Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Memory for Time: A Cognitive Model of Retrospective Duration and Sequence Judgments

In this paper we suggest that duration judgments of a given episode made after a time delay arise from a process that is fundamentally different from judgments made online or immediately after the episode. We propose a memory-based process called the "snapshot model. " In our model, the human mind encodes cognitive or sensory changes as mental snapshots, and stores them in bins that work on the last-in-first-out principle. In rich environments with a lot of stimulation in the environment, the mind takes a lot of snapshots in a given objective duration, time passes by quickly and the duration does not seem very long. However, when the experience is recalled, the mind has to go through a large number of snapshots to recreate the experience, which results in the perception of greater estimated duration. Thus, rich experiences seem shorter than impoverished ones right at their conclusion, but longer when recalled after a time delay. The model also has implications on how individuals recall a sequence of events in retrospect. Two field studies and three laboratory experiments are described to test the snapshot model.
Pull versus push mechanism in large distributed networks: Closed form results

In this paper we compare the performance of the pull and push strategy in a large homogeneous distributed system. When a pull strategy is in use, lightly loaded nodes attempt to steal jobs from more highly loaded nodes, while under the push strategy more highly loaded nodes look for lightly loaded nodes to process some of their jobs. Given the maximum allowed overall probe rate R and arrival rate λ, we provide closed form solutions for the mean response time of a job for the push and pull strategy under the infinite system model. More specifically, we show that the push strategy outperforms the pull strategy for any probe rate R >; 0 when λ <; φ - 1, where φ = (1 + √(5))/2 ≈ 1.6180 is the golden ratio. More generally, we show that the push strategy prevails if and only if 2λ <; √((R+1)2 + 4(R+1) - (R+1)). We also show that under the infinite system model, a hybrid pull and push strategy is always inferior to the pure pull or push strategy. The relation between the finite and infinite system model is discussed and simulation results that validate the infinite system model are provided.
Effect of exposure to clinic-based health education interventions on behavioural intention to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection

HIV and AIDS incidence among infants in South Africa is on the increase. The uptake of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions is often said to be dependent on the beliefs and educational needs of those requiring PMTCT services. This study therefore sought to examine the effect of clinic-based health education interventions (HEI) on behavioural intention of PMTCT among 300 pregnant women from 4 primary health care clinics in Tshilidzini Hospital catchments area, South Africa. An interview schedule was used to obtain information regarding participants' demographic characteristics, level of exposure to clinic-based HEI, salient beliefs and behavioural intention on PMTCT. The major findings included that approximately 85% of the participants had heard of PMTCT. There was very little association between frequency of antenatal clinic (ANC) visits and level of exposure to PMTCT information. Condom use had the lowest set of salient belief scores. Control belief was the most common belief contributing to behavioural intention. Generally, the association between PMTCT salient beliefs and behavioural intention was weak. Clinic-based HEI had an impact on behavioural intention of HIV testing, normative belief of regular ANC visit and nevirapine use. The vital contribution of alternative PMTCT information sources such as the radio and television was observed. Enhancing initiatives that empower women, and a better coordination of the existing HEI through better implementation of health education strategy may strengthen the prevailing moderate PMTCT intention in the area investigated.
Distributions of Peak Flux and Duration for Gamma-Ray Bursts

Many of the important conclusions about Gamma-Ray Bursts follow from the distributions of various quantities such as peak flux or duration. We show that for astrophysical transients such as bursts, multiple selection thresholds can lead to various forms of data truncation, which can strongly affect the distributions obtained from the data if not accounted for properly. Thus the data should be considered to form a multivariate distribution. We also caution that if the variables forming the multivariate distribution are not statistically independent of each other, further biases can result. A general method is described to properly account for these effects, and as a specific example we extract the distributions of flux and duration from the BATSE 3B Gamma-Ray Burst data. It is shown that properly accounting for the aforementioned biases tends to increase the slope of the $\log{N}$-$\log{S}$ relation at low values of $S$, and dramatically increases the number of short duration bursts.
Generation of universal linear optics by any beam splitter

In 1994, Reck et al. showed how to realize any unitary transformation on a single photon using a product of beamsplitters and phaseshifters. Here we show that any single beamsplitter that nontrivially mixes two modes, also densely generates the set of unitary transformations (or orthogonal transformations, in the real case) on the single-photon subspace with m>=3 modes. (We prove the same result for any two-mode real optical gate, and for any two-mode optical gate combined with a generic phaseshifter.) Experimentally, this means that one does not need tunable beamsplitters or phaseshifters for universality: any nontrivial beamsplitter is universal for linear optics. Theoretically, it means that one cannot produce "intermediate" models of linear optical computation (analogous to the Clifford group for qubits) by restricting the allowed beamsplitters and phaseshifters: there is a dichotomy; one either gets a trivial set or else a universal set. No similar classification theorem for gates acting on qubits is currently known. We leave open the problem of classifying optical gates that act on three or more modes.
Avulsion Fracture of the Lateral Ankle Ligament Complex in Severe Inversion Injury

Background Avulsion fracture of the lateral ankle ligaments is often undetected on early radiographs. The epidemiology and treatment of such avulsion fractures have received much less attention than the epidemiology and treatment of rupture of these ligaments. Hypothesis The clinical characteristics of avulsion fracture are different from those of ligament rupture. Unlike nonoperative treatment of lateral ligament rupture, nonoperative treatment of avulsion fracture does not yield satisfactory results. Study Design Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods A total of 169 consecutive patients with severe inversion injury were classified into a ligament rupture group or avulsion fracture group on the basis of physical examination findings and anterior talofibular ligament and calcaneofibular ligament radiographic views. Age, sex, activity level, and the mechanism of injury were analyzed. Patients in both groups were treated by casting. Follow-up examination of 152 patients included clinical assessment and functional evaluation based on the Karlsson system. Results Avulsion fracture was diagnosed in 44 (26%) of the 169 patients and was most common among children and patients over 40 years of age. Sedentary level activity and low-energy injury were more common in the avulsion fracture group than in the ligament rupture group (77% vs 37%, respectively, P = .001; 68% vs 43%, respectively, P = .004). Nonoperative treatment of avulsion fracture (mean Karlsson score, 89.1 points) yielded satisfactory results that were comparable with those of nonoperative treatment of ligament rupture (mean Karlsson score, 88.4 points) (P = .123). Osseous union was achieved in 65% of the patients with avulsion fracture. Conclusion Avulsion fracture of the lateral ankle ligaments in cases of severe inversion injury is more common than previously believed. Because of the high incidence and difficulty of detection in children, a high level of suspicion is necessary in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis of avulsion fracture in cases of severe inversion injury and to achieve adequate stability.
InFrame++: Achieve Simultaneous Screen-Human Viewing and Hidden Screen-Camera Communication

Recent efforts in visible light communication over screen-camera links have exploited the display for data communication. Such practices, albeit convenient, have led to contention between space allocated for users and content reserved for devices, in addition to their visual anti-aesthetics and distractedness. In this paper, we propose INFRAME++, a system that enables concurrent, dual-mode, full-frame communication for both users and devices. INFRAME++ leverages the spatial-temporal flicker-fusion property of human vision system and the fast frame rate of modern display. It multiplexes data onto full-frame video contents through novel complementary frame composition, hierarchical frame structure, and CDMA-like modulation. It thus ensures opportunistic and unobtrusive screen-camera data communication without affecting the primary video-viewing experience for human users. Our prototype and experiments have confirmed its effectiveness of delivering data to devices in its visual communication with imperceptible video artifacts for viewers. INFRAME++ is able to achieve 150-240 kbps at 120FPS over a 24? LCD monitor with one data frame per 12 display frames. It supports up to 360kbps while data:video is 1:6.
Media Accessibility for Low-Vision Users in the MPEG-21 Multimedia Framework

Ethical and legal requirements have made accessibility a crucial feature in any information systems. This paper presents a content adaptation framework, based on the MPEG-21 standard, to help low-vision users have better accessibility to visual contents. We first present an overview of MPEG-21 Digital Item Adaptation (DIA) and the low-vision description tool which enables interoperable content adaptation. This description tool lists seven low-vision symptoms, namely loss of fine detail, lack of contrast, central vision loss, peripheral vision loss, hemianopia, light sensitivity, and need of light. Then we propose a systematic contrast-enhancement method to improve the content visibility for low-vision users, focusing on the first two symptoms. The effectiveness of the low-vision description tool and our adaptation framework is verified by some experiments with an adaptation test-bed. The major advantages of the proposed approach include 1) support of a wide range of low-vision conditions, and 2) customized content adaptation to specific characteristics of each user.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy in College Counseling Centers: Practical Applications and Theoretical Considerations

This paper examines the topic of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) applied in college counseling centers. Trends in mental health issues on college campuses are briefly reviewed in support of the increased need for evidence-based treatment of severe mental health issues. The article next presents an overview of the standard DBT model and reviews research regarding DBT in college counseling centers, focusing on clinical outcomes and adaptations made for the college counseling setting. Finally, there is a discussion of implications for practice, barriers to implementation and outcome measurement, and areas for future research.
The theory of enactment by Stephen Ball: And what if the notion of discourse was different?

The studies of curricular policies, and educational policies in general, based on Ball’s theoretical approaches produced at the end of the 1980s are still considered potent in a variety of research work carried out in Brazil and other countries in the world. Several studies incorporate the approach of the policy cycle into curricular research, thus contributing to deepen the understanding of curriculum and open up to other research agendas, especially those directed toward the connections between structural constraints and the possibilities of agency. For these reasons, in this article I focus on Ball’s theory of enactment, making it dialogue with the theory of discourse in the post-structural register constructed by Laclau and Derrida. I am interested in strengthening the post-structural register already present in Ball’s discussions, seeing his productivity as something positive for more complex views of the curriculum policies that question the separation between interpretation and translation, proposal and practice, structure and agency.
Telling children about their impending death.

Although some parents and health care staff believe that knowledge of impending death should be withheld from children to protect them, seriously ill children usually have an awareness of death. Denial of this by parents and staff may increase the child's stress. Nurses must address the question: asked by Rimmer (1993): 'To whom does the information of the diagnosis belong? '
Twitter adoption, students’ perceptions, Big Five personality traits and learning outcome: Lessons learned from 3 case studies

Abstract This study examines the relationship of the Twitter’s use with the students’ learning outcome in a series of well-organised educational activities. Three studies were conducted in the context of two academic courses. In all three studies, the students who participated in the process received a higher laboratory grade than the students who did not participate. Students’ conscientiousness and openness to experience were related to their activity in one study. However, no relationship between the students’ personality traits and their grade was unveiled. Moreover, the students’ interventions in the activities are examined, as well as the differentiation in their attitudes towards social media use in learning. The implications of the results are discussed and a comparison with other studies is presented.
In vitro and in vivo intraleukocytic accumulation of azithromycin (CP-62, 993) and its influence on ex vivo leukocyte chemiluminescence

The accumulation of azithromycin in phagocytic cells was studied both in vitro by using a radiolabelled drug and a bioassay and in vivo for 12 volunteers receiving 1.5 g (total dose) orally within 3 days. In vitro, neutrophils and unfractionated blood leukocytes accumulated azithromycin up to 160-fold the extracellular concentration within 1 h at 37 degrees C but less than 3-fold at 4 degrees C. Dead cells accumulated up to 30-fold azithromycin, whereas NaF-treated cells accumulated up to 60-fold arithromycin. The mean efflux from preloaded cells was at most 31.0% +/- 10.6% (standard error of the mean) of the cell-associated concentration within 4 h of incubation at 37 degrees C in drug-free buffer. In vivo, the azithromycin concentration was 45.2 +/- 6.1 mg/liter of intracellular fluid at 2 h after the third dose and 36.6 +/- 8.3 mg/liter at 1 week thereafter. The corresponding concentrations in serum were 0.2 +/- 0.1 (2 h) and less than 0.05 (1 week). The luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence response induced by phorbol myristate acetate, opsonized zymosan, and two opsonized strains of Haemophilus influenzae (a type b capsulated strain and a noncapsulated strain) was also studied ex vivo by using the blood leukocytes from the 12 test volunteers and 4 control volunteers at 2 and 6 h after the third oral dose of azithromycin and at 2, 4, and 7 days thereafter. Azithromycin did not influence this response despite high levels of cellular accumulation.
Biphasic elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) in individual human spermatozoa exposed to progesterone.

Fluorimetric studies on progesterone-induced [Ca(2+)](i) signalling in mammalian spermatozoa show both the well-characterised [Ca(2+)](i) transient and a subsequent sustained phase. However, the sustained phase is thought to reflect release of the fluorochrome during the acrosome reaction and has not been subject to critical investigation. We have used single-cell imaging of [Ca(2+)](i) to analyse the progesterone-induced [Ca(2+)](i) response in large numbers (>2000) of capacitated, human spermatozoa. In 70% of cells, treatment with progesterone induced a transient increase, which typically peaked within 1 min and decayed with a similar time course. Upon rapid application of progesterone this response peaked within 5-20 s. In 35% of progesterone-treated spermatozoa a sustained elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) occurred, which became discernible during the falling phase of the transient response and persisted for at least 20 min. Both [Ca(2+)](i) responses were localised to the postacrosomal region. Averaging of large numbers of single cell responses generated traces similar to those seen in fluorimetric studies. Although the sustained response was strongly associated with the initial, transient response, a few spermatozoa generated sustained responses that were not preceded by a significant transient response (5% of cells). It is concluded that a genuine biphasic [Ca(2+)](i) signal is activated by progesterone and that the sustained response is a discrete signalling event with biological significance.
Learning to Identify Near-Acuity Letters, either with or without Flankers, Results in Improved Letter Size and Spacing Limits in Adults with Amblyopia

Amblyopia is a developmental abnormality that results in deficits for a wide range of visual tasks, most notably, the reduced ability to see fine details, the loss in contrast sensitivity especially for small objects and the difficulty in seeing objects in clutter (crowding). The primary goal of this study was to evaluate whether crowding can be ameliorated in adults with amblyopia through perceptual learning using a flanked letter identification task that was designed to reduce crowding, and if so, whether the improvements transfer to untrained visual functions: visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and the size of visual span (the amount of information obtained in one fixation). To evaluate whether the improvements following this training task were specific to training with flankers, we also trained another group of adult observers with amblyopia using a single letter identification task that was designed to improve letter contrast sensitivity, not crowding. Following 10,000 trials of training, both groups of observers showed improvements in the respective training task. The improvements generalized to improved visual acuity, letter contrast sensitivity, size of the visual span, and reduced crowding. The magnitude of the improvement for each of these measurements was similar in the two training groups. Perceptual learning regimens aimed at reducing crowding or improving letter contrast sensitivity are both effective in improving visual acuity, contrast sensitivity for near-acuity objects and reducing the crowding effect, and could be useful as a clinical treatment for amblyopia.
An association between fine particles and asthma emergency department visits for children in Seattle.

Asthma is the most common chronic illness of childhood and its prevalence is increasing, causing much concern for identification of risk factors such as air pollution. We previously conducted a study showing a relationship between asthma visits in all persons < 65 years of age to emergency departments (EDs) and air pollution in Seattle, Washington. In that study the most frequent zip codes of the visits were in the inner city. The Seattle-King County Department of Public Health (Seattle, WA) subsequently published a report which showed that the hospitalization rate for children in the inner city was over 600/100,000, whereas it was < 100/100,000 for children living in the suburbs. Therefore, we conducted the present study to evaluate whether asthma visits to hospital emergency departments in the inner city of Seattle were associated with outdoor air pollution levels. ED visits to six hospitals for asthma and daily air pollution data were obtained for 15 months during 1995 and 1996. The association between air pollution and childhood ED visits for asthma from the inner city area with high asthma hospitalization rates were compared with those from lower hospital utilization areas. Daily ED counts were regressed against fine particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide using a semiparametric Poisson regression model. Significant associations were found between ED visits for asthma in children and fine PM and CO. A change of 11 microg/m3 in fine PM was associated with a relative rate of 1.15 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-1.23]. There was no stronger association between ED visits for asthma and air pollution in the higher hospital utilization area than in the lower utilization area. These findings were seen when estimated PM2.5 concentrations were below the newly adopted annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 15 microg/m3. ImagesFigure 1Figure 2
New Constraints on the Star Formation Histories and Dust Attenuation of Galaxies in the Local Universe from GALEX

We derive a variety of physical parameters including star formation rates (SFRs), dust attenuation, and burst mass fractions for 6472 galaxies observed by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) and present in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 1 (SDSS DR1) main spectroscopic sample. Parameters are estimated in a statistical way by comparing each observed broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) (two GALEX and five SDSS bands) with an extensive library of model galaxy SEDs, which cover a wide range of star formation histories and include stochastic starbursts. We compare the constraints derived using SDSS bands only with those derived using the combination of SDSS and GALEX photometry. We find that the addition of the GALEX bands leads to significant improvement in the estimation of both the dust optical depth and the star formation rate over timescales of 100 Myr to 1 Gyr in a galaxy. We attain sensitivity to SFRs as low as 10-3 M☉ yr-1, and we find that low levels of star formation (SF) are mostly associated with early-type, red galaxies. The least massive galaxies have ratios of current to past-averaged SF rates (b-parameter) consistent with constant SF over a Hubble time. For late-type galaxies, this ratio on average decreases with mass. We find that b correlates tightly with NUV - r color, implying that the SF history of a galaxy can be constrained on the basis of the NUV - r color alone. The fraction of galaxies that have undergone a significant starburst episode within the last 1 Gyr steeply declines with mass, from ~20% for galaxies with ~108 M☉ to ~5% for ~1011 M☉ galaxies.
Study on Contraction of Dust Control System in Continuous Coal Mining

Most of the dust control models indicate the line-curtain air reaching the face is limited and does not extend. Lower air quantity at the face helps in containing and concentrating the dust close to the face where no occupations are present. Hence, effective use of hydraulic sprays and directing the face dust-laden air into the scrubber may improve dust control. In this paper, we put forward a field testing of the modified scrubber-modified continuous miner demonstrated significant improvements in visibility and dust and quartz reduction, as compared to what was achieved with the current scrubber-current continuous miner dust control system. This is unfavorable from methane dilution point of view but can be used to advantage for improved dust control.