Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gender Differences in Adolescents' Possible Selves

The purpose of the study was to better understand gender differences in global self-esteem at adolescence by examining the content of and gender differences within adolescents' “possible selves. ” Possible selves are self-conceptions about both what an individual hopes to become and fears becoming. Results support the hypothesis that adolescents are able to access and report a vast array of possible selves. As hypothesized, female adolescents rated feared possible selves as more likely than boys. Girls accessed more feared possible selves related to relational functioning, whereas boys generated more feared possible selves related to occupation, general failure, and inferiority. No gender differences in likelihood or content of hoped-for possible selves were demonstrated. Results indicate that differences in boys' and girls' self-views may be rooted in the experienced importance and likelihood of feared selves. Implications for assessment and treatment addressing adolescent self-esteem are discussed.
City sensing: visualising mobile and social data about a city scale event

Streams of information flow through our cities thanks to: their progressive instrumentation with diverse sensors, a wide adoption of smart phones and social networks, and a growing open release of datasets. City Data Fusion project investigates techniques to visualise the pulse of our cities in real-time by fusing and making sense of all those information flows. It exploits visual data analytics, semantic technologies, and streaming databases. In this poster, we offer insights on City Sensing: an early result of City Data Fusion that allows to visually analyse city scale events such as Milano Design Week.
Preparation of nested deletions in single-strand DNA using oligonucleotides containing partially random base sequences

The following is a simple procedure for the preparation of nested unidirectional deletions in single-strand DNA. The strategy which is utilized is outlined in Figure 1. Although the strategy is shown for a single-strand DNA prepared from an M13mpl8 recombinant in which the inserted DNA is cloned into the multiple cloning site upstream of the HindHl site, other vectors yielding single-strand DNA and other restriction sites can also be used. In the first step of the strategy (Figure 1) a mixture of oligonucleotides (sequence 5'CGACGGCCAGTGCCAAGCTXXXXXT3' with X consisting of all four bases) which is complementary to the HindW recognition site and adjacent 3' sequences in the M13mpl8 multiple cloning site is hybridized to the single-strand DNA. Next, single-strand DNA binding protein (SBP) is added to the mixture to block any nonspecific digestion by restriction endonuclease (1). HindHl is then added to linearize the DNA by specific digestion at the oligonucleotide targeted Hindin site. Unidirectional deletions are introduced into the 3' end of the linear DNA by T4 DNA polymerase. In the absence of added nucleotides T4 DNA polymerase acts as a 3' to 5' exonuclease (2). After the appropriate amount of digestion for the size of deletions desired, the DNA is purified and then ligated with T4 DNA ligase in the presence of the same mixture of oligonucleotides used to direct endonuclease digestion. T4 DNA ligase will relatively efficiently ligate single-strand DNA if the ends of the DNA to be ligated are held in apposition by a complementary strand of DNA. In this strategy the partially random oligonucleotides (the ligamers) are used to hold the ends of the deleted single-strand DNA for ligation. Since all of the oligonucleotides can hybridize to the MndTH site and all possible combinations of sequences are present in the partially random region of the ligamers, it is theoretically possible to ligate the HindUl site in the single-strand DNA to deletions terminating at any sequence generated by the T4 DNA polymerase exonuclease activity.
Describing and Reasoning on the Composition of Grid Services Using Pi-Calculus

Composition of grid services combines two or more grid services to achieve the desired computing goals, which is becoming important in application from electronic commerce to application interoperation. Numerous frameworks have been proposed for the grid service composition; however, the fundamental research about the essential semantic specification of grid service composition has not been addressed. The imbalance development between the theory and the industry will directly affect QoS. Therefore, the research work on how to formalize and verify the behavior of composite grid services is imperative. Formal approaches offer an effective and unambiguous way to model, represent and verify the grid service composition. Under this premise, we attempt to use the pi-calculus to depict the dynamic, concurrent and interactive characteristic of grid service composition. A novel grid service composition signature has been proposed in this paper. Furthermore, based on the expansion to the pi-calculus, we presented the algebraic foundation of the model and formally semantic specification for the dynamic binding and interactive concurrency of the grid service composition.
Wideband tunable meander-line loaded antenna with dual-mode capability in V/UHF frequencies

Wideband and multi-band antennas which have small physical sizes are interesting in many wireless applications. In this paper, a wideband meander-line loaded antenna with frequency tunable capability in V/UHF band is introduced. Considering VSWR < 3:1, the proposed antenna covers most of 100 to 600 MHz frequency range in 4 states with dual-mode operation capability at 100 to 140 MHz and 515 to 570 MHz. Spherical structure of the antenna includes a coaxially-fed planar monopole and a meander-line loaded cap. Radiation pattern of the antenna is omni-directional in low frequencies and almost omni-directional in higher frequencies. The antenna has small dimension and can be enclosed by a sphere with radius of 30 cm.
Stability of a Method for Multiplying Complex Matrices with Three Real Matrix Multiplications

By use of a simple identity, the product of two complex matrices can be formed with three real matrix multiplications and five real matrix additions, instead of the four real matrix multiplications and two real matrix additions required by the conventional approach. This alternative method reduces the number of arithmetic operations, even for small dimensions, achieving a saving of up to 25 percent. The numerical stability of the method is investigated. The method is found to be less stable than conventional multiplication but stable enough to warrant practical use. Issues involved in the choice of method for complex matrix multiplication are discussed, including the relative efficiency of real and complex arithmetic and the backward stability of block algorithms.
Implementation aspects of a novel speech packet loss concealment method

A speech data packet loss concealment algorithm based on pitch period repetition is presented and a novel low complexity method to refine a pitch period estimate is introduced. Objective performance measurements show that this pitch refinement improves the quality of packet loss concealment. Hardware-software codesign techniques have been investigated to implement the algorithm. Using a coprocessor approach, a processing delay of 0.9 ms and a overall speedup of 3.3 was achieved.
Is Reading Rate Constant or Flexible

READING RATE under a variety of conditions was investigated. Passages varying in difficulty level from grades 1-16 were read by 435 students varying from Grade 4 through college. For each reading ability level, reading rate was found to be approximately constant when estimates of rate were corrected for differences in word length. For example, college level students typically read the passages at each of a wide range of difficulty levels at an average rate of about 300 standard length words per minute, and they typically changed their rate about 14% from one difficulty level to another. Under one condition, an extra space was added between the words. Passages with these additional spaces were read by most ability levels at the same rate as normally spaced passages. Most readers, in typical or normal reading situations, appear to be able to move their eyes in a way that adjusts to differences in the spacing between words but does not adjust to differences in the information carried by the words. These data support the theory that individuals typically read at a constant rate rather than adjusting their rate to the difficulty level of the material.
Predicting suicides after psychiatric hospitalization in US Army soldiers: the Army Study To Assess Risk and rEsilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS).

IMPORTANCE The US Army experienced a sharp increase in soldier suicides beginning in 2004. Administrative data reveal that among those at highest risk are soldiers in the 12 months after inpatient treatment of a psychiatric disorder. OBJECTIVE To develop an actuarial risk algorithm predicting suicide in the 12 months after US Army soldier inpatient treatment of a psychiatric disorder to target expanded posthospitalization care. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS There were 53,769 hospitalizations of active duty soldiers from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2009, with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification psychiatric admission diagnoses. Administrative data available before hospital discharge abstracted from a wide range of data systems (sociodemographic, US Army career, criminal justice, and medical or pharmacy) were used to predict suicides in the subsequent 12 months using machine learning methods (regression trees and penalized regressions) designed to evaluate cross-validated linear, nonlinear, and interactive predictive associations. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Suicides of soldiers hospitalized with psychiatric disorders in the 12 months after hospital discharge. RESULTS Sixty-eight soldiers died by suicide within 12 months of hospital discharge (12.0% of all US Army suicides), equivalent to 263.9 suicides per 100,000 person-years compared with 18.5 suicides per 100,000 person-years in the total US Army. The strongest predictors included sociodemographics (male sex [odds ratio (OR), 7.9; 95% CI, 1.9-32.6] and late age of enlistment [OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0-3.5]), criminal offenses (verbal violence [OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.0] and weapons possession [OR, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.7-18.3]), prior suicidality [OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7-4.9], aspects of prior psychiatric inpatient and outpatient treatment (eg, number of antidepressant prescriptions filled in the past 12 months [OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7]), and disorders diagnosed during the focal hospitalizations (eg, nonaffective psychosis [OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.2-7.0]). A total of 52.9% of posthospitalization suicides occurred after the 5% of hospitalizations with highest predicted suicide risk (3824.1 suicides per 100,000 person-years). These highest-risk hospitalizations also accounted for significantly elevated proportions of several other adverse posthospitalization outcomes (unintentional injury deaths, suicide attempts, and subsequent hospitalizations). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The high concentration of risk of suicide and other adverse outcomes might justify targeting expanded posthospitalization interventions to soldiers classified as having highest posthospitalization suicide risk, although final determination requires careful consideration of intervention costs, comparative effectiveness, and possible adverse effects.
An Analysis of Groups in Consumer-Centered Programs

This study used a mixed methods approach to describe and analyze data from groups observed in two types of mental health consumer-centered programs, namely consumer-run drop-in centers and clubhouses. An overview of consumer-centered programs is presented, followed by a report of the study which includes a description of the groups in the sample and data on the effects of group process and group leader characteristics on group functioning. Results indicate that, for the most part, the groups were task oriented (e.g., planning events or discussing issues about the center). Psychoeducation and recovery were also frequent topics in the group meetings. In terms of group participation, consumers took on various assignments, served as facilitators, assumed tasks and roles, shared experiences, and provided support to other group participants. A major finding is that group leaders displayed both good and poor leadership behaviors. The good leadership behaviors were often efforts to respond to problematic responses of members and poor leadership behaviors often elicited such responses. The qualitative analysis provided examples of how these behaviors affected the group sessions. This pilot study, by identifying some of the group conditions present in such groups, should lead to new studies that are based on specific hypotheses concerning the relationships that exist among group conditions, interventions to improve such conditions, and outcomes for participants.
The power of witnessing: reflections, reverberations, and traces of the Holocaust

feelings of superiority and invulnerability among the successful and lead to disdain for those deemed less successful. Moreover, as every gambler knows, even repeated success does not ensure continued success in future. By its very nature, success is capricious and those with a charmed track record of success sometimes live in fear of plummeting from a great height into the abyss of failure. Like Icarus, when they fall/fail, they fall/fail disastrously.
Reliability Calculation of Multilevel Converters: Theory and Applications

Multilevel converters have many power devices and drivers. Thus, a direct reliability calculation based only on the first failure occurrence on one of the components clearly leads them to be devalued compared to two-level converters. However, taking into account that symmetrical multilevel converters such as the X-level active neutral point clamped (ANPC) family are based on imbricated and/or stacked switching cells on the one hand, with an additional center tap at the dc bus in three-phase operation on the other hand, several redundancies clearly appear which can be managed to increase the global reliability. For the first time, a general and theoretical methodology used to calculate reliability laws and failure rates and applied to compare two-, three-, and five-level topologies is proposed. Results show that the fault handling of three- and five-level three-phase topologies permits a great increase in reliability over a “relatively” short time duration, in addition to other benefits.
Protein acyl thioesterases (Review)

Many proteins are S-acylated, affecting their localization and function. Dynamic S-acylation in response to various stimuli has been seen for several proteins in vivo. The regulation of S-acylation is beginning to be elucidated. Proteins can autoacylate or be S-acylated by protein acyl transferases (PATs). Deacylation, on the other hand, is an enzymatic process catalyzed by protein thioesterases (APT1 and PPT1) but only APT1 appears to be involved in the regulation of the reversible S-acylation of cytoplasmic proteins seen in vivo. PPT1, on the other hand, is involved in the lysosomal degradation of S-acylated proteins and PPT1 deficiency causes the disease infant neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis.
Understanding the differences in the effective-field dependence of electron and hole inversion layer mobilities

For the first time, results from a first-principles study of carrier quantization are coupled to realistic Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to investigate MOS inversion layer electron and hole mobilities. These simulations provide insights into the source of the differences between the effective-field dependencies of electron (inverse square) and hole (inverse linear) inversion layer mobilities at high effective-fields.
The chromatography‐free release, isolation and purification of recombinant peptide for fibril self‐assembly

One of the major expenses associated with recombinant peptide production is the use of chromatography in the isolation and purification stages of a bioprocess. Here we report a chromatography‐free isolation and purification process for recombinant peptide expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Initial peptide release is by homogenization and then by enzymatic cleavage of the peptide‐containing fusion protein, directly in the E. coli homogenate. Release is followed by selective solvent precipitation (SSP) to isolate and purify the peptide away from larger cell contaminants. Specifically, we expressed in E. coli the self‐assembling β‐sheet forming peptide P11‐2 in fusion to thioredoxin. Homogenate was heat treated (55°C, 15 min) and then incubated with tobacco etch virus protease (TEVp) to release P11‐2 having a native N‐terminus. SSP with ethanol at room temperature then removed contaminating proteins in an integrated isolation‐purification step; it proved necessary to add 250 mM NaCl to homogenate to prevent P11‐2 from partitioning to the precipitate. This process structure gave recombinant P11‐2 peptide at 97% polypeptide purity and 40% overall yield, without a single chromatography step. Following buffer‐exchange of the 97% pure product by bind‐elute chromatography into defined chemical conditions, the resulting peptide was shown to be functionally active and able to form self‐assembled fibrils. To the best of our knowledge, this manuscript reports the first published process for chromatography‐free recombinant peptide release, isolation and purification. The process proved able to deliver functional recombinant peptide at high purity and potentially low cost, opening cost‐sensitive materials applications for peptide‐based materials. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 973–985. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Can eccentric debris disks be long-lived?. A first numerical investigation and application to ζ 2 Reticuli

Context. Imaging of debris disks has found evidence for both eccentric and o set disks. One hypothesis is that these provide evidence for massive perturbers, for example planets or binary companions, that sculpt the observed structures. One such disk was recently observed in the far-IR by the Herschel ? Space Observatory around 2 Reticuli. In contrast with previously reported systems, the disk is significantly eccentric, and the system is Gyr-old. Aims. We aim to investigate the long-term evolution of eccentric structures in debris disks caused by a perturber on an eccentric orbit around the star. We hypothesise that the observed eccentric disk around 2 Reticuli might be evidence of such a scenario. If so we are able to constrain the mass and orbit of a potential perturber, either a giant planet or binary companion. Methods. Analytical techniques are used to predict the e ects of a perturber on a debris disk. Numerical N-body simulations are used to verify these results and further investigate the observable structures that could be produced by eccentric perturbers. The long-term evolution of the disk geometry is examined, with particular application to the 2 Reticuli system. In addition, synthetic images of the disk are produced for direct comparison with Herschel observations. Results. We show that an eccentric companion can produce both the observed o sets and eccentric disks. Such e ects are not immediate and we characterise the timescale required for the disk to develop to an eccentric state (and any spirals to vanish). For the case of 2 Reticuli, we place limits on the mass and orbit of the companion required to produce the observations. Synthetic images show that the pattern observed around 2 Reticuli can be produced by an eccentric disk seen close to edge-on, and allow us to bring additional constraints on the disk parameters of our model (disk flux, extent). Conclusions. We determine that eccentric planets or stellar companions can induce long-lived eccentric structures in debris disks. Observations of such eccentric structures, thus, provide potential evidence of the presence of such a companion in a planetary system. We consider the specific example of 2 Reticuli, whose observed eccentric disk can be explained by a distant companion (at tens of AU), on an eccentric orbit (ep & 0:3).
The VisLab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge: An Extensive Test for a Platoon of Intelligent Vehicles

This paper presents the VisLab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge (VIAC), an autonomous vehicles test carried out from Parma to Shanghai between July and October 2010 by the VisLab team. The vehicle equipment is explained introducing the sensing systems which were tested during the journey. Trip details and the first statistics are presented as well.
Sentiment Classiﬁcation in Resource-Scarce Languages by using Label Propagation

With the advent of consumer generated media (e.g., Amazon reviews, Twitter, etc.), sentiment classiﬁcation becomes a heated topic. Previous work heavily relies on a large amount of linguistic resources, which are difﬁcult to obtain in resource-scarce languages. To overcome this problem, we investigate the usefulness of label propagation, which is a graph-based semi-supervised learning method. Extensive experimental evaluation on three real datasets demonstrated that label propagation performs more stable than support vector machines (SVMs) and transductive support vector machines (TSVMs) in a document-level sentiment classiﬁcation task for resource-scarce languages (Chinese in our case).
Hysteroscopy: An Analysis of 523 Patients

EDITORIAL COMMENT: There is always the problem of when to perform curet‐tage in the premenopausal patient with irregular or heavy bleeding, when the clinical findings and cervical smear are normal, and the risk of significant endometrial pathology is low. Curettage is not without risk, inconvenience or expense and may be followed by irregular bleeding or infection. On the other hand oncologists remind us that about 20% of cases of endometrial cancer occur in premenopausal patients whose abnormal bleeding therefore warrants endometrial sampling. This paper makes a strong case for the more widespread use of hysteroscopy which does not enjoy the popularity it deserves. It may be used without anaesthesia, perhaps removing the need for hospitalization, and it can, as shown in this paper, select the patient with endometrial pathology that requires sampling by curettage. Hysteroscopy also has the added advantage, when used at the time of curettage, of ensuring that a macroscopic lesion has not been missed, or in the case of endometrial polyps, removed incompletely (figure 1).
Statistical Applications in Genetics and Molecular Biology Performance of MAX Test and Degree of Dominance Index in Predicting the Mode of Inheritance

We evaluate power performance to detect the correct mode of inheritance in gene-disease associations of two different approaches: the MAX test and the degree of dominance index or hindex. The MAX test is a special case of the conditional independence tests that simultaneously test for association and select the most likely genetic model based on a three-dimensional normal distribution. The h-index is based on the philosophy of using orthogonal contrasts to infer the mode of inheritance quantitatively. A population genetic model is developed where the real mode of inheritance is known a priori and power performance can be accurately determined. The simulations showed that none of the two approaches generally outperforms the other, nor each of them provides a panacea to estimate efficiently the mode of inheritance in all parameter space. However, the simultaneous application of both approaches can provide insights in determining the underlying mode of inheritance.