Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Affective Game Design: Creating Better Game Experiences based on Players' Affective Reaction Model

Current industry approaches to game design improvements rely on gameplay testing, an iterative process that follows a test, try and fix pattern. This process has its foundation on target audience feedback, obtained via standard questionnaires. Because of its nature, it is a highly subjective and time consuming stage. In this work, a generalizable approach for building predictive models of players’ affective reactions is presented, allowing a more precise tuning of game parameters in order to increase the players’ gaming experience. This method aims to be used across a wide range of games and genres. Two high-level distinct goals are targeted. First, to allow game developers the usage of these affective reaction models to more accurately and easily predict players’ emotional responses, aiming to augment players’ gaming experiences. Lastly, to provide the capability of using these models as a basis for adaptive and parameterisable affective gaming. The work presented describes a novel, physiological-based method for profiling players’ emotions. Three main phases exist: creation of more accurate affective reaction models based on non-diffuse metrics, exploration of the existent correlation between the biofeedback affective data and the subjective experience, and a mechanism for adapting level design parameters to a desired gaming experience. The usage of biofeedback to create players’ affective reaction models and their posterior use to adapt game design to the desired gaming experience are intended to be a proof of concept applicable in several other domains and problems.
STUDY ON TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS USED IN LEAN HEALTHCARE IMPLEMENTATION: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Lately, Lean philosophy is increasingly gaining importance due to a competitive environment, which creates the need of reducing costs. Lean practices and tools have been applied to manufacturing, services, supply chains, startups and the next frontier is Healthcare. Most of lean techniques can be easily brought to Healthcare organizations. Therefore, this paper aims to summarize Lean practices and tools which are already being applied to Healthcare organizations. As its main results, we can highlight main authors, papers and number of publications per year and so, this paper can be used as a guideline for Lean implementations in Healthcare organizations.
Water and sediment ecotoxicological assessment in a river affected by former mining activities

During most of the 20 th century, the Ribeira de Iguape River Basin experienced intense activity related to mining. As consequence, it is estimated that the Ribeira de Iguape River received the discharges of approximately 5.5 tons·month -1 of residues rich in As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr and Zn. In this study samples of sediment and water were collected at five sampling sites distributed along the river, with the purpose of evaluating environmental quality. To achieve that, chemistry analysis was performed for As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni, Mn, Fe, Cr, Al and Cu, together with acute toxicity tests with Daphnia similis. The results showed that for all the samples, metals concentrations were below the quality criteria adopted by the State Environmental Agency for both waters and sediments; additionally, no toxicity was observed. The absence of acute toxicity and the low levels of metals are indicative of satisfactory environmental conditions, corroborating to the literature reporting to decreasing contamination by lead and other metals. However, for sediments, higher concentrations of metals were found along the river, in comparison to the reference site, indicating recovery was not totally achieved.
Coping and satisfaction with life in diabetes

A non-experimental, cross-sectional design was adopted. The sample consisted of 154 individuals (62 Type I diabetics, 80 Type II diabetics, and 12 individuals for whom diagnostic information was not available) recruited from the outpatient diabetes clinic at a large state hospital. All participants completed the Coping Responses Inventory – Adult Version, as well as the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Initially, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationship between the predictor variables (coping responses) and the criterion variable (satisfaction with life). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine the amount of variance in the satisfaction with life scores that was explained by coping responses.
The effect of calcareous fly ash on selected properties of new generation of concrete

The analysis of the effect of calcareous fly ash on selected properties of self-compacting and high performance self-compacting concretes is the subject of this paper. The investigation included the variable degree of grinding of calcareous fly ash and a different type of cement modified with calcareous fly ash. The results of tests on the SF class of flow and viscosity grade T500 of tested mixtures, as well as tests on concrete compressive strength (f cm,28 , f cm,90 ), flexural strength (f cf,28 , f cf,90 ), absorption tests and tests on water penetration depth are presented. Concrete mixture was modified using a variable volume fraction of calcareous fly ash as a type I and type II additive (10, 20 or 30%). The studies confirmed the possibility of using calcareous fly ash in self-compacting and high performance self-compacting concretes, while maintaining the assumed workability.
Bipolar growth model with investment flows 1

The aim of the present study is to design a bipolar model of economic growth with investment flows between two types of economies (conventionally referred to as relatively rich economies and relatively poor economies). Therefore in the following considerations it is assumed that the process of capital accumulation depends on investments undertaken in the economy. At the same time the Solow growth model takes into account only investments financed by domestic savings, whereas in the bipolar growth model also the investment flows between rich and poor economies are considered. It is assumed that both relatively rich economies are investing in the relatively poor economies and the poor economies make investments in the rich economies. The paper analyses the long-term equilibrium of the growth model, both in terms of existence of steady states of the system of differential equations and in terms of the stability of a non-trivial steady state. What is more economic characteristics of the point of the long-term equilibrium of the model are examined, model parameters are calibrated and growth paths of basic macroeconomic variables in selected variants of numerical simulations are presented.
Response to Anonymous Referee # 4 ( Author Comments in Blue ) Review of revised version of “ Radiative-Convective Equilibrium Model Intercomparison Project

RCEMIP, an intercomparison of multiple types of models configured in radiative-convective equilibrium (RCE), is proposed. RCE is an idealization of the climate system in which there is a balance between radiative cooling of the atmosphere and heating by convection. The scientific objectives of RCEMIP are three-fold. First, clouds and climate sensitivity will be investigated in the RCE setting. This includes determining how cloud fraction changes with warming and the role of selfaggregation of convection in climate sensitivity. Second, RCEMIP will quantify the dependence of the degree of convective 5 aggregation and tropical circulation regimes on temperature. Finally, by providing a common baseline, RCEMIP will allow the robustness of the RCE state across the spectrum of models to be assessed, which is essential for interpreting the results found regarding clouds, climate sensitivity, and aggregation, and more generally, determining which features of tropical climate a RCE framework is useful for. A novel aspect and major advantage of RCEMIP is the accessibility of the RCE framework to a variety of models, including cloud-resolving models, general circulation models, global cloud-resolving models, single column 10 models, and large-eddy simulation models.
From plot to watershed management : Experience in farmer participatory Vertisol technology generation and adoption in highland Ethiopia.

Vertisols are important underutilized resources in the East African highlands because of their inherent waterlogging problem. In this paper, group experience in the design, development and diffusion of a technology package through farmer participation for improving management and productivity of Vertisols is described. The results indicate that farmer knowledge, capacity and incentives are important considerations at every step in technology generation and diffusion. Results also indicate that technology adoption is not a one-off decision rather farmers move from acquisition of knowledge to adoption to continuous or discontinuous use. The set of factors influencing each decision may be also different. The experience also indicates that for effective use of technologies that are complex and may create externality, household level decisions are not adequate, rather involvement of the community in watershed or landscape management may be required. Participation of individual households in such collective action for common resource management is most likely to be influenced by the potential benefit to the participants. The experience of the project also indicates that introduction of component technologies and other interventions in a haphazard manner may not lead to sustained improvement in productivity and human welfare and maintenance of the ecosystem. An integrated and holistic approach incorporating biophysical, economic and social dimensions of any ecosystem is more appropriate for achieving those goals. Background Highlands (1500 masl) cover about 10% of tropical Africa, mostly located in the East Africa region, but they support close to half the human and about 30% of the total livestock populations. Major problems encountered in the highlands of this region are poverty and malnutrition, low crop and livestock productivity, widespread land degradation, and underutilization of some resources due to specific constraints The highlands of Ethiopia make up over 60% of the East African highlands and account for more than 80% of the agricultural lands. In addition, they serve as the major catchment for many tributaries that feed the river Nile. The majority of agricultural production is in the hands of the peasant sector, and farm technology has undergone little change for hundreds of years. As in other countries in the region, the smallholder farmers in the Ethiopian highlands are poor, individual land holdings are no more than 0.5 to 2.5 ha, family sizes are large, land productivity is low; thus food requirements are not met. Deforestation is common, steepslope cultivation and over grazing have become rampant in response to the increasing
Improvements to the Least Squares Monte Carlo Option Valuation Method

This paper proposes improvements to the least squares Monte Carlo option valuation method. We test different regression algorithms and suggest a variation to estimating the option continuation value, which can reduce the execution time of the algorithm by one third. We test the choice of varying polynomial families with different number of basis functions. We compare several variance reduction techniques, and find that using low discrepancy sequences can improve the accuracy up to four times. We also extend our analysis to compound and mutually exclusive options. For the latter, we propose an improved algorithm which is faster and more accurate.
The Composition of Capital Flows: Is South Africa Different?

An ignition system of capacitor discharge type for internal combustion engines having a DC source, an ignition transformer, a thyristor, a capacitor, a transistor and an oscillator. With all the elements in the system, the capacitor is discharged through the thyristor, transistor and primary winding of transformer when the transistor and thyristor are simultaneously rendered conductive in response to the appearance of a pulse from the oscillator. The capacitor is then charged by a counter electromotive force produced in the primary winding of the transformer in response to subsequent cut-off of the transistor.
Investigating cooperative purchasing performance: a survey of purchasing professionals in Dutch hospitals

Aim : Cooperative purchasing is considered a promising area for lowering the cost in the health care sector, although recent initiatives show mixed results. The purpose of this study is to find a thorough explanation for the performance of cooperative purchasing in healthcare by investigating the role of trust, commitment, organizational factors (i.e. group formality, and IT system effectiveness) and interpersonal skills (i.e. teamwork skills, and communication). Design/research method : A conceptual model for the performance of cooperative purchasing was developed. This model was empirically validated using a survey of 88 Dutch hospital purchasing professionals. Conclusions/findings : Analysis shows a significant impact of trust and commitment in cooperative purchasing groups on performance. Group formality and teamwork skills appear to be essential for achieving trust and cooperative purchasing performance. We also found a positive impact of IT system effectiveness on commitment, not on trust. Positive feelings about the group and positive expectation about the continuity of the group can be stimulated through effective IT systems. Since proper IT support is often neglected in many healthcare organizations, management efforts to improve IT systems could truly facilitate the tactical purchasing process of cooperative purchasing in hospitals. Originality/value of the article : Many cooperative purchasing initiatives suffer from conflicts over the allocation of savings, time, and costs. Despite the growing importance of cooperative purchasing, few empirical studies have explored the effects on hospital performance. Our study extends previous research by investigating the relationships between trust, commitment, and the performance of cooperative purchasing (1) and the impact of organizational factors and interpersonal skills on trust and commitment in purchasing groups within a healthcare context (2).
P o S ( i d m 2 0 0 8 ) 0 5 1 The search for dark matter via strong lens inversions of galaxy clusters using genetic algorithms

Gravitational lensing provides a direct means for measurin g the masses of galaxies and galaxy clusters. Provided that enough constraints are available, on might even hope to obtain a handle on the precise distribution of the mass, which in turn may rev eal information about the spatial distribution of the dark matter. We present an approach usin g genetic algorithms, allowing the user to ‘breed’ solutions which are compatible with availab le strong lensing data. The procedure allows various types of constraints to be used, including po sitional information, null-space information, and time-delay measurements. The method is non-par amet ic in the sense that it does not assume a particular shape of the mass distribution. This is accomplished by placing circularly symmetric basis functions – projected Plummer spheres – on a dyn mic grid in the lens plane. Using simulations, we show that our procedure is able constr uct a mass distribution and source positions that are compatible with a given set of observatio ns. We discuss the degeneracies that are inherent to lens inversion (and hence any lens inversion technique) and that limit the potential of strong lensing to yield precise estimates of the dark -matter distribution. We show how these degeneracies cause most of the differences between in versions of the same lensing cluster by different authors, using the famous cluster Cl 0024+1654 as a working example.
Associations Among Different Types of Prosocial Behavior Toward Friends, Friendship Quality, and Mental Health Outcomes During Adolescence

Associations Among Different Types of Prosocial Behavior Toward Friends, Friendship Quality, and Mental Health Outcomes During Adolescence Daye Son School of Family Life, BYU Master of Science The current study used a multidimensional approach to prosocial behavior by a) exploring various types of adolescent prosocial behavior toward friends (physical helping, sharing, defending, emotional support, including) using both qualitative and quantitative data, and b) examining longitudinal associations among prosocial behavior toward friends, friendship quality, and mental health (anxiety, life satisfaction, depression). The data were taken from Waves 8, 9, and 10 of the Flourishing Families Project. Participants at Wave 8 consisted of 470 adolescents (M age = 18.4 years, SD = 1.04, 49% male, 32% high school students, 33% singleparent families) from the United States. Results revealed that overall prosocial behavior for boys and emotional support for girls were positively associated with friendship quality over time. Overall prosocial behavior was also associated with increased life satisfaction. Discussion focuses on the multidimensionality of prosocial behavior and implications regarding friendships and mental health during adolescence.
Etkisi Effects of Fixed and Removable Functional Appliances on Skeletal and Dentoalveolar Structures

Amaç: Çal›flmam›z›n amac›, s›n›f II bölüm 1 malokluzyonlu bireylerin Herbst ve Twinblok tedavisi sonras› oluflan iskeletsel ve dentoalveolar de¤iflikliklerini bir kontrol grubu ile karfl›laflt›rmakt›r. Bireyler ve Yöntem: Herbst ve Twin-blok ile tedavi edilen 20 birey ile tedavi görmeyen 10 bireye ait lateral sefalometrik filmler kullan›lm›flt›r. Toplam 29 maksiller, mandibular, maksillomandibular ve dentoalveolar ölçüm yap›lm›flt›r. Grupiçi farkl›l›klar› belirlemek amac›yla efllefltirilmifl örneklem t testi, gruplar aras› karfl›laflt›rma amac›yla tek yönlü analizi yap›lm›flt›r. Bulgular: Herbst apareyi ile mandibular korpus uzunlu¤unda ve alt keser protrüzyonunda art›fl, ANB, overjet ve overbite de¤erlerinde azalma gözlenmifltir. Twin-blok grubunda Nasion dikmesi Pogonion mesafesi hariç tüm mandibular ölçümlerde anlaml› art›fl gözlenmifltir. A noktas› öne hareket etmifl, efektif orta yüz boyutu artm›flt›r. Efektif mandibula boyutu ile mandibulan›n sagital (Go-Gn) ve vertikal yönde (Co-Go, S-Go) boyutlar›n› gösteren tüm ölçümlerde art›fl gözlenmifltir. Dental de¤erlerde ise yaln›zca üst molar erüpsiyonunu gösteren üst molar nazal düzlem uzakl›¤›nda art›fl gözlenmifltir. Gruplar aras› karfl›laflt›rmada her iki apareyin ANB aç›s›n› ve overjeti azaltt›¤› belirlenmifltir. Herbst grubunda kontrol grubuna göre efektif orta yüz boyutunda ve A noktas›n›n Nasion dikmesine göre uzakl›¤›nda anlaml› fark gözlenmifltir. Di¤er mandibular ve dentoalveolar ölçümler de¤erlendirildi¤inde gruplar aras›nda fark yoktur. Sonuçlar: Çal›flmam›zda twin-blok apareyinin daha çok iskeletsel, herbst apareyinin ise iskeletsel ve dental de¤iflikliklere neden oldu¤u belirlenmifltir. Kontrol grubu ile karfl›laflt›r›ld›¤›nda apareyler benzer etkilere yol açm›flt›r. (Türk Ortodonti Dergisi 2010;23:7-20)
The relationship between rapid naming and word spelling in English

A study of the concurrent relationships between naming speed, phonological awareness and spelling ability in 146 children in Year 3 and 4 of state funded school in SE England (equivalent to US Grades 2 and 3) is reported. Seventy-two children identified as having normal phonological awareness but reduced rapid automatized naming (RAN) performance (1 standard deviation below the mean) participated in the study. A group of 74 children were further identified. These children were matched on phonological awareness, verbal and non verbal IQ, and visual acuity but all members of this group showed normal rapid automatized naming performance. Rapid automatized naming made a significant unique contribution to spelling performance. Further analyses showed that the participants with low naming performance were significantly poorer spellers overall and had a specific difficulty in spelling irregular words. The findings support the view that rapid automatized naming may be indexing processes that are implicated in the establishment of fully specified orthographic representations.
Predicting Transmissibilities of Carbonate-hosted Fault Zones 1

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Aerosol Properties Computed from Aircraft-Based Observations During the ACE-Asia Campaign: 2. A Case Study of Lidar Ratio Closure

For a vertical profile with three distinct layers (marine boundary, pollution, and dust layers), observed during the ACE-Asia campaign, we carried out a comparison between the modeled lidar ratio vertical profile and that obtained from co-located airborne NASA AATS-14 sunphotometer and shipborne Micro-Pulse Lidar (MPL) measurements. The vertically resolved lidar ratio was calculated from two size distribution vertical profiles—one obtained by inversion of sunphotometer-derived extinction spectra, and one measured in-situ—combined with the same refractive index model based on aerosol chemical composition. The aerosol model implies single scattering albedos of 0.78–0.81 and 0.93–0.96 at 0.523 μm (the wavelength of the lidar measurements), in the pollution and dust layers, respectively. The lidar ratios calculated from the two size distribution profiles agree closely in the dust layer; they are however, significantly lower than the lidar ratios derived from combined lidar and sunphotometer measurements. Uncertainties in aerosol size distributions and refractive index only partly explain these differences, suggesting that particle nonsphericity in this layer is an additional explanation. In the pollution layer, the two size distribution profiles yield lidar ratios that agree within the estimated uncertainties. The retrieved size distributions result in a lidar ratio which is in closer agreement with that derived from lidar/sunphotometer measurements in this layer, with still large differences at certain altitudes (the largest relative difference was 46%). We explain these differences by non-uniqueness of the result of the size distribution retrieval, by a lack of information on the mixing state of particles, and the vertical variability of the particle refractive index.
Characterization of Soymilk Prepared by Ohmic Heating and the Effects of Voltage Applied

Soymilk was prepared by ohmic heating. Heating time decreased as the applied voltage was increased. Precipitation, viscosity and surface hydrophobicity of protein in the soymilk were increased with the decrease in voltage applied. Voltages of 50 and 100 V resulted in a higher heating rate and consequent formation of a larger amount of protein particles (soluble aggregates), ranging from 40 to 120 nm in size, than the other conditions. Furthermore, soymilk prepared by ohmic heating at 50 or 100 V was converted into firmer tofu curd than that at 30 V. Ohmic heating at 30 V was thought to form larger protein particles than that at 50 and 100 V, and the resultant larger sized aggregates are considered to result in inferior tofu curd texture.