Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Judging the Behaviors of Friends and Unfamiliar Peers:

This research was designed to examine age-related and gender-related patterns in the judgments of children and early adolescents about hypothetical behaviors of friends and unfamiliar peers. Thirty-eight children, 43 younger early adolescents, and 31 older early adolescents were presented with eight scenarios that portray an actor whose behavior affects the respondent. Scenarios varied according to the status (friend or unfamiliar peer) and intention (good or neutral) of the actor and the outcome (good or bad) of the actor’s behavior for the respondent. Participants were asked to recall each scenario and to rate the appropriateness of the actor’s behavior in each. Recall both of intentions and of outcomes was associated with ratings. Significant differences in ratings related to actors’status and intentions were found for girls but not for boys. The strongest positive bias toward friends was found in the ratings of younger early adolescent girls.
Alexithymia in Parkinson's disease: secondary phenomenon or primary neuropsychiatric feature?

ISSN 1758-2024 10.2217/NMT.12. 31 © 2012 Future Medicine Ltd Neurodegen. Dis. Manage. (2012) 2(4), 343–346 part of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neuro­ degenerative disorder previously thought to be almost exclusively characterized by motor symptoms such as rigidity, brady­ kinesia, postural instability and rest tremor. However, motor symptoms are only one aspect of this multifaceted and complex disorder, which is also character­ ized by non­motor phenomena such as mood and anxiety disorders [1,2], impair­ ment of facial emotion expression recog­ nition [3,4], affective prosody and verbal emotional communication [5,6]. Alexithymia is one PD non­motor phe­ nomenon that is still poorly understood. It was originally defined as the inability to recognize and verbalize emotions [7]. People with alexithymia have reduced or missing imagery, they lack introspection ability and are inclined to adopt conform­ ist behavior. They frequently develop dependent relationships or, alternatively, prefer social isolation. Generally, people with alexithymia are unable to symbol­ ize or mentalize emotions. Indeed, these patients do not cognitively elaborate emo­ tions or conceptualize them by mental imaging or words. In alexithymic patients, emotion is just a physical and presymbolic perception. Therefore, alexithymia may be related to lost or reduced empathetic ability and, thus, may negatively affect other aspects of emotional processing, such as recog­ nition of facial emotion expressions. In other words, ‘if I am unable to compre­ hend, give meaning to and recognize my emotions how can I understand and feel other people’s emotions? ’ In this regard, the brain structures that respond to emo­ tions have also been shown to be activated during the process of identification of the same emotions by others [8,9], suggesting that anatomical or functional derange­ ment of discrete neural pathways may lead to the inability to experience emotions as well as impaired recognition of the emo­ tions expressed by others. In particular, the ability to attribute mental states to others to understand and predict their emotional behavior, that is, the so­called empathetic process, requires the inter­ vention of several structures such as the amygdala, the temporal lobe (particularly
Radiofrequency ablation of pulmonary tumours: current status

Abstract Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for thoracic tumours has emerged as a minimally invasive therapy option for primary and secondary lung tumours and has gained increasing acceptance for pain palliation. The procedure is well tolerated and the complication rates are low. RFA provides the opportunity for localized tissue destruction of limited tumour volumes with medium and long term follow-up data suggesting that survival figures do parallel those of non-surgical treatment modalities. The purpose of this article is to review the status of RFA in lung tumours, to emphasize its place in symptomatic palliation and to discuss its potential role in conjunction with radiation or systemic therapy.
Steganographic Routing in Multi Agent System Environment

In this paper we present an idea of trusted communication platform for Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) called TrustMAS. Based on analysis of routing protocols suitable for MAS we have designed a new proactive hidden routing. Proposed steg-agents discovery procedure, as well as further routes updates and hidden communication, are cryptographically independent. Steganographic exchange can cover heterogeneous and geographically outlying environments using available cross-layer covert channels. Finally we have specified rules that agents have to follow to benefit the TrustMAS distributed router platform.
An Open Framework for Prototyping the Delivery of Multimedia-rich Virtual Learning Experiences Through the Internet

Incorporating interactive multimedia, VRML, and real-time video and audio conferencing into a multi -user, object-oriented framework to create a collaborative virtual learning environment is one scenario for killer applications towards emerging telecommunication infrastructure s, such as the Internet 2 or the current Internet enhanced with QoS mechanisms. In this paper such an open framework for enabling rapid prototyping and delivery of virtual learning experiences through the Internet is presented. Towards this end cultural heritage content is exploited. VRML and Java are the key technologies. Based on this framework, the Enigma application is presented which enables groups of users to monitor multimedia-rich virtual guided tour sessions inside 3D representations of archaeological sites. A live guide controls these sessions so that all users have the same view of the content. Directions for further research based on the conducted work are presented.
Lipid-Mediated Modulation of Intracellular Ion Channels and Redox State: Physiopathological Implications.

SIGNIFICANCE Ion channels play an important role in the regulation of organelle function within the cell, as proven by increasing evidence pointing to a link between altered function of intracellular ion channels and different pathologies ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative diseases, ischemic damage, and lysosomal storage diseases. Recent Advances: A link between these pathologies and redox state as well as lipid homeostasis and ion channel function is in the focus of current research. CRITICAL ISSUES Ion channels are target of modulation by lipids and lipid messengers, although in most cases the mechanistic details have not been clarified yet. Ion channel function importantly impacts production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially in the case of mitochondria and lysosomes. ROS, in turn, may modulate the function of intracellular channels triggering thereby a feedback control under physiological conditions. If produced in excess, ROS can be harmful to lipids and may produce oxidized forms of these membrane constituents that ultimately affect ion channel function by triggering a "circulus vitiosus. " FUTURE DIRECTIONS The present review summarizes our current knowledge about the contribution of intracellular channels to oxidative stress and gives examples of how these channels are modulated by lipids and how this modulation may affect ROS production in ROS-related diseases. Future studies need to address the importance of the regulation of intracellular ion channels and related oxidative stress by lipids in various physiological and pathological contexts. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 00, 000-000.
The effects of sleep disturbance on school performance: A preliminary investigation of children attending elementary grades

Sleep disorders in children are common. Sleep plays an important role in children’s development and sleep disorders can have a substantial impact on their quality of life. Indeed, sleep is crucial for physical growth, behavior, and emotional development and it is also closely related to cognitive functioning, learning and attention, and therefore to school performance. In the present study sleep habits were investigated in 173 school-age children by using the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Results show that children attending the third elementary grade had higher CSHQ total score, indicating sleep problems, as compared to other classes. Moreover, an inverse correlation was observed between sleep disturbance and school performance (p < 0.05), meaning that children with sleep problems also have a lower performance at school. Our findings imply that sleep disorders could negatively impact school performance.
An optimal control strategy for the IPM motor drives

Permanent magnet synchronous motors are being manufactured and used increasingly in low to medium power range applications due to their inherent advantages. In transient state of the IPM motor reach maximum torque per ampere is necessary and in steady state optimal efficiency for IPM is desire. In this paper an optimal controller for IPM has been designed to achieve maximum torque per ampere in transient and maximum efficiency in steady state, simultaneously. The control strategy that is decided for this purpose is based on control of stator current factors, that is derived from vector control of IPM in x−y frame and d−q frame and stator current is controlled in both of them accordance to state of machines performance. Also in specific performance current is limited. To investigate performance of IPM by this method, time domain simulation with MATLAB-Simulink software is utilized.
Stereotypes and Segregation: Neighborhoods in the Detroit Area

Two opposing hypotheses seek to explain why black-white residential segreration persists despite open housing laws. One perspective argues that discriminatory practices in the marketing of real estate are responsible. Another view contends that it is the preferences of both blacks and whites for their own neighborhoods that maintain segregation. Using data from the Detroit Area Study of 1976 and 1992, the authors test the hypothesis that stereotypes among whites play an important role in explaining their resistance to integrated neighborhoods. They conclude that stereotype use links white preferences to discriminatory real estate practices in a way that helps to explain the persistence of segregation in the Detroit area.
DESCRIPTION OF OCCUPANT BEHAVIOUR IN BUILDING ENERGY 1 SIMULATION : STATE-OF-ART AND CONCEPTS FOR IMPROVEMENTS 2 3

Energy and indoor environmental performance of buildings are highly influenced by outdoor/indoor climate, by building characteristics, and by occupants’ behaviour. Building simulation tools cannot precisely replicate the actual performance of buildings because the simulations are based on a number of basic assumptions that affect the results. Therefore, the calculated energy performance may differ significantly from the real energy consumption. One of the key reasons is the current inability to properly model occupant behaviour and to quantify the associated uncertainties in building performance predictions. By consequence, a better description of parameters related to occupant behaviour is highly required. In this paper, the state of art in occupant behaviour modelling within energy simulation tools is analysed and some concepts related to possible improvements of simulation tools are proposed towards more accurate energy consumption predictions.
A Proposal for Targeting Streaming Languages with the Value State Dependence Graph

The Value State Dependence Graph is a sparse data-dependence IR that has been investigated as a midpoint in compilers producing sequential code for uniprocessors. However, we argue that parallelism is an important feature that has been largely overlooked. We conjecture that the VSDG is exploitable for parallelism through partitioning, and investigate the feasibility of generating streaming languages via a VSDG implementation, possibly bridging the gap between streaming languages and von Neumann-style languages such as C.
Development of an Automatic Stencil Inspection System Using Modified Hough Transform and Fuzzy Logic

In this paper, the authors present a system to inspect metal stencil that is used to print solder paste on pads of surface-mounted device on printed circuit board. The developed inspection system is composed of a moderately precise X-Y robot and a vision system. To correct a position error caused by the X-Y robot, the authors define position error vector and apply modified Hough transform to determine the dominant position error vector. Using this extracted dominant position error vector, the reference image is modified. This transformed reference image is compared with the camera image. Fuzzy logic is utilized to judge the correctness of the holes on the stencil. The input variables are the ratio of the overlapped area of two holes and the distance between the centroid of them. The output variable is the grade of the identity of the hole. These methods are verified by a simulation and applied to the inspection system
Teacher language awareness and cognitive linguistics (CL): building a CL-inspired perspective on teaching lexis in EFL student teachers

It has been suggested recently that it may be useful for language teaching practitioners to have some knowledge of cognitive linguistics. Cognitive linguistics (CL) provides tools that may help the language-teaching practitioner to gain insight into the semantic potential of words and communicate the meaning of lexical chunks in greater detail and, with regard to collocations, with greater explanatory power. The present study sought to find out how student teachers respond to this approach. Prepositions and phrasal verbs have been chosen to demonstrate the applicability of concepts from CL to language pedagogy. Self-report data collected with the help of questionnaires and reflective writing tasks indicate that student teachers recognise benefits of a CL-inspired approach to foreign language vocabulary teaching. It is argued that applied CL can contribute to teachers’ language awareness (TLA) and that it can broaden the scope of lexical awareness. However, student teachers need practice in the analysis of concrete samples of language before they are able to create opportunities for insightful lexical learning on the basis of CL findings in the classroom.
Optic Neuritis, its Differential Diagnosis and Management

The aim of this review is to summarize the latest information about optic neuritis, its differential diagnosis and management. Optic Neuritis (ON) is defined as inflammation of the optic nerve, which is mostly idiopathic. However it can be associated with variable causes (demyelinating lesions, autoimmune disorders, infectious and inflammatory conditions). Out of these, multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of demyelinating ON. ON occurs due to inflammatory processes which lead to activation of T-cells that can cross the blood brain barrier and cause hypersensitivity reaction to neuronal structures. For unknown reasons, ON mostly occurs in adult women and people who live in high latitude. The clinical diagnosis of ON consists of the classic triad of visual loss, periocular pain and dyschromatopsia which requires careful ophthalmic, neurologic and systemic examinations to distinguish between typical and atypical ON. ON in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is initially misdiagnosed as ON in MS or other conditions such as Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (AION) and Leber’s disease. Therefore, differential diagnosis is necessary to make a proper treatment plan. According to Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (ONTT) the first line of treatment is intravenous methylprednisolone with faster recovery and less chance of recurrence of ON and conversion to MS. However oral prednisolone alone is contraindicated due to increased risk of a second episode. Controlled High-Risk Subjects Avonex® Multiple Sclerosis Prevention Study “CHAMPS”, Betaferon in Newly Emerging Multiple Sclerosis for Initial Treatment “BENEFIT” and Early Treatment of MS study “ETOMS” have reported that treatment with interferon β-1a,b results in reduced risk of MS and MRI characteristics of ON. Contrast sensitivity, color vision and visual field are the parameters which remain impaired mostly even after good recovery of visual acuity.
Father-child contact in inner-city African American families with maternal HIV infection

This study examines father-child contact in inner-city African American families with maternal HIV infection. Participants were 246 African American women, 40% of whom are infected with HIV, and one of their non-infected children. Children from non-infected families were more likely to have fathers who are alive and who are living in the home. In addition, regardless of whether or not the father lived in the home, these children had more frequent father contact than children from families with maternal HIV infection. Explanations and implications of the findings are discussed.
Security RBSG: Protecting Phase Change Memory with Security-Level Adjustable Dynamic Mapping

As an emerging memory technology to build the future main memory systems, Phase Change Memory (PCM) can increase memory capacity in a cost-effective and power-efficient way. However, PCM is facing security threats for its limited write endurance: a malicious adversary could wear out the cells and cause the whole PCM system to fail within a short period of time. To address this issue, several wear-leveling schemes have been proposed to evenly distribute write traffic in a security-aware manner. In this work, we present a new type of timing attacknamed Remapping Timing Attack (RTA), based on the asymmetry in write time of PCM. Our analysis and experimental results show that the new revealed RTA can make two state-of-the-art wear-leveling schemes (Region Based Start-Gap and Security Refresh) lose effectiveness, failing PCM with these two techniques in several days (even minutes). In order to defend such attack, we further propose a novel wear-leveling scheme called Security Region Based Start-Gap (Security RBSG), which employs a two-stage strategy and uses a dynamic Feistel Network to enhance the simple Start-Gap wear leveling with level-adjustable security assurance. The theoretical analysis and evaluation results show that the proposed Security RBSG is the most robust wear-leveling methodology so far, which not only better defends the new RTA, but also performs well on the traditional malicious attacks, i.e., Repeated Address Attack and Birthday Paradox Attack.
On a Class of One-Step Majority-Logic Decodable Cyclic Codes

Majority-logic decoding is attractive for three reasons: (1) It can be simply implemented; (2) the decoding delay is short; and (3) its performance, while suboptimal, is always superior to bounded distance decoding. For these reasons, majority-logic decodable cyclic codes are very suitable for error control in high speed digital data transmission systems. Among the majority-logic decodable codes, the one-step decodable codes can be most easily implemented; they employ a single majority-logic gate. In this paper we study a class of one-step majority-logic decodable cyclic codes. First, we describe these codes in a simple manner. Second, a way of finding the orthogonal polynomials for decoding these codes is presented. Third, we show that for a given error correction capability, the ratio of the number of parity digits to the code length goes to zero as the code length increases. For error correction Capabilities of the form 2k - 1 or 2k, we determine the dimensions of the codes exactly.
Second Language Acquisition: Error Analysis

The collection, classification, and analysis of errors in the written and spoken performance of second or foreign language learners has had a role in language pedagogy since at least the 1950s. However, in the late 60s, and paticularly in the 70s, the study of errors in non-native language performance, or Errors Analysis (EA), assumed a new role in applied linguistics. A more rigorous methodology for EA developed, and it was applied to new issues and questions within second language acquisition research. Yet, by 1980, EA was largely considered a transitional development in applied linguistics. This review considers the nature, development, and achievements of Error Analysis in the period from 1970 to 1980. We will consider EA from three perspectives, reviewing the use of Error Analysis: (1) to account for linguistic competence; (2) to identify learning processes and strategies, and (3) to provied input to language pedagogy.
An improved 2D glass cutting solution with genetic algorithms

2D glass cutting is an important problem for glass manufacturers. The objective of 2D glass cutting is to minimize the amount of waste when cutting a whole glass sheet into several pieces according to given cutting orders. In this paper, three different algorithms applied for the solution of 2D glass cutting problem. The performances of solutions are compared. The genetic algorithm with initial population strategy improves the performance of the algorithm and provides better results.
Problem Complexity and the Transfer of Strategies in Computer-presented Problems

Two experiments were performed to determine whether practice on less complex problems, either smaller size or in familiar context, produces a strategy that transfers to similar but more complex problems. In the first experiment subjects solved a set of small or intermediate size problems in familiar or unfamiliar context. They subsequently did large size problems in their initially assigned context. Intermediate size problems resulted in significantly better performance on subsequent large size problems than practice on small size problems. In the second experiment subjects did a set of problems in one of three sizes and one of two contexts, with a subsequent set in the same size but in an unfamiliar context. Practice on familiar problems was no more effective than practice on unfamiliar for transfer to another unfamiliar context for all sizes. Students performed near ceiling on smaller size problems and poorly on larger problems. Implications for instruction are discussed.
CLWPR — A novel cross-layer optimized position based routing protocol for VANETs

In this paper, we propose a novel position-based routing protocol designed to anticipate the characteristics of an urban VANET environment. The proposed algorithm utilizes the prediction of the node's position and navigation information to improve the efficiency of routing protocol in a vehicular network. In addition, we use the information about link layer quality in terms of SNIR and MAC frame error rate to further improve the efficiency of the proposed routing protocol. This in particular helps to decrease end-to-end delay. Finally, carry-n-forward mechanism is employed as a repair strategy in sparse networks. It is shown that use of this technique increases packet delivery ratio, but increases end-to-end delay as well and is not recommended for QoS constraint services. Our results suggest that compared with GPSR, our proposal demonstrates better performance in the urban environment.
Stem cell therapy: medico-legal perspectives in Italy

Ethical and juridical issues have recently been raised in Italy regarding experimental stem cell therapy (Stamina), which was authorized but then stopped after it was administered to a wide range of patients as a compassionate treatment for neurodegenerative diseases (Carrozzi et al., 2012; Finkel, 2012; Mercuri and Bertini, 2012; Abbott, 2013; Cattaneo and D'Ambrosio-Lettieri, 2015).