Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validation of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale across the Anxiety Disorders Although There Are Several Self-report Measures of Social Anxi

a measure of anxiety while being observed by others, was evaluated in anxious patients and normal controls. Social phobia patients scored higher on both scales and were more likely to be identified as having social phobia than other anxious patients (except for agoraphobic patients on the SPS) or controls. Clinician-rated severity of social phobia was moderately related to SIAS and SPS scores. Additional diagnoses of mood or panic disorder did not affect SIAS or SPS scores among social phobia patients, but an additional diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder was associated with higher SIAS scores. Number of reported feared social interaction situations was more highly correlated with scores on the SIAS, whereas number of reported feared performance situations was more highly correlated with scores on the SPS. These scales appear to be useful in screening, designing individualized treatments, and evaluating the outcomes of treatments for social phobia. Social phobia was first introduced into the psychiatric nomenclature in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III; American Psychiatric Association, 1980) and has since remained a part of the diagnos-defined in DSM-1V (p. 416) as "a marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others. The individual fears that he or she will act in a way (or show anxiety symptoms) that will be humiliating or embarrassing. " Although the diagnosis of social phobia has been established for over a decade, only recently have researchers begun to investigate its assessment and treatment To accurately diagnose social phobia and evaluate treatment efficacy, assessment devices that effectively measure its various elements are Electronic mail may be sent via Internet to rheimber @nimbus.ocis. temple.edu. 21 ety, few have assessed differences in the types of situations feared or avoided. These devices include the Social Phobia sub-The limitations of the first three scales in the assessment of social phobia have been discussed elsewhere (Heimberg, Mueller, Holt, Hope, & Liebowitz, 1992). Although the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory assesses a broad range of social situations and has substantial data supporting its reliability and validity among patients with social phobia, it does not provide separate scores for different types of anxiety-provoking situations. Assessment of anxiety responses to different classes of situations should have utility for the planning of individualized treatment interventions for patients with social phobia. A set of …
Conscience and Community: Exploring the Relationship between Conscience formation and Systemic Corruption (in Nigeria)

iv Dedication . vi Acknowledgement.vii General Introduction . xiii CHAPTER ONE: SEARCHING FOR FOUNDATIONS OF MORAL RESPONSIBILITY 1.0 INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER ONE . 1 1.1 Human Moral Dilemma: Defining Moral Responsibility.5 1.2 Personhood.27 1.3 African View of Personhood.36 1.4 Personhood: Moral and Social Responsibility.50 1.5 Nature or Nurture: The Origins of Moral Responsibility . 55 1.6 The Selfish Gene: Altruism Beyond Kin and Reciprocation.60 1.7 Methodological Considerations . 76 1.8 From Compactness to Differentiation: Is Critical Re-evaluation of Moral formation Process and Traditions in Africa Necessary? 80 CHAPTER TWO: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND THEOLOGICAL VIEWS OF CONSCIENCE 2.0 INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER TWO.87
Performance Evaluation of 3D Local Surface Descriptors for Low and High Resolution Range Image Registration

Despite the advent and popularity of low-cost commercial sensors (e.g., Microsoft Kinect), research in 3D vision still primarily focuses on the development of advanced algorithms geared towards high resolution data. This paper presents a comparative performance evaluation of renowned state-of-the-art 3D local surface descriptors for the task of registration of both high and low resolution range image data. The datasets used in these experiments are the renowned high resolution Stanford 3D models dataset and challenging low resolution Washington RGB-D object dataset. Experimental results show that the performance of certain local surface descriptors is significantly affected by low resolution data.
Pronto: A Software-Defined Networking based System for Performance Management of Analytical Queries on Distributed Data Stores

Nowadays data analytics applications are accessing more and more data from distributed data stores, creating large amount of data traffic on the network. Therefore, distributed analytic queries are prone to suffer from bad performance in terms of query execution time when they encounter a network resource contention, which is quite common in a shared network. Typical distributed query optimizers do not have a way to solve this problem because historically they have been treating the network underneath as a black-box: they are unable to monitor it, let alone to control it. However, we are entering a new era of software-defined networking (SDN), which provides visibility into and control of the network's state for the applications including distributed database systems. In this demonstration, we present a system, called Pronto that leverages the SDN capabilities for a distributed query processor to achieve performance improvement and differentiation for analytical queries. The system is the real implementation of our recently developed methods on commercial SDN products. The demonstration shows the shortcomings of a distributed query optimizer, which treats the underlying network as a black box, and the advantages of the SDN-based approach by allowing the users to selectively explore various relevant and interesting settings in a distributed query processing environment.
A randomized trial of a parent-based intervention on drinking behavior among incoming college freshmen.

OBJECTIVE Despite research suggesting that parental involvement can affect alcohol involvement among adolescents, few studies have focused on parent-based alcohol prevention strategies among college undergraduates. We report the results of a randomized trial of a parent-based intervention (PBI) in a sample of college freshmen. METHOD Across two cohorts, 724 incoming freshman-parent dyads completed baseline assessments and were randomly assigned to PBI or intervention as usual (an alcohol fact sheet for parents). Student follow-up assessments were completed at 4 and 8 months. RESULTS Two-part latent growth curve modeling was used to test hypothesized intervention effects. Outcome variables were drinks per week (past month), heavy episodic drinking (past 2 weeks), and alcohol-related problems (past 3 months). Over the 8-month follow-up period, PBI had a significant effect on drinks per week but not heavy episodic drinking or alcohol-related problems. Specifically, compared with students in the intervention-as-usual condition, students receiving the PBI were significantly less likely to transition from nondrinker to drinker status and showed less growth in drinking over the freshman year. However, the direct PBI effect on growth was qualified by a PBI x Gender interaction, with probes indicating that the effect applied to women but not men in the PBI condition. CONCLUSIONS This study extends previous research by demonstrating the potential utility for PBIs to decrease the likelihood of transitioning into drinker status and, at least for women, for slowing growth in drinking over the freshman year.
Software-defined inter-domain routing revisited

The decoupling of control and data plane in software-defined networking (SDN) has been shown to be promising to improve routing performance in the context of intradomain routing. The applicability of SDN in inter-domain routing, especially with respect to route convergence, has not been properly explored. In this work, we propose a mathematical model to quantify the BGP convergence time for inter-domain routing by capturing only the essential components in BGP convergence process. Based on the model and some practical observations, we study how SDN may help to facilitate the interdomain routing. We further present a greedy algorithm that selects Autonomous Systems (ASes) for incremental SDN deployment with the objectives of minimizing the BGP convergence time. The simulation result based on the real world Internet topology confirms the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.
Origin and Diversification of Basic-Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins in Plants

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins are a class of transcription factors found throughout eukaryotic organisms. Classification of the complete sets of bHLH proteins in the sequenced genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa (rice) has defined the diversity of these proteins among flowering plants. However, the evolutionary relationships of different plant bHLH groups and the diversity of bHLH proteins in more ancestral groups of plants are currently unknown. In this study, we use whole-genome sequences from nine species of land plants and algae to define the relationships between these proteins in plants. We show that few (less than 5) bHLH proteins are encoded in the genomes of chlorophytes and red algae. In contrast, many bHLH proteins (100–170) are encoded in the genomes of land plants (embryophytes). Phylogenetic analyses suggest that plant bHLH proteins are monophyletic and constitute 26 subfamilies. Twenty of these subfamilies existed in the common ancestors of extant mosses and vascular plants, whereas six further subfamilies evolved among the vascular plants. In addition to the conserved bHLH domains, most subfamilies are characterized by the presence of highly conserved short amino acid motifs. We conclude that much of the diversity of plant bHLH proteins was established in early land plants, over 440 million years ago.
Detecting genetic changes in human tumor cells: have scientists "gone fishing?".

D detection of chromosomal abnormalities in human tumors have occurred with the development of new techniques. These have included new techniques to identify chromosomes such as chromosomal banding techniques, improved methods to culture cells, the use of growth factors, and more sensitive techniques to detect chromosomally abnormal cells. Cyto-genetic analysis of human tumors is often technically difficult due to the presence of multiple abnormal cell lines and the complexity of the chromosomal pattern. Moreover, the interpretation of chromosomal banding patterns requires highly skilled personnel. These factors have led investigators to seek alternative methods for identifying chromosomal abnormalities. DNA-based or RNA-based techniques, such as Southern blot analysis of DNA or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of RNA from tumor cells, are being used increasingly to detect those abnormalities for which the involved genes have been identified. Recently, another technique has been developed that has applications in the detection of chromosomal abnormalities as well as other genetic changes in both interphase and metaphase cells, namely, tlu-orescence in situ hybridization (FISH). I4 Analysis of the cy-togenetic pattern of nondividing cells by FISH was first introduced by Cremer et a14 and is often referred to as " interphase cytogenetic^. "^ In the short time since the development of FISH, this technique has had a major impact on the capabilities of cytoge-netics and pathology laboratories because (I) it is a rapid technique; (2) the efficiency of hybridization and detection is high; (3) the sensitivity and specificity is very high; (4) large numbers of cells can be analyzed in a short time; (5) cyto-genetic data can be obtained from nondividing or terminally differentiated cells, or from poor samples that contain too few cells for routine cytogenetic studies, eg, samples obtained from patients shortly after chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant; (6) the technique permits the direct correlation of cytogenetic and cytologic/morphologic features, which enables pathologists to differentiate malignant from benign conditions in equivocal cases; and (7) the technique may be adapted for automated systems. The technique of FISH is based on the same principle as Southern blot analysis, ie, the ability of single-stranded DNA to anneal to complementary DNA. As in Southern blot analysis , the target DNA is attached to a substrate; in the case of FISH, the target DNA is the nuclear DNA of interphase cells or the DNA of metaphase chromosomes that are affixed to a glass microscope slide (FISH can also be accomplished with …
Inhibition of wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by an Antipsychotic Drug Pimozide

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common forms of malignant cancers in the world, yet very few effective systemic treatments for HCC patients exist. Thus, the development of new treatment modalities presents a great need. The wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is highly activated in stem cell-like aggressive HCC, which is associated with chemoresistance and poor survival in HCC patients. In a previous study, we found that an FDA-approved psychiatric drug, pimozide (PMZ), has anti-cancer properties in HCC cell lines that express epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a hepatic stem cell marker that is a functional down-stream target of the wnt/β-catenin pathway. In this study, we demonstrate that PMZ effectively inhibits cell growth of HCC cells by disrupting the wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and reducing EpCAM expression. Thus, PMZ may be a useful molecular entity that could be repurposed as an anti-cancer therapy for treatment of HCC.
Interferon γ Enhances Both In Vitro and In Vivo Priming of CD4+ T Cells for IL-4 Production

Classical studies have demonstrated that in vitro priming of naive CD4 T cells to become T helper (Th)2 cells is strikingly dependent on interleukin (IL)-4, whereas priming for interferon (IFN)γ production is IL-12/IFNγ-dependent. Therefore, it was quite surprising when we noted that priming of naive C57BL/6 CD4+ cells to become IL-4 producers was substantially inhibited by the addition of anti-IFNγ antibodies. This was true using immobilized anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies or soluble anti-CD3/anti-CD28 and antigen-presenting cells in the presence or absence of added IL-4. Priming of CD4 T cells from IFNγ−/− C57BL/6 mice with immobilized anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 resulted in limited production of IL-4, even with the addition of 1,000 U/ml of IL-4. Titrating IFNγ into such cultures showed a striking increase in the proportion of T cells that secreted IL-4 upon challenge; this effect was completely IL-4–dependent in that it was blocked with anti–IL-4 antibody. Thus, IFNγ plays an unanticipated but substantial role in Th2 priming, although it is an important Th1 cytokine, and under certain circumstances a Th1 inducer.
Categorization, clustering and association rule mining on WWW

Clustering techniques have been used by many intelligent software agents in order to retrieve, filter, and categorize documents available on the World Wide Web. Clustering is also useful in extracting salient features of related web documents to automatically formulate queries and search for other similar documents on the Web. Traditional clustering algorithms either use a priori knowledge of document structures to define a distance or similarity among these documents, or use probabilistic techniques such as Bayesian classification. Many of these traditional algorithms, however, falter when the dimensionality of the feature space becomes high relative to the size of the document space. In this paper, we introduce two new clustering algorithms that can effectively cluster documents, even in the presence of a very high dimensional feature space. These clustering techniques which are based on generalizations of graph partitioning, do not require pre-specified ad hoc distance functions, and are capable of automatically discovering document similarities or associations. We conduct several experiments on real Web data using various feature selection heuristics, and compare our clustering schemes to standard distance-based techniques, such as hierarchical agglomeration clustering, and Bayesian classification methods, AutoClass.
The application of complexity thinking to social work : does having a complexity-informed theoretical approach to practice with early neglect enable a different approach to ideas of change and management of risk?

The aim of this research was to explore how complexity thinking might inform social work with families in need of support around early neglect. Complexity theory has begun to be applied to social work practice, but its practical application has been inhibited by the combined pressures of an emphasis on evidence-based practice, a risk dominated discourse which has driven practice down a managerialist route, and a neoliberal political agenda which has driven a case management model. Using ethnographic methods, participant observation and unstructured interviews, the research followed a team of family support practitioners within a voluntary sector project in South Wales working in early-intervention social work whose practice was explicitly informed by complexity thinking. This thesis responds to three questions: how complexity thinking informed team members’ understanding of practice and how they worked with families to foster change; what characteristics impacted their ability to effect change in families and manage turbulence within the team and in what ways complexity thinking impacted their understanding and management of risk. Findings suggest that the strong theoretical base of the team, underpinned by complexity thinking, was instrumental in the creation of an environment conducive to effective practice, and a model of practice that encouraged collaboration, consistency, containment, challenge and contingency, for practitioners as well as for families. In addition it enabled the team to be anti-fragile to the significant churn they experienced, a challenge that will be familiar to many in social work. Using Beck’s theory of a risk society the thesis explores the idea that risk is an inescapable component of a fast-changing, reflexive modernity and argues that the assessment and control of risk is something that can never be definitively accomplished. Where risk is unpredictable, especially in such a contested area as child welfare, the most useful methods are those that encourage creativity and adaptability, and this is facilitated by complexity thinking.
Downsizing and Heterogeneous Firing Costs

A structural labor demand model is developed that allows for worker heterogeneity regarding firing costs and productivity. It is estimated for a firm in demise when 3,650 workers were made redundant in a restructuring following bankruptcy. This was the largest mass layoff in the history of the Netherlands. The model produces sharp predictions on how firing thresholds depend on individual worker characteristics. The signs of the estimated coefficients are consistent with these predictions. The model correctly predicts 68 of individual worker displacement. The results provide new in-depth knowledge on how firing costs influence personnel decisions.
A new reliable approach for Persian license plate detection on colour images

In this paper, a new approach for car license plate detection will be presented. The proposed method is faster than previous methods as it avoids time-consuming image transformations such as Hough transform, Fourier transform, wavelet transform, etc. The suggested method is based on modified mathematical template matching and colour analysis to detect the location of the car's plate. This new method detects all plates in a matching cycle using avoidance dynamic templates such as classic template matching methods, neural network, PCI based and other artificial intelligence matching methods. A modified column strip search to find a standard geometrical template in new types of license plates in Iran and most European countries has been proposed. Some advantages of this method are: high-speed process/ low response time, ability to setup and run on microprocessors and process colour images without any resizing and converting. The suggested method can be used in automatic toll stations, tunnels, high ways, intelligent parking and traffic zone areas as a real-time license plate recognition system. Plate characters are recognized by a Support Vector Machine with a homogeneous polynomial kernel of degree five. The results of experiments based on images from speed control cameras on high ways demonstrate the performance, exactness, speed and reliability of this method. Finally, the proposed method boasts 96 percent performance detection rate.
PIUS: peptide identification by unbiased search

SUMMARY We present PIUS, a tool that identifies peptides from tandem mass spectrometry data by analyzing the six-frame translation of a complete genome. It differs from earlier studies that have performed such a genomic search in two ways: (i) it considers a larger search space and (ii) it is designed for natural peptide identification rather than proteomics. Differently from other peptidomics tools designed for genome-wide searches, PIUS does not limit the analysis to a set of sequences that match a list of de novo reconstructions. AVAILABILITY Source code, executables and a detailed technical report are freely available at http://dtai.cs.kuleuven.be/ml/systems/pius. CONTACT eduardo.costa@cs.kuleuven.be SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Permuted M-matrices for the reduction of phase-induced intensity noise in optical CDMA network

Two codeword families and the corresponding encoder/decoder schemes are present for spatial/frequency optical code-division multiple-access communications. These 2-D codewords have multiple weights per row and can be encoded/decoded via compact hardware. With the proposed decoding mechanism, the intended user will reject interfering users and multiple-access interference is fully eliminated. In addition, the power of the same wavelength contributed by all interfering codewords is split and detected by distinct photodiodes in the decoder. Thus the performance degradation due to the beat noise arising in the photodetecting process is improved, as compared with the traditional 1-D coding scheme, and a larger number of active users is supported under a given bit-error rate.
Host information acquisition in LAN environment

We aim to develop Global Computing environment enabling users to use various devices in the Internet without technical knowledge and complicated configuration. To realize Global Computing, host discovery inside the network is inevitable. However, single method of host discovery cannot assure host detection under some networks. With variety of network accessible device from consumer low end home router to LAN based core node products, host acquisition tactics varies depending on their network platform implementation. In this research, we implemented model of replacing host discovery methods adequately according to each network platform implementation in LAN using DHCP. Presentation application is also developed to enable invisible hosts inside the network to be visible to users. This system allows accurate detection of host information and improve host discovery difficulty based on different network platform environment. Through evaluation of the model for host discovery in experimental network, we demonstrate the accuracy of host acquisition and visualization system.