Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fatigue-Associated Alterations of Cognitive Function and Electroencephalographic Power Densities

Fatigue is a common problem in modern society. We attempted to identify moderate- to long-term fatigue-related alterations in the central nervous system using cognitive tasks and electroencephalography (EEG) measures. The study group consisted of 17 healthy male participants. After saliva samples were collected to measure copy number of human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 DNA to assess the level of moderate- to long-term fatigue, subjects were evaluated using EEG, with their eyes open for 2 min, then closed for 1 min sitting quietly. Thereafter, they completed cognitive task trials to evaluate simple selective attention for 3 min (Task 1) and conflict-controlling selective attention for 6 min (Task 2, which included Stroop trials). The percent error of Task 2 for Stroop trials was positively associated with the copy number of saliva HHV-6 DNA, although the simple selective attention measures in Task 1 did not differ significantly. EEG power densities (especially the alpha power density) during the eye-closed condition were negatively associated with the saliva HHV-6 DNA level. Impaired high-level information processing such as that required for conflict-controlling selective attention in the central nervous system may be a characteristic feature of moderate- to long-term fatigue.
Emotional states recognition by interpreting facial features

There is an increasing trend for finding solutions to interact with computers, and computers in turn interact with people. For an effective human-computer intelligent interaction, this must be natural, the computer interpreting the user's emotional state to adapt to its behavior, giving an appropriate response to those emotions. This paper presents a software application for emotional states recognition based on facial features, according to face shape, position and shape of the mouth and nose. This application has the ability to recognize emotions from user captured images with a web camera, using OpenCV, an open source Computer Vision and machine learning software library.
La compétence des familles, l’art du thérapeute

L’auteur propose de considerer les competences des familles, plutot que de s’arreter a leurs problemes, et d’elaborer un art dans l’intervention, non une accumulation de techniques. Il etudie les contextes du developpement de la therapie familiale en Amerique et l’evolution des connaissances. Il suggere ensuite des principes d’action et des attitudes pour rejoindre les competences des familles et collaborer avec elles dans la recherche de leurs solutions.
A High-Level LTL Synthesis Format: TLSF v1.1

We present the Temporal Logic Synthesis Format (TLSF), a high-level format to describe synthesis problems via Linear Temporal Logic (LTL). The format builds upon standard LTL, but additionally allows to use high-level constructs, such as sets and functions, to provide a compact and human-readable representation. Furthermore, the format allows to identify parameters of a specification such that a single description can be used to define a family of problems. Additionally, we present a tool to automatically translate the format into plain LTL, which then can be used for synthesis by a solver. The tool also allows to adjust parameters of the specification and to apply standard transformations on the resulting formula.
Transforming Early Literacy Instruction

This study examines the effectiveness of the Local Literacy Provider Training (LLPT) program in the Republic of Macedonia through customized application of Desimone's (2009) Core Conceptual Framework for Effectiveness Studies of Professional Development. Findings confirm the alignment of the LLPT design to research-based elements of effective professional development, as well as the challenges and importance of context in designing and conducting professional development in the Macedonian context. The conceptual frameworks and pragmatic measures used in the study have potential utility for the critical examination of the design of professional development, particularly as concerns its content, process, and context, and its assumptions and assessment tools.
Spotlight on measles 2010: measles elimination in Europe - a new commitment to meet the goal by 2015.

In September 2010, the 53 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region met in Moscow, Russia, and adopted a resolution to renew their commitment to the elimination of measles and rubella and the prevention of congenital rubella syndrome by 2015 [1]. While great progress has been made towards measles and rubella elimination in the Region, with some countries interrupting endemic transmission of one or both of the diseases, the public health community had to come to terms with the fact that 2010 will not be the year when measles and rubella elimination is achieved in the European Region. As experience from the Americas shows, it is technically feasible to eliminate measles with a defined strategy [2]. So why has the goal not yet been reached in Europe?
Lexicon-directed segmentation and tagging in Sanskrit

We propose a methodology for Sanskrit processing by computer. The first layer of this software, which analyses the linear structure of a Sanskrit sentence as a set of possible interpretations under sandhi analysis, is operational. Each interpretation proposes a segmentation of the sentence as a list of tagged segments. The method, which is lexicon directed, is complete if the given (stem forms) lexicon is complete for the target corpus. It uses an original design for a finite-state transducers toolkit, based on functional programming principles. Further layers of this computational linguistics architecture are discussed. 1. COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS AND SANSKRIT Descriptive linguistics is the study of natural language phenomena. Theoretical linguistics strives to provide formal models of linguistic activity. Noam Chomsky initiated modern theoretical linguistics with successive theories (context-free and transformational grammars, government and binding, minimalism). These theories usually provide agenerative grammar paradigm, by which means any valid sentence in the language may be generated. With the advent of computers a still more formal approach is attempted, where executable programs process a digital representation of natural language into information structures, which provide some degree of understanding
Beyond ‘emotional literacy’ in feminist and educational research

Educational research has a long history of engagement with emotions. Together with feminist research, it has championed the legitimacy of research approaches that not only admit but also analyse researcher reflexivity. The article's author cautions against subscription to emerging cultural discourses promoting the validity and expression of emotions—distinguishing between a feminist agenda and appropriations of a pseudo‐feminist discourse that now permeate neo‐liberal governmentality. First, the article analyses the assumptions underlying the ‘emotional literacy’ paradigm, before, secondly, addressing some specifically educational developments related to the shift towards ‘life span’ and ‘lifelong learning’ within university assessment strategies in the form of ‘personal development profiles’. It is argued that we need to attend very closely to the epithet ‘emotional literacy’ as a process of schooling for the production of discourse about emotion, rather than the discovery or recognition of some essentia.
Effect of α-Lipoic Acid on Platelet Reactivity in Type 1 Diabetic Patients

OBJECTIVE Type 1 diabetes is associated with increased platelet reactivity. We investigated whether α-lipoic acid (ALA) has any effect on platelet reactivity in these patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We randomly assigned 51 type 1 diabetic patients to ALA (600 mg once daily) or placebo for 5 weeks. Platelet reactivity was evaluated by the PFA-100 method and by measuring CD41 and CD62 platelet expression. C-reactive protein (CRP) and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α serum levels also were measured. RESULTS Baseline variables were similar in the two groups. After treatment, closure time was longer (P = 0.006) and CD62P platelet expression was lower, both before (P = 0.002) and after (P = 0.009) ADP stimulation in the ALA group compared with the placebo group. CRP and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α levels showed no differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that ALA reduces measures of platelet reactivity ex vivo in type 1 diabetic patients, independently of antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effects.
A hybrid model for bankruptcy prediction using genetic algorithm, fuzzy c-means and mars

Bankruptcy prediction is very important for all the organization since it affects the economy and rise many social problems with high costs. There are large number of techniques have been developed to predict the bankruptcy, which helps the decision makers such as investors and financial analysts. One of the bankruptcy prediction models is the hybrid model using Fuzzy C-means clustering and MARS, which uses static ratios taken from the bank financial statements for prediction, which has its own theoretical advantages. The performance of existing bankruptcy model can be improved by selecting the best features dynamically depend on the nature of the firm. This dynamic selection can be accomplished by Genetic Algorithm and it improves the performance of prediction model.
A highly recombinogenic system for the recovery of infectious Sendai paramyxovirus from cDNA: generation of a novel copy‐back nondefective interfering virus.

We have recovered infectious Sendai virus (SeV) from full‐length cDNA (FL‐3) by transfecting this cDNA and pGEM plasmids expressing the nucleocapsid protein (NP), phosphoprotein and large proteins into cells infected with a vaccinia virus which expresses T7 RNA polymerase. These cells were then injected into chicken eggs, in which SeV grows to very high titers. FL‐3 was marked with a BglII site in the leader region and an NsiI site (ATGCAT) in the 5′ nontranslated region of the NP gene, creating a new, out‐of‐frame, 5′ proximal AUG. All the virus stocks generated eventually removed this impediment to NP expression, by either point mutation or recombination between FL‐3 and pGEM‐NP. The recovery system was found to be highly recombinogenic. Even in the absence of selective pressure, one in 20 of the recombinant SeV generated had exchanged the NP gene of FL‐3 with that of pGEM‐NP. When a fifth plasmid containing a new genomic 3′ end without the presumably deleterious BglII site was included as another target for recombination, the new genomic 3′ end was found in the recombinant SeV in 12 out of 12 recoveries. Using this approach, a novel copy‐back nondefective virus was generated which interferes with wild‐type virus replication.
Continuous Monitoring of Aortic Valve Opening in Rotary Blood Pump Patients

Goal: Rotary blood pumps (RBPs) typically support the left ventricle by pumping blood from the ventricle to the aorta, partially bypassing the aortic valve (AV). Monitoring the AV opening during RBP support would provide important information about cardiac-pump interaction. However, currently this information is not continuously available. In this study, an algorithm to determine AV opening using available pump signals was evaluated in humans. Methods: Pump speed changes were performed in 15 RBP patients to elicit opening of the AV. Simultaneously to pump data recordings, the AV was continuously monitored using echocardiography. The algorithm, which classifies the AV state utilizing three features (skewness, kurtosis, and crest factor) calculated from the pump flow waveform, was compared to echocardiography by using cross-validation analysis. Additionally, numerical simulation was used to evaluate effects of different pump characteristics and cannula length, as well as mitral valve insufficiency on the AV opening detection method. Results: More than 7000 heart beats were analyzed. The correct classification rate using the developed algorithm was 91.1% (sensitivity 91.0%, specificity 91.2%). Numerical simulations showed that the flow waveform shape used for AV opening detection is preserved under the different conditions studied. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the AV opening can be reliably detected in RBP patients using available pump data. Significance: Once implemented in RBP controllers, this method will provide a novel tool to improve the management of RBP patients, particularly for adjustments of the pump speed and flow and for the evaluation of the assisted cardiac function.
The Perceptions of Primary Grade Teachers and Elementary Principals about the Effectiveness of Grade-Level Retention

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the attitudes of primary grade teachers and elementary principals about grade retention. Because grade retention is typically initiated in the primary grades, it is important to understand educators’ beliefs about it as a viable option for low-performing students. A paper survey was sent to teachers and principals in one school district, inviting them to provide their perceptions about the reasons for grade retention, the most appropriate time to retain students, and the effectiveness of interventions in deterring the use of grade retention. Overall, teachers and principals believed students should be retained because of academic performance and perceived parental involvement as the most promising intervention to deter the use of grade retention. Teachers agreed significantly more than principals that retention helps prevent future failure and maintain standards, helps teachers provide additional math support, and motivates students to attend school. Additionally, teachers and principals perceived a benefit to self-concept when students are retained in the primary grades, especially in kindergarten, but did not differ significantly concerning their views about the most appropriate time to retain students.
A Method for Detecting Half-Broken Rotor Bar in Lightly Loaded Induction Motors Using Current

This paper presents an effective method of motor current signature analysis for detecting half- as well as full broken single rotor bar fault of a squirrel-cage induction machine under various loading conditions and speeds. The proposed method is based on spectral preprocessing of the stator current followed by subspace decomposition of the signal autocorrelation matrix to detect relatively low-amplitude fault sidebands. This method is found to be very effective in detecting low-amplitude sinusoids in a signal dominated by high-amplitude fundamental. The extended Kalman filter is used to estimate and track the fundamental component of the stator current. This component is subtracted from the measured stator current at every time step generating a resultant signal with a very low or negligible fundamental component. Subsequently, multiple-signal classification (MUSIC) is applied on the resultant stator current signal. Motor slip is estimated from principle slot harmonic to decide the approximate location of the fault sidebands. For effective fault detection, a hypothesis test is proposed to check the presence of sufficient fault frequency sideband in the current spectrum. This test works better if the lobe in the MUSIC plot due to the fault frequency is not distorted or overlapped by the fundamental component. Therefore, for each data window, the minimum size of the autocorrelation matrix is determined to generate distinct peaks. The proposed method applies to steady-state condition and is found to exhibit superior performance even during the light-load conditions with a half-broken bar.
Racial and ethnic differences in unmet need for vision care among children with special health care needs.

OBJECTIVE To examine racial and ethnic differences in unmet need for vision care among children with special health care needs. METHODS Cross-sectional data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs were analyzed. The analytic sample was 14,070 children with special health care needs who needed eyeglasses or vision care in the previous year. Children who did not receive all the eyeglasses or vision care they needed were considered to have unmet need for vision care. RESULTS Of the sample, 5.8%, representing approximately 198,600 children with special health care needs in the United States, had unmet need for vision care. Rates of unmet need ranged from 2.5% to 14.3% across the 7 racial and ethnic groups studied. Relative to whites, children of African American, Latino, and multiracial backgrounds had approximately twice the adjusted risk of unmet need, whereas American Indian or Alaskan Native children had a lower adjusted risk. Health care providers, school personnel, insurance coverage, and other factors also contributed to differences in the risk of unmet need, independently of child race/ethnicity. CONCLUSION Further research is needed to explain and address the causes of racial and ethnic differences in unmet need for vision care among children with special health care needs.
Vitamin A Enhances in Vitro Th2 Development Via Retinoid X Receptor Pathway1

Vitamin A deficiency diminishes Th2-mediated Ab responses, and high-level dietary vitamin A or treatment with the vitamin A metabolite retinoic acid (RA) enhances such responses. To identify a potential mechanism(s) underlying this in vivo activity of vitamin A, we examined the effects of all-trans and 9-cis RA on development of Th1 and Th2 cell populations using in vitro stimulation of Ag-naive Th0 cells from the DO11.10 TCR-transgenic mouse. Treatment with 9-cis, but not with all-trans RA, at primary stimulation strongly enhanced Th2 development. IL-4-neutralizing Ab blocked this activity, but IL-12- and IFN-γ-neutralizing Ab did not. Because 9-cis RA regulates gene transcription via either RA receptors or retinoid X receptors (RXRs), we tested the Th2-enhancing activities of the RXR- and RA receptor-selective agonists AGN194204 and 4-((E)-2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-1-propenyl)benzoic acid (TTNPB). AGN194204 strongly enhanced Th2 development, whereas TTNPB did not. This RXR agonist also enhanced Th2 development when purified, naive Th0 cells (L-selectinhigh/CD4+) were stimulated with CD3 and CD28 Abs in the absence of APCs. During primary antigenic stimulation of naive Th0 cells from DO11.10 mice, AGN194204 increased IL-4 and IL-5 production, decreased IFN-γ production, increased mRNA in responding T cells for genes involved in Th2 development (IL-4, GATA-3, and c-maf), and decreased mRNA for genes involved in Th1 development (IFN-γ, T-bet, and IL-12R). These data show that stimulation of the RXR pathway enhances Th2 development, perhaps by affecting the relative expression of pertinent transcription factors, cytokines, and cytokine receptors.
Ambient fields: representing potential sensory information

It is increasingly apparent that the traditional scene graph is not fulfilling the requirements of real-time interactive systems. The use of a single graph as a representation of the current state of the world means that display systems, that may operate at very different rates, or may need to predict ahead the state, need to be very tightly integrated with behaviour and semantics. In this position paper, we will propose a type of field called the "ambient field" which represents information proximate to the user's senses, which they could sample over short time periods. These fields might represent audio, video, haptic or other potentially sensed information. A display device can then sample these fields as necessary to construct the best representation possible at its own display rate. The ambient field draws on the concept of the ambient optical array from Gibson, light fields from computer graphics rendering and point-based physics simulations.
On efficacy of Rayleigh‐inverse Gaussian distribution over K‐distribution for wireless fading channels

For studying performance characteristics of radio channels, the knowledge about the probability density function (pdf) of fading–shadowing effects is essential. K-distribution corresponding to Rayleigh–gamma distribution (RGD) is widely used to approximate a more realistic Rayleigh–lognormal distribution (RLD) which does not have a closed form expression. A new composite Rayleigh-inverse Gaussian distribution (RIGD), an alternative to K-distribution, is analyzed with regards to its suitability and effectiveness in radio channels. Detailed investigations are made to study the performance characteristics of RIGD and K-distribution (RGD) in terms of Kullback–Leibler (KL) measure of divergence. Based on these investigations, it is found that RIGD is better suited for capturing fading–shadowing aspects of radio channels instead of K-distribution. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Markers of Tumor-Initiating Cells Predict Chemoresistance in Breast Cancer

Purpose Evidence is lacking whether the number of breast tumor-initiating cells (BT-ICs) directly correlates with the sensitivity of breast tumors to chemotherapy. Here, we evaluated the association between proportion of BT-ICs and chemoresistance of the tumors. Methods Immunohistochemical staining(IHC) was used to examine the expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and TUNEL was used to detect the apoptosis index. The significance of various variables in patient survival was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model. The percentage of BT-ICs in breast cancer cell lines and primary breast tumors was determined by ALDH1 enzymatic assay, CD44+/CD24− phenotype and mammosphere formation assay. Results ALDH1 expression determined by IHC in primary breast cancers was associated with poor clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and reduced survival in breast cancer patients. Breast tumors that contained higher proportion of BT-ICs with CD44+/CD24− phenotype, ALDH1 enzymatic activity and sphere forming capacity were more resistant to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Chemoresistant cell lines AdrR/MCF-7 and SK-3rd, had increased number of cells with sphere forming capacity, CD44+/CD24− phenotype and side-population. Regardless the proportion of T-ICs, FACS-sorted CD44+/CD24− cells that derived from primary tumors or breast cancer lines were about 10–60 fold more resistant to chemotherapy relative to the non- CD44+/CD24− cells and their parental cells. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that MDR1 (multidrug resistance 1) and ABCG2 (ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2) were upregulated in CD44+/CD24− cells. Treatment with lapatinib or salinomycin reduced the proportion of BT-ICs by nearly 50 fold, and thus enhanced the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy by around 30 fold. Conclusions These data suggest that the proportion of BT-ICs is associated with chemotherapeutic resistance of breast cancer. It highlights the importance of targeting T-ICs, rather than eliminating the bulk of rapidly dividing and terminally differentiated cells, in novel anti-cancer strategies.