.61 to 1.03), and seven days a week (0.65, 0.51 to 0.84). For men an inverse association was found between drinking frequency and risk of coronary heart disease across the entire range of drinking frequencies. The lowest risk was observed among men who drank daily (0.59, 0.48 to 0.71) compared with men who drank alcohol on less than one day a week. Conclusions Among women alcohol intake may be the primary determinant of the inverse association between drinking alcohol and risk of coronary heart disease whereas among men, drinking frequency, not alcohol intake, seems more important.
PENGUJIAN DIMENSI KONSTRUK LITERASI KEUANGAN MAHASISWA

The purpose of this study is to examine the dimensions of students’financial literacy construct consisting of financial knowledge, financial attitude, financial behavior. This research is quantitative research with students are population of Faculty of Economics 965 and sample of 283 students is taken with propotionate random sampling technique. The method of taking data are question and questionnaire. Analysis used is descriptive analysis and structural equational modeling (SEM). The result showed that (1) the construction of financial literacy can be explained by the dimension of financial knowledge, dimension of financial attitude, and dimension of financial behavior, (2) there was no influence of financial knowledge to student’s financial behavior, (3) there was a significance influence of financial attitude toward students’s fianacial behavior, (4) there was a correlation between financial knowledge and financial attitude of student of Faculty of Economy
Bounded Distributed Flocking Control of Mobile Nonholonomic Robots

Thang Nguyen1, Hung La2, Vahid Azimi1, and Thanh-Trung Han3 1 Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115-2214, USA (email:t.nguyen13@csuohio.edu;v.azimi@csuohio.edu); 2 Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (e-mail: hanthanhtrung@tdt.edu.vn); 3 Advanced Robotics and Automation (ARA) Lab, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV89557, USA (e-mail: hla@unr.edu). This work is supported by the University of Nevada, Reno and National Science Foundation under grant NSF-NRI#1426828.
Liquid-based infrared optical switch

We report an infrared (IR) optical switch using a position-shifting glycerol droplet. The droplet is surrounded by density-matched oil. In the voltage-on state, the droplet shifts in one direction. Upon removing the voltage, the droplet returns to its original position with the aid of interfacial tensions. Due to the strong absorption of glycerol at 1.55 μm, our IR optical switch shows ∼95:1 contrast ratio and ∼200 ms response time. Such a device is promising for fiber optical switch and various IR optical attenuators.
Fungal Contamination of Indoor Public Swimming Pools, Ahwaz, South-west of Iran

Background: Using public swimming pools during different seasons and poor health behavior could be responsible in transmission of fungal disease through pool water and its environment. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate fungal agents of indoor public swimming pools of Ahwaz, capital city of Khouzestan Province, south-west of Iran. Methods: Ten indoor swimming pools of Ahwaz were investigated during two seasons for 6 months. Water specimens were collected by pump and environment samples including shower-bath area, margin of pool walls, dressing rooms, and slippers, by sterile carpet pieces. All specimens were cultured in SC and SCC culture media and fungal agents identification were based on macroscopic, microscopic characteristic and complement tests when it was necessary. Data analyzing was performed using SPSS version 13 for descriptive analyzing. Results: A total of 593 samples were collected from different parts of pools. Interestingly in 13 samples from environmental places, dermatophytes were isolated as follows: Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. verrucosum and Epidermophyton floccosum 5, 4, 3 and 1 cases respectively. Ten cases of dermatophytes were isolated from floor of dressing area. Three hundred seventy two saprophytic fungi species and 32 yeasts were recovered from water and environment surfaces samples. Aspergillus, Penicillium and Mucor were the most common isolated saprophytic fungi. Conclusion: Existence of saprophytic fungi and yeast in pools water seems to be an indicator of their resistance to detergent agents. In addition, yeast water contamination could be from swimmers. Dermatophytes isolation from pools environment areas and foot washing sink, reveals the importance of public swimming pools in disease transmission. Because dressing places are being used by all of the swimmers, take care of hygienic discipline in these places should be noted by health policy markers.
Social Skill Acquisition Model through Face-to-Face Interaction: Local Contingency for Open-Ended Development

Behavior associated with joint attention is among the most important human functionalities for communicating with others. Previous studies indicate that even a robot can learn these behavioral patterns as social skills through interaction with a modeled/real caregiver by contingency evaluation. However, existing mechanisms are too time-consuming, especially for implementation on a real-world interactive robot. Also, they are poor in the acquisition of complex skills. In this paper, we propose a fast mechanism that enables the acquisition of many complex social skills within a short interaction time. The mechanism is realized by the utilization of two significant ideas: evaluating contingency locally, and acquiring social skills by finding synergistic contributions of values in contingencies. A comparison of our proposed mechanism in a simple environment of computer simulation with other mechanisms in terms of speed, accuracy, complexity, and noise resistance confirms the superior performance of our mechanism. Further, experimental results obtained with the proposed mechanism in a more complex computer simulation environment, which more closely resembles a real-world environment, indicate that the mechanism can be applied in real-world interaction between a robot and a human.
CMB lensing tomography with the DES Science Verification galaxies

We measure the cross-correlation between the galaxy density in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Science Verification data and the lensing of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) as reconstructed with the Planck satellite and the South Pole Telescope (SPT). When using the DES main galaxy sample over the full redshift range 0.2 2sigma) detections in all bins. Comparing to the fiducial Planck cosmology, we find the redshift evolution of the signal matches expectations, although the amplitude is consistently lower than predicted across redshift bins. We test for possible systematics that could affect our result and find no evidence for significant contamination. Finally, we demonstrate how these measurements can be used to constrain the growth of structure across cosmic time. We find the data are fit by a model in which the amplitude of structure in the z< 1.2 universe is 0.73 ± 0.16 times as large as predicted in the Lambda cold dark matter Planck cosmology, a 1.7sigma deviation.
An alternative approach to after-tax valuation

Reichenstein (2001, 2007) argues that the type of savings account in which an asset is held affects the after-tax return received by and after-tax risk borne by investors. He uses this powerful insight to develop the notion of after-tax asset values that are predicated on an asset’s current after-tax consumption value. This paper builds on the risk-sharing insight and approaches after-tax asset valuation from an investment perspective based on future benefits. It also extends the model to accommodate a broader array of more realistic taxation environments. Examples of after-tax optimization indicate that the recommended asset disposition depends heavily on the model chosen. © 2007 Academy of Financial Services. All rights reserved. JEL classifications: D91; G2; G23
The relationship of internet addiction symptom severity with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and impulsivity among Turkish university students

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: The first aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of impulsivity with Internet addiction symptom severity (IASS), and the second aim was to evaluate the mediator effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on this relationship among Turkish university students. METHODS: A total of 314 Turkish university students participated in this study. However, 268 students who answered “YES” to the any question concerning various traumatic experiences were included in the study. The students were assessed through sociodemographic questionnaire, the Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – Civilian Version (PCL-C) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11 – Short Form (BIS-11-SF). RESULTS: According to Internet addiction risk severity (IARS), the participants were classified into the three groups as high (25.0%, n = 67), mild (33.6%, n = 90), and no risk (41.4%, n = 111) of IA. Total score of BIS-11-SF and subscale scores (non-planning impulsivity [NPI], motor impulsivity [MI], and attention impulsivity [AI]) were higher in the group with high IARS. Scale scores were mildly correlated with each other. Finally, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that severity of MI, AI, and PTSD symptoms, especially hyperarousal symptoms, were the main predictors for IASS. CONCLUSIONS: There was strong relationship between impulsivity and IASS and this relationship persist even after severity of PTSD symptoms was entered in the analysis among Turkish university students. Severity of PTSD symptoms especially hyperarousal symptoms, may partially mediate the relationship between severity of impulsivity (especially MI and AI) and IASS.
D3D augmented reality imaging system: proof of concept in mammography

Purpose The purpose of this article is to present images from simulated breast microcalcifications and assess the pattern of the microcalcifications with a technical development called “depth 3-dimensional (D3D) augmented reality”. Materials and methods A computer, head display unit, joystick, D3D augmented reality software, and an in-house script of simulated data of breast microcalcifications in a ductal distribution were used. No patient data was used and no statistical analysis was performed. Results The D3D augmented reality system demonstrated stereoscopic depth perception by presenting a unique image to each eye, focal point convergence, head position tracking, 3D cursor, and joystick fly-through. Conclusion The D3D augmented reality imaging system offers image viewing with depth perception and focal point convergence. The D3D augmented reality system should be tested to determine its utility in clinical practice.
Decoupling Inequalities for the Tail Probabilities of Multivariate $U$-Statistics

In this paper we present a decoupling inequality that shows that multivariate $U$-statistics can be studied as sums of (conditionally) independent random variables. This result has important implications in several areas of probability and statistics including the study of random graphs and multiple stochastic integration. More precisely, we get the following result: Let $\{X_j\}$ be a sequence of independent random variables on a measurable space $(\mathscr{J}, S)$ and let $\{X^{(j)}_i\}, j = 1,\ldots,k$, be $k$ independent copies of $\{X_i\}$. Let $f_{i_1i_2\ldots i_k}$ be families of functions of $k$ variables taking $(S \times \cdots \times S)$ into a Banach space $(B, \|\cdots\|)$. Then, for all $n \geq k \geq 2, t > 0$, there exist numerical constants $C_k$ depending on $k$ only so that $P\bigg(\big\|\sum_{1\leq i_1\neq i_2\neq\cdots\neq i_k\leq n} f_{i_1\cdots i_k}(X^{(1)}_{i_1}, X^{(1)}_{i_2}, \ldots, X^{(1)}_{i_k})\big\|\geq t\bigg)$ $\leq C_kP\bigg(C_k\big\|\sum_{1\leq i_1\neq i_2\neq\cdots\neq i_k\leq n} f_{i_1\cdots i_k}(X^{(1)}_{i_1}, X^{(2)}_{i_2}, \ldots, X^{(k)}_{i_k})\big\|\geq t\bigg). $ The reverse bound holds if, in addition, the following symmetry condition holds almost surely: $f_{i_1i_2\cdots i_k}(X_{i_1}, X_{i_2},\ldots,X_{i_k}) = f_{i_{\pi(1)}i_{\pi(2)}\cdots i_{\pi(k)}} (X_{i_{\pi(1)}, X_{i_{\pi(2)}}, \ldots,X_{i_{\pi(k)}}),$ for all permutations $\pi$ of $(1,\ldots,k)$.
Contextual moderators of the link between national and European identity among European youth

ABSTRACT Identification with Europe can constitute an important part of psychological citizenship for European citizens. From a self-categorization perspective, higher-order (e.g. with Europe) and lower order subgroup identities (e.g. with the nation) may interfere with each other if they are seen as incompatible. We were interested in contextual moderators at school and country level of youth’ national identity on identification with Europe. We used multi-level regression analyses based on data from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, collected from 14-year old students (n = 71,282) from 22 European countries. Results showed strong positive effects of national identity at the individual, and classroom-level on European identity. However, main effects of national identity at the individual level were qualified by a number of interactions with contextual-level moderators. The relationship between national and European identity was weaker for adolescents attending classrooms or living in countries with lower average levels of trust in EU institutions. Living in countries with higher gender and income inequalities, less friendly immigration policies, and a communist past lessened the association between national and European identity. Results point to the powerful effects of context in shaping the relationship between national and European identity.
Evidence-based practice and knowledge utilisation – a study of attitudes and practices among social workers in Germany

ABSTRACT This study aimed to add to the limited empirical knowledge base on evidence-based practice (EBP) and social work in Germany. Using a regional sample of 158 social workers that were recruited through stratified sampling procedures, the study examined knowledge utilisation as well as attitudes toward the use of research-based practice methods, administering a normed and internationally recognised instrument, the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS). It further examined practitioner-level predictors of openness toward research-based methods. Findings indicated limited familiarity with the concept of EBP and showed that research and theory were not primary sources of knowledge to guide practice. Yet, attitudes toward research-based methods were overall positive and indicated considerable openness if methods made sense, were appealing, and sufficient training and support were provided. Scepticism and negative attitudes were evident in some areas (e.g. manualization, requirements). Multivariate linear regression indicated that individuals in leadership positions held more positive attitudes while a longer job tenure was inversely related to openness, approaching significance. Findings of the study are compared to the U.S. normative sample as well as a prior German study using the EBPAS. Implications for knowledge development in the discipline of social work in Germany are discussed.
Software Fault Tolerance: An Evaluation

In order to assess the effectiveness of software fault tolerance techniques for enhancing the reliability of practical systems, a major experimental project has been conducted at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Techniques were developed for, and applied to, a realistic implementation of a real-time system (a naval command and control system). Reliability data were collected by operating this system in a simulated tactical environment for a variety of action scenarios. This paper provides an overview of the project and presents the results of three phases of experimentation. An analysis of these results shows that use of the software fault tolerance approach yielded a substantial improvement in the reliability of the command and control system.
Gardiner, Montana: Resident Perceptions Before and After Development

iii Executive Summary . iii List of Tables and Figures . v Introduction . 1 Background . 1 Methods . 2 Survey Design . 3 Results . 3 Demographics . 3 Image of Gardiner . 4 Quality of Life Importance and Satisfaction . 6 Tourism Support and Attachment to Gardiner . 12 Resident Attitude toward Infrastructure Changes. 13 Resident Comments 2018 . 14 Summary and Discussion . 18 References . 21 Appendix A: 2018 Survey . 22 Appendix B: Raw data tables with means . 27 Appendix C: 2018 Resident Comments . 30 Appendix D: 2013 Resident Comments Categorized . 39 Appendix E: 2013 Resident Comments . 40 List of Tables and Figures Table 1: Demographics of Gardiner Respondents: 2013 & 2018 . 4 Table 2: Resident image of what Gardiner has. 5 Table 3: Resident image of what Gardiner is. 5 Table 4: Importance of quality of life attributes . 7 Table 5: Satisfaction with quality of life attributes . 8 Table 6: Resident support for tourism and their attachment to Gardiner . 12 Table 7: Attitude toward infrastructure changes . 13 Figure 1: 2018 responses to quality of life importance and satisfaction . 10 Figure 2: 2013 responses to quality of life importance and satisfaction . 11 Figure 3: 2018 Resident Comments about Gardiner . 16 Figure 4: Change in traffic at the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park . 18
Joint reflection on action – a prerequisite for inclusive education? A qualitative study in one local primary/lower secondary school in Norway

ABSTRACT The main theme of this article is teachers’ experiences of how joint reflection and common follow-up practices impact on the development of inclusive education. The study was conducted using an adapted letter method, where the teachers at one school in Norway answered some open questions by discussing and formulating a joint text. The results suggest that the teachers, who have previously participated in a national programme of school development, seem to have developed a broad understanding of inclusive education that entails meeting the diversity of needs of all pupils. They do not only consider inclusion to be a matter of placement but also something that involves a social and an academic communality. One important finding is that joint reflection in a sharing culture engenders common frames of reference for the practical actions of inclusion. Teachers’ own experiences suggest that joint discussion and reflection also play a central role in the efforts aimed at the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs.