Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LUCERO: Shining a Light on Latino Student Retention

The retention rate of a growing Latino student population at Lansing Community College (LCC) continues to be an institutional priority. The college has had many successful outcomes from programs designed to assist students pursing their education goals; but the challenges of Latino students in a community college setting—especially a commuter environment—present some specific challenges. Consequently, the college established a Design Group to evaluate the best and most successful retention programs. This was done to carve out, based on research, a new design for addressing the needs of Latino students at LCC. While many Latino student issues were reviewed by the Design Group—such as nationality, country of origin, and definition of population—the emphasis of this program is on retention. The Design Group consisted of individuals representing a large cross section of the college campus, plus community members and students. Focus groups, surveys, and anecdotal data analysis were tools used to gather information and study the Latino student population on LCC’s campus. The Design Group also studied best practices across the country in order to better understand retention issues common among many institutions. Research and studies began in the spring of 2002, and the program (now the LUCERO Program) began in the spring of 2003. In Spanish, the word “lucero” means shining star. Because of the programs intent and its very successful outcomes that seems very appropriate. LUCERO also an English acronym standing for Latinos United with Energy, Respect and Price.
Energy-Aware Cache Partition Based on Way-Adaptable in CMP

Improving processor performance and reducing energy consumption of the cache has become research topic of the next-generation processor. This paper proposes a new mechanism that implemented in CMP to reduce energy consumption, which based on dynamically way-adaptable cache. The mechanism mainly consists of way reallocate module and dynamic power control module. Way reallocate module reassign ways between cores based on thread's working set on the execution of the program. Our mechanism implements low power consumption by dynamic power control module. The proposed scheme based on dynamically way-adaptable cache is implemented and simulated. We applied several programs selected from SPEC2000 as benchmarks. Experiment results show our present scheme can reduce power consumption 18.6%, 14.7% on average with little performance degrade or no performance degrade.
Compressed Sensing & Network Monitoring

Network monitoring and inference is an increasingly important component of intelligence gathering, from mapping the structure of the Internet, to discovering clandestine social networks, as well to information fusion in wireless sensor networks. Indeed, several international conferences are dedicated to the nascent field of network science. This article considers a particularly salient aspect of network science that revolves around large-scale distributed sources of data and their storage, transmission, and retrieval. The task of transmitting information from one point to another is a common and well-understood exercise. But the problem of efficiently sharing information from and among a vast number of distributed nodes remains a great challenge, primarily because we do not yet have well developed theories and tools for distributed signal processing, communications, and information theory in large-scale networked systems. The problem is illustrated by a simple example. Consider a network of n nodes, each having a piece of information or data xj, j=1,. n. These data could be files to be shared, or simply scalar values corresponding to node attributes or sensor measurements. Let us assume that each xj is a scalar quantity for the sake of this illustration. Collectively these data x=[x1,. ,xn]T, arranged in a vector, are called networked data to emphasize both the distributed nature of the data and the fact that they may be shared over the underlying communications infrastructure of the network. The networked data vector may be very large; n may be a thousand, a million, or more. Thus, even the process of gathering x at a single point is daunting (requiring n communications at least). Yet this global sense of the networked data is crucial in applications ranging from network security to wireless sensing. Suppose, however, that it is possible to construct a highly compressed version of x, efficiently and in a decentralized fashion. This would offer many obvious benefits, provided that the compressed version could be processed to recover x to within a reasonable accuracy. There are several decentralized compression strategies that could be utilized. One possibility is that the correlations between data at different nodes are known a priori. Then distributed source Compressed Sensing & Network Monitoring
The Detection of Psychiatric Morbidity and Associated Factors in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis *

Eighty-six patients with a confirmed diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis were surveyed to assess the extent of psychiatric morbidity as indicated by two screening questionnaires, the General Health Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. In addition to an investigation of the concordance of the screening questionnaires, a description of demographic characteristics and measures of disability were taken. Disability due to arthritis was indicated by measures of years of chronicity, pain, duration of morning stiffness, functional level, active treatment involvement, and presence of coexisting medical problems. The relationship of physical symptoms to level of psychiatric distress was investigated. Psychiatric cases were identified using recommended cut off scores on results of the screening questionnaires. GHQ cut off scores of 6/7 identified as “cases” 31.8% of the sample. HADS subscale cut off scores of 8/9 identified 21.4% of subjects with “anxiety” and 19.0% with “depression “ scores in the morbid range. Nineteen percent of patients were found to have scores on both tests concurrently in the pathological range.
Quantifying target—realization differences. Part I: Segments

The realizations of linguistic units that appear in disordered speech are frequently different from the corresponding ‘target’ forms which occur in normal speech. Moreover, the degree of difference between realization and target is a matter of some significance in relation to the success or failure of communication. The present paper is therefore devoted to a survey of the various methods of quantifying target-realization differences, and an explanation of how some of these methods may be used in the measurement of differences between pairs of individual speech sounds or segments. The treatment encompasses both articulatory and perceptual differences between targets and their realizations.
Systematic Initialization Techniques for Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithms for Solving Two-Stage Stochastic Mixed-Integer Programs

This paper introduces new initialization approaches for evolutionary algorithms that solve two-stage stochastic mixed-integer problems. The two-stage stochastic mixed-integer programs are handled by a stage decomposition based hybrid algorithm where an evolutionary algorithm handles the first-stage decisions and mathematical programming handles the second-stage decisions. The population of the evolutionary algorithm is initialized by using solutions which are generated in a preprocessing step of the hybrid algorithm. This paper presents three different initialization approaches in which the two-stage stochastic mixed-integer program is exploited in order to obtain potentially good starting solutions for the evolutionary algorithm. In case of infeasible initializations, the population is driven toward feasibility by a penalty function. Comparisons of an evolutionary algorithm with a classical random initialization and the new initialization approaches for two real-world problems show that the new initialization approaches lead to high quality feasible solutions in significantly shorter computing times.
Sequence-Specific Dimerization of a Transmembrane Helix in Amphipol A8-35

As traditional detergents might destabilize or even denature membrane proteins, amphiphilic polymers have moved into the focus of membrane-protein research in recent years. Thus far, Amphipols are the best studied amphiphilic copolymers, having a hydrophilic backbone with short hydrophobic chains. However, since stabilizing as well as destabilizing effects of the Amphipol belt on the structure of membrane proteins have been described, we systematically analyze the impact of the most commonly used Amphipol A8-35 on the structure and stability of a well-defined transmembrane protein model, the glycophorin A transmembrane helix dimer. Amphipols are not able to directly extract proteins from their native membranes, and detergents are typically replaced by Amphipols only after protein extraction from membranes. As Amphipols form mixed micelles with detergents, a better understanding of Amphipol-detergent interactions is required. Therefore, we analyze the interaction of A8-35 with the anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate and describe the impact of the mixed-micelle-like system on the stability of a transmembrane helix dimer. As A8-35 may highly stabilize and thereby rigidify a transmembrane protein structure, modest destabilization by controlled addition of detergents and formation of mixed micellar systems might be helpful to preserve the function of a membrane protein in Amphipol environments.
An appraisal perspective of justice, structure, and job control as antecedents of psychological distress

Through the application of cognitive appraisal theory, this study unifies the emergent themes of studying justice in relation to organizational context, as well as justice in relation to employee feelings of psychological distress. A sample of 677 employees from 72 organizations was used to test hypotheses related to justice, job control, mechanistic structure, and employee feelings of anxiety and depression. We found procedural justice, within a primary appraisal role, to be a highly effective tool for minimizing psychological distress. In combination with both distributive justice as well as a mechanistic structure, procedural justice can help to minimize feelings of anxiety and depression, but in different manners for each variable. Further, a strong influence of job control upon both procedural justice and, ultimately, depression and anxiety highlighted its role as a perceived means for avoiding or minimizing the harm of a potential stressor. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulation of emotions in the helping professions: nature, antecedents and consequences

Abstract Do hospital employees regulate their emotions so they are in line with their job requirements? What effects do such regulation processes have on workers’ psychophysical wellbeing? What variables mediate their frequency, nature, and effects? To answer these questions, Italian men and women (N=180) working at a hospital as nurses, doctors, or in other technical roles, were administered a questionnaire comprising several scales, plus questions on socio-demographic and work-related variables. Results showed the regulation of felt emotions, that is, Emotional Labor (Hochschild, 1983) is a relevant variable of such jobs. Workers performed both (a) Surface Acting, that is, controlling expressed emotions so they are contextually adequate, and (b) Deep Acting, that is, trying to actually feel the required emotion; plus (c) Emotional Consonance, that is, effortlessly feeling the job-required emotions, was also a frequent experience for employees. Further, results showed the nature and frequency of such regulation processes have significant relations with both objective job-related features, such as the time spent in listening to patients, and with psychological variables such as burnout, and pleasurable emotions.
A Study of Thyroid Profile in Perimenopausal Women to rule out Subclinical Hypothyroidism and its relation to Cholesterol Levels

Introduction: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is common in elderly women. It is associated with serious complications. Substantial number of patients have risk of SCH getting converted into primaryhypothyroidism. Aim of the study: The objectives of present study is to find out the prevalence of SCH in perimenopausal women and its relation to cholesterol levels in patients attending the medicine and gynaecology outpatient department of SMIMS. Materials and Methods:A cross sectional study was conducted with sample size comprising of 60 patients who were attending the OPD of medicine and gynaecology in SMIMS. Assessment of thyroid function in serum of all the patients and assessment of serum cholesterol in patients diagnosed to be SCH was performed by ELISA method over a period of one year. Results&Discussion:Total number of patients were 60. All were females in the age group 40 to 55 years. Subjects having elevated serum TSH with normal ft3 and ft4 were considered as SCH. 10 patients had SCH, 1 patient had overt hypothyroidism and the remaining 49 were euthyroid. In the patients who were diagnosed to have SCH, 70% of the individuals had hypercholesterolemia. Conclusion:The percentage of SCH amongst the study sample patients was 17%, which is quiet high in the perimenopausal period. Their cholesterol levels were also raised in 70% of the patients with SCH. On the basis of the present study we suggest that routine screening of perimenopausal women with or without symptoms is mandatory. Timely detection and proper management of these problems will help in reducing the morbidity and preventing further complications.
Fuzzy temporal and spatial reasoning for intelligent information retrieval

Temporal and spatial information in text documents is often expressed in a qualitative way. Moreover, both are frequently affected by vagueness, calling for appropriate extensions of traditional frameworks for qualitative reasoning about time and space. Our research aims at defining such extensions based on fuzzy set theory, and applying the resulting frameworks to two important kinds of intelligent information retrieval, viz. temporal question answering and geographic information retrieval.
Consequences for Victims

There has been a great deal of scholarly and practical discussion regarding treating bias crimes as separate and distinct incidents. Critics assert that bias crimes are not inherently different from comparable nonbias offenses and that the consequences for victims are similar. This study presents findings from an analysis of survey data obtained from bias and nonbias assault victims from the city of Boston. Although there are several limitations to the authors' data, findings from the respondents replicate prior empirical research and indicate that bias crime victims experience more severe psychological sequelae, for a longer period of time, than victims of similar nonbias offenses. Specifically, the level of intrusive thoughts, feelings of safety, nervousness, and depression were all significantly higher for bias crime victims.
Perceptions of Mixed-Race

The psychology of race is in its infancy, particularly in the United Kingdom and especially regarding mixed-race. Most use untimed explicit indexes and qualitative/self-report measures. Here, we used not only explicit responses (participants’ choice of response categories) but also implicit data (participants’ response times, RT). In a Stroop task, 92 Black, White, and mixed-race participants classified photographs of mixed-race persons. Photos were accompanied by a word, such as Black or White. Participants ignored the word, simply deciding whether to categorize photos as White or Black. Averaged across three different instructional sets, White participants categorized mixed-race slightly to the White side of the center point, with Black participants doing the converse. Intriguingly, mixed-race participants placed mixed-race photos further toward Black than did the Black group. But for RT, they now indicated midway between White and Black participants. We conclude that at the conscious (key-press) level, mixed-race persons see being mixed-race as Black, but at the unconscious (RT) level, their perception is a perfect balance between Black and White. Findings are discussed in terms of two recent theories of racial identity.
Teachers' Theories of Play: Constructivist or Social Constructivist?.

The concept of play and its relationship to learning is problematic in theory and practice. This paper examines this relationship from two standpoints. First, the contrasts between two dominant formal theoretical orientations deriving from the work of Piaget and Vygotsky, and the extent to which they have influenced pedagogy is explored. Second, data from an empirical study on teachers' theories of play provides insights into how play is conceptualized and enacted in classrooms, and how teachers and contexts mediate the theory‐practice relationship. Multi‐method approaches were used to elicit teachers' theories and juxtapose these to their practice. At the outset, their theories revealed a predominantly Piagetian, developmental orientation. An unintended outcome of the study was the changes in teachers' theories, or practice, or both, towards a more social‐constructivist orientation. Implications are drawn for understanding teachers' perspectives and for their professional development.
Meperidine Exerts Agonist Activity at the &agr;2B-Adrenoceptor Subtype

Background The opioid agonist meperidine has actions, such as antishivering, that are more pronounced than those of other opioid agonists and that are not blocked with nonselective opioid antagonists. Agonists at the &agr;2 adrenoceptors, such as clonidine, are very effective antishivering drugs. Preliminary evidence also indicates that meperidine interacts with &agr;2 adrenoceptors. The authors therefore studied the ability of meperidine to bind and activate each of the &agr;2-adrenoceptor subtypes in a transfected cell system. Methods The ability of meperidine to bind to and inhibit forskolin-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate formation as mediated by the three &agr;2-adrenoceptor subtypes transiently transfected into COS-7 cells has been tested. The ability of the opioid antagonist naloxone and the &agr;2-adrenoceptor antagonists yohimbine and RX821002 to block the analgesic action of meperidine in the hot-plate test was also assessed. The ability of meperidine to fit into the &agr;2B adrenoceptor was assessed using molecular modeling techniques. Results Meperidine bound to all &agr;2-adrenoceptor subtypes, with &agr;2B having the highest affinity (&agr;2B, 8.6 ± 0.3 &mgr;m; &agr;2C, 13.6 ± 1.5 &mgr;m, P < 0.05; &agr;2A, 38.6 ± 0.7 &mgr;m). Morphine was ineffective at binding to any of the receptor subtypes. Meperidine inhibited the production of forskolin-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate mediated by all receptor subtypes but was most effective at the &agr;2B adrenoceptor (&agr;2B, 0.6 &mgr;m; &agr;2A, 1.3 mm; &agr;2C, 0.3 mm), reaching the same level of inhibition (approximately 70%) as achieved with the &agr;2-adrenoceptor agonist dexmedetomidine. The analgesic action of meperidine was blocked by naloxone but not by the &agr;2-adrenoceptor antagonists yohimbine and RX821002. The modeling studies demonstrated that meperidine can fit into the &agr;2B-adrenoceptor subtype. Conclusion Meperidine is a potent agonist at the &agr;2 adrenoceptors at its clinically relevant concentrations, especially at the &agr;2B-adrenoceptor subtype. Activation of the &agr;2B receptor does not contribute significantly to the analgesic action of meperidine. This raises the possibility that some of its actions, such as antishivering, are transduced by this mechanism.
Contribution of folic acid-fortified foods to fertile women’s folate Recommended Nutrient Intake through breakfast simulation models

Abstract Objective To assess the potential contribution of foods fortified with folic acid (FA) to target population intakes when included as part of a healthy breakfast. Design Breakfast models aligned with the Spanish Dietary Guidelines were studied using the recommended, average and 95th percentile of serving sizes consumed by women of childbearing age. Food composition data were obtained from a database including FA analytical data from sixty-eight products and the Spanish food composition tables. Different scenarios were assessed with the inclusion of one, two or three FA-fortified products and with two different fortification levels: ≤33 µg/serving (L1) and ≥70 µg/serving (L4). FA contents provided by the different models for each scenario were compared with the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for folate and the Upper Level (UL) of intake for FA. Setting Madrid Region, Spain. Subjects Women aged 16–49 years were considered. Results Overall, simulation of ten breakfast models and three scenarios of product inclusion accounted for 20–25 % of total daily energy recommendations for women. Unfortified breakfast models provided on average 4–23 % of the folate RNI. Inclusion of one L4 FA-fortified food contributed 20–60 % of the RNI. Fortified yoghurt and milk had the highest FA contents per serving. Scenarios with two or three fortified products delivered 40–80 % of the RNI. None of the evaluated models exceeded the FA UL. Conclusions At existing levels of FA fortification, inclusion of fortified products as part of a regular breakfast meal could positively impact the nutritional quality of women’s diet without involving a risk of excessive FA exposure.
Empirical assessment of a collaborative filtering algorithm based on OWA operators

Classical collaborative filtering algorithms generate recommendations on the basis of ratings provided by users that express their subjective preference on concrete items. The correlation of ratings is used in such schemes as an implicit measure of common interest between users, that is used to predict ratings, so that these ratings determine recommendations. The common formulae used for the computation of predicted ratings use standard weighted averaging schemes as the fixed aggregation mechanism that determines the result of the prediction. Nonetheless, the surrounding context of these rating systems suggest that an approach considering a degree of group consensus in the aggregation process may better capture the essence of the “word–of–mouth” philosophy of such systems. This paper reports on the empirical evaluation of such an alternative approach in which OWA operators with different properties are tested against a dataset to search for the better empirical adjustment. The resulting algorithm can be considered as a generalization of the original Pearson formula based algorithm that allows for the fitting of the aggregation behavior to concrete databases of ratings. The results show that for the particular context studied, higher orness degrees reduce overall error measures, especially for high ratings, which are more relevant in recommendation settings. The adjustment procedure can be used as a general‐purpose method for the empirical fit of the behavior of collaborative filtering systems. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.