Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Method for Connecting Multiple Piezoelectric Transformer Converters and its Circuit Application

The electrical circuit and model of piezoelectric transformers (PTs) ELS-60 is developed. Rosen-type PT and many other nonisolated conversion circuits have the inherit problem of the common neutral between the input and output that make it difficult to connect the output in series like the magnetic transformer. A new method based on the bootstrap method is proposed to solve the aforementioned problem. A new circuit for output summation of voltage level in the output side of each PT is developed. The impact of load and output filter capacitor on the conversion ratio and resonant frequency is discussed. Experimental results based on one printed circuit board prototype of double-level PT and boost convertor validate the previous theoretical analysis and simulation results. The paper finally proposes a multilevel concept for many PT connected together for voltage summation. The method proposed can be applied to other multiple conversion circuits, which are based on common neutral between the input and output.
The Impact of Preservice Teachers' Emotions on Computer Use: A Formative Analysis

Previous research on the effect of technology-based preservice education programs has been assessed by examining changes in computer ability and attitudes. Systematic exploration looking at the effect of these programs on computer use has been noticeably absent. In addition, the role of emotions and use of computers has been largely ignored with one exception, computer anxiety. The purpose of the following study was to examine the impact of four basic emotions (anger, anxiety, happiness, sadness) on use of computers by preservice teachers in their coursework (university use) and in their practice teaching (field use). Happiness was reported often while learning new software—anxiety, anger, and sadness were experienced sometimes. All four emotion constructs were significantly correlated with all four university use constructs at the beginning of the laptop program. Increased positive emotions (happiness) were significantly correlated with increased use of computers at the university by the end of the program. Finally, increases in positive emotions and decreases in negative emotions were significantly related to teacher and student-based use of computers in the field.
Image reconstruction from few views by ℓ0-norm optimization

In the medical computer tomography (CT) field, total variation (TV), which is the ℓ1-norm of the discrete gradient transform (DGT), is widely used as regularization based on the compressive sensing (CS) theory. To overcome the TV model's disadvantageous tendency of uniformly penalizing the image gradient and over smoothing the low-contrast structures, an iterative algorithm based on the ℓ0-norm optimization of the DGT is proposed. In order to rise to the challenges introduced by the ℓ0-norm DGT, the algorithm uses a pseudo-inverse transform of DGT and adapts an iterative hard thresholding (IHT) algorithm, whose convergence and effective efficiency have been theoretically proven. The simulation demonstrates our conclusions and indicates that the algorithm proposed in this paper can obviously improve the reconstruction quality.
Triangulating horizontal inequality

Does economic inequality cause civil war? Deviating from individualist measures of inequality such as the Gini coefficient, recent studies have found a statistical link between group-level inequalities and conflict onset. Yet, this connection remains controversial, not least because of the difficulties associated with conceptualizing and measuring group-level differences in development. In an effort to overcome weaknesses afflicting specific methods of measurement, we introduce a new composite indicator that exploits the strengths of three sources of data. The first step of our method combines geocoded data from the G-Econ project with night lights emissions data from satellites. In a second step, we bring together the combined spatial values with survey estimates in order to arrive at an improved measure of group-level inequality that is both more accurate and more robust than any one of the component measures. We evaluate the effect of the combined indicator and its components on the onset of civil violence. As expected, the combined index yields stronger results as more information becomes available, thus confirming the initial hypothesis that horizontal economic inequality does drive conflict in the case of groups that are relatively poor compared to the country average. Furthermore, these findings appear to be considerably more robust than those relying on a single data source.
The Influence of Cultural Value Orientations On Self-Reported Emotional Expression Across Cultures

The present study examined the relationship between Schwartz's cultural value orientations (2004) and self-reported emotional expression across seven emotions in 25 cultural groups using a multilevel random coefficient modeling technique. Two forms of self-reported emotional expression, i.e., non-verbal and verbal expression, were examined. No clear pattern of moderation by cultural value orientations on the relationships among the emotion variables and emotional expression was found. However, significant relationships were found between cultural value orientations of hierarchy, autonomy-embeddedness, and mastery, and cultural-level means of emotional expression. These findings were discussed in terms of the normative social agendas for cultural groups high on these value orientations.
Epistemic and relational conflicts in sharing identical vs. complementary information during cooperative learning

When interacting on a learning task, which is typical of several academic situations, individuals may experience two different motives: Understanding the problem, or showing their competences. When a conflict (confrontation of divergent propositions) emerges from this interaction, it can be solved either in an epistemic way (focused on the task) or in a relational way (focused on the social comparison of competences). The latter is believed to be detrimental for learning. Moreover, research on cooperative learning shows that when they share identical information, partners are led to compare to each other, and are less encouraged to cooperate than when they share complementary information. An epistemic vs. relational conflict vs. no conflict was provoked in dyads composed by a participant and a confederate, working either on identical or on complementary information (N=122). Results showed that, if relational and epistemic conflicts both entailed more perceived interactions and divergence than the control group, only relational conflict entailed more perceived comparison activities and a less positive relationship than the control group. Epistemic conflict resulted in a more positive perceived relationship than the control group. As far as performance is concerned, relational conflict led to a worse learning than epistemic conflict, and – after a delay – than the control group. An interaction between the two variables on delayed performance showed that epistemic and relational conflicts were different only when working with complementary information. This study shows the importance of the quality of relationship when sharing information during cooperative learning, a crucial factor to be taken into account when planning educational settings at the university.
Intracuff pressure comparison between ProSeal® and Supreme® laryngeal mask airways

References 1. Janakiraman C, Hodzovic I, Reddy S, Desai N, Wilkes AR, Latto IP. Evaluation of tracheal tube introducers in simulated difficult intubation. Anaesthesia 2009; 64: 309–14. 2. Simpson JA, Duffy MR. Airway injury and haemorrhage from use of the Frova Intubating Introducer: a case report. Journal of the Intensive Care Society 2012; 13: 151–4. 3. Sellers WFS, Jones GW. Difficult tracheal intubation. Anaesthesia 1986; 41: 93. 4. Frova Intubating Introducer Data Sheet. Cook Medical. Bloomington, USA, 2012. 5. Henderson JJ, Popat MT, Latto IP, Pearce AC. Difficult Airway Society guidelines for management of the unanticipated difficult intubation. Anaesthesia 2004; 59: 675–94. 6. Cummings IM, Howell V, Thoppil A, et al. Chlorhexidine cleaning of re-usable bougies. Anaesthesia 2013; 68: 830–4. 7. Letheren MJR. Sterilisation of gum elastic bougies. Anaesthesia 1994; 49: 921. 8. Eschmann Tracheal Tube Introducer Data Sheet. Smiths Medical. UK: Ashford, 2012. 9. Dawes TJ, Ford PN. The effect of sterilisation on the plasticity of multi-use Eschmann gum elastic bougies: a bench and manikin study. Anaesthesia 2011; 66: 1134–9.
On the Computational Cutoff Rate, R0for the Peak-Power-Limited Gaussian Channel

The "computational cutoff rate," R 0 , represents a practical measure of the maximum reliable data rate that can be achieved by coding over a given communication channel using a given modulation format, in contrast with the "channel capacity," C , which represents an idealized theoretical limit on the achievable data rate. Moreover, designing signal sets with good error probabilities using the R 0 criterion results in a mathematical problem that is much more tractable than that obtained by using the probability of error itself as a criterion. Both of the above reasons establish the importance of R 0 in communications theory. This paper starts with a brief tutorial background, which reveals the origin and the significance of R 0 . Next, the problem of achieving R 0 over the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) dispersive or nondispersive channel, using quadrature-amplitude modulation (QAM) with a peakpower constraint, is addressed. The major result is that, for both cases, the optimum transmission signal set is chosen from a discrete distribution. The solution is derived in detail for the peak-power-limited nondispersive channel, where it is shown that the optimum QAM symbols are selected independently from a probability distribution that is uniform in the phase and discrete in the radius. The solution for the corresponding peak-power-limited dispersive channel is obtained only asymptotically, for large signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), where it is shown that the QAM symbols are selected independently from a uniform distribution within a disk in the complex signal space.
The Psychology of Educational Measurement.

Because school learning entails not just accretion of knowledge but the structuring and restructuring of knowledge and cognitive skills, the conception and construction of educational achievement measures must be cast in developmental terms. And because student characteristics as well as social and educational experiences influence current performance, the interpretation and implications of educational achievement measures must be relative to intrapersonal and situational contexts. These points imply a strategy of comprehensive assessment in context that focuses on the processes and structures involved in subject-matter competence as moderated in performance by personal and environmental influences. This article addresses in detail both the nature of developing competence and its measurement in terms of context-dependent task performance. Construct-irrelevant task difficulty that might jeopardize the meaning of test scores as well as construct-irrelevant influences that might jeopardize implications for action are taken into account via the comprehensive measurement of relevant contextual factors. Comprehensive assessment in context thus facilitates valid interpretations of the meaning and implications of ability and achievement scores in particular instances, thereby lightening the interpretive and ethical burdens on test users and enhancing the validity of test use.
Research Article Factors Associated with Successful Mentoring of Parents Addressing Childhood Obesity: a Mixed Methods Approach

Objective. Parents mentoring other parents as a behavioral intervention for child obesity is novel with limited data describing the experience and dynamics of this approach. This study aimed to describe the experiences of parent mentors and the self-efficacy and attitudes of their mentees in the context of a clinical trial for childhood obesity. Methods. The context for this study was a randomized clinical trial using either parent mentors or a community health worker engaging parents of obese children in behavioral change over six months. Parent mentors were interviewed at the mid-point of the intervention using a semistructured questionnaire to elicit their perceptions and experiences during the process of mentoring. Parent mentees completed a survey assessing their self-efficacy, perception of the parent mentor, and attitudes and beliefs related to their child's weight. Results. The qualitative analysis of parent mentor interviews indicated high commitment despite their nonprofessional status, facing challenges of engagement with fellow parents and attitudes of persistence and being nonjudgmental. The parent mentee ratings of parent mentors were overall very high and similar to the ratings of a community health worker (paraprofessional). Conclusion. The data suggest that a parent mentor model of intervention for child obesity is an acceptable mode of approaching behavior change in the Hispanic population around childhood obesity with potential for scalability if proven effective.
Artificial Intelligence Architecture and Modelling : Proceedings of the First Australian Workshop on Distributed Artificial Intelligence

The title of this paper suggests two distinct aspects of the models that we propose and consider. The rst of these is the modelling of other agents by motivated agents. That is to say that the act of modelling is itself motivated and constrained by the agent doing that modelling. The second aspect is that all such models will also be of motivated agents. It is not su cient merely to know what other agents are like, but also to know why they are like that. This why aspect is what provides the extra information that allows a greater understanding of the interactions between entities in the world, and consequently provides for more resilient agents capable of e ectively dealing with new and unforeseen circumstances in an uncertain world. Previous work has described a formal framework for agency and autonomy in which agents are viewed as objects with goals, and autonomous agents are agents with motivations. This paper considers the nature of cooperation within that framework. We identify distinct kinds of interaction, depending on the nature of the entities involved. In particular, we describe and specify the di erences that arise in these interactions which we characterise as engagements of non-autonomous agents, and cooperation between autonomous agents.
Structure Selective Depth Superresolution for RGB-D Cameras

This paper describes a method for high-quality depth superresolution. The standard formulations of image-guided depth upsampling, using simple joint filtering or quadratic optimization, lead to texture copying and depth bleeding artifacts. These artifacts are caused by inherent discrepancy of structures in data from different sensors. Although there exists some correlation between depth and intensity discontinuities, they are different in distribution and formation. To tackle this problem, we formulate an optimization model using a nonconvex regularizer. A nonlocal affinity established in a high-dimensional feature space is used to offer precisely localized depth boundaries. We show that the proposed method iteratively handles differences in structure between depth and intensity images. This property enables reducing texture copying and depth bleeding artifacts significantly on a variety of range data sets. We also propose a fast alternating direction method of multipliers algorithm to solve our optimization problem. Our solver shows a noticeable speed up compared with the conventional majorize-minimize algorithm. Extensive experiments with synthetic and real-world data sets demonstrate that the proposed method is superior to the existing methods.
Importance of Wetlands Management for West Nile Virus Circulation Risk, Camargue, Southern France

To assess environmental and horse-level risk factors associated with West Nile Virus (WNV) circulation in Camargue, Southern France, a serosurvey was conducted on non-vaccinated horses (n = 1159 from 134 stables) in 2007 and 2008. Fifteen Landsat images were examined to quantify areas with open water and flooded vegetation around sampled horses. Mean percentages of areas of open water and flooded vegetation, as well as variations in these percentages between 3 periods (November to February = NOT, March to July = END and August to October = EPI), were calculated for buffers of 2 km radius around the stables. Results of the final logistic regression showed that the risk of WNV seropositivity in horses decreased with their date of acquisition and age. Results also demonstrated the significant role of environmental variables. Horse serological status was associated with variations of open water areas between the NOT (November to February) and END (March to July) periods, as well as between END and EPI (August to October). WNV spillover was found more intense in areas where water level decreased strongly from winter to spring and from spring to summer.
Maximizing the Information and Validity of a Linear Composite in the Factor Analysis Model for Continuous Item Responses.

This paper develops results and procedures for obtaining linear composites of factor scores that maximize: (a) test information, and (b) validity with respect to external variables in the multiple factor analysis (FA) model. I treat FA as a multidimensional item response theory model, and use Ackerman’s multidimensional information approach based on maximum likelihood (ML) estimation of trait levels. This approach, when applied to the FA model, leads to particularly simple results as far as maximizing test information is concerned. Developments concerned with validity appear to be new, and I use ML results in the context of error-in-variables regression. Graphical procedures for representing both type of results are proposed. The developments are illustrated with two empirical examples in personality measurement.
Bilateral detection thresholds in dextrals and sinistrals reflect the more sensitive side of the nose, which is not lateralized.

Several fundamental questions remain enigmatic concerning human olfactory sensitivity, including (i) whether detection threshold differences exist between the two sides of the nose (and, if so, whether such differences are influenced by handedness) and (ii) whether bilateral (i.e. binasal) stimulation leads to lower thresholds than unilateral stimulation (and, if so, whether the degree of facilitation is inversely related to general olfactory ability). In this study, and well-validated single staircase procedure was used to establish bilateral and unilateral detection thresholds for the cranial nerve I stimulant phenyl ethyl alcohol in 130 right- and 33 left-handed subjects. No differences in sensitivity between the left and right sides of the nose were observed in either group. Bilateral thresholds were lower, on average, than unilateral thresholds when the latter were categorized in terms of left and right nares. However, the bilateral thresholds did not differ significantly from those of the side of the nose with the lower threshold. Overall smell ability, as measured by the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, did not interact with any of the test measures. These data imply that (i) the left and right sides of the nose do not systematically differ in detection threshold sensitivity for either dextrals or sinistrals and (ii) if central integration of left:right olfactory threshold sensitivity occurs, its effects do not exceed the function of the better side of the nose.
The protective and ameliorative effect of green tea extract on antioxidant status of brain tissue exposed to oxidative stress

This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of gasoline on antioxidant status of brain tissue of mice. On the other hand, studying the protective and the ameliorative role of green tea extract on these toxic effects of gasoline. Green tea extract was chosen as an antioxidant and antitoxicity natural products. CD1 mice were taken as an experimental model. Mice were exposed to gasoline vapor 2hours/day for 3 weeks in inhalation chamber. Green tea extract was provided to mice as their sole source of drinking water, these were taken before starting inhalation with one week and along the time of experiment till sacrificing the animals. Oxidative stress markers were done in this study to determine the oxidative stress of gasoline, on the other hand to examine the protective and the ameliorative role of green tea. The results of this study were concluded as: 1. Marked increase in lipid and protein oxidation levels in brain tissue by gasoline inhalation with highly protective effects of green tea on this oxidative stress of gasoline. 2. Destruction for thiol compounds, which acted as non-enzymatic antioxidants, with gasoline, these returned to the normal levels with green tea. 3. Significant reduction in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, which damaged by gasoline, some of them were improved with green tea and the others did not affect. Catalase and GPX were improved with green tea, but GS-T and SOD did not affect.
A posteriori error control in low-order finite element discretisations of incompressible stationary flow problems

Computable a posteriori error bounds and related adaptive meshrefining algorithms are provided for the numerical treatment of monotone stationary flow problems with a quite general class of conforming and non-conforming finite element methods. A refined residual-based error estimate generalises the works of Verfurth; Dari, Duran and Padra; Bao and Barrett. As a consequence, reliable and efficient averaging estimates can be established on unstructured grids. The symmetric formulation of the incompressible flow problem models certain nonNewtonian flow problems and the Stokes problem with mixed boundary conditions. A Helmholtz decomposition avoids any regularity or saturation assumption in the mathematical error analysis. Numerical experiments for the partly nonconforming method analysed by Kouhia and Stenberg indicate efficiency of related adaptive mesh-refining algorithms.