Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of Two Stress-Management Techniques in a Field Setting

The aim of this study was to investigate Martens, Burton, Vealey, Bump, and Smith’s (1990) contention that stress-management techniques should be matched to the symptoms manifested by performers. Subjects, 20 male collegiate field hockey players, responded to the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) on four occasions prior to an important hockey match. Subjects were then placed in two intervention groups: applied relaxation (somatic anxiety; n = 6) and positive thought control (cognitive anxiety; n = 8). Six additional subjects formed the control group. Subjects completed a 12-week intervention in a field setting. Results suggested that reducing anxiety with a method directed at the performer’s dominant anxiety type is more efficacious. A secondary aim was to further investigate the anxiety-performance relationship using an intraindividual performance measure. Somatic anxiety was found to account for 22% of the variance in field hockey performance. Polynomial trend analyses failed to produce sig.
The Spontaneous Occurrence of Mental Visualization in Thinking

Undergraduates were asked to rate how frequently they experienced visual images in a wide set of everyday-life situations. Results showed that imagery often occurs in undirected thinking, such as in daydreaming, or when external stimuli elicit automatically a visual representation; conversely, images are seldom reported in goal-oriented thinking, such as memorizing, judging, problem-solving, planning, and decision-making. Further, the most frequent images refers to spatial representations or to single, static, concrete elements; images about more complex, dynamic, and abstract contents are less frequent. The use of mental visualization is affected selectively by gender and by the course of study attended. Finally, factor analysis stressed the distinction between stimulus-elicited and fantasy images and images used intentionally in cognitive tasks. Findings suggested that in common-life reasoning individuals do not take advantage of the properties of imagery supported by experiments about the cognitive functions of visualization.
Downregulation of MicroRNA-126 Contributes to the Failing Right Ventricle in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Background— Right ventricular (RV) failure is the most important factor of both morbidity and mortality in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, the underlying mechanisms resulting in the failed RV in PAH remain unknown. There is growing evidence that angiogenesis and microRNAs are involved in PAH-associated RV failure. We hypothesized that microRNA-126 (miR-126) downregulation decreases microvessel density and promotes the transition from a compensated to a decompensated RV in PAH. Methods and Results— We studied RV free wall tissues from humans with normal RV (n=17), those with compensated RV hypertrophy (n=8), and patients with PAH with decompensated RV failure (n=14). Compared with RV tissues from patients with compensated RV hypertrophy, patients with decompensated RV failure had decreased miR-126 expression (quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction; P<0.01) and capillary density (CD31+ immunofluorescence; P<0.001), whereas left ventricular tissues were not affected. miR-126 downregulation was associated with increased Sprouty-related EVH1 domain-containing protein 1 (SPRED-1), leading to decreased activation of RAF (phosphorylated RAF/RAF) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK); (phosphorylated MAPK/MAPK), thus inhibiting the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway. In vitro, Matrigel assay showed that miR-126 upregulation increased angiogenesis of primary cultured endothelial cells from patients with decompensated RV failure. Furthermore, in vivo miR-126 upregulation (mimic intravenous injection) improved cardiac vascular density and function of monocrotaline-induced PAH animals. Conclusions— RV failure in PAH is associated with a specific molecular signature within the RV, contributing to a decrease in RV vascular density and promoting the progression to RV failure. More importantly, miR-126 upregulation in the RV improves microvessel density and RV function in experimental PAH.
Trends and Advances in Separation and Detection of SSRIs and SNRIs in Biological Matrices

Nowadays antidepressant drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) represent the first choice in the treatment of moderate to severe depressive illness, various phobias, and personality disorders. In spite of the therapeutic aspects, they often produce very severe and toxic effects in deliberate and accidental cases of poisoning. These are also considered as date-rape drugs used for drugged victims for raping or robbing. Therefore, in recent years, their analyses in different biological matrices for clinical and toxicological analysis purposes has been a target worthy of interest. Thus, the review focuses on recent advancements of various separation techniques like chromatography and electrophoresis that are concernd with the determination of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor drugs and their metabolites in various biological matrices. In addition to this, a critical discussion on analytical approaches has also been incorporated, suggesting their applicability and limitations for further implementations. Thus, this paper will definitely help in the selection and development of proper analytical methodologies to achieve satisfactory results, better scientific understanding, and test interpretation.
Prognostic Value of Procalcitonin in Adult Patients with Sepsis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Procalcitonin (PCT) has been widely investigated for its prognostic value in septic patients. However, studies have produced conflicting results. The purpose of the present meta-analysis is to explore the diagnostic accuracy of a single PCT concentration and PCT non-clearance in predicting all-cause sepsis mortality. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Knowledge and the Cochrane Library. Articles written in English were included. A 2 × 2 contingency table was constructed based on all-cause mortality and PCT level or PCT non-clearance in septic patients. Two authors independently evaluated study eligibility and extracted data. The diagnostic value of PCT in predicting prognosis was determined using a bivariate meta-analysis model. We used the Q-test and I 2 index to test heterogeneity. Twenty-three studies with 3,994 patients were included. An elevated PCT level was associated with a higher risk of death. The pooled relative risk (RR) was 2.60 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.05–3.30) using a random-effects model (I 2 = 63.5%). The overall area under the summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve was 0.77 (95% CI, 0.73–0.80), with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.76 (95% CI, 0.67–0.82) and 0.64 (95% CI, 0.52–0.74), respectively. There was significant evidence of heterogeneity for the PCT testing time (P = 0.020). Initial PCT values were of limited prognostic value in patients with sepsis. PCT non-clearance was a prognostic factor of death in patients with sepsis. The pooled RR was 3.05 (95% CI, 2.35–3.95) using a fixed-effects model (I 2 = 37.9%). The overall area under the SROC curve was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.75–0.83), with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.72 (95% CI, 0.58–0.82) and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.55–0.90), respectively. Elevated PCT concentrations and PCT non-clearance are strongly associated with all-cause mortality in septic patients. Further studies are needed to define the optimal cut-off point and the optimal definition of PCT non-clearance for accurate risk assessment.
Tertius Iungens Brokerage and Transnational Intersectoral Cooperation

Tertius iungens brokerage is unique within the dominant brokerage conceptualizations in sociology. While most brokerage research finds that brokers reap rewards from mediating relationships in ways that keep actors apart, iungens research finds that brokers can have an interest in joining previously disconnected actors and sustaining these relationships. This paper expands the explanatory potential of iungens brokerage by building a multidimensional theoretical framework that explains transnational connecting processes, generating insights beyond the traditional focus on network structures into the under-researched area of brokerage across institutions. The paper synthesizes streams of brokerage research that have developed in relative isolation from each other to elucidate how organizational brokers and their staffs create transnational structural and cognitive connections that draw actors together into intersectoral networks that cross two or more nationally organized regulatory regimes and cultural systems in order to cooperate on complex public good problems. The paper’s case study of public health cooperation on the United States–Mexico border advances the argument that iungens brokerage is necessary to counter the divisive effects that state institutions tend to exert on transnational networks over time.
Learning and Leveraging Context for Maritime Threat Analysis: Vessel Classification using Exemplar-SVM

Abstract : Modern fleet security requires accurate threat analysis in real-time, which relies on a range of contextual information (e.g., vessel size, speed, heading, etc.). Rich contextualization may be possible using imaging systems if the images can be used to detect and classify maritime vessels and track their movements. In this work, the effectiveness of the ensemble of Exemplar-SVMs (E-SVM) object detection scheme is evaluated for maritime data where targets are small and have low inter-class variation due to its scalability and ability to learn from limited training examples. Experimental evaluation shows average precision for Annapolis Harbor vessel data is lower than the general 20-category PASCAL VOC challenge due to confusion between boat types.
Path Detection of a Moving Object

This paper presents an algorithm to find out the path of an object which is moving in different frames. These objects are coming from different background. To detect a moving object from different frames correlation is useful but correlation process consumes huge time. So to reduce searching time here selective correlation is used. The proposed algorithm can significantly speed up the computation of the block matching because for many search position of the block, only 1/4th size of that block needs to be calculated. This paper focuses to minimize the object detection time.
Attacks on He et al.'s password-based remote user authentication scheme without smart cards

In 2013, He et al. proposed an improved password-based remote user authentication scheme without smart cards. He et al. claimed that their proposed scheme could withstand various cryptographical attacks. However, this paper points out that He et al.’s scheme is still vulnerable to impersonation attack unlike its claim. For this reason, He et al.’s scheme is insecure for practical application.
The Soluble CTLA-4 Splice Variant Protects From Type 1 Diabetes and Potentiates Regulatory T-Cell Function

OBJECTIVE CTLA4 gene variation associates with multiple autoimmune disorders, including type 1 diabetes. The CTLA4 susceptibility allele was found to generate decreased levels of mRNA encoding soluble CTLA-4 (sCTLA-4) relative to the full-length isoform, the functional consequence of which is as yet unknown. In this study, we investigated the contribution of sCTLA-4 to immune regulation with the aim to elucidate the functional basis of the disease association of CTLA4. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS To model the disease-associated splicing variation of CTLA4, we generated NOD mice in which sCTLA-4 mRNA is silenced by RNA interference. RESULTS We found that loss of sCTLA-4 impairs the function of regulatory T (Treg) cells. This functional defect could be attributed, at least in part, to the failure of sCTLA-4 knockdown (KD) Treg cells to downregulate dendritic cell costimulation. sCTLA-4 KD Treg cells, in contrast with wild-type Treg cells, failed to inhibit colitis induced by transfer of CD4+CD45RBhi cells into NOD.SCID animals. Furthermore, diminished sCTLA-4 expression accelerated the onset of autoimmune diabetes in transgenic mice. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that sCTLA-4 participates in immune regulation by potentiating the function of Treg cells. The functional outcome of silencing this splice variant in the NOD model provides an explanation for the association of CTLA4 variation with autoimmunity. Lower sCTLA-4 expression from the susceptibility allele may directly affect the suppressive capacity of Treg cells and thereby modulate disease risk. Our unprecedented approach establishes the feasibility of modeling splicing variations relevant to autoimmunity.
The duality of development: recasting participatory communication for development using structuration theory

La investigacion en comunicacion para el desarrollo carece de una adecuada fundamentacion teoretica que permita investigar e implementar iniciativas de cambio social. Aunque los modelos de comunicacion para el desarrollo continuan cambiando debido a politicas de reestructuracion, a las limitaciones de los enfoques previos o al avance de nuevos conocimientos, la comunicacion participativa en cambio se ha visto fortalecida en las dos ultimas decadas. Este articulo plantea que la comunicacion participativa para el desarrollo se puede beneficiar de la teoria de la estructuracion para asi entender como las personas pueden negociar el cambio social dentro de las estructuras institucionales existentes en las cuales ellas operan. Se propone que la teoria de estructuracion provea el lenguaje para reconsiderar conceptos fundamentales en comunicacion participativa, tales como concientizacion, empoderamiento y poder por constructos como agentes de conocimiento, dialectica de control y poder y dominacion para ayudarnos asi a entender el proceso de cambio social
A path toward ultra-low-energy computing

At roughly kT energy dissipation per operation, the thermodynamic energy efficiency “limits” of Moore's Law were unimaginably far off in the 1960s. However, current computers operate at only 100-10,000 times this limit, forming an argument that historical rates of efficiency scaling must soon slow. This paper reviews the justification for the ~kT per operation limit in the context of processors for von Neumann-class computer architectures of the 1960s. We then reapply the fundamental arguments to contemporary applications and identify a new direction for future computing in which the ultimate efficiency limits would be much further out. New nanodevices with high-level functions that aggregate the functionality of several logic gates and some local memory may be the right building blocks for much more energy efficient execution of emerging applications-such as neural networks.
Hood-building dynamics and mating mode in the temperate fiddler crab Uca uruguayensis Nobili, 1901

Courting males of 18 species of fiddler crabs ( Uca Leach, 1814) are known to build mud or sand structures at the entrances of their burrows. Females orient to these structures when seeking mates and, in some species, males sometimes orient to their own structures as well to relocate their burrows. We studied hood building in the temperate species Uca uruguayensis Nobili, 1901, the southernmost fiddler crab species, which mates both underground in males’ burrows, especially at high densities, and on the surface at the entrance to females’ burrows, a more common mode at low densities. Uca uruguayensis is relatively inactive during the winter and it was expected that the intensity of hood building would vary seasonally, with more hoods built when underground mating was more common. Courting male U. uruguayensis built nearly symmetrical cupped hoods of muddy sand, approximately half as high and two-thirds as deep as wide. Male courtship and mating occurred in summer from November 2001 to January 2002, but hood building was largely restricted to the last semi-monthly cycle, when the maximum number of matings were coincident with the maximum occurrence of hoods. The predominance of hood building at the end of the season may reflect the amount of time following winter inactivity that males need to feed before they exceed a threshold in the trade-off between allocation of resources to growth or reproduction. Contrary to expectations, males built more hoods at low densities where inter-burrow distances were greater. Males more often build hoods at lower densities because hoods enable them to venture further from their burrows to court both passing and burrow resident females. The temporal pattern of hood building by male U. uruguayensis may therefore reflect the mechanisms courting males use to relocate their burrows as well as variation in the social and spatial context of courtship and mate choice.
Cysteinyl‐leukotriene release test (CAST) in the diagnosis of immediate drug reactions

Background: The diagnosis of allergic reactions to drugs is difficult. Most skin tests are not standardized, and in vitro tests are needed to avoid provocation tests. Cross‐linking of IgE on basophils is known to cause the release of both cysteinyl leukotriene (Cys‐LT) and histamine. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility (sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency) of measurement of sulfidoleukotrienes in drug allergy.
Cross-Platform Cross-Cultural User Experience

Many interactive systems can be accessed across a range of different platforms, enabling cross-platform services and allowing users to migrate their tasks from one platform to another. The aim of this study is to investigate the culture-related experiential side of using multiple interactive systems across platforms by studying users from different cultural backgrounds. In this paper, we present our findings from a user study of five cross-platform services. We conducted the user study in Australia and Saudi Arabia. Participants in Australia and Saudi Arabia interacted with English and Arabic versions of the services respectively. We used think-aloud protocol, observation and questionnaires to gather data. During our experiments, each participant performed a set of inter-related tasks using a cross-platform service across two devices: laptop and mobile phone. We identified five objective cultural factors (direction, translation, meaning of icons, formatting, and typing interface) that influence cross-platform user experience. The power distance and uncertainty avoidance subjective cultural dimensions also influenced user perception of cross-platform services. Based on our findings and analyses, we propose a design model that encompasses these cultural factors to guide designing international cross-platform services.
Elastic Localization

Numerous wireless sensor network algorithms assume that individual sensors possess location information. However, state of the art localization algorithms often achieve acceptable performance only under restrictive assumptions. For instance, some algorithms necessitate regular sensor deployment or centralized computations. Other algorithms require a high proportion of position aware nodes or the ability to accurately infer emission distance or emission direction of received radio signals. We propose the Elastic Localization Algorithm (ELA), a distributed, scalable, robust and efficient localization algorithm. ELA only presumes that a few percent of the sensors know their location and that an estimation of the maximum communication range is available. We provide extensive simulation data describing the precision, the convergence speed, and the communication load of ELA, using networks composed of thousands of sensors. In addition, we submit ELA to testing considering the influence of maximum range and beacon position misestimation, irregular radio patterns, asynchronous nodes, packet losses, particular topologies, and sensor mobility.
Ethnically Privileged Migrants in Their New Homeland

The article explores similarities of several cases of particular population displacements: the so-called ethnically privileged migrations. These are forced migrations, in which ethnic minorities migrate to their ethnic homelands. It is argued that the treatment, acceptance and incorporation of such migrants in their new homelands is difficult and potentiall conflictual process. It is analysed as an instance of a more broadly relevant sociological configuration elaborated by Elias and Scotson.
The enhancement effect of social and employment integration on the delay of recidivism of released offenders trained with the R & R programme

Abstract The aim of this study is to assess the extent to which social and employment integration enhances the efficacy of social–cognitive training carried out in prison through a Spanish adaptation of the Reasoning & Rehabilitation (R & R) programme. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare a group of inmates who received only social–cognitive training with a group of inmates who also received social and employment integration and with a comparison group who received neither of these interventions. The total sample was composed of 117 repeat offenders, serving sentence for property offences, drug dealing and offences against the person. The results obtained through a Kaplan–Meier survival analysis after a 6-year follow-up indicate that both intervention groups are significantly different from the comparison group. The group that received social and employment integration had the highest level of delayed recidivism, but the difference with the group that only received social–cognitive training was not statistically significant. The results are discussed in relation to the Good Lives Model and to the Risk–Needs–Responsivity Model of offender rehabilitation.
Teacher–student interpersonal relationships in Indonesia: profiles and importance to student motivation

This study was designed to investigate the distribution of interpersonal profiles based on students' and teachers' perceptions and to examine the associations between students' perceptions of teacher interpersonal behaviour and learning motivation in Indonesia. Participants were 1900 secondary school students (grades 7 to 9) across 66 (Mathematics and EFL) classes from 11 public schools in Indonesia. The results show that a variety of interpersonal profiles could be distinguished, that teachers perceive themselves more favourably than their students do, and that students' perceptions of teacher interpersonal behaviour and their learning motivation are associated. Influence and Proximity were found to be important determinants of student motivation; both dimensions are related to a more autonomous motivation, while Influence is also associated with a more controlled motivation. Contrary to the existing knowledge base, this study reveals that the relationship between teacher interpersonal behaviour and student motivation is more strongly connected to Influence than to Proximity.
Documenting Arts Practitioners’ Practice in Prisons: ‘What Do You Do in There?’

This article explores arts practitioners’ methods in leading workshops with prisoners as part of the Inspiring Change pilot, a co‐ordinated pilot programme of arts interventions that took place in five Scottish prisons throughout 2010. Session review forms, which were completed by arts practitioners after each session, were designed to find out what happened in sessions, what worked well with prisoners in these sessions and what did not. Very little has been written on the arts practitioners’ methods and, in particular, the data gathered from session review forms. This article discusses the data gathered and three themes that came out of the arts practitioners’ responses including ‘Response to planned activity’, ‘Response to working in a prison environment’, and ‘Development of skills for participants’. The article concludes that documenting arts practitioners’ practice can contribute to the understanding of the connection and role of the arts in desistance studies.