Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiphase driving system for LCD back-light lamps with current balancing feature

This paper presents a multiphase driving system for liquid crystal display (LCD) back-light lamps with current balancing feature. The driving system adopts multiple inverters operated with interleaving fashion to drive cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), which can reduce input current ripple. Additionally, to prevent current imbalance among lamps, a multiphase transformer is introduced in the proposed system. Compared with the conventional single-phase driving system, the proposed one can have the merit of requiring less number of transformers and lower input current ripple. A three-phase driving system with current balancing transformer has been built, from which experimental results have verified the feasibility of the proposed multiphase driving system.
Adapting Traditional Healing Values and Beliefs into Therapeutic Cultural Environments for Health and Well-Being

Although research has long established that interaction with the natural environment is associated with better overall health and well-being outcomes, the Western model mainly focuses on treating symptoms. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, the Indigenous Māori have long demonstrated significantly more negative health outcomes than non-Māori. Little research has examined the causes compared to Western populations or the role of the natural environment in health outcomes for Māori. An exploration of rongoā Māori (traditional healing system) was conducted to ascertain the importance of landscape in the process of healing. Eight rongoā healers or practitioners took part in semi-structured narrative interviews from June to November 2020. Transcribed interviews were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis and Kaupapa Māori techniques. The findings show how rongoā is underpinned by a complex set of cultural values and beliefs, drawing from the connection to wairua (spirit), tinana (body), tikanga and whakaora (customs and healing), rākau (plants), whenua (landscape) and whānau (family). Incorporating such constructs into the landscape can foster our understanding of health and well-being and its implications for conceptualising therapeutic environments and a culturally appropriate model of care for Māori and non-Māori communities.
Testing for Parameter Instability in Competing Modeling Frameworks

We develop a new parameter stability test against the alternative of observation driven generalized autoregressive score dynamics. The new test generalizes the ARCH-LM test of Engle (1982) to settings beyond time-varying volatility and exploits any autocorrelation in the likelihood scores under the alternative. We compare the test's performance with that of alternative tests developed for competing time-varying parameter frameworks, such as structural breaks and observation driven parameter dynamics. The new test has higher and more stable power against alternatives with frequent regime switches or with non-local parameter driven time-variation. For parameter driven time variation close to the null or for infrequent structural changes, the test of Muller and Petalas (2010) performs best overall. We apply all tests empirically to a panel of losses given default over the period 1982--2010 and find significant evidence of parameter variation in the underlying beta distribution.
UK Medical Cannabis Registry: an analysis of clinical outcomes of medicinal cannabis therapy for generalized anxiety disorder

ABSTRACT Objectives Anxiety disorders are one of the most common reasons for seeking treatment with cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs). Current pharmacological treatments are variable in efficacy and the endocannabinoid system has been identified as a potential therapeutic target. This study aims to detail the changes in health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and clinical safety following CBMP therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Methods A case series from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry was performed. Primary outcomes included changes from baseline in patient-reported outcome measures (the General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), EQ-5D-5L (a measure of health-related quality of life), and Sleep Quality Scale (SQS)) at 1, 3 and 6 months. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.050. Results Sixty-seven patients were treated for generalized anxiety disorder. Statistically significant improvements were observed in GAD-7, EQ-5D-5L Index Value, EQ5D Visual Analog Scale, and SQS scores at 1, 3 and 6 months (p<0.050). Twenty-five (39.1%) patients reported adverse events during the follow-up period. Conclusion This study suggests that CBMPs may be associated with improvements in HRQoL outcomes when used as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. These findings must be treated with caution considering limitations of study design; however this data may help inform future clinical studies and practice. Plain Language Summary Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric illness type in the United Kingdom, with 8.2 million cases reported in 2010. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the most common anxiety disorder, debilitates, and so reduces the quality of life of those who suffer from the condition. The efficacy of current treatments for GAD varies greatly from person-to-person. The endocannabinoid system in the human body is currently attracting a lot of attention in the scientific community as it can be targeted by chemicals in the cannabis plant to produce therapeutic effects in order to treat GAD. There is, however, a lack of studies investigating the effects of medicinal cannabis in GAD, and so this study aims to explore the drug’s effect on quality of life in patients suffering from GAD. Sixty-seven patients who attended the Sapphire Clinics for medicinal cannabis treatment for GAD were included in the study. The results from this study highlight that medicinal cannabis may improve generalized anxiety disorder, general health-related quality of life, and sleep-specific outcomes at 1, 3, and 6 months after starting treatment. There was also a low number of severe, disabling, and life-threatening adverse events experienced by patients. Although this study explores the effects of medicinal cannabis in a real clinical setting, the results were not compared to other types of treatment. Future studies with a comparator are therefore needed before concluding the true effects of medicinal cannabis in patients with GAD.
Prototeleia Talamas, Popovici, Shih & Ren: A new genus of Platygastridae from Burmese amber

A new genus and species of parasitoid wasp is described from Burmese amber: Prototeleia kleiogen. nov., sp. nov. (Platygastroidea, Platygastridae). Prototeleia kleio exhibits multiple characters that we consider to be plesiomorphic for Platygastridae. These characters are analyzed and discussed in the context of extant and fossil taxa.
The BISAP score, NLR, CRP, or BUN: Which marker best predicts the outcome of acute pancreatitis?

Abstract Acute pancreatitis is a common disease, and the mortality rate can be high. Thus, a risk assessment should be performed early to optimize treatment. We compared simple prognostic markers with the bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) scoring system to identify the best predictors of severity and mortality. This retrospective study stratified disease severity based on the revised Atlanta criteria. The accuracies of the markers for predicting severe AP (SAP) were assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated for each marker. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of SAP and mortality. The area under the curve (AUC) for the BISAP score was classified as fair for predicting SAP. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio at 48 hours (NLR48 h) and the C-reactive protein level at 48 hours (CRP48 h) had the best AUCs and were independently associated with SAP. When both criteria were met, the AUC was 0.89, sensitivity was 68%, and specificity was 92%. CRP48 h and hematocrit at 48 hours were independently associated with mortality. NLR48 h and CRP48 h were independently associated with SAP but not superior to the BISAP score at admission. Assessing NLR48 h and CRP48H together was most suitable for predicting SAP. The CRP level was a good predictive marker for mortality.
Training Directors’ Perspectives of Psychology Intern and Postdoctoral Fellow Training Experiences during COVID-19: A Changing Landscape

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has affected professional training in health service psychology. Although training provided by psychology internship and postdoctoral fellowship programs has continued, programs have altered the opportunities available to assure the safety of patients and providers. This paper aims to describe training directors’ (TD) perspectives of how COVID-19 has impacted training experiences. Participants included 63 TDs from child and adolescent psychology internship and postdoctoral fellowship programs, most of which are located in the United States. A survey containing open- and close-ended questions was distributed to TDs to assess alterations to training experiences due to COVID-19. Responses described increased use of telehealth, video/virtual supervision, safety precautions/procedures, reduced in-person clinical opportunities, and decreased morale. Assessment, communication and interpersonal skills, intervention, and consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills were the profession-wide competencies most negatively impacted. Qualitative analysis revealed five themes describing how COVID-19 (1) affected the depth and breadth of training; (2) reduced organic, in the moment experiences; (3) increased stress and decreased trainee and staff morale; (4) limited in-person assessment training; and (5) altered and reduced interdisciplinary collaboration. The ongoing pandemic has had positive and negative impacts on the experiences of trainees completing internship and postdoctoral fellowship programs. Although TDs reported increased opportunity to train in telehealth service provision, it is imperative that trainees are able to gain clinical experiences in the context of this pandemic that meet training expectations in depth and breadth of skills needed to assure readiness to transition into the field of independent practice as emerging psychologists.
The determinants affecting the intention of urban residents to prevent flooding in China

Abstract. In the context of global warming and China’s disaster response patterns, it is critical to understand how to promote the effectiveness of household flood protection measures among the public. In this study, we developed a comprehensive theoretical framework based on protection motivation theory (PMT) to identify the main determinants that influence urban residents' intention to prepare for flooding. In addition to the fundamental factors in PMT, this framework also considered the influence of individual heterogeneity and social context. We selected urban residents in flood-prone areas of Henan Province as the study population and collected 857 valid questionnaires through an online survey. Firstly, the results showed that both threat perception and coping appraisal of flood risk are effective in increasing residents' intention to prevent. Secondly, negative risk response attitudes reduced people's intention to prepare. If people do not perceive preparedness actions as absolutely necessary, they will postpone or shift to public flood protection measures. In addition, analysis of affective pathways revealed that negative emotions were primarily influenced by perceptions of flood consequences and were not significantly related to perceptions of likelihood. The analysis of trust mechanisms showed that higher levels of trust reduced people's perceptions of flood risk thereby hindering their intention to prepare for floods. Finally, we found that the positive influence of social norms on preparedness intentions makes it appropriate to focus on the power of social mobilization. The findings will provide theoretical references for government departments to design further policy measures to improve integrated flood risk management in China.
The Incredible Years Parenting and Child Treatment Programs: A Randomized Controlled Trial in a Child Welfare Setting in Spain

ABSTRACT Incredible Years (IY) is a well-established multicomponent group-based program designed to promote young children’s emotional and social competence, to prevent and treat child behavioral and emotional problems, and to improve parenting practices and the parent-child relationship. This study presents the first randomized controlled trial carried out in Spain to test the effectiveness of the Incredible Years Basic Parenting and Small Group Dinosaur Programs in a sample of families involved in child welfare due to substantiated or risk for child maltreatment. One hundred and eleven families with 4- to 8-year-old children were randomly allocated to IY or to a control group who received standard services. Baseline, post-intervention, and 12-month follow-up assessments were compared. Results showed that compared to the control group, the IY intervention made a significant positive difference in parents’ observed and reported use of praise, and a significant reduction in reported use of inconsistent discipline, parenting stress, depressive symptomatology, and perception of child behavior problems. A full serial mediation effect was found between participation in IY, changes in parenting practices, subsequent parenting stress reduction, and both final child abuse potential reduction and perception of child behavior problems. No moderating influence on IY effects was found. Findings provide evidence that transporting the IY Basic Parenting and the Small Group Dinosaur Programs with fidelity is feasible in Child Welfare Services in Spain.
A Self-Report Measure of Perfectionism: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Swedish Version of the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire

Background Perfectionism is often defined as the strive for achievement and high standards, but can also lead to negative consequences. In addition to affecting performance and interpersonal relationships, perfectionism can result in mental distress. A number of different self-report measures have been put forward to assess perfectionism. Specifically intended for clinical practice and research, the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ) was developed and is presently available in English and Persian. To promote its use in additional contexts, the current study has translated and investigated the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the CPQ. Method A Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed to examine the best fit with data, using a priori-models and a sample of treatment-seeking participants screened for eligibility to receive Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (n = 223). Results The results indicated a lack of fit with data. A two-factor structure without the two reversed items (2 and 8) exhibited the best fit, perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns, but still had poor structural validity. Correlations with self-report measures of perfectionism, depression, anxiety, dysfunctional beliefs, self-criticism, quality of life, and self-compassion were all in the expected directions. Eight-week test-retest correlation was Pearson r = . 62, 95% Confidence Interval [. 45, . 74], using data from 72 participants in the wait-list control, and the internal consistency for the CPQ, once removing the reversely scored items, was Cronbach’s α = . 72. Conclusion The CPQ can be used as a self-report measure in Swedish, but further research on its structural validity is needed.
Does a retailer's performance depend on CSR practices? A stakeholder theory perspective from developing economy

PurposeThe study aims to examine the relationship between retailer's performance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in Indian context. The article introduces a new conceptual model considering the parameters as per the stakeholder theory perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted empirical research with CSR practices (CSRP) and other parameters to evaluate the retailers' performance using stakeholder theory. The authors present the results from 292 valid responses from the Indian retailers. The study used structured equation modeling (SEM) to present the analysis and the results.FindingsFindings indicate that CSRP along with additional constructs loyalty (L), reputation (R), customer satisfaction (CS) and competitive advantage (CA) have positive and significant impact on organizational performance (OP). Practical implicationsThe framework will serve as a guiding tool to the management of the retail outlets to examine carefully the link among CSRP with other variables presented in the study and subsequently to the retail outlet performance. The retailers must be more focused on the expectations and demands of the customers concerning products and services for better growth of the firms.Originality/valueThe uniqueness of the study lies in “CSR practices enabled integrated model” to examine the performance of the organizations. The proposed theoretical model would add value to the existing literature to help the retailers in process of their performance improvement.
Covertness and Timeliness of Data Collection in UAV-Aided Wireless-Powered IoT

In this work, we aim to maximize the timeliness of data collection subject to a covertness constraint in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-aided Internet of Things (IoT) networks, where a UAV periodically conducts wireless power transfer (WPT) to charge an energy-constrained IoT device and then the IoT device opportunistically sends its collected data to the UAV. To this end, we first derive a lower bound on the covertness constraint and an analytical expression for Age of Information (AoI) to characterize timeliness. Then, we jointly optimize the UAV’s transmit power for WPT, the WPT duration, and the data transmission duration by considering two practical scenarios. For the fixed total duration scenario, our analytical optimal solutions indicate that the total harvested energy at the IoT device is independent of the covertness constraint, although both the UAV’s transmit power and the WPT duration are significantly affected by the covertness constraint. With the optimized total duration scenario, we prove that the UAV’s optimal transmit power is always attained at its maximum value regardless of the existence of the covertness constraint, but the WPT and data transmission durations are sensitive to the required covertness. Overall, there exists a nontrivial tradeoff between the timeliness and covertness for data collection in the considered system, which is determined by the WPT design. Furthermore, our numerical results show that the optimal prior probability of the IoT device’s opportunistic transmission is generally not 0.5 for the fixed total duration, but it is indeed 0.5 for the optimized total duration.
Effects of Process Parameters on Material Removal Rate and Surface Roughness in Wedm of H-13 Die Tool Steel

In research work variation of cutting performance with pulse on time, pulse off time, wire type, and peak current were experimentally investigated in wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) process. Soft brass wire and zinc coated diffused wire with 0.25 mm diameter and Die tool steel H-13 with 155 mm× 70 mm×14 mm dimensions were used as tool and work materials in the experiments. Surface roughness and material removal rate (MRR) were considered as performance output in this study. Taguchi method was used for designing the experiments and optimal combination of WEDM parameters for proper machining of Die tool steel (H-13) to achieve better surface finish and material removal rate. In addition the most significant cutting parameter is determined by using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Keywords Machining, Process Parameters, Material removal rate, Surface roughness, Taguchi method
Modelling and optimization of rotary vane seals

Abstract The present study deals with the formulation of the mechanics and elastohydrodynamics, and performance of composite vane seals of rectangular cross-section and goalpost shape, such as those used in rotary vane actuators in aviation, automotive, and industrial applications. After constructing the mathematical and computational model of such seals, results are obtained for an application involving a rotary vane actuator for aircraft wing control surfaces. Examples are presented for both steady-state and transient conditions (steady and unsteady motion). These are followed by an extensive parametric study to establish the effects of various parameters on sealing performance, such as the effects of the seal interferences, sealed pressure, speed, design clearances, operating temperature, and the degree of lubricant starvation. Sealing performance is assessed on the grounds of the mass leakage rate, hydrodynamic friction force and extrusion size during operation. The parametric study resulted in the construction of 144 diagrams with 432 performance curves in total. Based on this, the design and operational sealing parameters were optimized to maximize sealing performance, that is, to minimize leakage, friction, and extrusion. There was an excellent agreement between the theoretically derived optimum values and those recommended semi-empirically by the seal and actuator manufacturers as initial estimates. The parametric study showed that vane seals are objects of complex mechanical behaviour, requiring attention to details in their design and application, not only to maximize performance, but, primarily, to establish sufficient sealing and avoid premature failure that could prove very costly indeed.
Going Native in Hawai‘i

Landscape architects play an important role in Hawai‘i by specifying the nature of plants that are used in landscape projects which, in turn, affects what is grown locally by landscape nurseries. Invasive species used in landscape projects impact not only the native environments, but the economic stability of an entire industry. As a response to these issues of invasive species and native plant endangerment, the Endangered Species Acts 73 and 236 of the Hawai‘i State Legislature mandate the use of native plants in design of public projects. This study surveyed landscape architects in Hawai‘i in 2010 and identified an increase in the use of native plants in landscape projects. Limitations to native Hawaiian landscape plants in 2010 were similar to those reported in a survey conducted in 1999; lack of material availability and knowledge of appropriate maintenance practices continue as the major constraints. Principal sources of native plants and of information about these plants include specialized nurseries, books, and Cooperative Extension agents and specialists. The landscape industry should receive increased investments to expand its capacity to propagate native plants and provide information pertaining to their care and use in landscape design. Landscape architects will be able to successfully specify native plants at their full potential only after the market overcomes the limitations of an insufficient availability of both plants and information pertaining to their use in the landscape.