Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relationship between resilience and parenting burden among mothers of children with disability; The mediating effect of the health perception

The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to identify the mediating effects of health perception between resilience and parenting burden among mothers of children with developmental disabilities. The health of children with developmental disabilities are dependent on their mothers’ health. Subjects of the study were 108 mothers who have 3-9 years old children diagnosed with developmental disabilities. Self-report questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and three-step mediated regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 22.0 programs. Mother’s health perception had partial mediating effects in the relationship between resilience and parenting burden with explanatory power of 38% (Sobel test: Z=6.32, p<.001). This indicates that resilience not only has a significant effect on parenting burden, but also health perception has a significant effect on parenting burden. Therefore, to reduce the parenting burden of mothers with disabilities, it is reported that supportive forms and interviews that are not tied to formalism are effective in reducing parenting burden through the improvement of mothers' resilience.
Labeling Strategy for Evaluating the Performance of Thin Asphalt Wearing Courses

Traditional design procedures of asphalt mixtures are based on volumetric parameters and the compliance with the mechanical performance, while functional properties receive less attention. Additionally, even though the potential of sustainable technologies is proven, this is not sufficiently reflected in the technical specifications and their use is not widely spread. In order to face these challenges, the development of a useful tool that allows infrastructure managers an easy evaluation of the mechanical, functional, and environmental performance and the pursuit of balance between properties will encourage the optimization of road surfaces. The aim of this research is to develop a multi-labeling scheme for asphalt mixtures for thin wearing courses according to their mechanical, functional, and environmental attributes. In particular, the study focuses on the Spanish case, because all the collected data belong to the Spanish road network; however, the approached methodology is flexible enough to be adjusted to the requirements of individual countries. The findings in this research show promise because the developed labeling scheme allows not only the assignation of performance labels to any asphalt mixture based on its properties, but also the comparison of features between different asphalt mixtures.
On the Tree-Cutting Problem under Interest Rate and Timber Value Uncertainty

The current literature on optimal forest rotation makes the unrealistic assumption of constant interest rate even though harvesting decisions of forest stands are typically subject to long time horizons under which interest rates fluctuate and are subject to shocks. We apply the Wicksellian single rotation framework to cover the unexplored case of variable and stochastic interest rate. By modelling the stochastic interest rate as a parametrized mean-reverting model a lá Cox-Ingersoll-Ross and the timber value as a geometric Brownian motion we provide an explicit solution for the two-dimensional path-dependent rotation problem. We show that increased interest rate volatility prolongs the optimal rotation period. Numerical illustration indicates that higher interest rate volatility lengthens the optimal rotation period at an increasing rate.
97-3 A RANKING SCHEME DEVELOPED TO ASSESS THE LATIVE POTENTIAL OF ABA ACE WATER WATER DEGRADATION

This information should be considered preliminary. It has not been edited or checked for completeness or accuracy. A pilot project was completed in which a ranking scheme was developed to assess the relative potential of inactive and abandoned mines in the state of Nevada to impact water quality. This ranking scheme uses existing data and was applied in Clark County to serve as a test case. Geographic, hydro-logic and geologic information was compiled and assembled into a geographic information system (GIS) database. Using data relevant to the evaluation of potzntial environmental impacts of abandoned mines, mining areas were ranked according to relative risk of water quality degradation. Natural hazards associated with a particular deposit type are the focus of this work because insufficient data are available on the presence of processing chemicals at a site or other chemicals introduced during mining or milling. Hence, this model does not address chemicals introduced by man (e.g., cyanide or mercury use for amalgamation), and this aspect may be a significant factor at some sites in an all-inclusive ranking system. In order to assess the potential of mine sites to adversely affect water quality from leaching of the various mineral deposits, four main factors are considered: (1) the type of geologic deposit in the mined area, (2) the availability of water to interact with the deposit, (3) the distance to 'affected waters,' and (4) the total number of nlining excavations in the area. Mineral deposit type is critical in determining the likelihood of water quality degradation because the deposits are the potential source of elevated metal concentrations. We have derived a deposit classification scheme based on (1) the abundance of pyrite, calcite and other minerals that could generate or neutralize acidity, and (2) the abundance of environmentally sensitive trace elements such as Pb, As, and Hg. Areas with higher precipitation and lower evapo-transpiration (ET) are more likely to result in water percolation into mining waste dumps, and ultimately in leachate formation, than sites with lower precipitation and higher ET. Sites with similar geology and climate will be more likely to impact shallow rather than deeper groundwaters, and will impact surface waters close to the mining site to a greater extent than distant waters. Given the same hydrologic and geo-logic setting, the greater the number of mining excavations and dumps, the greater the likelihood of water interaction with geologic materials that were exposed through mining …
The Research and Design of Full Digital Power Amplifier for Magnetic Levitating Bearing System

A new conception of full digital control and power amplifier is initiated for magnetic levitated bearing system which is a typical double loop system combining automation and mechanism. The hardware structure and software algorithm are designed and discussed. Experimental results show that full digital power amplifier has the characteristic of low current ripple, quick current response, and high stability and so on
Approximately Bisimilar Symbolic Models for Stochastic Switched Systems

Stochastic switched systems are a class of continuous-time dynamical models with probabilistic evolution over a continuous domain and controldependent discrete dynamics over a finite set of locations (modes). As such, they represent a subclass of general stochastic hybrid systems. While the literature has witnessed recent progress in the dynamical analysis and controller synthesis for the stability of stochastic switched systems, more complex and challenging objectives related to the verification of and the synthesis for logic specifications (properties expressed as formulas in linear temporal logic or as automata on infinite strings) have not been formally investigated as of yet. This paper addresses these complex objectives by constructively deriving approximately equivalent (bisimilar) symbolic models of stochastic switched systems. More precisely, a finite symbolic model that is approximately bisimilar to a stochastic switched system is constructed under some dynamical stability assumptions on the concrete model. This allows formally synthesizing controllers (switching signals) valid for the concrete system over the finite symbolic model, by means of mature techniques in the literature.
An Analysis of the Japanese Credit Network

An analysis of the Japanese credit market in 2004 between banks and quoted firms is done in this paper using the tools of the networks theory. It can be pointed out that: (i) a backbone of the credit channel emerges, where some links play a crucial role. (ii) Big banks favor long-term contracts. The “minimal spanning trees” (iii) disclose a highly hierarchical backbone, where the central positions are occupied by the largest banks, and (iv) a strong geographical characterization is emphasized, while (v) the clusters of firms do not have specific common properties. Moreover, (vi) while larger firms have multiple lending stakes, (vii) the demand for credit (long vs. short term debt and multi-credit lines) of firms with similar sizes is very heterogeneous.
Bias, Variance and the Combination of Least Squares Estimators

We consider the effect of combining several least squares estimators on the expected performance of a regression problem. Computing the exact bias and variance curves as a function of the sample size we are able to quantitatively compare the effect of the combination on the bias and variance separately, and thus on the expected error which is the sum of the two. Our exact calculations, demonstrate that the combination of estimators is particularly useful in the case where the data set is small and noisy and the function to be learned is unrealizable. For large data sets the single estimator produces superior results. Finally, we show that by splitting the data set into several independent parts and training each estimator on a different subset, the performance can in some cases be significantly improved.
Knowledge Creation in Export Trading

In this research, we investigate how knowledge in the export trading industry is created. Prior research focuses on general businesses in local market environment. This research specifically focuses on export trading with overseas market needs. These needs require attention to different types of control and requirements beyond that of a local market. In this paper, Nonaka et al.'s theory of organizational knowledge creation is explored. We specifically examine the processes of knowledge creation through four modes of knowledge conversion. Empirical investigations in export trading organizations are conducted. We examine how export firms obtain new knowledge for innovations based on collective knowledge being used in export trading. The findings indicate that the knowledge management processes in export firms allow for the creation of new knowledge. The collective knowledge (from groups and individuals) forms a basis for innovations and competitive intelligence. This collective knowledge also creates foresight, insight and hindsight in the export trading context.
Distributed localization of a non-cooperative RF target in NLOS environments

We propose a novel distributed generalized expectation maximization (EM) method for non-cooperative target localization using a wireless sensor network. We consider the scenario where few or no sensors receive line-of-sight signals from the target. Each sensor is able to measure the time difference of arrival of the target's signal with respect to a reference node, as well as the angle of arrival of the target's signal. We show that our distributed algorithm converges, and simulation results suggest that our method achieves an accuracy close to the centralized EM algorithm. We apply the distributed EM algorithm to a set of experimental measurements, which confirm that the algorithm is able to localize a RF target in a realistic non-line-of-sight scenario.
Political Connections, Bank Deposits, and Formal Deposit Insurance

This paper investigates the impact of banks' political connections on their ability to collect deposits under two different deposit insurance regimes (blanket guarantee and limited guarantee). We estimate a simultaneous equations model of supply and demand for funds using quarterly data for Indonesian banks from 2002 to 2008. We find that, regardless of their type (state-owned or private entities), politically connected banks are able to attract deposits more easily than their non-connected counterparts. We also show that this effect is more pronounced after the implementation of formal deposit insurance with limited coverage. Our findings have various policy implications. Formal deposit insurance might have improved market discipline, as highlighted by earlier studies, but it has also exacerbated the issue of political connections in the banking sector.
Alternative weighted structure from motion under quasi-perspective projection model

The paper focuses on 3D structure and motion factorization from uncalibrated image sequences. An alternative weighted factorization algorithm is proposed to handle noisy image measurement. The novelty and main contributions of the paper are as follows: (i) A simple while accurate quasi-perspective projection model is adopted for structure and motion factorization; (ii) feature uncertainties are estimated directly from image reprojection residuals; (iii) an alternative weighted factorization scheme is proposed to reduce the influence of noisy data; and (iv) the proposed scheme is proved empirically to be more accurate than other factorization algorithms. The proposed approach is validated by extensive experiments on synthetic data and real images.
Temporal Performance Degradation under NBTI: Estimation and Design for Improved Reliability of Nanoscale Circuits

Negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) has become one of the major causes for temporal reliability degradation of nanoscale circuits. In this paper, we analyze the temporal delay degradation of logic circuits due to NBTI. We show that knowing the threshold voltage degradation of a single transistor due to NBTI, one can predict the performance degradation of a circuit with a reasonable degree of accuracy. We also propose a sizing algorithm taking NBTI-affected performance degradation into account to ensure the reliability of nanoscale circuits for a given period of time. Experimental results on several benchmark circuits show that with an average of 8.7% increase in area one can ensure reliable performance of circuits for 10 years
Privacy-preserving distance computation and proximity testing on earth, done right

In recent years, the availability of GPS-enabled smartphones have made location-based services extremely popular. A multitude of applications rely on location information to provide a wide range of services. Location information is, however, extremely sensitive and can be easily abused. In this paper, we introduce the first protocols for secure computation of distance and for proximity testing over a sphere. Our secure distance protocols allow two parties, Alice and Bob, to determine their mutual distance without disclosing any additional information about their location. Through our secure proximity testing protocols, Alice only learns if Bob is in close proximity, i.e., within some arbitrary distance. An important difference between our protocols and existing techniques is that our protocols are the first not to require parties to privately negotiate a common map. Our protocols rely on three different representations of Earth, which provide different trade-offs between accuracy and performance. We show, via experiments on a prototype implementation, that our protocols are practical on resource-constrained smartphone devices. Our distance computation protocols runs in 54 to 78 ms on a commodity Android smartphone. Similarly, our proximity tests require between 1.2 s and 2.8 s on the same platform. The imprecision introduced by our protocols is very small, i.e., between 0.1% and 2% on average, depending on the distance.
Connexins Are Critical for Normal Myelination in the CNS

Mutations in Cx32, a gap-junction channel-forming protein, result in X-linked Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, a demyelinating disease of the peripheral nervous system. However, although oligodendrocytes express Cx32, central myelination is unaffected. To explore this discrepancy, we searched for additional oligodendrocyte connexins. We found Cx47, which is expressed specifically in oligodendrocytes, regulated in parallel with myelin genes and partially colocalized with Cx32 in oligodendrocytes. Mice lacking either Cx47 or Cx32 are viable. However, animals lacking both connexins die by postnatal week 6 from profound abnormalities in central myelin, characterized by thin or absent myelin sheaths, vacuolation, enlarged periaxonal collars, oligodendrocyte cell death, and axonal loss. These data provide the first evidence that gap-junction communication is crucial for normal central myelination.
Randomized trial of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy for carcinoma of the rectum: National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Protocol R-02.

BACKGROUND The conviction that postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy represent an acceptable standard of care for patients with Dukes' B (stage II) and Dukes' C (stage III) carcinoma of the rectum evolved in the absence of data from clinical trials designed to determine whether the addition of radiotherapy results in improved disease-free survival and overall survival. This study was carried out to address this issue. An additional aim was to determine whether leucovorin (LV)-modulated 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is superior to the combination of 5-FU, semustine, and vincristine (MOF) in men. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eligible patients (n = 694) with Dukes' B or C carcinoma of the rectum were enrolled in National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Protocol R-02 from September 1987 through December 1992 and were followed. They were randomly assigned to receive either postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy alone (n = 348) or chemotherapy with postoperative radiotherapy (n = 346). All female patients (n = 287) received 5-FU plus LV chemotherapy; male patients received either MOF (n = 207) or 5-FU plus LV (n = 200). Primary analyses were carried out by use of a stratified log-rank statistic; P values are two-sided. RESULTS The average time on study for surviving patients is 93 months as of September 30, 1998. Postoperative radiotherapy resulted in no beneficial effect on disease-free survival (P =.90) or overall survival (P =.89), regardless of which chemotherapy was utilized, although it reduced the cumulative incidence of locoregional relapse from 13% to 8% at 5-year follow-up (P =.02). Male patients who received 5-FU plus LV demonstrated a statistically significant benefit in disease-free survival at 5 years compared with those who received MOF (55% versus 47%; P =.009) but not in 5-year overall survival (65% versus 62%; P =.17). CONCLUSIONS The addition of postoperative radiation therapy to chemotherapy in Dukes' B and C rectal cancer did not alter the subsequent incidence of distant disease, although there was a reduction in locoregional relapse when compared with chemotherapy alone.
Reviewing the TEI ODD system

For many years the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) has maintained a specialised high-level XML vocabulary in the 'literate programming' paradigm to define its influential Guidelines, from which schemas or DTDs in other schema languages are derived. This paper reviews the development of this vocabulary, known as ODD (for 'One Document Does it all'). We discuss some problems with the language, and propose solutions to make it more complete and extensible.
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Recursive unsupervised learning of finite mixture models

—There are two open problems when finite mixture densities are used to model multivariate data: the selection of the number of components and the initialization. In this paper, we propose an online (recursive) algorithm that estimates the parameters of the mixture and that simultaneously selects the number of components. The new algorithm starts with a large number of randomly initialized components. A prior is used as a bias for maximally structured models. A stochastic approximation recursive learning algorithm is proposed to search for the maximum a posteriori (MAP) solution and to discard the irrelevant components.
Touchdown dynamics for sample collection in Hayabusa mission

Hayabusa spacecraft performed the final descents and touchdowns twice in November 2005. In final descent phase, terrain alignment maneuvers were accomplished to control both altitude and attitude with respect to the surface by using four beams Laser Range Finder onboard. Then Hayabusa spacecraft made dynamic touchdowns the surface of the asteroid by the sampler system to collect samples automatically. This paper presents the terrain alignment maneuver and touchdown scheme. This paper also describes the novel sample horn system and touchdown dynamics. Touchdown tests on the ground are presented. Then the flight results on descent and touchdown dynamics are shown and discussed.
COSMOGRAIL: the COSmological MOnitoring of GRAvItational Lenses. VII. Time delays and the Hubble con

Gravitationally lensed quasars can be used to map the mass distribution in lensing galaxies and to estimate the Hubble constant H-0 by measuring the time delays between the quasar images. Here we report the measurement of two independent time delays in the quadruply imaged quasar WFI J2033-4723 (z = 1.66). Our data consist of R-band images obtained with the Swiss 1.2 m EULER telescope located at La Silla and with the 1.3 m SMARTS telescope located at Cerro Tololo. The light curves have 218 independent epochs spanning 3 full years of monitoring between March 2004 and May 2007, with a mean temporal sampling of one observation every 4th day. We measure the time delays using three different techniques, and we obtain Delta t(B-A) = 35.5 +/- 1.4 days (3.8%) and Delta t(B-C) = 62.6(-2.3)(+4.1) days ((+6.5%)(-3.7%)), where A is a composite of the close, merging image pair. After correcting for the time delays, we find R-band flux ratios of F-A/F-B = 2.88 +/- 0.04, F-A/F-C = 3.38 +/- 0.06, and F-A1/F-A2 = 1.37 +/- 0.05 with no evidence for microlensing variability over a time scale of three years. However, these flux ratios do not agree with those measured in the quasar emission lines, suggesting that longer term microlensing is present. Our estimate of H-0 agrees with the concordance value: non-parametric modeling of the lensing galaxy predicts H-0 = 67(-10)(+13) km s(-1) Mpc(-1), while the Single Isothermal Sphere model yields H-0 = 63(-3)(+7) km s(-1) Mpc(-1) (68% confidence level). More complex lens models using a composite de Vaucouleurs plus NFW galaxy mass profile show twisting of the mass isocontours in the lensing galaxy, as do the non-parametric models. As all models also require a significant external shear, this suggests that the lens is a member of the group of galaxies seen in field of view of WFI J2033-4723.
AutoDock4Zn: An Improved AutoDock Force Field for Small-Molecule Docking to Zinc Metalloproteins

Zinc is present in a wide variety of proteins and is important in the metabolism of most organisms. Zinc metalloenzymes are therapeutically relevant targets in diseases such as cancer, heart disease, bacterial infection, and Alzheimer’s disease. In most cases a drug molecule targeting such enzymes establishes an interaction that coordinates with the zinc ion. Thus, accurate prediction of the interaction of ligands with zinc is an important aspect of computational docking and virtual screening against zinc containing proteins. We have extended the AutoDock force field to include a specialized potential describing the interactions of zinc-coordinating ligands. This potential describes both the energetic and geometric components of the interaction. The new force field, named AutoDock4Zn, was calibrated on a data set of 292 crystal complexes containing zinc. Redocking experiments show that the force field provides significant improvement in performance in both free energy of binding estimation as well as in root-mean-square deviation from the crystal structure pose. The new force field has been implemented in AutoDock without modification to the source code.