Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Review of Information and Communication Technology Enhanced Social Work Interventions

Objectives: Information and communications technology (ICT) has impacted almost all human service disciplines and currently is evolving in social work. This study provides a systematic review of ICT-enhanced social work interventions, with particular reference to their intervention fidelity (IF), validity, and the role of ICT in the helping relationship process. Method: We assessed specific articles published in journals classified under the “Social Work” research area in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI; N = 17). Results: All studies that met specific criteria indicated positive intervention outcomes, most of them were of “good” or “fair” quality in terms of their validity, and almost all of them upheld IF. However, there was room for improvement in the conceptualization component of the ICT intervention application. Conclusions: These ICT-enhanced intervention studies established a foundation to enable unique practice insights to advance social work practice knowledge. Additional practice and research in this area are necessary in order to further our understanding about ICT and their use in social work interventions. Implications are discussed and suggestions are provided.
Scaling a Plagiarism Search Service on the BonFIRE Testbed

The KOPI Online Plagiarism Search Portal - a nationwide plagiarism service in Hungary - is a unique, open service for web users that enables them to check for identical or similar contents between their own documents and the files uploaded by other authors. As our recent result, we can also detect cross-language plagiarism, but with a highly increased computational demand. The paper describes our experiment with the BonFIRE testbed to find a suitable scaling mechanism for translational plagiarism detection in a cloud federation.
Learning Progressions in Instructional Design: Expectations and Practice of Scientists Becoming Teachers in the Preservice and First-Year Settings

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the ways former professional scientists who are learning to become teachers understand the planning and implementation of instructional design 1) while they are in a university program learning to become teachers and 2) during their first year of full-time teaching in a secondary classroom. The study used a grounded theory approach and was informed by multiple classroom observations, lesson planning artifacts, and interviews. It was found that during their methods class the teacher candidates employed both student-centered and backwards design principles. However, once the teacher candidates started teaching full-time, they no longer designed instruction and instead adopted lesson plans from veteran teachers, adapting only small parts to become more student-centered.
Attitudes, Knowledge, and Intentions Related to Breastfeeding Among University Undergraduate Women and Men

The purpose of the current study was to examine university undergraduate women's and men's attitudes and knowledge toward breastfeeding. Data were gathered for 111 women and 50 men. Data showed a significant relationship between positive attitudes toward breastfeeding and exposure to breastfeeding. Women and participants older than 20 years scored higher on measures of knowledge and attitudes. Results indicated that positive attitude toward breastfeeding was a significant predictor of intention to breastfeed among women and men. In conclusion, the results suggest that understanding attitudes among young adults is an important line of research. Further studies are needed to develop and evaluate interventions aimed at improving attitudes about breastfeeding and increasing initiation of breastfeeding among this population. J Hum Lact. 24(2):186-192. El propósito de este estudio fue examinar actitudes y conocimientos sobre lactancia materna de las mujeres y hombres cursando estudios universitarios. Los datos se tomaron de 111 mujeres y 50 hombres. Los datos mostraron una relación significativa entre las actitudes positivas hacia la lactancia materna y exposición a lactancia materna. Las mujeres y participantes mayores de 20 años tenían puntajes más altos en la medición de conocimiento y actitudes. Los resultados indican que una actitud positiva hacia la lactancia materna fue un factor significativo precursor de la intención de lactancia materna entre hombres y mujeres. En conclusión, los resultados sugieren que el entendimiento de las actitudes de los adultos jóvenes es un área importante de investigación. Se necesitan más estudios para desarrollar y evaluar intervenciones dirigidas a mejorar las actitudes sobre lactancia materna e incrementar la iniciación de la lactancia materna en esta población.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Identification of the regulatory elements controlling the transmission stage-specific gene expression of PAD1 in Trypanosoma brucei

Trypanosomatid parasites provide an extreme model for the posttranscriptional control of eukaryotic gene expression. However, most analysis of their differential gene regulation has focussed on comparisons between life-cycle stages that exist in the blood of mammalian hosts and tsetse flies, the parasite’s vector. These environments differ acutely in their temperature, and nutritional, metabolic and molecular composition. In the bloodstream, however, a more exquisitely regulated developmental step occurs: the production of trans-missible stumpy forms from proliferative slender forms. This transition occurs in the relatively homogenous bloodstream environment, with stumpy-specific gene expression being repressed until accumulation of a proposed parasite-derived signal, stumpy induction factor. Here, we have dissected the regulatory signals that repress the expression of the stumpy-specific surface transporter PAD1 in slender forms. Using transgenic parasites capable of stumpy formation we show that PAD1 -repression is mediated by its 3 0 -untranslated region. Dissection of this region in monomorphic slender forms and pleomorphic slender and stumpy forms has revealed that two regulatory regions co-operate to repress PAD1 expression, this being alleviated on exposure to SIF in pleomorphs or cAMP analogues that act as stumpy induction factor mimics in monomorphs. These studies identify elements that regulate trypanosome gene expression during development in their mammalian host. that must also operate to alleviate repression mediated through the distal region. In pleomorphic cells, both proximal and distal elements exhibit an alleviation of repression in stumpy forms.
Rapid model exploration for complex hierarchical data: application to pharmacokinetics of insulin aspart

We consider situations, which are common in medical statistics, where we have a number of sets of response data, from different individuals, say, potentially under different conditions. A parametric model is defined for each set of data, giving rise to a set of random effects. Our goal here is to efficiently explore a range of possible ‘population’ models for the random effects, to select the most appropriate model. The range of possible models is potentially vast, because the random effects may depend on observed covariates, and there may be multiple credible ways of partitioning their variability. Here, we consider pharmacokinetic (PK) data on insulin aspart, a fast acting insulin analogue used in the treatment of diabetes. PK models are typically nonlinear (in their parameters), often complex and sometimes only available as a set of differential equations, with no closed‐form solution. Fitting such a model for just a single individual can be a challenging task. Fitting a joint model for all individuals can be even harder, even without the complication of an overarching model selection objective. We describe a two‐stage approach that decouples the population model for the random effects from the PK model applied to the response data but nevertheless fits the full, joint, hierarchical model, accounting fully for uncertainty. This allows us to repeatedly reuse results from a single analysis of the response data to explore various population models for the random effects. This greatly expedites not only model exploration but also cross‐validation for the purposes of model criticism. © 2015 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Generalized belief propagation algorithm for the capacity of multi-dimensional run-length limited constraints

The performance of the generalized belief propagation algorithm for computing the noiseless capacity of finite-sized two-dimensional and three-dimensional run-length limited constraints is investigated. For each constraint, a method is proposed to choose a set of clusters. Simulation results for different sizes of channels with different constraints are reported. Convergence to the Shannon capacity is also discussed.
A Mathematical Model of the Olfactory Bulb for the Selective Adaptation Mechanism in the Rodent Olfactory System

To predict the odor quality of an odorant mixture, the interaction between odorants must be taken into account. Previously, an experiment in which mice discriminated between odorant mixtures identified a selective adaptation mechanism in the olfactory system. This paper proposes an olfactory model for odorant mixtures that can account for selective adaptation in terms of neural activity. The proposed model uses the spatial activity pattern of the mitral layer obtained from model simulations to predict the perceptual similarity between odors. Measured glomerular activity patterns are used as input to the model. The neural interaction between mitral cells and granular cells is then simulated, and a dissimilarity index between odors is defined using the activity patterns of the mitral layer. An odor set composed of three odorants is used to test the ability of the model. Simulations are performed based on the odor discrimination experiment on mice. As a result, we observe that part of the neural activity in the glomerular layer is enhanced in the mitral layer, whereas another part is suppressed. We find that the dissimilarity index strongly correlates with the odor discrimination rate of mice: r = 0.88 (p = 0.019). We conclude that our model has the ability to predict the perceptual similarity of odorant mixtures. In addition, the model also accounts for selective adaptation via the odor discrimination rate, and the enhancement and inhibition in the mitral layer may be related to this selective adaptation.
Rethinking the Social Construction of Technology through ‘Following the Actors’: A Reappraisal of Technological Frames

In this paper, I summarize case study research on an information system called Connected Kids. This case study was guided by an approach to technology studies called the ‘Social construction of technology’ or SCOT Pinch and Bijker (1984). In discussing Connected Kids, I illustrate many of SCOT's main tenents, e.g. the various social interactions that surround and influence technology design. As the paper progresses, however, I focus on one concept in particular, that being SCOT's notion of a ‘technological frame,’ which is used as a catch-all concept for handling the structural influences in technology design. My discussion and illustration of this concept shows that – whilst technological frames help an analyst understand, in general terms, the role structure(s) play in shaping technology – the ‘heterogeneity’ of technological frames can cloak the more obvious, and potentially most influential, forces at work in technology design. In the case of Connected kids, the role of resources, and which actors had access to these resources, was critical in pointing Connected Kids down a particular trajectory. Further, this discovery emerged from listening carefully to respondents’ comments on the role of resources in their community. These comments, and my own observations on how resource-access propelled certain actors into a leadership position, led to my developing an alternative method for analyzing technological frames. The implications of this analysis are then discussed within the context of SCOT and technology studies more generally.
The political dimension of multicultural social work education

Summary This article explores the forces altering the political dimension of social work in one specific sphere – multicultural social work education. Politics in social work is those relationships and activities that reflect power and value differences, and which influence critical decisions about the distribution of resources, rights, access, opportunities and status (Reisch & Jani, 2012). We present and discuss the findings of a qualitative study of in-depth interviews with 25 Israeli social work educators. Findings Data analysis indicated three processes in which the political dimension is excluded from professional discourse: giving precedence to a micro perspective over a macro approach; excluding the ‘other’ while gaining knowledge about him; and placing conflictual relations between groups outside the boundaries of discourse. Applications Silencing ‘the political’ does not challenge social gaps and keeps social workers and their clients controlled by a wide range of oppressive and reductive forces. Examining these processes of silencing may facilitate a moral and ethical connection between knowledge and professional action. Multicultural social work education can be a rich and accessible framework for dealing with ‘the political’, relying on reflective pedagogical practices that are anti-oppressive and critical. Such practices enable problematization and politicization of multicultural discourse.
The I.M.O.G.E.N.E. Machine: Some Hardware Elements

The goal of the I.M. O.G. E.N. E. project is to define a real time graphics system. We focus on true real time display, images being computed at frame rate, i.e 50 (or 60) times a second. The I.M. O.G. E.N. E. machine uses no frame buffer. We use a massive object parallelism; the graphics module is made of a large number of object-processors, each one handling one graphics primitive at pixel rate in rasterscan order. Shading computations are made in a deferred shading processor using Phong's method. After a brief presentation of Object-Oriented Architectures, we present new details about the hardware implementation of our Object Processors, and describe for the first time the shading processor.
On-board optical image compression for future high-resolution remote sensing systems

Future high resolution instruments planned by CNES to succeed SPOT5 will lead to higher bit rates because of the increase in both resolution and number of bits per pixel, not compensated by the reduced swatch. Data compression is then needed, with compression ratio goals higher than the 2.81 SPOT5 value obtained with a JPEG like algorithm. Compression ratio should rise typically to 4 - 6 values, with artifacts remaining unnoticeable: SPOT5 algorithm performances have clearly to be outdone. On another hand, in the framework of optimized and low cost instruments, noise level will increase. Furthermore, the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) and the sampling grid will be fitted together, to -- at least roughly -- satisfy Shannon requirements. As with the Supermode sampling scheme of the SPOT5 Panchromatic band, the images will have to be restored (deconvolution and denoising) and that renders the compression impact assessment much more complex. This paper is a synthesis of numerous studies evaluating several data compression algorithms, some of them supposing that the adaptation between sampling grid and MTF is obtained by the quincunx Supermode scheme. The following points are analyzed: compression decorrelator (DCT, LOT, wavelet, lifting), comparison with JPEG2000 for images acquired on a square grid, compression fitting to the quincunx sampling and on board restoration (before compression) versus on ground restoration. For each of them, we describe the proposed solutions, underlining the associated complexity and comparing them from a quantitative and qualitative point of view, giving the results of experts analyses.
A method to determine the injected real power into an IC Pin in case of a conducted immunity EMC test

The direct power injection (DPI) measurement method is an internationally accepted technique to verify the robustness of an integrated circuit (IC) against an injected RF signal. The requirements of this measurement method respecting the setup is fixed in the international standard IEC 62132-4 [1]. In this paper a method is presented which allows to determine the real power injection into the IC pin by considering the influence of the required test printed circuit board (PCB). To apply this method only the transmitted and reflected RF power, the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), which are already locked during the DPI test, and the scattering parameters (S-parameters) of the PCB injection path are needed. How to use the available measurement results and how to determine the required S-parameters of the PCB injection path is described in this paper.
Relationship of Presage, Context, and Process Variables to ALT–PE of Elementary Level Mainstreamed Students

Classroom processes were analyzed to study the effectiveness of main-streaming in physical education. Thirty teachers and 30 mainstreamed handicapped students were videotaped in elementary school P.E. classes. Data on their classroom behavior were coded using standard systematic ALT–PE “effective teaching” observation practices. There were many favorable classroom processes to indicate that mainstreaming was a good context for both handicapped and nonhandicapped students (e.g., comparable ALT–PE percentages and a more positive than negative interaction between teacher and student). Variables most predictive of ALT–PE were interruptions in class and whether a teacher was itinerant or not.
A broadly neuroprotective derivative of curcumin

The plant polyphenolic curcumin alters the response of nerve cells to some forms of toxic stress. The steroid‐like compound, cyclohexyl bisphenol A, has broad neuroprotective properties that are very distinct from those of curcumin. To incorporate both families of biological activities into a single molecule, a pyrazole derivative of curcumin, called CNB‐001, was synthesized. CNB‐001 acquires a new activity and is far superior in neuroprotection assays to either parental molecule, but retains some of the properties of both. It is neuroprotective in cell culture assays for trophic factor withdrawal, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and glucose starvation, as well as toxicity from both intracellular and extracellular amyloid. While the creation of CNB‐001 was based upon an uncommon approach to drug design, it has the potential of a lead drug candidate for treating multiple conditions involving nerve cell death.
On transmitter design in power constrained LQG control

We consider a linear dynamic system to be controlled using feedback information that has to be transmitted over a power constrained channel with additive noise. We propose a novel approach to the transmitter design in order to minimize the cost function for the linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control problem when the standard state estimator and linear controller are used. We show that the well known lower bound on transmit power is tight for our solution and derive a transmission scheme that achieves this lower bound.
Policy Shaping from Simulated Critique in Domains with Multiple Optimal Policies

In many domains, there exist multiple ways for an agent to achieve optimal performance. Feedback may be provided along one or more of them to aid learning. In this work, we evaluate the interactive reinforcement learning algorithm Policy Shaping in domains with multiple optimal policies. We codify different feedback strategies as automated oracles and analyze their effect on the agent’s learning performance. Our experiments show that the best feedback strategy depends on certain domain characteristics, such as risk during exploration, number of optimal policies and stochasticity. The feedback strategy employed has a statistically significant effect on the agent performance across domains. Thus, it is important to take these considerations into account while learning from simulated oracles or human critique.
Synchronized laser micromanipulation of microtools for assembly of microbeads and indirect manipulation of microbe

A laser micromanipulation is suitable for non contact manipulation of a microscopic object, such as a bacteria and microbe, in the closed space. Here we propose the Synchronized Laser Micromanipulation (SLM) for the trajectory control of the multiple targets by the single laser. We used the laser scanning system for high speed transportation of multiple objects. Condition for secure transportation was derived and verified through the experiment. Using the SLM, we can manipulate multiple microbeads with each designed trajectories. We assembled a band of 4 adhesive microbeads. Both ends are trapped, and it is manipulated by the SLM. It is possible to transport the microbe by the indirect manipulation of the assembled microstructure by the SLM. Experiment results are shown here.
A Closer Look at the Soft X-Ray Transient X1608–52: Long-Term Optical and X-Ray Observations

We report long-term simultaneous optical and (RXTE) X-ray observations of the soft X-ray transient and low-mass X-ray binary X1608-52 spanning from 1999 to 2001. In addition to the usual X-ray outburst and quiescent states, X1608-52 also exhibits an extended low-intensity state, during which the optical counterpart, QX Nor, is found to be about 2 mag brighter than during quiescence. We detect optical photometric variability on a possible period of 0.5370 days with a semiamplitude of ~0.27 mag in the I band. The modulation could be orbital but is also consistent with a scenario invoking a superhump with decreasing period. We discuss the possibilities of distinguishing between the orbital- and superhump-period cases. Observations of QX Nor during quiescence indicate an F- to G-type main-sequence secondary, while theoretical considerations argue for an evolved mass donor. Only an evolved mass donor would satisfy the condition for the occurrence of superhumps.
A near-lossless spread spectrum watermarking technique for remote sensing imagery

Watermarking represents a potentially effective tool for the protection and verification of ownership rights in remotely sensed imagery. This latter requires however that the image quality degradation due to watermark embedding should be very limited. In this paper, we propose to adapt the spread spectrum method described in [1] to render the watermark insertion process near lossless while keeping most of its effective robustness capability. This is carried out by inserting the watermark in the middle-frequency range of the DCT domain instead of the lowfrequency range as done in [1]. The exact position of the insertion is determined by means of a numerical root-finding method to meet a user-specified minimum level of robustness against a given ensemble of attacks. Experimental results obtained on a multispectral remote sensing image show that the proposed method allows to trade a contained loss of robustness with a significant gain of image quality quantified in terms of both PSNR and impact on classification accuracy. In addition, they reveal an interesting property of the watermark insertion shifting into the middle-frequency range that consists in a sharp increase of the robustness to the widely used cropping operation.