Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Cross-cultural Experiences and Ethnic Identity in Transracial Adoptees' Self-esteem

Title of Document: THE ROLE OF CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCES AND ETHNIC IDENTITY IN TRANSRACIAL ADOPTEES’ SELF-ESTEEM Jocylynn Stephenson, Master of Science, 2015 Directed By: Associate Professor Leigh A. Leslie Department of Family Science Research into mental health outcomes of minority transracial adoptees has been fueled by debate over white parents’ ability to prepare minority children for experiences of individual and institutional racism. However, studies show transracial adoptees do not differ from others in self-esteem, one criterion used to gauge mental health. Among minorities, ethnic identity is correlated with self-esteem, but studies show that transracially adopted adolescents often face ambiguous ethnic identity. Cross-cultural experiences have proven to increase ethnic identity in minorities, but little research has been done on their effect among transracial adoptees. The current study explored whether cross-cultural experiences bolster self-esteem in minority transracial adoptees through mediation of adoptees’ ethnic identity. One-hundred-three transracially adopted minority adolescents completed online self-report surveys. Results indicated a significant negative link between cross-cultural experiences and ethnic identity and a moderately significant negative link between cross-cultural experiences and self-esteem in this population. Findings and possible explanations are discussed. THE ROLE OF CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCES AND ETHNIC IDENTITY IN TRANSRACIAL ADOPTEES’ SELF-ESTEEM by Jocylynn Briann Stephenson Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science 2015 Advisory Committee: Leigh Leslie, Associate Professor, Chair Jinhee Kim, Associate Professor Carol Werlinich, Instructor © Copyright by Jocylynn Briann Stephenson 2015 Table of
Supraglottic Devices in Laparoscopic Surgery - A Review of Literature

Supraglottic Airway Devices (SAD) offer several advantages over endotracheal intubation including reduced hemodynamic response, decreased anaesthetic requirement for airway tolerance and lesser pharyngolaryngeal morbidity. Second generation SADs incorporate a drain tube in their construction to separate the respiratory and alimentary tract. They offer better oropharyngeal seal and improved protection against regurgitation and aspiration. Laparoscopic Surgery (LS) involves generation of pneumoperitoneum and positioning with head up or head down tilt with resultant cardiovascular and respiratory effects. LS offer the ultimate test for the efficacy of SAD use in the face of changes in intra-abdominal pressure and thoracic compliance. Careful choice of the anesthetic technique and patient selection has allowed effective use of SAD in LS. This review seeks to explore the use of second generation SAD with particular reference to PLMA, SLMA and i-gel in laparoscopic surgery. PLMA (Figure 1a) SLMA (Figure 1b) I-gel (Figure 1c) Year of introduction 200
Suboptimal and Optimal MIMO-OFDM Iterative Detection Schemes

A novel iterative detection scheme for MIMO-OFDM systems is proposed in this work. We show that the existing detection schemes are sub-optimum and the iterative process can be optimized by utilizing the non-circular property of the residual interference after interference cancellation. Results show that the proposed iterative scheme outperforms the conventional iterative soft interference cancellation (ISIC) and V-BLAST schemes by about 1.7 and 4.0 dB, respectively, in a 4 X 4 antennas system over exponentially distributed eleven path channels.
Modeling and Analyzing the Video Game Live-Streaming Community

In parallel to the exponential growth of the gaming industry, video game live-streaming is rising as a major form of online entertainment. Gathering a heterogeneous community, the popularity of this new media led to the creation of web services just for streaming video games, such as Twitch. TV. In this paper, we propose a model to characterize how streamers and spectators behave, based on their possible actions in Twitch and, using it, we perform a case study on the Star craft II streamers and spectators. In the case study we analyze a large amount of data collected in Twitch. TV's chat in order to better understand how streamers behave, and how this new form of online entertainment is different from previous ones. Based on this analysis, we were able to better understand channel switching, channel surfing, and to create a model for predicting the number of chat messages based on the number of spectators. We were also able to describe behavioral patterns, such as the mass evasion of spectators before the end of a streaming section in a channel.
Development of Hong Kong Liver Cancer staging system with treatment stratification for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS We aimed to develop a prognostic classification scheme with treatment guidance for Asian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS We collected data from 3856 patients with HCC predominantly related to hepatitis B treated at Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong from January 1995 through December 2008. Data on patient performance status, Child-Pugh grade, tumor status (size, number of nodules, and presence of intrahepatic vascular invasion), and presence of extrahepatic vascular invasion or metastasis were included, and randomly separated into training and test sets for analysis. Cox regression and classification and regression tree analyses were used to account for the relative effects of factors in predicting overall survival times and to classify disparate treatment decision rules, respectively; the staging system and treatment recommendation then were constructed by integration of clinical judgments. The Hong Kong Liver Cancer (HKLC) classification was compared with the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification in terms of discriminatory ability and effectiveness of treatment recommendation. RESULTS The HKLC system had significantly better ability than the BCLC system to distinguish between patients with specific overall survival times (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values, approximately 0.84 vs 0.80; concordance index, 0.74 vs 0.70). More importantly, HKLC identified subsets of BCLC intermediate- and advanced-stage patients for more aggressive treatments than what were recommended by the BCLC system, which improved survival outcomes. Of BCLC-B patients classified as HKLC-II in our system, the survival benefit of radical therapies, compared with transarterial chemoembolization, was substantial (5-year survival probability, 52.1% vs 18.7%; P < .0001). In BCLC-C patients classified as HKLC-II, the survival benefit of radical therapies compared with systemic therapy was even more pronounced (5-year survival probability, 48.6% vs 0.0%; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS We collected data from patients with HCC in Hong Kong to create a system to identify patients who are suitable for more aggressive treatment than the currently used BCLC system. The HKLC system should be validated in non-Asian patient populations and in patients with different etiologies of HCC.
Chondroitin Sulfate Inhibits Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Release From 3T3-L1 Adipocytes: A New Treatment Opportunity for Obesity-Related Inflammation?

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) overproduction from inflamed adipose tissue is a major contributor to obesity-related metabolic syndromes. 3T3-L1 embryonic fibroblasts were cultured and differentiated into adipocytes using an established protocol. Adipocytes were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation and thus MCP-1 release. At the same time, varying concentrations of chondroitin sulfate (CS) were added in a physiologically relevant range (10-200 µg/mL) to determine its impact on MCP-1 release. Chondroitin sulfate, a natural glycosaminoglycan of connective tissue including the cartilage extracellular matrix, was chosen on the basis of our previous studies demonstrating its anti-inflammatory effect on macrophages. Because the main action of MCP-1 is to induce monocyte migration, cultured THP-1 monocytes were used to test whether CS at the highest physiologically relevant concentration could inhibit cell migration induced by human recombinant MCP-1. Chondroitin sulfate (100-200 µg/mL) inhibited MCP-1 release from inflamed adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner (P < .01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −5.89 to −3.858 at 100 µg/mL and P < .001, 95% CI: −6.028 to −3.996 at 200 µg/mL) but had no effect on MCP-1–driven chemotaxis of THP-1 monocytes. In summary, CS could be expected to reduce macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue by reduction in adipocyte expression and release of MCP-1 and as such might reduce adipose tissue inflammation in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli such as LPS, now increasingly recognized to be relevant in vivo.
Reciprocal interaction with G-actin and tropomyosin is essential for aquaporin-2 trafficking

Trafficking of water channel aquaporin-2 (AQP2) to the apical membrane and its vasopressin and protein kinase A (PKA)–dependent regulation in renal collecting ducts is critical for body water homeostasis. We previously identified an AQP2 binding protein complex including actin and tropomyosin-5b (TM5b). We show that dynamic interactions between AQP2 and the actin cytoskeleton are critical for initiating AQP2 apical targeting. Specific binding of AQP2 to G-actin in reconstituted liposomes is negatively regulated by PKA phosphorylation. Dual color fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy reveals local AQP2 interaction with G-actin in live epithelial cells at single-molecule resolution. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling and AQP2 phosphorylation release AQP2 from G-actin. In turn, AQP2 phosphorylation increases its affinity to TM5b, resulting in reduction of TM5b bound to F-actin, subsequently inducing F-actin destabilization. RNA interference–mediated knockdown and overexpression of TM5b confirm its inhibitory role in apical trafficking of AQP2. These findings indicate a novel mechanism of channel protein trafficking, in which the channel protein itself critically regulates local actin reorganization to initiate its movement.
Hochschild cohomology of quantized symplectic orbifolds and the Chen-Ruan cohomology

We prove the additive version of the conjecture proposed by Ginzburg and Kaledin. This conjecture states that if X/G is an orbifold modeled on a quotient of a smooth affine symplectic variety X (over C) by a finite group G\subset Aut(X) and A is a G-stable quantum algebra of functions on X then the graded vector space HH(A^G) of the Hochschild cohomology of the algebra A^G of invariants is isomorphic to the graded vector space H_{CR}(X/G)((h)) of the Chen-Ruan (stringy) cohomology of the orbifold X/G.
Cognitive Aspects of Stimulus Control

Contents: J.G. Fetterman, D.A. Stubbs, D. MacEwen, The Perception of the Extended Stimulus. L.R. Dreyfus, Absolute and Relational Control in a Temporal Comparison Task. M.L. Spetch, B. Rusak, Time Present and Time Past. K. Cheng, Three Psychophysical Principles in the Processing of Spatial and Temporal Information. D.M. Wilkie, R.J. Wilson, S.E. MacDonald, Animals' Perception and Memory for Places. D.F. Kendrick, Pigeon's Concept of Experienced and Nonexperienced Real-World Locations: Discrimination and Generalization Across Seasonal Variations. W.A. Roberts, M.T. Phelps, G.B. Schacter, Stimulus Control of Central Place Foraging on the Radial Maze. B.C. Rakitin, N.L. Dallal, W.H. Meck, Spatial Memory Structure and Capacity: Influences on Problem-Solving and Memory-Coding Strategies. D.F. Sherry, Landmarks, the Hippocampus, and Spatial Search in Food-Storing Birds. E.A. Wasserman, R.S. Bhatt, Conceptualization of Natural and Artificial Stimuli by Pigeons. A.A. Wright, The Study of Animal Cognitive Processes. R. Weisman, L. Ratcliffe, The Perception of Pitch Constancy in Bird Songs. D.S. Blough, Features of Forms in Pigeon Perception. R.G. Cook, The Visual Perception and Processing of Textures by Pigeons. W.K. Honig, Emergent Properties of Complex Arrays. J.J. Neiworth, Cognitive Aspects of Movement Estimations: A Test of Imagery in Animals. M. Rilling, An Ecological Approach to Stimulus Control and Tracking. S.T. Boysen, Counting as the Chimpanzee Views It. E.J. Capaldi, Levels of Organized Behavior in Rats. H. Davis, Logical Transitivity in Animals.
Adaptive pixel classifier for binary structured light: A probabilistic kernel approach

The paper proposes an adaptive classification mechanism designed for structured light system to improve quality of reconstructed models. We observed that the conventional albedo-based thresholding fails when the lighting condition is not carefully considered. To address this problem, an adaptive model is proposed. The core idea is to adjust decision boundary during extraction of sequence of binary-coded light patterns by taking the change of lighting condition into account. Base on this idea, a probabilistic kernel-based online learning procedure has been designed and applied to a structured light system. The experimental results show that the proposed method yields more reliable pixel classification as well as increased accuracy of the 3D scanner. It should be noted that the proposed method does not require any modification on conventional Gray-coded patterns.
A Taxonomy for Identifying and Specifying Non-Functional Requirements in Service-Oriented Development

As in traditional software development, non-functional requirements play also a crucial role in service-oriented development. Non-functional requirements are spread across the entire service-oriented system or within individual services and cannot be allocated to one specific system / service artefact (such as a package, component). This makes them often more difficult to handle than functional requirements. The specifics of service-oriented architectures (in particular highly distributed services) bring up additional difficulties. In this paper, we present a taxonomy for non-functional requirements in a service-oriented context. The taxonomy implements three main categories of non-functional requirements: process requirements, non-functional external requirements, and non-functional service requirements. The taxonomy can be applied with individual services as well as with a service-based system as a whole. This taxonomy is considered as a starting point and check list when handling non-functional issues in service-oriented and particularly highly distributed environments.
The Effects of Principle-Testing Discussions on Student Attitudes towards Selected Groups Subjected to Discrimination.

A l'aide d'un modele factoriel 3 X 3 (developpement moral par traitement), on a teste l'effet des discussions au cours desquelles sont jugds les differents principes sur les attitudes des eleves envers des groupes frdquemment sujets a discrimination et l'action reciproque entre ces discussions et le developpement moral. On a, au hasard, soumis I ce traitement 118 6lMves de 9e annee d'une ecole de grande ville; les professeurs y ont de la meme facon etd soumis dans le cadre du d6veloppement moral. On a dvalue leurs attitudes envers les femmes, les handicapes physiques et les natifs du continent indien en utilisant un inventaire Likert comprenant 45 questions. L'analyse multivari6e de la variance des resultats posterieurs au traitement ont revel des diffdrences significatives dans l'attitude envers les handicapes physiques a la fois pour le traitement et le d6veloppment moral; on n'a pas enregistr6 d'autres differences significatives. Ces resultats indiquent une certaine reserve quant A l'utilisation de discussions au cours desquelles sont jug6s les diff6rents principes comme m6thode de changement d'attitudes envers des groupes sujets a discrimination. On a admis que les attitudes des dlaves envers les femmes et les natifs du continent indien dtaient d6ja fond6es en raison de discussions et d'expdriences antdrieures. A l'oppos6, les cas de discrimination a l'agard des handicapes physiques peuvent etre plus nouveaux.
Phagocyte function in protein-calorie malnutrition.

Sixteen children with the kwashiorkor type of protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) have been investigated in an attempt to assess the functional activity of their peripheral blood phagocytes. Hexose-monophosphate shunt (HMS) activity in the resting and phagocytizing state and bactericidal capacity with Escherischia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were measured. The findings indicate HMS stimulation in the normal range as determined by 14CO2 production during phagocytosis. The bactericidal capacity of phagocytes from kwashiorkor patients was normal in the early phase (first 30 min) and significantly reduced during the later phase (after 60 min) of the assay as compared with cells from healthy children.
Examining the Impact of Interorganizational Systems on Process Efficiency and Sourcing Leverage in Buyer-Supplier Dyads

Manufacturing firms are increasingly seeking cost and other competitive advantages by tightly coupling and managing their relationship with suppliers. Among other mechanisms, interorganizational systems (IOS) that facilitate boundary-spanning activities of a firm enable them to effectively manage different types of buyer–supplier relationships. This study integrates literature from the operations and information systems fields to create a joint perspective in understanding the linkages between the nature of the IOS, buyer–supplier relationships, and manufacturing performance at the dyadic level. External integration, breadth, and initiation are used to capture IOS functionality, and their effect on process efficiency and sourcing leverage is examined. The study also explores the differences in how manufacturing firms use IOS when operating under varying levels of competitive intensity and product standardization. In order to test the research models and related hypothesis, empirical data on buyer–supplier dyads is collected from manufacturing firms. The results show that only higher levels of external integration that go beyond simple procurement systems, as well as who initiates the IOS, allow manufacturing firms to enhance process efficiency. In contrast, IOS breadth and IOS initiation enable manufacturing firms to enhance sourcing leverage over their suppliers. In addition, firms making standardized products in highly competitive environments tend to achieve higher process efficiencies and have higher levels of external integration. The study shows how specific IOS decisions allow manufacturing firms to better manage their dependence on the supplier for resources and thereby select system functionalities that are consistent with their own operating environments and the desired supply chain design.
The Self Illusion: How the Social Brain Creates Identity

Most of us believe that we are an independent, coherent self--an individual inside our head who thinks, watches, wonders, dreams, and makes plans for the future. This sense of our self may seem incredibly real but a wealth of recent scientific evidence reveals that it is not what it seems--it is all an illusion. In The Self Illusion, Bruce Hood reveals how the self emerges during childhood and how the architecture of the developing brain enables us to become social animals dependent on each other. Humans spend proportionally the greatest amount of time in childhood compared to any other animal. It's not only to learn from others, Hood notes, but also to learn to become like others. We learn to become our self. Even as adults we are continually developing and elaborating this story, learning to become different selves in different situations--the work self, the home self, the parent self. Moreover, Hood shows that this already fluid process--the construction of self--has dramatically changed in recent years. Social networking activities--such as blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter--are fast becoming socialization on steroids. The speed and ease at which we can form alliances and relationships are outstripping the same selection processes that shaped our self prior to the internet era. Things will never be the same again in the online social world. Hood offers our first glimpse into this unchartered territory. Who we are is, in short, a story of our self--a narrative that our brain creates. Like the science fiction movie, we are living in a matrix that is our mind. But Hood concludes that though the self is an illusion, it is an illusion we must continue to embrace to live happily in human society.
Part-based Grouping and Recognition: A Model-Guided Approach

The recovery of generic solid parts is a fundamental step towards the realization of general-purpose vision systems. This thesis investigates issues in grouping, segmentation and recognition of parts from two-dimensional edge images. A new paradigm of part-based grouping of features is introduced that bridges the classical grouping and model-based approaches with the purpose of directly recovering parts from real images, and part-like models are used that both yield low theoretical complexity and reliably recover part-plausible groups of features. The part-like models used are statistical point distribution models, whose training set is built using random deformable superellipse. The computational approach that is proposed to perform model-guided part-based grouping consists of four distinct stages. In the rst stage, codons, contour portions of similar curvature, are extracted from the raw edge image. They are considered to be indivisible image features because they have the desirable property of belonging either to single parts or joints. In the second stage, small seed groups (currently pairs, but further extension are proposed) of codons are found that give enough structural information for part hypotheses to be created. The third stage consists in initialising and pre-shaping the models to all the seed groups and then performing a full tting to a large neighbourhood of the pre-shaped model. The concept of pre-shaping to a few signi cant features is a relatively new concept in deformable model tting that has helped to dramatically increase robustness. The initialisations of the part models to the seed groups is performed by the rst direct least-square ellipse tting algorithm, which has been jointly discovered during this research; a full theoretical proof of the method is provided. The last stage pertains to the global ltering of all the hypotheses generated by the previous stages according to the Minimum Description Length criterion: the small number of grouping hypotheses that survive this ltering stage are the most economical representation of the image in terms of the part-like models. The ltering is performed by the maximisation of a boolean quadratic function by a genetic algorithm, which has resulted in the best trade-o between speed and robustness. Finally, images of parts can have a pronounced 3D structure, with ends or sides clearly visible. In order to recover this important information, the part-based grouping method is extended by employing parametrically deformable aspects models which, starting from the initial position provided by the previous stages, are tted to the raw image by simulated annealing. These models are inspired by deformable superquadrics but are built by geometric construction, which render them two order of magnitudes faster to generate than in previous works. A large number of experiments is provided that validate the approach and, since several new issues have been opened by it, some future work is proposed.