Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study protocolStudy protocol : The development of a pilot study employing a randomised controlled design to investigate the feasibility and effects of a peer support program following discharge from a specialist first-episode psychosis treatment centre

Background: Young people with first-episode psychosis (FEP) are at risk of a range of negative outcomes. Specialist FEP services have been developed to provide comprehensive, multi-disciplinary treatment. However, these services are often available for a restricted period and the services that young people may be transferred to are less comprehensive. This represents a risk of drop out from treatment services in a group already considered to be at risk of disengagement. Peer support groups have been shown to improve social relationships among people with psychosis however individual peer support programs have not been tested on young people with first-episode psychosis; nor have they been tested at the point of discharge from services. Methods/design: The study is an 18-month randomised controlled trial being conducted at Orygen Youth Health Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia. The aim of the study is to test the feasibility and effects of a 6-month peer support intervention delivered to young people with FEP over the period of discharge. Participants are young people aged 15-24 who are being discharged from a specialist first-episode psychosis treatment centre. There is a 6-month recruitment period. The intervention comprises two hours of contact per fortnight during which peer support workers can assist participants to engage with their new services, or other social and community activities. Participants will be assessed at baseline and post intervention (6 months). Discussion: This paper describes the development of a randomised-controlled trial which aims to pilot a peer support program among young people who are being discharged from a specialist FEP treatment centre. If effective, the intervention could lead to benefits not only for participants over the discharge period, but for peer support workers as
Verifiable and Privacy Preserving Electronic Voting with Untrusted Machines

Designing a trustworthy voting system that uses electronic voting machines (EVMs) for efficiency and accuracy is a challenging task. It is difficult, if not impossible, to ensure the trustworthiness of EVMs that possess computation, storage, and communication capabilities. Thus an electronic voting system that does not assume trusted EVMs is clearly desirable. In this paper, we have proposed a k-anonymized electronic voting scheme that achieves this goal by assuming a hardware-controlled trusted random number generator external to the EVM. The proposed scheme relies on a k-anonymization technique to protect privacy and resort to joint de-anonymization of the votes for counting. Since the joint de-anonymization takes into account all the votes, it is difficult to manipulate an individual vote, even by the EVM, without being detected. Besides the anonymization technique, the proposed scheme relies on standard cryptographic hashing and the concept of floating receipt to provide end-to-end verifiability that prevents coercion or vote trading.
Distributed Scheduling Algorithm for Multiuser MIMO Downlink with Adaptive Feedback

We propose a distributed scheduling algorithm for multiuser MIMO downlink with adaptive feedback. In this algorithm each mobile station (MS) selects transmission scheme, including beamforming (BF) and spatial multiplexing (SM) according to its channel state and then feeds back channel state information (CSI) adaptively. The base station (BS) receives CSI from each MS and selects user subset based on minimum spatial correlation criteria or system capacity maximization. The proposed user scheduling algorithm is carried out by MSs and BS corporately. The system feedback load depends on each MS’s channel state. Compared with existing schemes the proposed algorithm can achieve high system capacity as well as good BER performance.
Evolution strategies combined with central pattern generators for head motion minimization during quadruped robot locomotion

In autonomous robotics, the head shaking induced by locomotion is a relevant and still not solved problem. This problem constraints stable image acquisition and the possibility to rely on that information to act accordingly. In this article, we propose a movement controller to generate locomotion and head movement. Our aim is to generate the head movement required to minimize the head motion induced by locomotion itself. The movement controllers are biologically inspired in the concept of Central Pattern Generators (CPGs). CPGs are modelled based on nonlinear dynamical systems, coupled Hopf oscillators. This approach allows to explicitly specify parameters such as amplitude, offset and frequency of movement and to smoothly modulate the generated oscillations according to changes in these parameters. Based on these ideas, we propose a combined approach to generate head movement stabilization on a quadruped robot, using CPGs and an evolution strategy. The best set of parameters that generates the head movement are computed by an evolution strategy. Experiments were performed on a simulated AIBO robot. The obtained results demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, by reducing the overall head movement.
"Sensitive But Unclassified" and Other Federal Security Controls on Scientific and Technical Information: History and Current Controversy

This report (1) summarizes provisions of several laws and regulations, including the Patent Law, the Atomic Energy Act, International Traffic in Arms Control regulations, the USA PATRIOT Act (P.L. 107-56), the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-188), and the Homeland Security Act (P.L. 107-296), that permit the federal government to restrict disclosure of scientific and technical information that could harm national security; (2) describes the development of federal controls on “sensitive but unclassified” (SBU) scientific and technical information; (3) summarizes current controversies about White House policy on “Sensitive But Unclassified Information,” and “Sensitive Homeland Security Information” (SHSI) issued in March 2002; and (4) identifies controversial issues which might affect the development of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and agency guidelines for sensitive unclassified information, which are expected to be released during 2003.
Hybrid PWM strategies for power balance in H bridge inverter

This paper presents Hybrid pulse width modulation (HPWM) strategies for single phase H-bridge inverters. The proposed hybrid modulation method is an amalgamation of square wave modulation and pulse width modulation (PWM). The main perspective of this modulation is the reduction of switching losses in addition to inheriting the characteristics of classical PWM strategies and balanced power loss dissipation among the devices in the H-bridge inverter. The proposed controller employs unipolar and inverter sine carrier PWM for PWM circulation and fundamental switching for switching loss reduction. The proposed hybrid PWM strategies are simulated in Matlab r2010b and implemented in a Xilinx Spartan 3E-500 FG320 processor to validate the application of the proposed PWM controller in real world applications.
Mining Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Trends in Social Media

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a ground-breaking biomedical approach to curbing the transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Truvada, the most common form of PrEP, is a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine and is a once-daily oral mediation taken by HIV-seronegative persons at elevated risk for HIV infection. When taken reliably every day, PrEP can reduce one's risk for HIV infection by as much as 99%. While highly efficacious, PrEP is expensive, somewhat stigmatized, and many health care providers remain uninformed about its benefits. Data mining of social media can monitor the spread of HIV in the United States, but no study has investigated PrEP use and sentiment via social media. This paper describes a data mining and machine learning strategy using natural language processing (NLP) that monitors Twitter social media data to identify PrEP discussion trends. Results showed that we can identify PrEP and HIV discussion dynamics over time, and assign PrEP-related tweets positive or negative sentiment. Results can enable public health professionals to monitor PrEP discussion trends and identify strategies to improve HIV prevention via PrEP.
Social Network Structures and Their Impact on Multi-Agent System Dynamics

In studying the dynamic behavior of processes in artificial or natural social systems, a key factor is the topology of the social network structure. It has been shown that real-world social networks tend to have non-random network structure with properties such as short average path length, excess clustering, and skewed degree distributions (Albert & Barabasi 2002; Newman 2003). We show in this paper that the structural nature of the social network of artificial or simulated agents has a significant effect on the performance of the overall system. We conclude that finding ”good” network structures for a particular application domain is critical to modeling artificial social systems and implementing multi-agent systems. We argue that techniques for adapting network structure will be critical in large-scale agent communities.
"Tooth and Truth": Brain Activation During Passive Listening to Concrete and Abstract Nouns

The aim of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to investigate brain activation associated with the auditory perception of concrete and abstract German nouns during a passive listening task. This procedure allows us to investigate inherent linguistic properties common to either concrete or abstract concepts rather than cognitive operations due to the performance of a given specific task. In addition, a new baseline condition (pseudo- speech) was used allowing us to monitor language-relevant activation common to both word types besides the pre-lexical analysis of the speech sound. Fixed effects analyses indicated increased activation of left hemispheric ventromedial prefrontal brain regions specifically responsive to the comprehension of concrete nouns by the current participants. This was interpreted in terms of the multisensory representation of concrete nouns comprising not only elicitation of visual images but also of multimodal sensoric and manipulation-related context. In contrast, abstract nouns did not activate any brain region exclusively. Random effects analyses revealed only very slight differences between concrete and abstract nouns in left ventromedial prefrontal brain activation. This suggests that the passive listening task is not suitable to canalize the higher cognitive variability in processing abstract items which seem to result in less coherent brain activation.
Simplex PCR assay for sex determination in mice.

BENCHMARKS dsDNA was removed from the super-natant (lane 4), which was discarded. The bead-bound dsDNA was denatured in alkaline solution (0.1 M NaOH and 1 mM EDTA) at room temperature for 15 min, and the ssDNA without biotin groups was released in the alkaline solution (lane 5). After neutralization, the ssDNA solution was combined with five volumes of Buffer PB from the MiniElute™ PCR Purification Kit passed through MiniElute columns. The ssDNA was then eluted from the columns with a small volume of 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4 (lane 6). The recovery yield was 85% for this 149-nucleotide ssDNA. The whole procedure could be easily performed in 1 h either manually or by an automation workstation) with a robotic liquid handler, vacuum and manifold, washing unit, and a magnetic plate. Compared to the original protocols (1–3) or other standard methods involving gel purification and ethanol precipitation (4,5), this renovated protocol saves time and effort and is cost-effective (by a dramatic reduction in the use of expensive SA-coated superparamagnetic beads), although additional materials are used. The recovery yield of this protocol is a little lower than that (approximately 95%) of the original ones (1–3) because the binding affinity of silica membrane is weak for short DNA (approximately 75% for an 88-nucleotide ssDNA; data not shown) while alcohol precipitation can effectively recover short nucleic acids from solution. When short ssDNA (60–75 nucleotides) is to be prepared with high recovery yield, instead of using silica membrane, this protocol can be modified by using a molecular sieve column (Sephadex ® G-25; Amersham Biosci-ences, Piscataway, NJ, USA) to desalt. However, the volume of prior alkaline and acid solutions must be reduced to increase the ssDNA concentration.
Biomimetic evaluation of β tricalcium phosphate prepared by hot isostatic pressing

Two types of completely densified β-TCP tablets were synthesized from a stoichiometric β-TCP powder. The first ones (TCP) were conventionally sintered, while the second ones (TCP-T) were sintered and treated by hot isostatic process (HIP). The HIP produced completely densified materials with relative densities greater than 99.9% and a transparent appearance of tablets. Samples were immersed in culture medium with (CM) or without serum (NCM) in static and dynamic conditions for a biomimetic evaluation. Similarly, SaOs-2 cells were cultured on samples in a static or dynamic flow perfusion system. The results of surface transformation in absence of cells showed that the dynamic condition increased the speed of calcium phosphate precipitations compared with the static condition. The morphology of precipitates was different with nature of tablets. The immersion in CM did impede this precipitation. XPS analysis of TCP-T tablets showed the presence of hydroxyapatite (HA) precipitates after incubation in NCM while octacalcium phosphate (OCP) precipitates were formed after incubation in CM. The analysis of the response of SaOs-2 cells on surfaces showed that the two types of materials are biocompatible. However, the dynamic mode of culture stimulated the differentiation of cells. Finally, it appears that the HIP treatment of TCP produces highly densified and transparent samples that display a good in vitro biocompatibility in static and dynamic culture conditions. Moreover, an interesting result of this work is the relationship between the presence of proteins in the immersion medium and the quality of precipitates formed on hipped TCP surface.
Succinct Garbling Schemes and Applications

Assuming the existence of iO for P/poly and one-way functions, we show how to succinctly garble bounded-space computations (BSC) M : the size of the garbled program (as well as the time needed to generate the garbling) only depends on the size and space (including the input and output) complexity of M , but not its running time. The key conceptual insight behind this construction is a method for using iO to “compress” a computation that can be performed piecemeal, without revealing anything about it. As corollaries of our succinct garbling scheme, we demonstrate the following: • functional encryption for BSC from iO for P/poly and one-way functions; • reusable succinct garbling schemes for BSC from iO for P/poly and one-way functions; • succinct iO for BSC from sub-exponentially-secure iO for P/poly and sub-exponentially secure one-way functions; • (Perfect NIZK) SNARGS for bounded space and witness NP from sub-exponentially-secure iO for P/poly and sub-exponentially-secure one-way functions. Previously such primitives were only know to exists based on “knowledge-based” assumptions (such as SNARKs and/or differing-input obfuscation). We finally demonstrate the first (non-succinct) iO for RAM programs with bounded input and output lengths, that has poly-logarithmic overhead, based on the existence of subexponentially-secure iO for P/poly and sub-exponentially-secure one-way functions. ∗University of California at Santa Barbara, Email: huijia@cs.ucsb. edu. †Cornell University, Email: rafael@cs.cornell. edu.
Analysis of the averaging for the dc/ac half-bridge converter and the three-level half-bridge neutral point clamped

Modeling and simulation of power-electronic systems is essential for design and verification of numerous electrical energy systems. Uses of detailed switching models increase the computing time. This paper presents the averaging of the DC/AC half-bridge converter and the three-level half-bridge neutral point clamped (NPC), as well as their computational assembling. The equivalent models are validated through their comparison respect to the full models simulated in the PSCAD software. Results demonstrate that good approximations have been attained.
Product Versus Non-product Oriented Social Media Platforms: Online Consumer Opinion Composition and Evolution

This article examines how different social media platforms affect opinion composition and evolution. We differentiate between product and non-product oriented outlets as they differ in the salience of social cues, thus resulting in distinct user behaviours. We extend prior research in several ways. First, comparing between comments from different types of social media platforms, we show that the product oriented outlets display a tendency to attract polarized opinions. Second, we find that similarity of online comments increases over time, suggesting opinion convergence. Lastly, product oriented outlets facilitate faster assimilation of opinions within the site compared to non-product oriented outlets.
Exploring the Potential of CMP Core Count Management on Data Center Energy Savings

A data center’s power and energy consumption is a crucial design issue, and is often a fundamental determiner of its performance potential. Conventional power/energy management approaches for data centers have focused on uniprocessor rather than multiprocessor servers and on techniques such as Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS). Given the increasing use of chip multiprocessors (CMPs) and the decreasing leverage of DVFS, it is time to re-examine energy and power management possibilities with an eye towards future data center implementations. In particular, it is interesting to consider whether per-core power management techniques on a multi-core chip can offer sufficient leverage, and whether inter-core resource contention on CMPs may influence what sorts of core scheduling techniques make sense. In this paper, we focus on cross-server core count management techniques and evaluate a range of design questions for CMP-based data center power managers. Our results are based on a highly-parameterized simulation environment. We evaluate several possible approaches for selecting the number of cores to use, and selecting how the desired core count should be mapped onto the available CMPs. We evaluate these techniques on a real-world workload representing 24 hours of Facebook requests. For the scenarios considered, total core energy savings of 35% are possible from appropriate core count selection and mapping. Overall, this work represents a high-level view of CMPs as data center servers, and can be a guide for more detailed future studies on power management and server design questions.
Monitoring the dynamics of Src activity in response to anti-invasive dasatinib treatment at a subcellular level using dual intravital imaging

Optimising response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in cancer remains an extensive field of research. Intravital imaging is an emerging tool, which can be used in drug discovery to facilitate and fine-tune maximum drug response in live tumors. A greater understanding of intratumoural delivery and pharmacodynamics of a drug can be obtained by imaging drug target-specific fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensors in real time. Here, we outline our recent work using a Src-FRET biosensor as a readout of Src activity to gauge optimal tyrosine kinase inhibition in response to dasatinib treatment regimens in vivo. By simultaneously monitoring both the inhibition of Src using FRET imaging, and the modulation of the surrounding extracellular matrix using second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging, we were able to show enhanced drug penetrance and delivery to live pancreatic tumors. We discuss the implications of this dual intravital imaging approach in the context of altered tumor-stromal interactions, while summarising how this approach could be applied to assess other combination strategies or tyrosine kinase inhibitors in a preclinical setting.
Self-Reported vs. Objective Measures of Health in Retirement Models

Labor supply estimates are sensitive to the measures of health used. When self reported measures are used health seems to playa larger role and economic factors a smaller one than when more objective measures are used" While most authors have interpreted these results as an indication of the biases inherent in using self-reported measures, there are reasons to be suspicious of estimates based on more objective measures as well. In this paper I construct a statistical model incorporating both self-reported and objective measures of health. I use the model to show the potential biases involved in using either measure of health or in using one to instrument the other- When outside information on the validity of self-reported measures of health are incorporated into the model estimates suggest that the self-reported measures of health perform better than many have believed.
Training, Minimum Wages and the Earnings Distribution

In this paper we highlight the relevance of work-related training to the minimum wage debate. We initially situate training incidence within the broader picture of the earnings distribution in Britain and demonstrate that lower-paid workers are less likely than workers towards the top of the hourly wage distribution to receive work-related training. We then show that work-related training is potentially important from a distributional standpoint, since it significantly increases individuals’ longer-term earning prospects. Next we report empirical results indicating that the introduction in 1999 of a national minimum wage in Britain had a small but statistically significant positive effect on subsequent training incidence for affected workers. In conclusion, we note that the available empirical evidence for Britain shows that minimum wages (i) are associated with a small increase in work-related training for the low paid and (ii) have not adversely affected the employment of British workers. We therefore suggest that the minimum wage has the potential to reduce wages inequality in the longer-term provided that it continues to be set at a level that does not threaten employment. This potential arises not just because of the direct and obvious effect of a minimum wage in increasing wages at the bottom of the distribution, but also through its more indirect effect on work-related training.
Framework for web application agile development

Any system interacting with a data base requires modules capable of operating data stored in it. Its development times generally vary between 50 to 60 % of the time used for the application life cycle. The present paper describes the architecture and characteristics of a Framework for the agile generation of Web Applications, called PHP4DB. Its main objectives are to drastically reduce the job time, minimize errors, and tuning, as well as respect a homogeneous interface between each module. These characteristics allow the development team to focus and make emphasis on the tasks particular to the application domain. For a better understanding of its advantages, some of the projects in which the Framework has been used are presented together with the respective analysis of the results obtained.