Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing Working Memory Capacity Through Time-Constrained Elementary Activities

ABSTRACT Working memory (WM) capacity measured through complex span tasks is among the best predictors of fluid intelligence (Gf). These tasks usually involve maintaining memoranda while performing complex cognitive activities that require a rather high level of education (e.g., reading comprehension, arithmetic), restricting their range of applicability. Because individual differences in such complex activities are nothing more than the concatenation of small differences in their elementary constituents, complex span tasks involving elementary processes should be as good of predictors of Gf as traditional tasks. The present study showed that two latent variables issued from either traditional or new span tasks involving time-constrained elementary activities were similarly correlated with Gf. Moreover, a model with a single unitary WM factor had a similar fit as a model with two distinct WM factors. Thus, time-constrained elementary activities can be integrated in WM tasks, permitting the assessment of WM in a wider range of populations.
Stages of change and consumption of fruit and vegetables among adolescent females

Purpose – The aim of this study was to apply key theoretical constructs from the Transtheoretical Model to daily consumption of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables among adolescent females.Design/methodology/approach – A self‐report questionnaire was designed with regard to daily consumption of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables measuring stage of change, decisional balance and self‐efficacy. In total, 501 females aged 11 to 16 years old participated in the study.Findings – The percentage of students classified into each stage was as follows: precontemplation 16.4; contemplation 38.5; preparation 11.8; action 13.4; and maintenance 20.0. Significant differences in pros and cons scores as well as self‐efficacy according to self‐classified stage of change were revealed (all p<.001). With advancing stage participants' scores for pros and self‐efficacy increased while cons scores decreased.Practical implications – The results suggest that nutrition education that targets adolescent femal.
Control Strategies for Point Absorbers Considering Linear Generator Copper Losses and Maximum Excursion Constraints

Among the different available wave energy extraction technologies, point absorber converters that use a linear direct-drive generator represent a promising alternative. Evidence of this can be found in the different prototypes that have been widely tested in recent years. As in other technologies, the control strategy that governs the power take-off system largely determines the overall-efficiency and the dynamic behavior of the oscillating system. It is advisable to consider the copper losses in the electric generator when assessing the overall performance of each strategy, as they could significantly affect the overall efficiency of the system. On the other hand, it is expedient to manage properly the energy dissipated in the end-stops that limit the maximum displacement of the oscillating system in high waves. This paper presents two reactive and latching control strategies whose novelty is to consider simultaneously the copper losses reduction in the electric generator and the limitation of the maximum excursion constraints of the oscillating system in order to extract more energy from waves. In addition, these control strategies are compared with conventional techniques. The results of the numerical simulations allow researchers to analyze the performance of the strategies from different perspectives.
Changes in the Mitochondrial Proteome during the Anoxia to Air Transition in Rice Focus around Cytochrome-containing Respiratory Complexes*

The ability of rice seedlings to grow from dry seed under anoxia provides a rare opportunity in a multicellular eukaryote to study the stages of mitochondrial biogenesis triggered by oxygen availability. The function and proteome of rice mitochondria synthesized under 6 days of anoxia following 1 day of air adaptation have been compared with mitochondria isolated from 7-day aerobically grown rice seedlings. Rice coleoptiles grown under anoxia, and the mitochondria isolated from them respired very slowly compared with air-adapted and air-grown seedlings. Immunodetection of key mitochondrial protein markers, isoelectric focusing electrophoresis followed by SDS-PAGE to make soluble mitochondria proteome maps, and shotgun sequencing of mitochondrial proteins by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry all revealed similar patterns of the major function categories of mitochondrial proteins from both anoxic and air-adapted samples. Activity analysis showed respiratory oxidases markedly increased in activity during the air adaptation of seedlings. Blue-native electrophoresis followed by SDS-PAGE of mitochondrial membrane proteins clearly showed the very low abundance of assembled b/c complex and cytochrome c1 oxidase complex in the mitochondrial membrane in anoxic samples and the dramatic increase in the abundance of these complexes on air adaptation. Total heme content, cytochrome absorbance spectra, and the electron carrier, cytochrome c, also increased markedly on air adaptation. These results likely reflect limited heme synthesis for cytochrome assembly in the absence of oxygen and represent a discrete and reversible blockage of full mitochondrial biogenesis in this anoxia-tolerant species.
Level of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in cerebrospinal fluid of subjects with AIDS and CMV infection of the central nervous system.

The objective of this study was to correlate cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of subjects with AIDS with clinical and pathologic findings attributable to CMV infection of the central nervous system (CNS). CMV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done on serial dilutions of CSF samples from 24 AIDS patients with autopsy-proven CNS disorders. CMV DNA was detected in CSF from 12 of 13 subjects with evidence of CMV infection of the brain or spinal cord but in none of 11 subjects without autopsy evidence of CMV CNS infection. Subjects whose CSF contained > 10(3) CMV DNA molecules/8 microL of CSF had severe CMV CNS disease (e.g., ventriculoencephalitis). PCR appears to be more useful than clinical and neuroradiologic findings for documenting CMV infection of the CNS in patients with AIDS. Quantitation of CMV DNA in CSF shows promise for evaluation of the extent of involvement.
Quantitative evaluation of the relative contribution ratio of cerebral tissue to near-infrared signals in the adult human head: a preliminary study

Combining spatially- and time-resolved spectroscopies, we attempted to quantitatively evaluate the contribution ratio of the partial mean pathlength of cerebral tissue to the observed overall mean pathlength, in which haemoglobin concentrations were selectively changed by administration of acetazolamide. When acetazolamide was administered, the observed increases in oxygenated haemoglobin depended on the probe distance, which became progressively larger at distances of 2, 3 and 4 cm. Increases in oxygen saturation were detected at 3 and 4 cm spacing, but not at 2 cm. Assuming that the modified Lambert–Beer's law can exist in the inhomogeneous structure of the head, then, we could estimate the contribution ratio of the cerebral tissue to optical signals at the probe distances of 2, 3 and 4 cm as 33%, 55% and 69%, respectively. Using these values, we recalculated acetazolamide-induced concentration changes in oxygenated-haemoglobin in the cerebral tissue, which resulted in the same values at distances of 2, 3 and 4 cm as expected. Thus, our present method opened the door to the possibility of selectively obtaining optical signals attributed to cerebral tissue.
Multichannel active control of nonlinear noise processes using diagonal structure bilinear FXLMS algorithm

A novel nonlinear adaptive algorithm named as diagonal structure bilinear filtered-x least mean square (DBFXLMS) for multichannel nonlinear active noise control is proposed in this paper. The performances of the proposed algorithm are shown below and the computational complexity is compared with the second-order Volterra filtered-x LMS (VFXLMS) algorithm and the filtered-s least mean square (FSLMS) algorithm, in terms of normalized mean square error (NMSE), for multichannel active control of nonlinear noise processes. Both the simulations and the computational complexity analyses demonstrate that the proposed method has an improvement as compared to the proposed algorithms.
A novel technique to estimate complex permittivity of low-loss dielectric materials in gigahertz frequency band

This paper presents a new technique to find the complex permittivity of low-loss dielectric materials in microwave band of frequencies. The technique, in its general form, involves completely filling with the dielectric material a thick rectangular window in a rectangular waveguide and measuring the transmission scattering parameter, S21, of the waveguide with a vector network analyzer. Theoretically, S21 is determined for the same window by solving magnetic field integral equations (MFIEs), which are setup with the help of a rectangular cavity and a semi-infinite waveguide Green's functions. The MFIEs are solved using method of moments (MoM). Newton-Raphson method is, then, used to match the theoretical S21 with the measured one to estimate the unknown complex permittivity of the low-loss dielectric material. Four experiments are performed, three over X-band and one over S-band of frequencies with three dielectric materials - Teflon, Plexiglas and C-STOCK AK. For two cases over X-band, the results obtained are compared with those obtained from the Hewlett-Packard method to validate our technique.
Organic dairy farming: impacts on insect–flower interaction networks and pollination

1. Pollination interactions comprise a network of connections between flowers and insect visitors. They are crucial for reproductive success in many angiosperms but are threatened by intensive agricultural practices. Although less intensive approaches, including organic farming, could improve farmland biodiversity, it is not clear whether or not these approaches enhance wild plant pollination and the stability of insect–flower interaction networks. 2. We investigated the effects of organic vs. conventional farming on insect–flower interaction network size and structure, bee and hoverfly diversity, and pollination in 10 pairs of organic and conventional dairy farms in the Republic of Ireland. 3. We found that insect–flower interaction networks on organic farms were larger and more asymmetrically structured than networks on conventional farms. Overall, however, networks contained fewer taxa and niche overlap and plant/animal ratios were relatively low compared with previously documented insect–flower interaction networks. Organic farms did attract higher numbers of bees partly because of higher floral abundances (mainly Trifolium sp.). Hoverfly evenness was greater in organic farms but neither abundance, richness nor evenness was related to floral abundance, suggesting organic farms provide additional resources for hoverflies. Pollination of Crataegus monogyna hawthorn was higher on organic farms, although pollen deposition was limited. 4. Synthesis and applications. Organic dairy farming can increase the size and alter the structure of insect–flower interaction networks. However, network stability was not improved and all networks (organic and conventional) were vulnerable because of their small size, low niche overlap and low plant/animal ratios. Nonetheless, organic farming provided more flowers that attracted more flower visitors and improved pollination of C. monogyna. We suggest that strategic management of important flowers for pollinators in hedgerows and pastures should be endorsed in agri-environmental schemes. Sowing Trifolium spp. , and allowing these plants to flower, could benefit bees, but more research into hoverfly ecology is necessary before realistic conservation recommendations can be made for this group. We conclude that organic farming, although not the solution in its present form, can benefit insect biodiversity, insect–flower interaction networks and insect-mediated pollination.
'WANT MY AUTOGRAPH?': THE USE AND ABUSE OF DIGITAL SIGNATURES BY MALWARE

Encryption has always been a part of malware, from basic ROT13 string encoding to multi-layered packing algorithms. However, malware authors have discovered ways to exploit the existing strengths and weaknesses of public key cryptography in addition to their home-grown crypto. With the many layers that make up the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) – certifi cate issuance, verifi cation, revocation and all of the protocols and software that go in between – scammers have several weaknesses at their fi ngertips to abuse the overall system. Cheap SSL certifi cates with automated issuance procedures facilitate the fast and anonymous set-up of rogue e-commerce sites. Moreover, malware authors are able to pass their trojans off as binaries from a legitimate source, using valid or invalid signatures, as most users simply click through the related security warnings. Making matters worse, much of the endpoint software consuming digitally signed content has its own weaknesses, including off-by-default certifi cate revocation checking mechanisms. In addition to abuse, malware authors are also exploiting the strengths of public key cryptography for uses including secure botnet command and control. This paper discusses these abuses of digital signatures and possible approaches to turn the criminals’ investment in their fraudulent reputation into additional protection mechanisms.
Deposit Insurance and Moral Hazard: Does the Counterfactual Matter?

The paper analyses the relationship between deposit insurance, debt-holder monitoring, charter values and risk taking. Utilising cross-sectional and time series variation in the existence of deposit insurance schemes in the EU, we find that the establishment of explicit deposit insurance significantly reduces the risk taking of banks. This finding stands in contrast to most of the previous empirical literature. It supports the hypothesis that in the absence of deposit insurance, European banking systems have been characterised by strong implicit insurance operating through the expectation of public intervention at times of distress. We also test further hypotheses regarding the interaction between deposit insurance and monitoring, charter values and 'too-big-to-fail. ' We find that smaller banks and banks with lower charter values and more subordinated debt reduce risk taking more after the introduction of explicit deposit insurance, which supports 'too-big-to-fail', monitoring by debt holders and the moral hazard reducing effect of charter values. JEL Classification: G21, G28
On Corporate Governance in Italy: Issues, Facts and Agenda

Drawing on recent theories of control allocation and on the results of a farsearching empirical research project, Italian corporate governance is analyzed and interpreted. With control oriented financial institutions, takeovers and fiduciary duties lacking, separation between ownership and control is guaranteed by a mix of state ownership, pyramidal groups and implicit rules, namely family relations and coalitions among owners sharing common interests or values. The results are shown to be a limited degree of separation, a high stability of control, which spurs entrepreneurs' commitment and investments, and obstacles to the mobility of control, which hamper growth and restructuring and limit people's opportunities. An interpretation is provided of why the disadvantages have outweighed the advantages only since the end of the '60s and why small companies have succeeded in overcoming some of the drawbacks better than large companies. The first tentative steps to reform the system are assessed.
The role of Information Technology in the Personnel Department: HRM in the Knowledge economy

With the increasing possibilities of providing services to employees through Internet and Intranet applications, Human Resource professionals just need to click once or twice and a specially designed HR website leads to the required information. Employees would no longer be held responsible for the operational and administrative HR activities. Electronic-Human Resource Management (e-HRM) is the engine for pushing down the costs of any company and making it profitable. Information technology has been identified as an impetus of HR’s transition to becoming a strategic business partner. In this study, we extend this work one step further and explore the role of information technology in shaping the competency requirements of HR professionals. Key words: e-HRM; Human Resource Information Systems Resume: Avec une possibilite croissante de fournir des services aux employes via les applications d'Internet et d'Intranet, les professionnels des ressources humaines suffisent de cliquer une ou deux fois et un site web specialement concu pour les RH peut les conduire a l'information requise. Les employes ne seront plus tenus responsables pour les activites operationnelles et administratives des RH. La gestion des ressources humaines electronique (GRH electronique) est le moteur pour reduire les couts de la compagnie et la rendre rentable. Les technologies de l'information ont ete identifiees comme un nouvel elan de la transition des ressources humaines a devenir un partenaire d'affaires strategique. Dans cette etude, nous etendons ce travail un peu plus loin et explorons le role des technologies informatiques dans l'elaboration des exigences relatives aux competences des professionnels des RH. Mots-cles: GRH electronique; systemes informatique des ressources humaines
The efect on firms' Productivity of accessibility. The Spanish manufacturung sector

This paper evaluates the impact of accessibility on the productivity of Spanish manufacturing firms. We suggest the use of accessibility indicators to workers and commodities, integrating transport, land use, and individual components in their measurement, and computing real distances or travelling times using the Spanish full road network. The estimation is carried out in two steps. In the first one we estimate almost a hundred production functions using a panel of 155,937 firms along the 1999-2009 period from SABI database, applying Levinsohn and Petrin technique. From these estimations we derive the Total Factor Productivity function for year 2009, which is then explained in the second estimation step as a function of the accessibility indicators and additional control variables. Results evidence the crucial role of the accessibility to commodities, and a lesser but significant effect of workers’ accessibility on firms’ productivity.
A Universal Core Model for Multiple-Gate Field-Effect Transistors. Part I: Charge Model

A universal core model for multiple-gate field-effect transistors (Mug-FETs) is proposed. The proposed charge and drain current models are presented in Parts I and II, respectively. It is first demonstrated that an exact potential profile in the entire channel is not necessary for the derivation of accurate charge models in inversion-mode FETs. With application of this new concept, a universal charge model is derived for Mug-FETs by assuming an arbitrary channel potential profile, which simplifies the mathematical formulation. Thereafter, using the Pao-Sah integral, a drain current model is obtained from the charge model of Part I. The proposed model can be expressed as an explicit and continuous form for all operation regimes; therefore, it is well suited for compact modeling to support fast circuit simulations. The model shows good agreement with 2-D and 3-D numerical simulations for several multiple-gate structures, such as single-gate, double-gate, triple-gate, rectangular gate-all-around, and cylindrical gate-all-around FETs.
Usefulness of the Newly Proposed International Classification of Epilepsies, Epileptic Syndromes, and Related Seizure Disorders (1989): A Trial on Adult Patients in a Neuropsychiatric Clinic

Abstract: The utility of the “International Classification of Epilepsies, Epileptic Syndromes, and Related Seizure Disorders,” proposed by ILAE in 1989, was investigated in a neuropsychiatric clinic with a patient population numbering 300. Two hundred and three patients (67.7%) had localization‐related epilepsies (LRE), including one idiopathic case. Sixty‐six patients (22%) had generalized epilepsies, 50 idiopathic, 2 Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome, and 14 symptomatic. Thirty‐one patients (10.3%) with generalized tonic‐clonic seizures occurring only during sleep had the epilepsies undetermined whether they are focal or generalized. In the symptomatic LRE cases, 34 cases could not be classified, and 7 of the cases with frontal lobe epilepsies were difficult to subtype. Eleven of the symptomatic LRE cases had some independent seizures, multiple foci in surface EEGs and were intractable. These cases may be defined as “multifocal epilepsies. ”
Health, health‐compromising behaviour, sexuality and involvement in pregnancy among 18‐year‐old Swedish males: a cross‐sectional survey

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences regarding well‐being, health habits and health‐compromising behaviour between Swedish young men who had never had sexual intercourse (group I), those who were sexually active but without a pregnancy record (group II), and those who had caused pregnancies (group III). A self‐report questionnaire was used covering questions regarding health, health habits and risk behaviour. Tests of significance for differences between the three groups were performed with χ2‐tests. Differences were found in health, health behaviour and risk‐taking behaviour between the three groups of young men, with an apparent tendency towards riskier lifestyles from group I, through group II, to group III. Two especially striking findings were the more frequent use of anabolic steroids and the reported high rate of sexual offences in group III compared with groups I and II.
Green Marketing Practices and Customer Satisfaction: A Special Reference to Leather Goods

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to find out the impact of green marketing practices on customer satisfaction among the leather industries' customers.Methodology: Primary and secondary data were used for this study. Primary data were collected through the questionnaire. Secondary data were collected from texts, journals and magazines. Further, the research design of this study is based on quantitative method. In this study the quantitative research was used to answer the research question as “what extent Green Marketing Practices influence on the Customer satisfaction in the Sri Lankan Context? ”Findings: Based on the overall study, Green marketing practices are positively associated with customer satisfaction. And also, dimensions in the green marketing practices as green issues in product, price, promotion and place have the significant relationship with customer satisfaction. Meantime, green marketing practices has the significant impact on customer satisfaction.Recommendation: Organizations in the hyper competitive environment can utilize the promotional strategies to induce the customer attitudes in the green issues.Originality/Value: Although the model is the original and unique, it is based on established theories and models. It provides a well supported explanation of the green marketing to increase the customer satisfaction that should be a useful to manufactures and those who encourage and guide them.