Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive strategies for locomotor navigation in normal development and cerebral palsy

Visual–spatial impairment is a fundamental disorder in cerebral palsy (CP). However, current spatial testing is restricted to reaching space, whereas navigational space is seldom assessed. The Magic Carpet test, derived from the Corsi Block‐tapping Task (CBT) for visual–spatial memory, is a new developmental test for navigation. The performances of the Magic Carpet test and CBT were assessed in 17 children with unilateral and bilateral spastic CP. The results were compared with an equal number of typically developing children, matched for age and sex. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of children with CP were scored according to a newly validated semi‐quantitative classification. CBT span was significantly lower in CP, especially in bilateral forms, than in the comparison group, whereas the Magic Carpet test span did not significantly differ between the groups. CBT span, but not the Magic Carpet span, was related to gestational age at birth and to basic visual function. Both the CBT span and the Magic Carpet test were related to overall right‐hemispheric impairment. In addition, CBT correlated with right periventricular impairment. In CP, navigation is differently impaired than visual spatial memory, and less tightly related to preterm birth, basic visual function, and deep white matter injury. The exploration of navigational space could prove useful in enhancing spatial representation and reference‐frame manipulation in CP.
Custom code generation for soft processors

Embedded systems designers that use FPGAs are increasingly including soft processors in their designs (configurable processors built in the programmable logic of the FPGA). While there has been a significant amount of research on adding custom instructions and accelerators to soft processors, these are typically used to extend an unmodified base ISA targeted by generic compilation such as with unmodified gcc. In this paper we explore several opportunities for the compiler to optimize the code generated for soft processors through application-specific customization of the base ISA---techniques that are orthogonal to adding custom instructions. In particular we explore: (i) low level software-hardware trade-offs between basic instructions; (ii) the utility of ISA-specific features---in particular for the delay slots and Hi/Lo registers in the MIPS ISA; and (iii) application specific register management. We find that through these techniques that have no hardware cost we can improve the area efficiency of soft processors by 12% on average across a suite of benchmarks, and by up to 47% in the best case.
Enabling technologies for future learning scenarios: the semantic grid for human learning

In this paper, starting from the limitations and constrains of traditional human learning approaches, we outline new suitable approaches to education and training in future knowledge based society. In our vision, learning and teaching are no longer standalone activities but complex, conversational and experiential-based processes implying collaboration, direct experience, mutual trust and shared interests. We identify characteristics of the environments suitable for these processes, and we compare different enabling technology infrastructures in order to justify why the semantic grid for human learning, that is a particular enhanced instance of the traditional semantic grid, is the most appropriate infrastructure to build our vision on. Finally, we present a realistic learning scenario as a case study, proving the effectiveness of our innovative learning approaches for future education and training.
Cascading Behavior in Large Blog Graphs Patterns and a model

How do blogs cite and influence each other? How do such links evolve? Does the popularity of old blog posts drop exponentially with time? These are some of the questions that we address in this work. Our goal is to build a model that generates realistic cascades, so that it can help us with link prediction and outlier detection. Blogs (weblogs) have become an important medium of information because of their timely publication, ease of use, and wide availability. In fact, they often make headlines, by discussing and discovering evidence about political events and facts. Often blogs link to one another, creating a publicly available record of how information and influence spreads through an underlying social network. Aggregating links from several blog posts creates a directed graph which we analyze to discover the patterns of information propagation in blogspace, and thereby understand the underlying social network. Here we report some surprising findings of the blog linking and information propagation structure, after we analyzed one of the largest available datasets, with 45, 000 blogs and ≈ 2.2 million blog-postings. Our analysis also sheds light on how rumors, viruses, and ideas propagate over social and computer networks. We also present a simple model that mimics the spread of information on the blogosphere, and produces information cascades very similar to those found in real life.
High-reliability and harmonic-sharing dual parallel topology for active power filter

This paper chooses the proportional resonant controller for the controlling of Active Power Filter, and proposed a new control topology for dual parallel APF application. The APF_I near the load side employs the proportional resonant controller to compensate the 5th, 11th, 17th and 23rd harmonics; The APF_II near the system side also employs the proportional resonant controller to compensate the 7th, 13th, 19th and 25th harmonics. Both APF_I and APF_II choose the system side harmonic current for feedback control, and also have fast dynamic response due to the proportional resonant controllers. Compared with traditional dual parallel APF, this topology let two parallel APFs have different compensation characteristic, which could compensate selected harmonics and realize harmonic sharing. When one of them is out of working, the other APF could still compensate almost half of all harmonics. Proposed parallel system has advantage for system expansion, cost saving and power-rate improving. The circuit currents for different harmonics are also discussed. This paper analysis the system characteristic and design the system configuration and control parameters. The simulation on MATLAB/simulink also demonstrates the validity and superiority of proposed system configuration and control strategy.
GRADIENT FLOWS AND RATE-INDEPENDENT EVOLUTIONS: A VARIATIONAL APPROACH

The course will give a brief overview of the variational theory for gradient flows and rate-independent evolutions, trying to focus on the most important aspects: variational approximations, convergence results, energy-dissipation inequalities and metric characterization for gradient flows; energetic descriptions, BV solutions and optimal jump transitions, viscous approximations in the case of rate-independent evolutions. Some useful tools of convex and metric analysis will also be recalled. Here is a more detailed description of the topics and a few references.
A Millimeter Wave High-Isolation Diplexer Using Selectivity-Improved Dual-Mode Filters

This letter presents an alternative method to realize millimeter wave waveguide diplexers based on high selectivity bandpass filters. A small perturbation is implemented in a dual-mode circular cavity to expand the bandwidth and significantly enhance the selectivity of the channel filter. The location of a transmission zero can be easily adjusted by properly changing the angle of a perturbing notch etched at sidewall of the cavity. A V-band diplexer prototype has been fabricated and tested. The experiment results showed good agreement with simulation results. The designed diplexer has the advantages of simple design process, quasi-planar structure, high isolation, and improved selectivity without any additional mechanical tuning element.
Accommodations on High-Stakes Writing Tests for Students with Disabilities. Research Report. RR-04-13.

With the addition of a writing component to many high-stakes tests (e.g., college admission tests and high school exit exams), a review of writing accommodations for students with disabilities becomes critical. This paper reviews the accommodation policies of 20 states with high school exit exams of writing and three testing organizations that administer high-stakes tests that assess writing. In addition, this paper reviews existing research on testing accommodations, specifically those that focus on writing assessments. A section on assistive technologies for writing is also included, because these technologies are becoming more widely used and are likely to be requested as testing accommodations. Finally, recommendations for needed research are provided.
Computational Model Explains High Activity and Rapid Cycling of Rho GTPases within Protein Complexes

Formation of multiprotein complexes on cellular membranes is critically dependent on the cyclic activation of small GTPases. FRAP-based analyses demonstrate that within protein complexes, some small GTPases cycle nearly three orders of magnitude faster than they would spontaneously cycle in vitro. At the same time, experiments report concomitant excess of the activated, GTP-bound form of GTPases over their inactive form. Intuitively, high activity and rapid turnover are contradictory requirements. How the cells manage to maximize both remains poorly understood. Here, using GTPases of the Rab and Rho families as a prototype, we introduce a computational model of the GTPase cycle. We quantitatively investigate several plausible layouts of the cycling control module that consist of GEFs, GAPs, and GTPase effectors. We explain the existing experimental data and predict how the cycling of GTPases is controlled by the regulatory proteins in vivo. Our model explains distinct and separable roles that the activating GEFs and deactivating GAPs play in the GTPase cycling control. While the activity of GTPase is mainly defined by GEF, the turnover rate is a sole function of GAP. Maximization of the GTPase activity and turnover rate places conflicting requirements on the concentration of GAP. Therefore, to achieve a high activity and turnover rate at once, cells must carefully maintain concentrations of GEFs and GAPs within the optimal range. The values of these optimal concentrations indicate that efficient cycling can be achieved only within dense protein complexes typically assembled on the membrane surfaces. We show that the concentration requirement for GEF can be dramatically reduced by a GEF-activating GTPase effector that can also significantly boost the cycling efficiency. Interestingly, we find that the cycling regimes are only weakly dependent on the concentration of GTPase itself.
Role-playing for more realistic technical skills training

Clinical skills are an important and necessary part of clinical competence. Simulation plays an important role in many fields of medical education. Although role-playing is common in communication training, there are no reports about the use of student role-plays in the training of technical clinical skills. This article describes an educational intervention with analysis of pre- and post-intervention self-selected student survey evaluations. After one term of skills training, a thorough evaluation showed that the skills-lab training did not seem very realistic nor was it very demanding for trainees. To create a more realistic training situation and to enhance students’ involvement, case studies and role-plays with defined roles for students (i.e. intern, senior consultant) were introduced into half of the sessions. Results of the evaluation in the second term showed that sessions with role-playing were rated significantly higher than sessions without role-playing.
Fast Translation Invariant Classification of (HRR) Range Profiles in a Zero Phase Representation

The authors describe a new method for aligning high resolution radar (HRR) range profiles for classification purposes. They describe the effects of translational range migration on the phase of the Fourier transformed profiles, and show how the problem of finding an absolute alignment of HRR profiles can be described as a problem in phase estimation. Using this description, they propose a new alignment method, the time-smoothed zero phase representation, which they compare to existing alignment methods in terms of classification performance. Classification is performed using a training set of simulated profiles to classify both simulated and measured test profiles. The proposed method has two main advantages compared to those described in the known literature. Since translation invariance is achieved early on in the classification process, it becomes possible to use more advanced feature extraction methods. Furthermore, the computational cost of classification is considerably lower compared to traditional alignment methods based on cross-correlation.
Reconstruction of nonuniformly sampled bandlimited signals by means of digital fractional delay filters

This paper considers the problem of reconstructing a class of nonuniformly sampled bandlimited signals of which a special case occurs in, e.g., time-interleaved analog-to-digital converter (ADC) systems due to time-skew errors. To this end, we propose a synthesis system composed or digital fractional delay filters. The overall system (i.e., nonuniform sampling and the proposed synthesis system) can be viewed as a generalization of time-interleaved ADC systems to which the former reduces as a special case. Compared with existing reconstruction techniques, our method has major advantages from an implementation point of view. To be precise, (1) we can perform the reconstruction as well as desired (in a certain sense) by properly designing the digital fractional delay filters, and (2) if properly implemented, the fractional delay filters need not be redesigned in case the time skews are changed. The price to pay for these attractive features is that we need to use a slight oversampling. It should be stressed, however, that the oversampling factor is less than two as compared with the Nyquist rate. The paper includes error and quantization noise analysis. The former is useful in the analysis of the quantization noise and when designing practical fractional delay filters approximating the ideal filters.
Methadone Maintenance Patients’ Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Experiences Concerning Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences (KABE) of 64 HCV antibody positive methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients were assessed in conjunction with acceptability of an on-site semi-structured HCV education session, HCV RNA diagnostic testing, HCV treatment motivational assessment, and initiation of HCV treatment. The KABE interviews were conducted in 2006 and 2007 in an urban New York State MMT clinic in affiliation with a NIDA-funded HCV research project. The majority had basic knowledge of HCV disease, but poor understanding of HCV testing and treatment. While the majority of participants expressed fear of HCV treatment side effects, 88%% accepted HCV RNA testing and 78%% expressed willingness to start HCV treatment with the majority of chronically infected choosing to start HCV treatment medications. Study limitations and implications are discussed.
Heavy drinking in early adulthood and outcomes at mid life

Background Heavy drinking in early adulthood among Blacks, but not Whites, has been found to be associated with more deleterious health outcomes, lower labor market success and lower educational attainment at mid-life. This study analysed psychosocial pathways underlying racial differences in the impact of early heavy alcohol use on occupational and educational attainment at mid-life. Methods Outcomes in labor market participation, occupational prestige and educational attainment were measured in early and mid-adulthood. A mixture model was used to identify psychosocial classes that explain how race-specific differences in the relationship between drinking in early adulthood and occupational outcomes in mid-life operate. Data came from Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, a longitudinal epidemiologic study. Results Especially for Blacks, heavy drinking in early adulthood was associated with a lower probability of being employed in mid-life. Among employed persons, there was a link between heavy drinking for both Whites and Blacks and decreased occupational attainment at mid-life. We grouped individuals into three distinct distress classes based on external stressors and indicators of internally generated stress. Blacks were more likely to belong to the higher distressed classes as were heavy drinkers in early adulthood. Stratifying the data by distress class, relationships between heavy drinking, race and heavy drinking–race interactions were overall weaker than in the pooled analysis. Conclusions Disproportionate intensification of life stresses in Blacks renders them more vulnerable to long-term effects of heavy drinking.
An Ultra Compact Watt-Level Ka-Band Stacked-FET Power Amplifier

An ultra-compact watt-level Ka-band monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifier (PA) is demonstrated using a 0.15 μm Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) stacked field effect transistor (stacked-FETs) configuration. The fabricated PA exhibits 31.5 dBm output power, 17 dB gain and 33% power added efficiency (PAE). The bandwidth is from 26 GHz to 31 GHz. The PA achieves 0.7 Watt/mm2 power density at 28 GHz. To the best of our knowledge, this PA achieves the highest power density among reported GaAs Ka-band PAs.
Research and Development of a Novel Insecticide 'pyridalyl'

Pyridalyl was discovered and has been under worldwide development by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. It was already registered in some Asian countries in 2004, including Japan. This novel insecticide exerts excellent control against various lepidopterous and thysanopterous pests on cotton and vegetables. Many existing insecticide-resistant strains of lepidopterous pests can be adequately controlled by pyridalyl as well as susceptible strains. Since pyridalyl develops quite unique insecticidal symptoms, it is considered that pyridalyl has a different mode of action from any other existing insecticide. Its excellent safety to mammals and various beneficial arthropods would provide us with an important tool in IPM (Integrated Pest Management).
Mastery of postprostatectomy incontinence and impotence: his work, her work, our work.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe couples' experiences of postprostatectomy incontinence and impotence. DESIGN Descriptive, qualitative. SETTING Northeastern U.S. metropolitan area. SAMPLE Subsample of 20 (10 control and 10 intervention) couples from a large quantitative clinical trial of a Standardized Nursing Intervention Protocol (SNIP) postprostatectomy. METHODS Interviews were conducted using a semistructured guide. Data were analyzed using grounded theory techniques. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLE Couples' experiences of coping with postprostatectomy incontinence and impotence. FINDINGS Managing postprostatectomy incontinence and impotence required work. Men's work focused on regaining mastery and encompassed understanding incontinence as healing, mastering incontinence, networking, confronting impotence and putting it into perspective, and prioritizing. Wives were supportive by managing anxiety, encouraging mastery, putting impotence into perspective, and reassuring their spouses. Established routines brought couples through the experience together while strengthening intimacy. SNIP couples found the nurses to be sources of information, support, and affirmation. CONCLUSIONS Couples worked to deal with postprostatectomy incontinence and impotence within the context of surviving cancer and maintaining a loving relationship. This gave unique meaning to their symptoms and led the couples to value the fact that the men were alive and work toward regaining mastery. Mastery emerged as a key concept from the findings. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE Nurses can gain from an enhanced understanding of postprostatectomy incontinence and impotence as meaningful within the greater context of patients having had cancer. Nurses can hasten couples' abilities to regain a sense of mastery by providing information, supporting couples' work, providing positive affirmation, and being available.
An Additional Regulatory Gene for Actinorhodin Production in Streptomyces lividans Involves a LysR-Type Transcriptional Regulator

ABSTRACT The sequence of a 4.8-kbp DNA fragment adjacent to the right-hand end of the actinorhodin biosynthetic (act) cluster downstream of actVB-orf6 from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) reveals six complete open reading frames, namedorf7 to orf12. The deduced amino acid sequences from orf7, orf10, and orf11 show significant similarities with the following products in the databases: a putative protein from the S. coelicolor SCP3 plasmid, LysR-type transcriptional regulators, and proteins belonging to the family of short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases, respectively. The deduced product of orf8 reveals low similarities with several methyltransferases from different sources, whileorf9 and orf12 products show no similarities with other known proteins. Disruptions of orf10 andorf11 genes in S. coelicolor appear to have no significant effect on the production of actinorhodin. Nevertheless, disruption or deletion of orf10 in Streptomyces lividans causes actinorhodin overproduction. The introduction of extra copies of orf10 and orf11 genes in anS. coelicolor actIII mutant restores the ability to produce actinorhodin. Transcriptional analysis and DNA footprinting indicate that Orf10 represses its own transcription and regulatesorf11 transcription, expression of which might require the presence of an unknown inducer. No DNA target for Orf10 protein was found within the act cluster.
Empirical Studies of Software Process Assessment Methods * †

There are now many methods for assessing the maturity and capabilities of software engineering organizations. Assessment scores are being used in making the contract award decision by the U.S. Navy [Ru93] and Air Force [SK95], as well as in commercial organizations [MC96]. Furthermore, conformance to process standards such as ISO 9001, as determined during an audit, is a necessity for doing business in many European countries. Software process assessments are also an essential element of the self-improvement cycle for many organizations (e.g., see[Ba96][Dy95]).