Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN LEARNING STYLE PREFERENCES OF FIRST YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS

Background: Learning style is defined as the manner and the conditions under which learners most efficiently and effectively perceive, process, store and recall what they are attempting to learn. Do men and women learn differently or have different preferred ways of learning? To address this concern, faculty members should understand their students’ learning style preferences. We are interested in developing teaching approaches to address the learning needs of all of our medical students. To better understand our learners and their learning style characteristics, we administered Flaming’s VARK questionnaire for assessing sensory modality. Methods: Participants in this study consisted of 1 st year medical students at Government Medical College, Kota, India. A total of 155 students completed the questionnaire (59 female and 57 males). The VARK questionnaire was used to identify one facet of student learning styles, the sensory modality by which they prefer to take information. Result: Males (92.98%) and females (76.27%) preferred information to reach them via multiple sensory modalities. In addition only 15.52% of all students (6.25% males and 23.75% females) preferred using a single sensory modality for information intake. There was a significant gender difference in the percentages of males and females students who preferred multimodal or unimodal styles of information presentation (p 0.05). Conclusion: Although both males and females preferred multimodal learning but in different degree. Significant variation between the genders were revealed (p<0.05). As teachers, we need to assess and understand how to reach all students by understanding how to present the information in multiple modes. We can help students more effectively; both in and out of the classroom, if we are aware of their learning style.
Efficient Structured Language Modeling for Speech Recognition

The structured language model (SLM) of [1] was one of the first to successfully integrate syntactic structure into language models. We extend the SLM framework in two new directions. First, we propose a new syntactic hierarchical interpolation that improves over previous approaches. Second, we develop a general information-theoretic algorithm for pruning the underlying Jelinek-Mercer interpolated LM used in [1], which substantially reduces the size of the LM, enabling us to train on large data. When combined with hill-climbing [2] the SLM is an accurate model, space-efficient and fast for rescoring large speech lattices. Experimental results on broadcast news demonstrate that the SLM outperforms a large 4-gram LM.
Group cohesiveness and extrinsic motivation in virtual groups: lessons from an action case study of electronic brainstorming

One form of group support system that has received much attention from cross-disciplinary research is electronic brainstorming (EBS). While it is generally held that group cohesiveness is lower in virtual settings that in face-to face interactions, it has also been argued that this does not matter in cognitive work such as idea generation. However, most work on EBS has been carried out in academic settings, and though such environments provide more control, they may be insufficient to capture all nuances of on-going office work. Hence, I describe an action case study of a failing attempt to introduce an EBS prototype in an organisational setting. The analysis suggests that virtual groups, counter to what is previously thought, need to establish and maintain a group identity. One circumstance under which this seems to be the case is in the existence of extrinsic rewards mechanisms.
A Class of Petri Nets for Modular and Hierarchical System Modeling

Existed researches on transition refinement and subnet abstraction mainly paid attention to preserve different attributes during the transformation, usually led to very strict conditions for the subnet. Aiming to provide the same service and interface after transformation as original module while less restricts are given, a kind of subnet - the Engineering Subnet, is put forward to model complex manufacturing system. The surrounding environment and interface of a subnet are analyzed and defined, the concept "standardized interface" is presented; transition subnets are classified into different types, the idea of "normalizedsubnet" is presented; a live and normalized subnet with finite live loopbacks is proved to be an Engineering Subnet. Because of live loopbacks owned by Engineering Subnets, the same interface and service as the original module are reserved after the transformation between an Engineering Subnet and the corresponding transition, mean while fewer preconditions are required for the Engineering Subnet compared with previous researches.
FOREST DISTURBANCE LEADS TO THE RAPID SPREAD OF THE INVASIVE LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA IN TAIWAN

This study, based on different investigative documents and analytical methods, elucidates spatial distribution of habitats for major invasive exotic plants, Leucaena leucocephala , in Taiwan. Results show that Leucaena leucocephala is most harmful to broad-leaved trees and its invasion directly relates to changes in the physical environment. Leucaena leucocephala can bloom and bear fruits all year round and during the period of seeds sprouting and saplings, the invasion varies greatly among different soil types. Leucaena leucocephala prefers weakly acidic soil, though it grows well with other soil textures and nutrients as well. The average spreading rate of Leucaena leucocephala is 3.55 ha year −1 on abandoned farm land calculated from the aerial photographs taken in 1982, 1992, 2003, and 2007.
Interaction and survival analysis of graduation data

This is the second in a series of articles describing ongoing research that involves studying engineering college student graduation using Cox proportional hazards models. The first article, called "Proportional hazards models of graduation," was based on main effects models of graduation controlling for descriptors such as in-state residence, hometown population, and student major. This second article attends to first-order interaction terms between pairs of previously considered main effects. Survival analysis of graduation data here suggests significance of standardized math scores, and English and Science ACT scores, under certain circumstances that might not have been discovered without the examination of interaction.
Isoflavones and their metabolites influence the milk component synthesis ability of mammary epithelial cells through prolactin/STAT5 signaling.

SCOPE Isoflavones are a class of polyphonic compounds present in legumes and are called phytoestrogens because of their estrogen-like activity. Estrogen influences the behavior of mammary epithelial cells (MECs) during pregnancy and lactation. In this study, we investigated the direct influences of isoflavones and their metabolites in milk production ability of MECs. METHODS AND RESULTS Mouse MECs were cultured with prolactin and dexamethasone (glucocorticoid analog) to induce milk production ability. Subsequently, lactating MECs were treated with each isoflavone. Coumestrol, biochanin A, genistein, and formononetin decreased the intracellular and secreted β-casein. On the other hand, p-ethylphenol, daidzein, and equol did not significantly influence β-casein production at any concentration. Coumestrol, biochanin A and genistein down-regulated the mRNA expression of whey acidic protein (WAP), lactoferrin and α-lactalbumin. In contrast, p-ethylphenol, daidzein and equol up-regulated β-casein and/or WAP with α-lactalbumin. Furthermore, coumestrol and genistein down-regulated the expression of prolactin receptor and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) accompanied by a decrease in STAT5 phosphorylation. CONCLUSION Isoflavones and their metabolites influence the milk production ability of MECs through different interactions with prolactin/STAT5 signaling. Simultaneous intake of multiple isoflavones by consumption of legumes may induce promotive or adverse effects on lactating MECs.
Brain-actuated humanoid robot control using one class motor imagery task

Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is a new control interface which can translate brain activities directly to computer commands. This paper presents a brain direct-control system for humanoid robot based on one class motor imagery (MI) BCI paradigm. In the paradigm, a hierarchical human-robot interaction protocol was designed based on special gestures of the robot, which can modulate four robot motion commands by only one class of MI task. With this protocol, more available commands can be exported using a small set of MI tasks. Furthermore, as only one MI task needed to be classified directly from the electroencephalograph (EEG) signals, the difficulty of classifier design was also reduced significantly comparing to the traditional multi-class BCI system. The proposed BCI control system was tested in a robot navigation experiment. The average accuracy of the BCI paradigm was 90.7%, and all the subjects could complete the robot navigation task successfully. The results showed that the present BCI control system is feasible and efficient, which can be applied to practical control applications.
Chronic non‐malignant pain patients report as poor health‐related quality of life as palliative cancer patients

Background: Patients with chronic non‐malignant pain (CNMP) conditions are known to report reduced health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). The objective of this exploratory study was to compare HRQoL between patients admitted to a multidisciplinary pain centre, palliative cancer (PC) patients and national norms.
Accurate Classification of SAGE Data Based on Frequent Patterns of Gene Expression

In this paper we present a method for classifying accurately SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) data. The high dimensionality of the data, namely the large number of features, in combination with the small number of samples poses a great challenge and demands more accurate and robust algorithms for classification. The prediction accuracy of the up to now proposed approaches is moderate. In our approach we exploit the associations among the expressions of genes in order to construct more accurate classifiers. For validating the effectiveness of our approach we experimented with two real datasets using numerous feature selection and classification algorithms. The results have shown that our approach improves significantly the classification accuracy, which reaches 99%.
When is Caregiving a Burden? Listening to Mexican American Women

Home care of a chronically mentally ill relative exerts substantial physical and emotional demands on a family member. Yet, little work has examined the perspective about caregiving voiced by individuals from different ethnic groups and the comparison of this perspective with objective measures of caregiver burden. This article reviews findings from a study of 251 Mexican American and European American family caregivers of severely mentally ill relatives living in South Texas. Significant multivariate interaction effects of residence (rural/urban) and level of acculturation were found on caregiver stresses and coping responses, even when controlling for income. Analyses suggest differential vulnerability patterns for caregiver burden: In urban areas, Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans reported higher stress and greater coping efforts; whereas in rural areas, this was true instead for more acculturated Mexican Americans and European Americans. Discussion addresses differences in report of burden between standardized scaled approaches and open-ended responses and explores how the nature of caregiver burden may vary along contextual lines.
Two-stage compressed sensing for millimeter wave channel estimation

In millimeter wave (mmWave) communication systems, large antenna arrays are used to compensate high path loss. While the large array provides high beamforming gain, it also poses a challenge in channel estimation. Since mmWave channels are likely to be sparse in angular domain, the channel estimation can be converted into a sparse recovery problem, and compressed sensing (CS) can be leveraged for the channel estimation. However, conventional non-adaptive CS algorithms show poor recovery performance with low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which is common before beamforming in mmWave channels. Although recently developed adaptive CS schemes perform better in a low SNR regime, their excessive feedback requirement hinders practical usage. In this paper, we propose a two-stage CS scheme that requires one-time feedback and is robust to noise, which can be regarded as a compromise between the two approaches. Sufficient conditions for the support recovery with the proposed scheme are characterized, and its effectiveness is also shown numerically.
A Novel ${{V}}_{\textsf {DSAT}}$ Extraction Method for Tunnel FETs and Its Implication on Analog Design

This brief investigates for the first time, a method to extract the value of saturation drain voltage for a tunnel FET. The saturation in output characteristics of a TFET is found to take place when the difference in conduction band energy (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta {\textsf {E}}_{{\textsf {C}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of channel (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{E}_{\text{CC}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) and drain (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{E}_{\text{CD}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) is a few <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{K}_{B}}{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. As the drain voltage (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{V}_{\text{DS}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) increases, it is found that the device initially enters in a soft saturation state and subsequently into deep saturation. For any given value of gate voltage (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{V}_{\text{GS}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), the onset of soft and deep saturation happens for a constant difference in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{V}_{\text{GS}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{V}_{\text{DS}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. We propose a novel method to extract this voltage difference <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{V}_{\text{GD}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, which is explained using a phenomenological approach. We have also validated our results with published experimental data. It is found that the output resistance (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{R}_{o}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), transconductance (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{g}_{{m}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), and intrinsic gain (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{g}_{{m}}}\times {{R}_{{o}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) increase when the device enters in a soft saturation and attain a maximum value in deep saturation regime. Furthermore, a common source amplifier biased in soft saturation is also demonstrated to have a comparable voltage gain and bandwidth to the one biased in deep saturation.
The PACT study protocol: a time series study investigating the impact, acceptability and cost of an integrated model for psychosocial screening, care and treatment of patients with urological and head and neck cancers

Introduction While there is good evidence of the effectiveness of a variety of interventions and services to prevent and/or relieve distress experienced by people affected by cancer, much of this psychosocial morbidity is undetected and untreated, with consequent exacerbated suffering, decreased satisfaction with care, impaired adherence to treatment regimens and poorer morbidity and mortality outcomes. The objective of this study is to develop, implement and assess the impact, acceptability and cost of an integrated, patient-centred Psychosocial Assessment, Care and Treatment (PACT) model of care for patients with urological and head and neck cancers. Methods and analysis A time series research design will be used to test the PACT model of care, newly introduced in an Australian tertiary hospital. The primary outcome is system-level impact, assessed through audit of patients’ medical records and Medicare claims for follow-up care. The secondary outcomes are impact of the model on patients' experience and healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) knowledge and confidence, assessed via patient and HCP surveys at baseline and at follow-up. Acceptability of the intervention will be assessed through HCP interviews at follow-up, and cost will be assessed from Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims information and information logged pertaining to intervention activities (eg, time spent by the newly appointed psycho-oncology staff in direct patient contact, providing training sessions, engaging in case review) and their associated costs (eg, salaries, training materials and videoconferencing). Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committees of Hunter New England Local Health District and the University of NSW. Results The results will be widely disseminated to the funding body and through peer-reviewed publications, HCP and consumer publications, oncology conferences and meetings. Trial registration The study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry with registration number ACTRN12613000916741.
Investigating skin-to-skin care patterns with extremely preterm infants in the NICU and their effect on early cognitive and communication performance: a retrospective cohort study

Objectives The primary objective of the study was to investigate how patterns of skin-to-skin care might impact infant early cognitive and communication performance. Design This was a retrospective cohort study. Setting This study took place in a level-IV all-referral neonatal intensive care unit in the Midwest USA specialising in the care of extremely preterm infants. Participants Data were collected from the electronic medical records of all extremely preterm infants (gestational age <27 weeks) admitted to the unit during 2010–2011 and who completed 6-month and 12-month developmental assessments in the follow-up clinic (n=97). Outcome measures Outcome measures included the cognitive and communication subscales of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III); and skin-to-skin patterns including: total hours of maternal and paternal participation throughout hospitalisation, total duration in weeks and frequency (hours per week). Analysis Extracted data were analysed through a multistep process of logistic regressions, t-tests, χ2 tests and Fisher's exact tests followed with exploratory network analysis using novel visual analytic software. Results Infants who received above the sample median in total hours, weekly frequency and total hours from mothers and fathers of skin-to-skin care were more likely to score ≥80 on the cognitive and communication scales of the Bayley-III. However, the results were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Mothers provided the majority of skin-to-skin care with a sharp decline at 30 weeks corrected age, regardless of when extremely preterm infants were admitted. Additional exploratory network analysis suggests that medical and skin-to-skin factors play a parallel, non-synergistic role in contributing to early cognitive and communication performance as assessed through the Bayley-III. Conclusions This study suggests an association between early and frequent skin-to-skin care with extremely preterm infants and early cognitive and communication performance.
Optimal design of a medium voltage hybrid fault current limiter

The connection of distributed generation increases the short circuit power which in turn might exceed the ratings of the installed circuit breakers. A solution is to limit the available short circuit power by increasing the grid impedance, but since there is a constant strive for lower losses and higher power transfer capabilities, this is not desired. The application of a fault current limiter (FCL) that can limit the current before the first peak enables a power system with high short circuit power and low short circuit current. This can increase the stability of the grid and reduce the requirements of other equipment. This work presents a simulation model to be used as an aid in the design of a hybrid FCL for a 12 kV AC system. The proposed model combines a transient analysis circuit model with an optimization module to obtain multiple sets of possible design parameters. The design is not straight forward since there is a trade-off between several of the design parameters.
Optimality of Beamforming for a Correlated MISO Relay Channel

We analyze the optimality of beamforming in multiple-input single-output relay channels without a direct link between the source and the destination. Assuming that the source has access to the channel correlation information, and that the relay operates in amplify and forward mode with a long term power constraint, we first show that the optimal transmission strategy is to transmit along the eigen-vectors of the transmit correlation matrix. The optimality of beamforming is then studied via the power allocation problem at the source. In particular, we derive a necessary and sufficient condition under which beamforming achieves the capacity. Our results demonstrate that the finite relay gain decreases the range at which beamforming is optimal.
Phenotypic and developmental plasticity of xylem in hybrid poplar saplings subjected to experimental drought, nitrogen fertilization, and shading

Variation in xylem structure and function has been extensively studied across different species with a wide taxonomic, geographical, and ecological coverage. In contrast, our understanding of how xylem of a single species can adjust to different growing condition remains limited. Here phenotypic and developmental plasticity in xylem traits of hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa×deltoides) was studied. Clonally propagated saplings were grown under experimental drought, nitrogen fertilization, and shade for >30 d. Xylem hydraulic and anatomical traits were subsequently examined in stem segments taken from two different vertical positions along the plant’s main axis. The experimental treatments affected growth and development and induced changes in xylem phenotype. Across all treatments, the amount of leaf area supported by stem segments (AL) scaled linearly with stem native hydraulic conductivity (K native), suggesting that the area of assimilating leaves is constrained by the xylem transport capacity. In turn, K native was mainly driven by the size of xylem cross-sectional area (AX). Moreover, the structural and functional properties of xylem varied significantly. Vulnerability to cavitation, measured as the xylem pressure inducing 50% loss of conductivity (P50), ranged from –1.71MPa to –0.15MPa in saplings subjected to drought and nitrogen fertilization, respectively. Across all treatments and stem segment positions, P50 was tightly correlated with wood density. In contrast, no relationship between P50 and xylem-specific conductivity (K S) was observed. The results of this study enhance our knowledge of plant hydraulic acclimation and provide insights into common trade-offs that exist in xylem structure and function.