Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Internal Dynamics of Dendritic Molecules Probed by Pyrene Excimer Formation

This review exposes the current poor understanding of the internal segmental chain dynamics of dendrimers in solution probed by monitoring the process of excimer formation between pyrene labels covalently attached to the chain ends of dendrimers. The review begins by covering the bases of fluorescence and the kinetics of pyrene excimer formation before describing a procedure based on the Model Free (MF) analysis that is used to analyze quantitatively the fluorescence decays acquired for dendrimers, the ends of which have been fully and covalently labeled with pyrene. Comparison of the various trends obtained by different research groups describing the efficiency of pyrene excimer formation with the generation number of dendrimers illustrates the lack of consensus between the few studies devoted to the topic. One possible reason for this disagreement might reside in the presence of minute amounts of unattached pyrene labels which act as potent fluorescent impurities and affect the analysis of the fluorescence spectra and decays in an uncontrolled manner. The review points out that the MF analysis of the fluorescence decays acquired with pyrene-labeled dendrimers enables one to account for the presence of unattached pyrene and to retrieve information about the internal segmental dynamics of the dendrimer. It provides guidelines that should enable future studies on pyrene-labeled dendrimers to yield results that are more straightforward to interpret.
HUBUNGAN PENGETAHUAN IBU TENTANG PERMAINAN EDUKATIF DENGAN PERKEMBANGAN ANAK USIA 3-5 TAHUN DI POSYANDUDESA MOJOKRAPAK KECAMATAN TEMBELANG KABUPATEN JOMBANG 2012

Alat Permainan Edukatif (APE) dapat membantu merangsang dan menunjang kemampuan anak sebaik mungkin. APE memberikan kepuasan bagi anak karena bila anak melakukan sesuatu ketrampilan, maka keberhasilan ini biasanya akan mengakibatkan semangat bagi anak untuk mengulangi permainannya atau mencoba-coba dengan jenis APE yang lain. APE dapat dilakukan apabila pengetahuan ibu tentang APE baik, karena dapat berpengaruh pada perkembangan bilogis, psikososial, sosialisasi, ekonomi, dan pendidikan anak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk Menganalisis hubungan pengetahuan ibu tentang permainan edukatif dengan perkembangan anak 3-5 tahun di Posyandu Desa Mojokrapak Kecamatan Tembelang Kabupaten Jombang. Desain penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah Analitik Corelasi dengan jenis Cross Sectional . Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah Semua ibu dan anak 3-4 tahun di Posyandu Desa Mojokrapak Kecamatan tembelang Kabupaten Jombang sebanyak 191 orang. Sampelnya sebanyak 38 responden. Tehnik sampling yang digunakan adalah cluster random sampling dengan instrument berupa kuesioner,KPSP,TDD dan TDL. Dengan menggunakan uji statistik mann whitney . Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar pengetahuan ibu tentang permainan edukatif adalah baik sejumlah 20 responden (52,6%) dan hampir seluruhnya perkembangan anak usia 3-5 tahun sesuai sejumlah 31 responden (81,6%). Berdasarkan uji mann whitney diperoleh nilai r = 0,001, dimana r < 0,05 maka H1 diterima, Hal ini menunjukkan adanya hubungan pengetahuan ibu tentang permainan edukatif dengan perkembangan anak usia 3-5 tahun. Melalui tulisan ini diharapkan para orang tua dapat memahami dan memanfaatkan APE untuk mengoptimalkan perkembangan motorik kasar,motorik halus bahasa dan perilaku sosial anak usia 3-5 Untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan masyarakat tentang APE. Kata kunci : pengetahuan ibu, APE, perkembangan, anak 3-5 tahun
The Lucas Critique Policy Invariance and Multiple Equilibria

The Lucas Critique of Econometric Policy Evaluation argues that the parameters of econometric models are subject to theoretical cross-equation restrictions which follow from the fact that the endogenous variables of the models are chosen optimally by forward-looking agents. In this paper I argue that these facts alone are insufficient to generate such restrictions. I present an example of a model in which there exist multiple stationary rational expectations equilibria one of which is supported by a process-invariant forecast rule. Immunity to the Lucas Critique is proposed as a selection criterion in models with multiple equilibria.
Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters in Nearby Galaxies: Rate, Luminosity Function, and Fraction among Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

It was suggested that some of the short-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are giant flares of soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) in nearby galaxies. To test this hypothesis, I have constructed a sample of 47 short GRBs, detected by the Interplanetary Network (IPN), for which the position is constrained by at least one annulus on the celestial sphere. For each burst, I have checked whether its IPN 3 σ error region coincides with the apparent disk of one of 316 bright, star-forming galaxies found within 20 Mpc. I find a single match of GRB 000420B with M74, which could, however, be due to a chance coincidence. I estimate the IPN efficiency as a function of fluence and derive the galaxy sample completeness. I find that assuming there is a cutoff in the observed energy distribution of SGR flares at ≤1047 ergs, the fraction of SGRs among short GRBs with fluence above ~10-5 ergs cm-2 is <16% (95% confidence). I estimate the number of active SGRs in each one of the galaxies in the sample, and combine it with the distances to these galaxies, the IPN efficiency, and the SGR flare energy distribution, to derive the rate of giant flares with energy above 4 × 1046 ergs. I find that the rate of such giant flares is about (0.4-5) × 10-4 yr-1 per SGR. This rate is marginally consistent with the observed Galactic rate. Comparison of the Galactic rate with the inferred extragalactic rate implies a gradual cutoff (or steepening) of the flare energy distribution at ≲3 × 1046 ergs (95% confidence). Using the Galactic SGR flare rate, I set a lower limit of 1% on the fraction of SGR flares among short GRBs.
Cayley Configuration Spaces of 1-dof Tree-decomposable Linkages, Part I: Structure, Extreme points and Continuous motion paths

Describing configuration spaces of 1-dof linkages in 2D is a difficult problem with a long history. We use the Cayley configuration space, a set of intervals of possible distance-values for an independent non-edge. We study the following complexity measures (associated with the linkage's underlying graph): (a) Cayley size, i.e., the number of intervals, (b) Cayley computational complexity of computing the interval endpoints, as a function of the number of intervals, (c) Cayley (algebraic) complexity of describing the interval endpoints. In both parts of the paper, we restrict ourselves to 1-dof linkages obtained by dropping a bar from minimally rigid, tree-decomposable linkages, widely used in engineering and CAD, because they are quadratically-radical solvable (QRS, also called ruler-and-compass realizable). In Part I of this paper, we give an algorithm to determine the interval endpoints of a Cayley configuration space of a 1-dof tree-decomposable linkage, by characterizing the Cartesian realizations corresponding to these endpoints. We then focus on graphs with low Cayley (algebraic) complexity. For corresponding generic linkages, we show how to find a path of continuous motion (provided one exists) between two given realizations, in time linear in a natural measure of the length of the path. We show that the number of such paths is at most two. In addition, we consider Measures (a) and (b) above for graphs with low Cayley complexity, and give a natural, minimal set of local orientations, whose specification guarantees Cayley size of 1 and O(|V|^2) Cayley computational complexity. Specifying fewer local orientations results in a superpolynomial blow-up of both the Cayley size and computational complexity, provided P is different from NP.
Navigating the Tension Between Benevolence and Honesty: Essays on the Consequences of Prosocial Lies

Many of our most common and difficult ethical dilemmas involve balancing honesty and benevolence. For example, when we deliver unpleasant news, such as negative feedback or terminal prognoses, we face an implicit tradeoff between being completely honest and being completely kind. Using a variety of research methods, in both the laboratory and the field, I study how individuals navigate this tension. Each chapter in this dissertation addresses the tension between honesty and benevolence at a different level. In Chapters One and Two, I examine how honesty and benevolence influence moral judgment. In Chapter Three, I explore how honesty and benevolence influence interpersonal trust. In Chapter Four, I explore how honesty and benevolence influence psychological well-being. Finally, in Chapter Five, I examine how different stakeholders view tradeoffs between honesty and benevolence in an important domain: healthcare. Across these chapters, I identify three key themes. First, for moral judgment and interpersonal trust, benevolence is often more important than honesty. As a result, those who prioritize benevolence over honesty by telling prosocial lies, lies that are intended to help others, are deemed to be moral and trustworthy. Second, despite philosophers’ assumption that individuals would rarely consent to deception, I demonstrate that individuals frequently want to be deceived. Individuals want others to deceive them when it protects them from harm. This desire manifests itself in systematic circumstances and during individuals’ most fragile moments. Third, honesty and benevolence are associated with interpersonal and intrapersonal tradeoffs. Although benevolence seems to be more central for interpersonal judgments and relationships, honesty seems to be more central for creating personal meaning. Throughout these chapters, I discuss the implications of these findings for the study of ethics, organizational behavior, and interpersonal communication. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Operations & Information Management First Advisor Maurice E. Schweitzer
Propagation through nonlinear time-dependent bubble clouds and the estimation of bubble populations from measured acoustic characteristics

For several decades the propagation characteristics of acoustic pulses (attenuation and sound speed) have been inverted in attempts to measure the size distributions of gas bubbles in liquids. While this has biomedical and industrial applications, most notably it has been attempted in the ocean for defence and environmental purposes, where the bubbles are predominantly generated by breaking waves. Such inversions have required assumptions, and the state–of–the–art technique still assumes that the bubbles undergo linear, steady–state monochromatic pulsations in the free field, without interacting. The measurements always violate, to a greater or lesser extent, these assumptions. The errors incurred by the use of such assumptions have been difficult to quantify, but are expected to be most severe underneath breakers in the surf zone, where the void fraction is greatest. Very few measurements have been made in this important region of the ocean. This paper provides a method by which attenuation can be predicted through clouds of bubbles which need not be homogeneous, nor restricted to linear steady–state monochromatic pulsations. To allow inversion of measured surf zone attenuations to estimate bubble populations with current computational facilities, this model is simplified such that the bubble cloud is assumed to be homogeneous and the bubbles oscillating in steady state (although still nonlinearly). The uses of the new methods for assessing the errors introduced in using state–of–the–art inversions are discussed, as are their implications for oceanographic and industrial nonlinear bubble counters, for biomedical contrast agents, and for sonar target detection in the surf zone.
Temperature-sensitive expression of all-Torpedo and Torpedo-rat hybrid AChR in mammalian muscle cells

When the four subunits of the Torpedo californica nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) are expressed in mammalian fibroblasts, they properly assembly into alpha 2 beta gamma delta pentamers only at temperatures lower than 37 degrees C (Claudio, T., W. N. Green, D. S. Hartman, D. Hayden, H. L. Paulson, F. J. Sigworth, S. M. Sine, and A. Swedlund. 1987. Science (Wash. DC). 238:1688-1694). Experiments here with rat L6 myoblast cell lines indicate that this temperature sensitivity is not specific to fibroblasts, but is intrinsic to Torpedo subunits. A clonal isolate of L6 cells cotransfected with the four Torpedo subunit cDNAs synthesizes the exogenous AChR subunits at 37 degrees and 26 degrees C, but expresses Torpedo AChR complexes only at the lower temperature. When Torpedo alpha alone is expressed in L6 myotubes, hybrid AChRs are formed, again only at temperatures below 37 degrees C. These hybrid AChRs can contain either two Torpedo alpha subunits or one each of rat and Torpedo alpha, proving that the two alpha subunits in an AChR pentamer need not derive from the same polysome. Further analysis of hybrid and all-Torpedo AChR established that there is no internally sequestered pool of AChR at the nonpermissive temperature, and that the AChR, once formed, is thermostable. Two lines of experimentation with alpha subunits expressed in fibroblasts indicate that alpha polypeptides exhibit different conformations at 26 degrees and 37 degrees C, favoring the hypothesis that the temperature-sensitive step occurs before assembly and reflects, at least in part, misfolding of subunits: at 37 degrees C, there is a reduction in the fraction of alpha subunits that (a) bind the AChR antagonist alpha-bungarotoxin with high affinity; and (b) bind a monoclonal antibody that recognizes correctly folded and/or assembled alpha subunit.
Hold Firm: Gifted Learners Value Standing One’s Ground in Disagreements With a Friend

Seventy-four students in three different Grade 9 classrooms of high-performing learners from the same suburban, comprehensive secondary school, completed a questionnaire focused on their preferences for a friend to stand by his or her position in case of a disagreement, to maintain their own position themselves, and to modify their own stance. Each group reflected high performance in a different way: International Baccalaureate (n = 27) requiring overall high grades, Enriched French (n = 24) requiring second language proficiency, and Sports Excellence (n = 23) based primarily on athletic ability. The International Baccalaureate students had the highest preference for standing one’s position, but were willing to ultimately modify their position. Sports Excellence students had the most friends, but the number of friends was not related to the preferences. Academically very able students seem to enjoy some disagreement with their friends.
The effects of language similarity on bilinguals' speech production

The authors carried out three experiments exploring the influence of language similarity on language selection mechanisms. In Experiment 1, The participants were asked to perform the task of language-switching between their two dissimilar but highly proficient languages (Tibetan-Mandarin) ,in which they had to name the pictures quickly and accurately by using the cued language in the picture-word interference paradigm. In Experiment 2 and 3, the partcipants finished the same tasks except that they switched the languages between a more-proficient language (Tibetan or Mandarin) and dissimilar and less proficient language (English). The results showed there was no asymmetrical switching cost between Tibetan and Mandarin; and there was asymmetrical switching cost between non-fluent and proficient languages; meanwhile, language similarity affected speech production for non-proficient bilinguals. The results suggested that language similarity may play a role in the lexical selection mechanisms used by highly proficient bilinguals.
Determining the most important features contributing to wheat grain yield using supervised feature selection model

A supervised feature selection algorithm was applied to determine the most important features contributing to wheat grain yield. Four hundreds seventy two fields (as records) from different parts of Iran which were different in 21 characteristics (features) were selected for feature selection analysis. Selection of the wide range of features, including location, genotype, irrigation regime, fertilizers, soil textures, physiological attitudes, and morphological characters, provided the opportunity of precise simultaneous study of a large number of factors in wheat grain yield topic by hand of data mining. The grain yield of each record assumed as target variable. The feature selection algorithm selected 14 features as the most effective features on grain yield. These features included culture type, location, soil texture, 1000 kernel weight, nitrogen supply, irrigation regime, biological yield, organic content of the soil, the amount of rainfall, genotype, plant height, and spike number per unit area. Interestingly, growing season length and plant density were the second most important features for wheat grain yield. Based on the feature selection model, culture type, as dryland farming or irrigated, severely affected wheat grain yield. The soil pH had a marginal effect on wheat grain yield. The results of this investigation demonstrated that feature classification using feature selection algorithms might be a suitable option for determining the important features contributing to wheat grain yield, providing a comprehensive view about these traits. This is the first report in identifying the most important factors on wheat grain yield from many fields using feature selection model.
Millimeter and Radio Observations of z ∼ 6 Quasars

We present millimeter and radio observations of 13 SDSS quasars at redshifts z ∼ 6. We observed 11 of them with the Max Planck Millimeter Bolometer Array (MAMBO-2) at the IRAM 30 m telescope at 250 GHz and all of them with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 1.4 GHz. Four sources are detected by MAMBO-2 and six are detected by the VLA at the ≳3 σ level. These sources, together with another six published in previous papers, yield a submillimeter/millimeter- and radio-observed SDSS quasar sample at z ∼ 6. We use this sample to investigate the far-infrared (FIR) and radio properties of optically bright quasars in the early universe. We compare this sample to lower redshift samples of quasars observed in the submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths [(sub)mm] and find that the distribution of the FIR-to-B-band optical luminosity ratio (LFIR/LB) is similar from z ∼ 2 to 6. We find a weak correlation between the FIR luminosity (LFIR) and B-band optical luminosity (LB) by including the (sub)mm observed samples at all redshifts. Some strong (sub)mm detections in the z ∼ 6 sample have radio-to-FIR ratios within the range defined by star-forming galaxies, which suggests possible coeval star-forming activity with the powerful AGN in these sources. We calculate the rest-frame radio-to-optical ratios (R = Lν,1.4 GHz/Lν,4400 Å) for all of the VLA-observed sources in the z ∼ 6 quasar sample. Only one radio detection in this sample, J083643.85+005453.3, has R ∼ 40 and can be considered radio-loud. There are no strong radio sources (R ≥ 100) among these SDSS quasars at z ∼ 6. These data are consistent with, although do not set strong constraints on, a decreasing radio-loud quasar fraction with increasing redshift.
Pregnancy Outcomes Among HIV-Infected Women Undergoing Antiretroviral Therapy

Background: The use of antiretroviral drugs (ARV) to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) promises to be effective. However, limited data on the adverse effects of ARV among pregnant women and pregnancy outcomes have been reported in clinical practice. Objectives: This study aimed to assess adverse effects and outcomes among pregnant HIV-infected women receiving antiretroviral drugs for either antiretroviral therapy (ART) or PMTCT. Study Design: This cohort study was at Chonburi Hospital, Thailand, in 2002-2006. Results: A total of 246 pregnant HIV-infected women with the median age (range) of 27 (16-41) years were included in this study. ART was initiated in 16.3% for treatment during ANC, 66.7% for PMTCT during ANC, and 17.1% for PMTCT in labor. Adverse effects, especially anemia, were significantly associated with continuing combined ART in pregnancy (p<0.001). 88.9% delivered normal-term neonates. The prevalence of pre-term delivery was 10.2%. Overall, 24 adverse events from 21 pregnant women (8.5%) were noted. A significantly higher prevalence of pre-term delivery was noted in the groups continuing combined ART, or initiating of PMTCT during labor rather than ANC (p=0.02). The incidence of low Apgar scores was 3.6%, and these were associated with initiation of PMTCT during labor (p=0.004). Conclusion: Adverse ARV events were more numerous among the pregnant women who needed ART than PMTCT. ANC is beneficial and strongly recommended for all pregnant HIV-infected women for better pregnancy outcomes.
Managing Risks in Global Software Engineering: Principles and Practices

Globally distributed software development poses substantial risks to project and product management. Not all eventualities can however be buffered, because in the global economy, developing and implementing products must be fast, cost effective and adaptive to changing needs. Therefore, there is a need to utilize different techniques to effectively and efficiently mitigate risks. This article systematically introduces risk management in global software engineering (GSE) for development projects and product evolution. Methods include using basic project, supplier and quality management techniques, process frameworks (e.g., CMMI), product life-cycle management, effective communication processes, SLA based escalation, competence management, and innovation management. A longitudinal empirical field study over several years from a captive SW center of a worldwide leading ICT company in India provides practical experiences and indicates how to effectively apply GSE risk management practices.
Differential hemispheric lateralization of primary and social emotions: implications for developing a comprehensive neurology for emotions, repression, and the subconscious

Eleven patients underwent injection of amobarbital into their right and left carotid arteries (Wada test) to determine propositional language dominance as part as a standard clinical evaluation when considering ablative neurosurgery for control of epileptic seizures. During the right-sided injection, patients were asked to recall verbally an emotional life experience that had been identified before the Wada test as part of a research to assess affective prosody
Image Sequence Partitioning for outdoor mapping

Most of the existing appearance based topological mapping algorithms produce dense topological maps in which each image stands as a node in the topological graph. Sparser maps can be built by representing groups of visually similar images as nodes of a topological graph. In this paper, we present a sparse topological mapping framework which uses Image Sequence Partitioning (ISP) techniques to group visually similar images as topological graph nodes. We present four different ISP techniques and evaluate their performance. In order to take advantage of the afore mentioned maps, we make use of Hierarchical Inverted Files (HIF) which enable efficient hierarchical loop closure. Outdoor experimental results demonstrating the sparsity, efficiency and accuracy achieved by the combination of ISP and HIF in performing loop closure are presented.