Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Career Development for Women Veterans

The Problem Women veterans suffer from higher unemployment rates than their male counterparts. This is especially true among women veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although scholars and practitioners recognize the disparity in employment between men veterans and women veterans, there has been little attention given to addressing this gap to improve the employment situation for women veterans. Furthermore, many of the existing policies and programs designed to assist veterans with civilian employment pursuits are targeted toward men veterans and have proven to be less effective for enhancing employability of women veterans. This is a critical HRD issue due to HRD’s interest in career development and the role of HRD professionals in assisting more women veterans in gaining civilian employment. The Solution Toward a remedy for improving unemployment rates for women veterans, this article contains a review of literature focused on exploring barriers to employment among women veterans and strategies for overcoming these barriers. Within this study, the specific needs of women veterans are explored in relation to their employability. Ultimately, this article highlights practical solutions in accordance with transition theory to the growing problem of unemployment among women veterans. These solutions are useful for HRD professionals to assist with successful transitions to civilian employment for women veterans. The Stakeholders This article will be of interest to HRD scholars and practitioners who are concerned with the well-being and employability of women veterans. The information contained in this article will be helpful to counselors and other professionals who are assisting women veterans in their transition to the civilian workforce.
Psychological adaptation and social support of parents of pediatric cancer patients: a prospective longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE To investigate levels of support and the concurrent and prospective effects of support on the psychological functioning of parents of children with cancer in a prospective longitudinal study. METHODS Parents' (n = 128) self-perceived level of psychological distress, quantity of support, and dissatisfaction with support were assessed, at diagnosis, at 6, and at 12 months. RESULTS Parents received most support at diagnosis. Self-perceived quantity decreased with time, but parents indicated they remained equally satisfied. Support significantly predicted concurrent and prospective distress of fathers, but not of mothers. Dissatisfaction with support and negative interactions were consistent risk factors for fathers. Mothers who adjusted well psychologically received more support and were less dissatisfied than mothers who remained clinically distressed. Nevertheless, no persisting effect of support was found. CONCLUSIONS Findings illustrate that social support varies with the stress situation and with gender. Identification of vulnerable parents at diagnosis on the basis of their perception of received quantity of and dissatisfaction with support seems difficult. Intervention efforts aimed at mobilization of needed support may be efficacious.
Modeling a reaction time variant of the Perruchet effect in humans

This paper presents a reaction time (RT) experiment that follows on from the work of Perruchet, Cleeremans, and Destrebeceqz (2006), investigating the extent to which reaction times (RTs) are governed by the conscious expectancy of a particular response. In this experiment, participants were presented with a single stimulus (which we will call the conditioned stimulus; CS) followed by one of two outcomes (which we will call unconditioned stimuli; USs); to which participants had to make an appropriate instrumental response. On every trial we recorded the time taken to make this response and participants were asked to rate their expectancy that one of the USs (US1) was going to occur. We found that the expectancy rating for US1 correlated negatively with RT on US1 trials. Over successive runs of reinforcement, when participants rated US1 as less likely to occur they were slower to respond to US1 (lower ratings, higher RTs). When we calculated the expectancy for US2 as the complement of that for US1 expectancy, expectancy of US2 correlated positively with RTs. Thus, across runs of reinforcement, participants responded more quickly to US2 when considering US2 less likely (low rating, low RT). We argue that the requirement to make a conscious expectancy rating results in participants attending more to US1 occurrences than those of US2. This results in a qualitatively different relationship between conscious expectancy and automatic responses that cannot be reconciled by a single processing system account. A dual processing system explanation of learning is proposed to explain these results. In support of this position, we successfully modeled our US2 RT data using a modified version of the Augmented simple recurrent network (Yeates, Jones, Wills, McLaren, & McLaren, 2013).
Fusion of nonlinear motion dynamics using Fokker-Planck equation and projection filter

This paper presents a novel approach to the fusion of nonlinear motion dynamics for 2D target tracking applications in video analytics by using Fokker-Planck equation (FPE) and the projection filter. The motion dynamics of the target is first conveniently represented using the corresponding FPE for the state posterior. The motion dynamics is then fused into target tracking process to reliably predict the target position and velocity in 2D target tracking by solving the corresponding FPE of the state posterior using a projection filter. Once the next system measurement is available, the state posterior is then updated using the Bayes' rule in the projection filter framework as well. Experiments using synthetic and real aerial surveillance video data show that the proposed FPE-based target tracker is able to reliably track targets in the present of nonlinear motion dynamics, and that the proposed FPE-based tracker outperforms traditional nonlinear filters in target tracking such as the Kalman filter (including extended Kalman filter and unscented Kalman filter) and the particle filter.
Current Challenges and Future Research Areas for Digital Forensic Investigation

Given the ever-increasing prevalence of technology in modern life, there is a corresponding increase in the likelihood of digital devices being pertinent to a criminal investigation or civil litigation. As a direct consequence, the number of investigations requiring digital forensic expertise is resulting in huge digital evidence backlogs being encountered by law enforcement agencies throughout the world. It can be anticipated that the number of cases requiring digital forensic analysis will greatly increase in the future. It is also likely that each case will require the analysis of an increasing number of devices including computers, smartphones, tablets, cloud-based services, Internet of Things devices, wearables, etc. The variety of new digital evidence sources pose new and challenging problems for the digital investigator from an identification, acquisition, storage and analysis perspective. This paper explores the current challenges contributing to the backlog in digital forensics from a technical standpoint and outlines a number of future research topics that could greatly contribute to a more efficient digital forensic process.
Inflammation in high-grade carotid stenosis: a possible role for macrophages and T cells in plaque destabilization.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Inflammatory mechanisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated whether the extent of inflammatory infiltration in high-grade stenoses of the internal carotid artery (ICA) correlates to clinical features of plaque destabilization. METHODS Endarterectomy specimens from 37 consecutive patients undergoing surgery for high-grade ICA stenosis were stained immunocytochemically for macrophages (CD68) and T cells (CD3). The staining was quantified by planimetry of immunostained areas (CD68) or counting individual cells (CD3). Clinical evidence of plaque instability was provided by the preoperative assessment of recent ischemic symptoms attributable to the stenosis and of the occurrence of cerebral microembolism in transcranial Doppler ultrasound monitoring of the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery. RESULTS The percentage of macrophage-rich areas and number of T cells per mm2 section area were larger in recently symptomatic patients than in asymptomatic patients (macrophages: 18+/-10% versus 11+/-4%, P=0.005; T cells: 71.2+/-34.4 versus 40.5+/-31.4 mm2, P=0.005). The presence of microembolism was associated with an increase in macrophage-rich areas (P=0.011). Macrophage (19+/-10% versus 9+/-3%, P=0.0009) and T cell (71.5+/-39.0 versus 46.4+/-22 mm2, P=0.045) infiltration were more pronounced in predominantly atheromatous than in fibrous plaques, but did not correlate significantly to the presence of surface ulceration or luminal thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest a role of plaque-infiltrating macrophages and T cells in the clinical destabilization of high-grade ICA stenoses. Inflammatory mechanisms may be a therapeutic target in patients with symptomatic ICA disease.
A test-driven approach for developing software languages

Test-Driven Development (TDD) is the practice of attempting to use the software you intend to write, before you write it. The premise is straightforward, but the specifics of applying it in different domains can be complex. In this paper, we provide aTDD approach for language development. The essence is to apply TDD at each of four levels of language processing, hence we call our approach Multi-Level TDD, or MLTDD. MLTDD can be applied to programming languages, preprocessors, domain specific languages, and transformation engines. MLTDD was used to build Umple, a model-oriented programming language available for Java, Ruby, and PHP. We present two case studies where this approach was implemented to develop two other domain specific languages.
Comparing the performance of different control techniques for DC-DC boost converter with variable solar PV generation in DC microgrid

Different control strategies to achieve the maximum output power from DC-DC boost converter with variable solar PV generation are presented in this paper. In order to ensure the stability of a DC microgrid, the power flow within the DC microgrid must be balanced at all times to maintain a constant dc bus voltage. A comparison between Perturb and observe (P&O), incremental conductance (INC), PID open & closed loop and dynamic evaluation control (DEC) techniques are discussed in this paper. MATLAB/SIMULINK simulation results are presented to demonstrate the comparison between control strategies.
A DP algorithm for speaker change detection

The Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) is a widely adopted method for audio segmentation; typically, it is applied within a sliding variable-size analysis window where single changes in the nature of the audio are locally searched. In this work, a dynamic programming algorithm which uses the BIC method for globally segmenting the input audio stream is described, analyzed, and experimentally evaluated. On the 2000 NIST Speaker Recognition Evaluation test set, the DP algorithm outperforms the local one by 2.4% (relative) F-score in the detection of changes, at the cost of being 38 times slower.
Combining Simulation and Formal Methods for System-Level Performance Analysis

Recent research on performance analysis for embedded systems shows a trend to formal compositional models and methods. These compositional methods can be used to determine the performance of embedded systems by composing formal analytical models of the individual components. In case there exist no formal component models with the required precision, simulation-based approaches are used for system-level performance analysis. The often high runtimes of simulation runs lead to the new approach described in this paper: Analytical methods are combined with simulation-based approaches to speed up simulation. We describe how the simulation models can be coupled with the formal analysis framework, specify the interfaces needed for such a combination and show the applicability of the approach using a case study
An analysis of satellite, radiosonde, and lidar observations of upper tropospheric water vapor from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program

[1] To improve our understanding of the distribution and radiative effects of water vapor, the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program has conducted a series of coordinated water vapor Intensive Observation Periods (IOPs). This study uses observations collected from four ARM IOPs to accomplish two goals: First we compare radiosonde and Raman lidar observations of upper tropospheric water vapor with colocated geostationary satellite radiances at 6.7 μm. During all four IOPs we find excellent agreement between the satellite and Raman lidar observations of upper tropospheric humidity with systematic differences of ∼10%. In contrast, radiosondes equipped with Vaisala sensors are shown to be systematically drier in the upper troposphere by ∼40% relative to both the lidar and satellite measurements. Second, we assess the performance of various “correction” strategies designed to rectify known deficiencies in the radiosonde measurements. It is shown that existing methods for correcting the radiosonde dry bias, while effective in the lower troposphere, offer little improvement in the upper troposphere. An alternative method based on variational assimilation of satellite radiances is presented and, when applied to the radiosonde measurements, is shown to significantly improve their agreement with coincident Raman lidar observations. It is suggested that a similar strategy could be used to improve the quality of the global historical record of radiosonde water vapor observations during the satellite era.
Evolution of Multivariate Image Analysis in QSAR: The Case for a Neglected Disease

Multivariate Image Analysis applied in Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (MIA-QSAR) is a simple method to achieve, at least in a variety of examples, QSAR models with predictive abilities comparable to those of sophisticated tridimensional methodologies. MIA-QSAR is based on the correlation between properties (e.g. biological activities) and chemical descriptors, which are pixels of images representing chemical structures in a congeneric series of molecules. The MIA-QSAR approach has been improved since its creation, in 2005, both in terms of data analysis and development of more descriptive information. This chapter reports the MIA-QSAR method, including its augmented version, named aug-MIA-QSAR because of the introduction of new dimensions to better encode atomic properties. In addition, the application to a case study illustrates the main practical differences between traditional and augmented MIA-QSAR. The use of a neglected disease as example represents a challenge in QSAR, which is particularly focused on diseases with higher economical appearance.
Multiple Responses of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria to Mixture of Hydrocarbons

Most of our knowledge about pollutants and the way they are biodegraded in the environment has previously been shaped by laboratory studies using hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial strains isolated from polluted sites. In present study Gram-positive (Mycobacterium sp. IBBPo1, Oerskovia sp. IBBPo2, Corynebacterium sp. IBBPo3) and Gram-negative (Chryseomonas sp. IBBPo7, Pseudomonas sp. IBBPo10, Burkholderia sp. IBBPo12) bacteria, isolated from oily sludge, were found to be able to tolerate pure and mixture of saturated hydrocarbons, as well as pure and mixture of monoaromatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Isolated Gram-negative bacteria were more tolerant to mixture of saturated (n-hexane, n-hexadecane, cyclohexane), monoaromatic (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene) and polyaromatic (naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, fluorene) hydrocarbons than Gram-positive bacteria. There were observed cellular and molecular modifications induced by mixture of saturated, monoaromatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These modifications differ from one strain to another and even for the same bacterial strain, according to the nature of hydrophobic substrate.
Long-Term F 0 Modeling for Text-Independent Speaker Recognition

Long-term F 0 modeling for text-independent speaker recognition is considered using both parametric and nonparametric approaches. In the parametric case, mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis are computed and the parameter vectors are compared using weighted Euclidean distance. In the nonparametric case, F 0 distribution is represented by a histogram
Maternal lead exposure and the secondary sex ratio.

BACKGROUND A reduction in the secondary sex ratio may be associated with exposure to environmental toxicants. Little data exists relating this outcome to lead exposure, a well-known reproductive toxicant. METHODS We studied 1980 women having singleton births from 1994 to 1995 and from 1997 to 2001 who participated in a cohort study of lead exposure and infant outcomes in Mexico City. Levels of lead were measured in maternal and cord blood using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy, and levels of lead in maternal patella and tibia bone (a reflection of cumulative exposure) were measured using noninvasive K-X-ray fluorescence measurements. Using logistic regression models, we evaluated the relations of these measures to secondary sex ratio in the offspring, adjusting for maternal age, parity and year of infants' birth. RESULTS We found no consistent association between any of the lead measures and secondary sex ratio. Results were unchanged when we adjusted for infants' year of birth, maternal age and parity. CONCLUSIONS Despite a large sample size and the use of sensitive biomarkers, we did not find evidence that maternal and fetal lead exposure is associated with a lower secondary sex ratio among newborns.
Investigation of Simultaneous Effects of Aerosol Properties and Aerosol Peak Height on the Air Mass Factors for Space-Borne NO2 Retrievals

We investigate the simultaneous effects of aerosol peak height (APH), aerosol properties, measurement geometry, and other factors on the air mass factor for NO2 retrieval at sites with high NO2 concentration. A comparison of the effects of high and low surface reflectance reveals that NO2 air mass factor (AMF) values over a snowy surface (surface reflectance 0.8) are generally higher than those over a deciduous forest surface (surface reflectance 0.05). Under high aerosol optical depth (AOD) conditions, the aerosol shielding effect over a high-albedo surface is revealed to reduce the path-length of light at the surface, whereas high single scattering albedo (SSA) conditions (e.g., SSA = 0.95) lead to an increase in the aerosol albedo effect, which results in an increased AMF over areas with low surface reflectance. We also conducted an in-depth study of the APH effect on AMF. For an AOD of 0.1 and half width (HW) of 5 km, NO2 AMF decreases by 29% from 1.36 to 0.96 as APH changes from 0 to 2 km. In the case of high-AOD conditions (0.9) and HW of 5 km, the NO2 AMF decreases by 240% from 1.85 to 0.54 as APH changes from 0 to 2 km. The AMF variation due to error in the model input parameters (e.g., AOD, SSA, aerosol shape, and APH) is also examined. When APH is 0 km with an AOD of 0.4, SSA of 0.88, and surface reflectance of 0.05, a 30% error in AOD induces an AMF error of between 4.85% and −3.67%, an SSA error of 0.04 leads to NO2 VCD errors of between 4.46% and −4.77%, and a 30% error in AOD induces an AMF error of between −9.53% and 8.35% with an APH of 3 km. In addition to AOD and SSA, APH is an important factor in calculating AMF, due to the 2 km error in APH under high-SZA conditions, which leads to an NO2 VCD error of over 60%. Aerosol shape is also found to have a measureable effect on AMF under high-AOD and small relative azimuth angle (RAA) conditions. The diurnal effect of the NO2 profile is also examined and discussed.
Asymptotic Disturbance Attenuation Properties for Continuous-Time Uncertain Switched Linear Systems

In this paper, the disturbance attenuation properties in the sense of uniformly ultimate boundedness are investigated for a class of switched linear systems with parametric uncertainties and exterior disturbances. The aim is to characterize the conditions under which the switched system can achieve a finite disturbance attenuation level. First, arbitrary switching signals are considered, and a necessary and sufficient condition is given. Secondly, conditions on how to restrict the switching signals to achieve finite disturbance attenuation levels are investigated. Two cases are considered here that depend on whether all the subsystems are uniformly ultimately bounded or not. The techniques are based on multiple polyhedral Lyapunov functions and their extensions.
Characteristics of a Controlled-Current PWM Rectifier-Inverter Link

Two controlled-current pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) converters have been integrated into rectifier-inverter links of variable-speed ac motor drives. The authors focus on developing a mathematical model of the rectifier-inverter link and presenting experimental justification of the model. The characteristics of the rectifier-inverter system and the constraints imposed by the voltage feedback loop and dc link voltage are discussed. The rectifier-inverter system is made to drive a "selfcontrolled" synchronous motor, thus forming a system for which both the utility and the motor currents are near sinusoidal. The optimized power conversion capability of the motor is now matched by unity power factor operation on the rectifier side. Fast reversal from motoring to regenerative braking capability is demonstrated experimentally.