Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Making the Work-Based Safety Net Work Better

______________ The chapters that follow were commissioned for a conference, " Pathways to Self Sufficiency, " held at the 1 The idea that work is the gateway to self-sufficiency and the way out of poverty is a simple, powerful message. Work-based welfare reform aligns the structure of the safety net with the central values of Americans who are not on welfare. As Kent Weaver points out in his political analysis in this volume, a key element of continuity in American attitudes concerning policy toward low-income families is the emphasis on and expectation that the able-bodied should work. Indeed, it is difficult to see how the safety net for disadvantaged families could fail to embrace work when over 75 percent of women and 91 percent of men between the ages 25 and 54 are in the workforce. 1 Work-based policy reform not only has wide-ranging political appeal, but it is based on a concept that is also supported by academic research. One of the earliest and best-known studies of a " work-first " program—the randomized-controlled trial of the California Greater Avenues to Independence (GAIN) program—showed that participants in the Riverside program, which strongly emphasized immediate work, achieved considerably larger short-run gains in earnings than did those in other GAIN sites that invested more in individual skill development. In addition, the Riverside GAIN program had the lowest costs of the six GAIN sites (MDRC, 1994). With these findings reaching the press and academic forums just as public debate of welfare reform proposals was climaxing, it was perhaps not surprising that ending " the dependence of needy parents on government benefits " through job preparation and work was a fundamental goal of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. 2 As appealing is the rhetoric of self-sufficiency, it collides with an exceptionally difficult 1 These figures are the civilian labor force participation rates in 2007, that come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics table generation program, 2 reality for those individuals and families who struggle to escape poverty even as they work, or who cycle in and out of work and welfare. To satisfactorily achieve the ultimate goal of PRWORA, heads of households have to find and hold jobs that allow them to nurture the physical and psychological well-being of children and other adults in the household. At the same time, it appears that the ability of these adults …
Individual patient data analysis of progression-free survival versus overall survival as a first-line end point for metastatic colorectal cancer in modern randomized trials: findings from the analysis and research in cancers of the digestive system database.

PURPOSE Progression-free survival (PFS) has previously been established as a surrogate for overall survival (OS) for first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Because mCRC treatment has advanced in the last decade with extended OS, this surrogacy requires re-examination. METHODS Individual patient data from 16,762 patients were available from 22 first-line mCRC studies conducted from 1997 to 2006; 12 of those studies tested antiangiogenic and/or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor agents. The relationship between PFS (first event of progression or death) and OS was evaluated by using R(2) statistics (the closer the value is to 1, the stronger the correlation) from weighted least squares regression of trial-specific hazard ratios estimated by using Cox and Copula models. RESULTS Forty-four percent of patients received a regimen that included biologic agents. Median first-line PFS was 8.3 months, and median OS was 18.2 months. The correlation between PFS and OS was modest (R(2), 0.45 to 0.69). Analyses limited to trials that tested treatments with biologic agents, nonstrategy trials, or superiority trials did not improve surrogacy. CONCLUSION In modern mCRC trials, in which survival after the first progression exceeds time to first progression, a positive but modest correlation was observed between OS and PFS at both the patient and trial levels. This finding demonstrates the substantial variability in OS introduced by the number of lines of therapy and types of effective subsequent treatments and the associated challenge to the use of OS as an end point to assess the benefit attributable to a single line of therapy. PFS remains an appropriate primary end point for first-line mCRC trials to detect the direct treatment effect of new agents.
Depression affecting work performance: gender differentials across occupations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the incidence of depression affecting work (DAW) performance and estimates gender differences across occupations. Design/methodology/approach – Using Labor Force Survey data from the UK in 2007, the authors first decompose the differential on the aggregate incidence rate of DAW between men and women into two components: the gender effect and the occupational effect. Then, the authors identify the stressors of DAW by means of a logit regression analysis. Findings – The empirical results show that gender is not a significant explanatory variable of DAW. Further, when differences are analyzed for each gender separately, results show that the effect of occupations is stronger within females than within males. Originality/value – Most of previous studies focus on occupational causes of depression. By contrast, this paper investigates the effect of depression on work performance.
Laparoscopy-Assisted Major Liver Resections Employing A Hanging Technique: The Original Procedure

Objective:To assess the feasibility, safety, and short-term outcomes of laparoscopy-assisted major liver resections. Summary of Background Data:The number of reports of laparoscopic major hepatectomies has gradually increased, and living donor hepatectomies for liver transplant have also recently been performed. However, because of the high degree of proficiency required, major hepatectomies have not been widespread. We developed an original procedure in which the liver is mobilized laparoscopically and resected by a hanging technique through a small incision. Methods:Between November 2002 and December 2008, 43 patients underwent laparoscopy-assisted major liver resections (LAMLRs) in our institution for hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic liver cancer, and benign diseases. Results:LAMLRs were completed for 42 patients (97.7%). The median age was 62 years (range: 24–83 years). Preoperative diagnoses were hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 15), metastatic liver cancer (n = 19), and benign disease (n = 8). The types of liver resection consisted of the following: right trisectionectomy (n = 2), right hepatectomy (n = 14), left hepatectomy (n = 16), trisegmentectomy 4, 5, 8 (n = 2), right anterior sectionectomy (n = 4), and extended right posterior sectionectomy (n = 4). The median operating time was 317 minutes (range: 192–542 minutes) and median blood loss was 631 mL (range: 68–2785 mL). There were neither perioperative deaths nor reoperations. Five patients (11.9%) experienced postoperative complications, 2 patients (4.8%) showed bile leakage, and 3 patients (7.1%) developed wound infections. The median postoperative hospital stay was 13.5 days (range: 6–154 days). Conclusions:LAMLR with the hanging technique can be completed safely. The procedure can be performed by open liver surgeons; and thus may be widely performed in the future.
Cultural values at the individual level and the malleability of ways of knowing

This research tested the relationship between individuals cultural values and the malleability in their ways of knowing in two social contexts. Two hundred and ninety-two college students majoring in either business or social sciences initially received two priming conditions (two weeks apart) where they reflected on either their in-group or their out-group. Then, their adherences to ways of knowing: separate knowing (SK, being a devil’s advocate) and connected knowing (CK, being perspective taker) and cultural values: collectivist-horizontal, collectivist-vertical, individualist-horizontal and individualist-vertical were assessed. Analyses revealed a priming condition X ways of knowing X cultural values interaction. When students had their in-group in mind, their CK score was significantly higher than their SK score in all cultural categories. When students had their out-group in mind, their CK scores decreased to comparable levels of their SK score in all cultural values except horizontal-collectivist. Students with a dominant collectivist-horizontal values maintained higher CK scores compared with their SK scores in the out-group condition. Implications for perspective-taking and critical thinking are discussed.
Insights into user experiences and acceptance of mobile indoor navigation devices

Location-based services, which can be applied in navigation systems, are a key application in mobile and ubiquitous computing. Combined with indoor localization techniques, pico projectors can be used for navigation purposes to augment the environment with navigation information. In the present empirical study (n = 24) we explore users' perceptions, workload and navigation performance when navigating with a mobile projector in comparison to a mobile screen as indoor navigation interface. To capture user perceptions and to predict acceptance by applying structural equation modeling, we assessed perceived disorientation, privacy concerns, trust, ease of use, usefulness and sources of visibility problems. Moreover, the impact of user factors (spatial abilities, technical self-efficacy, familiarity) on acceptance was analyzed. The structural models exhibited adequate predictive and psychometric properties. Based on real user experience, they clearly pointed out a) similarities and device-specific differences in navigation device acceptance, b) the role of specific user experiences (visibility, trust, and disorientation) during navigation device usage and c) illuminated the underlying relationships between determinants of user acceptance. Practical implications of the results and future research questions are provided.
Multi-Terminal DC System line Protection Requirement and High Speed Protection Solutions

For long distance and high power transmission, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission is a preferred solution due to its technical and economic advantages. A multi-terminal HVDC (MTDC) transmission system either based on voltage source converters (VSC) or line-commutated converters (LCC) has also been introduced recently. With the development of fast and high breaking capability HVDC circuit breakers, the collapse of the MTDC network voltage resulting from DC line faults can be prevented and the disturbances to the connected AC grid can be minimized by using related protection systems. Therefore, it is required to have a fast and selective DC line fault detection and location methods using initial transient fault signatures.
A Voltage Sensor-Domain Protein Is a Voltage-Gated Proton Channel

Voltage-gated proton channels have been widely observed but have not been identified at a molecular level. Here we report that a four-transmembrane protein similar to the voltage-sensor domain of voltage-gated ion channels is a voltage-gated proton channel. Cells overexpressing this protein showed depolarization-induced outward currents accompanied by tail currents. Current reversal occured at equilibrium potentials for protons. The currents exhibited pH-dependent gating and zinc ion sensitivity, two features which are characteristic of voltage-gated proton channels. Responses of voltage dependence to sequence changes suggest that mouse voltage-sensor domain–only protein is itself a channel, rather than a regulator of another channel protein.
Online Maritime Abnormality Detection Using Gaussian Processes and Extreme Value Theory

Novelty, or abnormality, detection aims to identify patterns within data streams that do not conform to expected behaviour. This paper introduces a novelty detection technique using a combination of Gaussian Processes and extreme value theory to identify anomalous behaviour in streaming data. The proposed combination of continuous and count stochastic processes is a principled approach towards dynamic extreme value modeling that accounts for the dynamics in the time series, the streaming nature of its observation as well as its sampling process. The approach is tested on both synthetic and real data, showing itself to be effective in our primary application of maritime vessel track analysis.
Filopodia initiation

Filopodia are long, slender, actin-rich cellular protrusions, which recently have become a focus of cell biology research because of their proposed roles as sensory and exploratory organelles that allow for “intelligent” cell behavior. Actin nucleation, elongation and bundling are believed to be essential for filopodia formation and functions. However, the identity of actin filament nucleators responsible for the initiation of filopodia remains controversial. Two alternative models, the convergent elongation and tip nucleation, emphasize two different actin filament nucleators, the Arp2/3 complex or formins, respectively, as key players during filopodia initiation. Although these two models in principle are not mutually exclusive, it is important to understand which of them is actually employed by cells. In this review, we discuss the existing evidence regarding the relative roles of the Arp2/3 complex and formins in filopodia initiation.
An integrative framework for sensor-based measurement of teamwork in healthcare

There is a strong link between teamwork and patient safety. Emerging evidence supports the efficacy of teamwork improvement interventions. However, the availability of reliable, valid, and practical measurement tools and strategies is commonly cited as a barrier to long-term sustainment and spread of these teamwork interventions. This article describes the potential value of sensor-based technology as a methodology to measure and evaluate teamwork in healthcare. The article summarizes the teamwork literature within healthcare, including team improvement interventions and measurement. Current applications of sensor-based measurement of teamwork are reviewed to assess the feasibility of employing this approach in healthcare. The article concludes with a discussion highlighting current application needs and gaps and relevant analytical techniques to overcome the challenges to implementation. Compelling studies exist documenting the feasibility of capturing a broad array of team input, process, and output variables with sensor-based methods. Implications of this research are summarized in a framework for development of multi-method team performance measurement systems. Sensor-based measurement within healthcare can unobtrusively capture information related to social networks, conversational patterns, physical activity, and an array of other meaningful information without having to directly observe or periodically survey clinicians. However, trust and privacy concerns present challenges that need to be overcome through engagement of end users in healthcare. Initial evidence exists to support the feasibility of sensor-based measurement to drive feedback and learning across individual, team, unit, and organizational levels. Future research is needed to refine methods, technologies, theory, and analytical strategies.
Development of Agrobacterium-Mediated Virus-Induced Gene Silencing and Performance Evaluation of Four Marker Genes in Gossypium barbadense

Gossypium barbadense is a cultivated cotton species and possesses many desirable traits, including high fiber quality and resistance to pathogens, especially Verticilliumdahliae (a devastating pathogen of Gossypium hirsutum, the main cultivated species). These elite traits are difficult to be introduced into G. hirsutum through classical breeding methods. In addition, genetic transformation of G . barbadense has not been successfully performed. It is therefore important to develop methods for evaluating the function and molecular mechanism of genes in G . barbadense . In this study, we had successfully introduced a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system into three cultivars of G . barbadense by inserting marker genes into the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) vector. After we optimized the VIGS conditions, including light intensity, photoperiod, seedling age and Agrobacterium strain, 100% of plants agroinfiltrated with the GaPDS silencing vector showed white colored leaves. Three other marker genes, GaCLA1, GaANS and GaANR, were employed to further test this VIGS system in G . barbadense . The transcript levels of the endogenous genes in the silenced plants were reduced by more than 99% compared to control plants; these plants presented phenotypic symptoms 2 weeks after inoculation. We introduced a fusing sequence fragment of GaPDS and GaANR gene silencing vectors into a single plant, which resulted in both photobleaching and brownish coloration. The extent of silencing in plants agroinfiltrated with fusing two-gene-silencing vector was consistent with plants harboring a single gene silencing vector. The development of this VIGS system should promote analysis of gene function in G . barbadense , and help to contribute desirable traits for breeding of G . barbadense and G. hirsutum.
Abelian returns in Sturmian words

Return words constitute a powerful tool for studying symbolic dynamical systems. They may be regarded as a discrete analogue of the first return map in dynamical systems. In this paper we investigate two abelian variants of the notion of return word, each of them gives rise to a new characterization of Sturmian words. We prove that a recurrent infinite word is Sturmian if and only if each of its factors has two or three abelian (or semi-abelian) returns. We study the structure of abelian returns in Sturmian words and give a characterization of those factors having exactly two abelian returns. Finally we discuss connections between abelian returns and periodicity in words.
Seeing Shapes in Clouds: On the Performance-Cost trade-off for Heterogeneous Infrastructure-as-a-Service

In the near future FPGAs will be available by the hour, however this new Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) usage mode presents both an opportunity and a challenge: The opportunity is that programmers can potentially trade resources for performance on a much larger scale, for much shorter periods of time than before. The challenge is in finding and traversing the trade-off for heterogeneous IaaS that guarantees increased resources result in the greatest possible increased performance. Such a trade-off is Pareto optimal. The Pareto optimal trade-off for clusters of heterogeneous resources can be found by solving multiple, multi-objective optimisation problems, resulting in an optimal allocation of tasks to the available platforms. Solving these optimisation programs can be done using simple heuristic approaches or formal Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) techniques. When pricing 128 financial options using a Monte Carlo algorithm upon a heterogeneous cluster of Multicore CPU, GPU and FPGA platforms, the MILP approach produces a trade-off that is up to 110% faster than a heuristic approach, and over 50% cheaper. These results suggest that high quality performance-resource trade-offs of heterogeneous IaaS are best realised through a formal optimisation approach.
Exercise Training of Moderate Intensity Does Not Abate the Effects of Denervation on Muscle Morphology

Denervation elicits profound alterations in the morphometry of skeletal muscle. These alterations include changes in fiber type composition as well as reductions in fiber size. There is evidence that the increased mechanical load placed upon muscle via rhythmic stretching attenuates denervation induced alterations in muscle morphology. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the mechanical stimuli associated with exercise training, i.e. rhythmic stretching and mechanical loading, would effectively moderate the changes in muscle morphometry observed following denervation. Unilateral denervation of the soleus muscle of eight male Sprague-Dawley rats was performed under aseptic conditions. The animals were then randomly assigned to two groups: sedentary controls and exercise trained. The exercise training protocol featured treadmill running five days per week for six weeks. At the conclusion of the experimental period, animals from both groups were sacrificed and soleus muscles were histochemically analyzed for muscle morphometry. Results demonstrated that denervation caused marked alterations in fiber type profile and in fiber cross-sectional areas. Interestingly, the degree of denervation induced atrophy appeared to be fiber type specific. However, the data presented here indicate that in denervated soleus muscles there were no significant differences in fiber type composition or fiber size between the sedentary and exercise trained groups. Hence, it appears that the mechanical stimuli provided by treadmill running of moderate intensity and duration are not sufficiently potent to ameliorate muscle morphometric responses to denervation.
Real-Time Investigation of Referential Domains in Unscripted Conversation: A Targeted Language Game Approach

Two experiments examined the restriction of referential domains during unscripted conversation by analyzing the modification and on-line interpretation of referring expressions. Experiment 1 demonstrated that from the earliest moments of processing, addressees interpreted referring expressions with respect to referential domains constrained by the conversation. Analysis of eye movements during the conversation showed elimination of standard competition effects seen with scripted language. Results from Experiment 2 pinpointed two pragmatic factors responsible for restriction of the referential domains used by speakers to design referential expressions and demonstrated that the same factors predict whether addressees consider local competitors to be potential referents during on-line interpretation of the same expressions. These experiments demonstrate for the first time that on-line interpretation of referring expressions in conversation is facilitated by referential domains constrained by pragmatic factors which predict when addressees are likely to encounter temporary ambiguity in language processing.
Evaluation of evidence in causal inference.

Abstract : In three experiments, we investigated what evidence people use in making inferences about causality in complex and uncertain situations. Given evidence consisting of multiple observations of some outcome, with each observation including information about the presence or absence of that outcome and of some of its possible causes, subjects estimated the strength of the causal relationship between the outcome and a predetermined possibly-causal event. Over problems and over experiments, the nature and strength of evidence supporting the causal role of the hypothesized cause varied along many dimensions. Using regression-modeling, we found a set of five evidence types that together gave a good account of subjects' judgments. Four of the independent variables in this model directly concern the relation between the hypothesized cause and the outcome (confirmation by Joint Presence and by Joint Absence of target and outcome, and disconfirmation by violation of sufficiency and of necessity of the target for the outcome), and the fifth represents the goodness of alternative causes as explanations for the outcome. Over the experiments, involving four groups of subjects and five sets of problems, this single linear model accounted for 84 to 90% of the variance in each problem-set. (Author)