Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Residential immersive life skills programs for youth with disabilities: service providers’ perceptions of experiential benefits and key program features

Abstract Purpose: The objective was to determine service providers’ perceptions of the experiential benefits of residential immersive life skills (RILS) programs for youth with disabilities, along with important program features. Methods: Thirty-seven service providers from three RILS programs took part in qualitative interviews. Themes were derived using a phenomenological approach. Results: There were perceived benefits for youth, and also for parents and service providers. Study themes concerned the process of youth empowerment, life-changing experiences for youth and parents, and changed service provider views affecting practice. Youth changes were attributed to the residential group format and afforded opportunities, which included being away from home, navigating public transportation, directing attendant services, and sharing intense learning and social experiences with peers. Youth were seen to experience important personal changes in life skills, self-confidence, self-understandings, and self-advocacy. Perceived benefits for parents included realizations concerning their child’s abilities and new hope for the future. Service providers indicated changes in their knowledge, perspectives, and approach to practice. Conclusions: The findings suggest that life skills programs should be intentionally designed to provide challenging experiential opportunities that motivate youth to engage in new life directions by providing new insights, self-realizations, and positive yet realistic views of the future. Implications for Rehabilitation Service providers indicated the importance of challenging, real-world experiential opportunities that provide youth with disabilities with new insights, self-realizations, and positive yet realistic views of the future. Important experiential opportunities for youth included being away from home, navigating public transportation, directing attendant care, and sharing intense learning and social experiences with peers. The findings provide preliminary qualitative evidence that life skills programs should be intentionally designed to provide experiential opportunities that equip youth with knowledge, skills, and confidence, and motivate them to engage in new life directions. Service providers indicated important changes to their practice as a result of their involvement in a RILS program, including adopting a more holistic and facilitative approach to practice.
Atomistic Modeling of Pocket Dopant Deactivation and Its Impact on  $V_{\textrm {th}}$  Variation in Scaled Si Planar Devices Using an Atomistic Kinetic Monte Carlo Approach

An analysis of pocket dopant deactivation and its impact on V<sub>th</sub> variation for scaled Si devices using an atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo approach are shown in this paper. B 5 keV, 5 × 10<sup>13</sup>/cm<sup>2</sup> + As 1 keV, 1 × 10<sup>15</sup>/cm<sup>2</sup> implants were used for B pocket deactivation study. An effect of laser annealing (LA) before spike-Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) was investigated. In case of B pocket implant, a stable B cluster configuration is changed from B<sub>3</sub>I (>1020 °C) to BI<sub>2</sub> at spike-RTA temperature ~1020 °C. BI<sub>2</sub> is a source of B pocket deactivation with lower temperature than 1020 °C. LA before low-temperature spike-RTA (<;1020 °C) is useful to improve B pocket activation. The V<sub>th</sub> mismatch figure of merit extracted from Pelgrom plot (Avt) degradation in nFET is shown as spike-RTA temperature is reduced. LA before spike-RTA shows a better short channel effect with lower drain-induced barrier lowering in nFET. LA + spike-RTA at 1000 °C shows better Avt than spike-RTA-only. The difference of pocket deactivation is one of possible important reasons for the higher V<sub>th</sub> mismatch for nFET than for pFET.
Dieting changes serotonergic function in women, not men: implications for the aetiology of anorexia nervosa?

Synopsis The increase in plasma prolactin which follows intravenous administration of L–tryptopha (LTP) was used to assess changes in brain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) function in normal male and female subjects, following a three week period of dieting. In women, but not men, there was a marked increase in the prolactin response to LTP, suggesting that dieting had caused alterations in brain 5-HT-mediated responses. In contrast, dieting did not alter the prolactinresponse to thyrotropin releasing hormone in either men or women, indicating that the changes in response to LTP could not be attributed to an increase in pituitary reserve of prolactin. These findings suggest that dieting alters brain 5–HT function in women but not in men. Biological factors as well as greater psychosocial pressures to diet may contribute to the high prevalence of eating disorders amongst women.
Client-tier Validation of Dynamic Web Applications

Web applications pervade all aspects of human activity today. Rapid growth in the scope, penetration and user-base of web applications, over the past decade, has meant that web applications are substantially bigger, more complex and sophisticated than ever before. This places even more demands on the validation process for web applications. This paper presents a case study of the validation of Ajax web Applications, where a combination of dynamic crawling-based model generation and back-end model checking is used to comprehensively validate the client-tier of the web application. Our experience shows that such an approach is not only practical in the context of applications of such size and complexity but can provide greater automation and better coverage than current industrial validation practices based on testing. A couple of experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
The integral decode: a smoothing technique for robust HMM-based speaker recognition

Previous work by Merhav and Lee (1993) as well as others has emphasized that the conditions required to make the maximum a posteriori (MAP) decision rule an optimal decision rule for speech recognition do not hold and have proposed techniques based upon the adjustment of model parameters to improve speech recognition. In this article, we consider the problem of text-independent speaker recognition, and present a new model called the integral decode. The integral decode, like previous work in this area, attempts to compensate for the lack of conditions necessary to ensure optimality of the MAP decision rule in environments with corrupted observations and imperfect models. The integral decode is a smoothing operation in the feature space domain. A region of uncertainty is established about each noisy observation and an approximation of the integral is computed. The MAP decision rule is then applied to the smoothed likelihood estimates. In all tested conditions, the integral decode performs as well as or better than equivalent HMMs without integral decode.
Do rapid deployment aortic valves improve outcomes compared with surgical aortic valve replacement?

A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'In patients requiring an aortic valve replacement, are rapid deployment aortic valve systems better than conventional aortic valve prostheses in terms of mortality, morbidity and/or valve function? ' A total of 508 papers were found using the reported search, of which 11 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. The rapid deployment valves (RDVs) implanted in these studies include balloon expandable [Intuity (Edwards Lifesciences, CA, USA) and 3F Enable (Medtronic, MN, USA)] and self-expanding [Perceval (Sorin, Saluggia, Italy)] stented bioprostheses. Available data from these studies demonstrate that rapid deployment valves are invariably associated with shorter aortic cross-clamp times (30-56 vs 49-88 min). Despite this, postoperative mortality (0-5.8 vs 0-6%), ICU (1-3 vs 0.9-2.8 days) and hospital length of stay (6-14.1 vs 6-15.9 days) are similar compared with conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR). However, reduced postoperative bleeding (328 vs 564 ml), blood transfusion requirements (1.4 vs 2.4 units), ventilation time (4.9-9.5 vs 7-16.6 h) and renal injury (5.3 vs 14.7%) have been demonstrated with RDVs indicating possible clinical benefit to shorter procedural time. Importantly, patient risk profiles were similar to or higher across studies in patients undergoing RDVs compared with conventional AVR. From a functional perspective, transvalvular gradients were frequently lower with rapid deployment valves compared with conventional AVR, indicating an improved haemodynamic profile. However, in some studies using the Perceval RDV, the transvalvular gradients were higher than with conventional AVR. Also, mean valve sizes were often larger in those receiving RDVs. Rates of paravalvular regurgitation were similar between RDVs and conventional AVR in most studies, although pacemaker implantation occurred more often with RDV in some studies (2-28.5 vs 0-8.5%). Accepting these limitations, and without long-term data, RDVs would appear to be a reasonable alternative to conventional aortic valve prostheses in selected cases.
Androgen-Regulated Transcripts in the Neonatal Mouse Testis as Determined Through Microarray Analysis1

Abstract Androgens are required for normal spermatogenesis in mammalian testes. These hormones directly regulate testicular somatic cells that, in turn, support germ cell differentiation. However, the identity of genes under androgen regulation in the testis are not well known. In the present study, neonatal male mice (8 days postpartum) treated by testosterone propionate (TP) were used to study androgen action in the testis as evidenced by alterations in gene expression. Mice were treated with 0.5 mg of TP or dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or vehicle (oil), and testes were harvested 4, 8, and 16 h after treatment. Global gene expression was monitored by microarray analysis. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to confirm the microarray results. The methodology was verified by confirming the presence of previously characterized TP-regulated genes, including Pem in Sertoli cells and Cyp17a1 in Leydig cells. No significant differences in gene expression were found between TP- and DHT-treated samples. Microarray analysis identified 141, 119, and 109 up-regulated genes at 4, 8 and 16 h after TP treatment, respectively, and 83, 99, and 111 down-regulated genes at the same corresponding time points. The androgen regulation of the selected gene was verified further using testes from flutamide-treated adult mice and isolated Sertoli cells in culture. The data generated in the present study may serve as a foundation for hypothesis-driven research and provide insights regarding gene networks and pathways under androgen control in the testis.
The Incidence and Persistence of Affective States While Playing Newton ’ s Playground

We study the incidence (rate of occurrence), and persistence (rate of reoccurrence immediately after occurrence) of students’ affective states while playing Newton’s Playground (NP), an educational game for physics. We compare findings to those of previous studies’, which were conducted using different populations and different educational games. Students’ affective states are studied using quantitative field observations on public high school students. The incidence and persistence of concentration, confusion, frustration, boredom, surprise, and delight were compared. We found that boredom (D’Mello’s L = 0.3, p < 0.01), concentration (L = 0.21, p < 0.01), and frustration (L = 0.10, p < 0.01) tended to persist while interacting with NP. The most frequently observed affective states were concentration (72%), confusion (8%), boredom (7%), and frustration (7%).
Three-Dimensional Morphology of the Distal Part of the Femur Viewed in Virtual Reality

The morphologic shape of the distal part of the femur dictates the shape, orientation, and kinematics of prosthetic total knee replacement. Traditional prosthetic designs incorporate symmetric femoral condyles with a centered trochlear groove. Traditional surgical techniques center the femoral component to the distal part of the femur and position it relative to various bone landmarks. However, failure patterns documented in retrieval studies1,2, case series3, and kinematic studies demonstrate how traditional designs and surgical techniques reflect a poor understanding of distal femoral morphology and knee kinematics. It has been shown that the flexion/extension axis of the knee is fixed within the femur and that the articular surfaces of the condyles are circular in profile4,5. Ligament length patterns are significantly altered by abnormal axial alignment when a hinged knee brace is used6. It is expected that a malaligned femoral component would have the same effect in total knee arthroplasty. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate, with conventional images and with interactive animations in virtual reality, the three-dimensional shape of the naturally asymmetric distal part of the femur, with illustration of the sulcus axis of the trochlear groove and the flexion/extension axis of the condyles relative to conventional axes (mechanical, anatomic, epicondylar, and posterior condylar). Correlations between the morphologically determined rotation axes and experimentally determined kinematic axes are illustrated. Eighty-five mummified cadaveric knees were measured with a stereotactic micrometer (Fig. 1)7. The location and orientation of the sulcus were obtained by repeated horizontal passes of the stereotactic stylus over the distal part of the femur, beginning at the top of the articular surface and progressing down to the intercondylar notch (Fig. 2). With each horizontal pass, the lowest depression of the trochlea (sulcus) was identified by …
Experimental validation of DNA interactions with nanoparticles derived from metal coupled amphiphiles

In the present report, a facile strategy for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles utilizing copper@cetylpyridinium chloride as the metal precursor in combination with vitamin C, was been developed. Synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) were well characterized through UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The as-obtained NPs were used for binding with deoxyribonucleic acid from calf thymus (CT-DNA). Binding potential of synthesized NPs towards DNA was checked by calculating apparent binding constant and various thermodynamic parameters, like ΔG, ΔH, ΔS and number of binding sites from UV-Vis, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy. NPs lead to the change in conformation and mobility of the genomic DNA as notify by the circular dichroism and DNA gel electrophoresis. Synergistic effect of synthesized nanoparticles on DNA was also visualized by the tapping mode atomic force microscopy. Research findings of the present work are expected to have an impact on genomic activities.
Polar Overdominance at the Ovine callipyge Locus

An inheritable muscular hypertrophy was recently described in sheep and shown to be determined by the callipyge gene mapped to ovine chromosome 18. Here, the callipyge phenotype was found to be characterized by a nonmendelian inheritance pattern, referred to as polar overdominance, where only heterozygous individuals having inherited the callipyge mutation from their sire express the phenotype. The possible role of parental imprinting in the determinism of polar overdominance is envisaged.
Wrestling with pleiotropy: genomic and topological analysis of the yeast gene expression network.

The vast majority (>95%) of single-gene mutations in yeast affect not only the expression of the mutant gene, but also the expression of many other genes. These data suggest the presence of a previously uncharacterized "gene expression network"--a set of interactions between genes which dictate gene expression in the native cell environment. Here, we quantitatively analyze the gene expression network revealed by microarray expression data from 273 different yeast gene deletion mutants. (1) We find that gene expression interactions form a robust, error-tolerant "scale-free" network, similar to metabolic pathways(2) and artificial networks such as power grids and the internet. (3-5) Because the connectivity between genes in the gene expression network is unevenly distributed, a scale-free organization helps make organisms resistant to the deleterious effects of mutation, and is thus highly adaptive. The existence of a gene expression network poses practical considerations for the study of gene function, since most mutant phenotypes are the result of changes in the expression of many genes. Using principles of scale-free network topology, we propose that fragmenting the gene expression network via "genome-engineering" may be a viable and practical approach to isolating gene function.
Magnetic properties of vehicle-derived particulates and amelioration by Ficus infectoria: a keystone species.

Magnetic minerals derived from vehicular combustion are mainly maghemite and metallic iron grains having a size range of 0.1–0.7 lm (1). This grain size is particularly dangerous to humans because of its ability to be inhaled into the lungs. Moreover, in aerosols, magnetite is associated with other heavy metals such as zinc, cadmium, and chromium (2) and with mutagenic organic compounds (3) dangerous to human health. In the atmosphere, magnetic minerals are derived from combustion processes, such as industrial, domestic, or vehicle emissions (4, 5) or from abrasion products from asphalt and from vehicles’ brake systems (6). The magnetic fine particles mostly consist of spherules and grains of irregular shapes that contain variable amounts and grain sizes of magnetite and hematite, depending on the fuel type and temperature of combustion (7). Magnetic properties of soils (6, 8, 9, 10), filters (11, 12), and leaves (2, 7) have been used to identify the spread of pollution derived from vehicular or industrial emissions. Iron often occurs as an impurity in fossil fuels during industrial, domestic, or vehicle combustion; carbon and organic material are lost by oxidation and the iron forms a nonvolatile residue, often comprising glassy spherules (due to melting). These spherules are magnetic, with easily measurable magnetization levels. It has been shown that combustion processes simultaneously release hazardous substances and magnetic particles into the atmosphere. In addition to these combustion-related particles, vehicles, via exhaust emissions and abrasion/ corrosion of engine and/or vehicle body material (13), can generate nonspherical magnetite particles. Leaves with large surface areas per unit of weight, favorable surface properties (a waxy coating), and a long lifespan, such as conifer needles or evergreen tree leaves, are considered to be good accumulators of particulate matter from the atmosphere (14–16). Rainwater containing particles collected from the atmosphere could either contribute to dust accumulation on leaf surfaces or, by detaching previously collected particles, cause its reduction. Magnetic biomonitoring of pollutants by measurements taken from roadside tree leaves is potentially efficient, as samples are abundant and hundred of samples can be collected and analyzed in days. The study region (Singrauli industrial area lies in between latitudes 23852N to 24832 N and longitudes 82830 E to 83825 E) is one of the India’s most important energy centers. Eleven opencast coal mines, occupying nearly 200 km, fuel six thermal power stations that generate 6800 MW of power (10% of India’s installed generation capacity). Sampling locations lie in between latitudes 2480812 N to 248 0952 N and longitudes 828 4425 E to 828 4541 E.
Analysis of acoustic behavior of bare CLT floors for the evaluation of impact sound insulation improvement

Estimation of the impact sound insulation of horizontal partitions, evaluated from the performance of basic components according to EN 12354-2, does not provide satisfactory results when applied to floors made of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) elements. One of the most interesting reasons for this limited match between predicted and measured impact noise values is the difficulty of correlating the reduction of the impact sound pressure level of the floor covering, measured in a laboratory on a concrete slab, with the actual behavior on a bare CLT floor. Reported here are the results of laboratory evaluations, independently carried out by various researchers on similar CLT structures. The purpose of this study is to identify the empirical spectrum of the normalized impact sound pressure level of a reference floor made according to CLT technology, to provide a simple and useful tool for estimating the noise insulation performances of this type of building element.
Power Factor Adjustment and Energy Management in Large Grid-Connected Wind Parks

The grid connection of large wind park installations requires a detailed investigation of the internal wind park structure. Common wind parks grow depending on the situation of financing and authorization. Therefore no detailed energy management planning exists. This paper describes the conversion of the common state towards an optimised power factor and energy management in a wind park installation. Measurement results show, that the developed approach can be practically managed
A recursive QR detector for space-frequency block coded OFDM systems with four transmit antennas

The use of orthogonal space-time block coding (O-STBC) across sub-carrier tones is a promising solution for future orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based broadband wireless systems. However, due to high channel gain variation across adjacent sub-carriers, conventional methods for O-STBC decoding yield poor performances. In this paper, we propose a square-root-free recursive QR detector for O-STBC based OFDM systems with four transmit antennas. Theoretical performance bounds are analyzed and compared with results obtained from exact link simulations. The performance gain attained by the proposed detector under multi-path fading environments is confirmed by simulation results.
Phanerozoic trends in the global geographic disparity of marine biotas

Abstract Previous analyses of the history of Phanerozoic marine biodiversity suggested that the post-Paleozoic increase observed at the family level and below was caused, in part, by an increase in global provinciality associated with the breakup of Pangea. Efforts to characterize the Phanerozoic history of provinciality, however, have been compromised by interval-to-interval variations in the methods and standards used by researchers to calibrate the number of provinces. With the development of comprehensive, occurrence-based data repositories such as the Paleobiology Database (PaleoDB), it is now possible to analyze directly the degree of global compositional disparity as a function of geographic distance (geo-disparity) and changes thereof throughout the history of marine animal life. Here, we present a protocol for assessing the Phanerozoic history of geo-disparity, and we apply it to stratigraphic bins arrayed throughout the Phanerozoic for which data were accessed from the PaleoDB. Our analyses provide no indication of a secular Phanerozoic increase in geo-disparity. Furthermore, fundamental characteristics of geo-disparity may have changed from era to era in concert with changes to marine venues, although these patterns will require further scrutiny in future investigations.