Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mindfulness — New Research and Treatment Directions in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Combining mindfulness to strengthen emotion regulation with existing empirically supported post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatments may improve outcomes through increasing (a) engagement, (b) compliance, and (c) decreasing the level of ruminations in PTSD. Several psychotherapeutic interventions incorporating train‐ ing in mindfulness are clinically relevant to traumatic stress. In order to see how far PTSD treatment could benefit from including mindfulness into the therapeutic process, we analyzed researches regarding: (a) the neuroscience of mindfulness, (b) assessment instruments for mindfulness, (c) mechanism of mindfulness, respective, and (d) the relation between mindfulness and other techniques. Based on this analy‐ sis, we can conclude that mindfulness may improve the therapeutic results and the outcome of PTSD patients. Mindfulness can be used in two ways: (a) as an emotion regulation support technique for existing empirically supported PTSD treatments and (b) as a standalone treatment- mindfulness-based cognitive behavior psycho‐ therapies.
Economic growth, income inequality and subjective well-being: Evidence from China

This paper examines the subjective consequence of rising income inequality amidst the rapid economic growth in China. Based on the data from a national representative survey conducted in 2005, we employ multi-level models to show that, while personal income improves life satisfaction, the effect decreases with the level of local economic development; moreover, the rate of local economic growth has a positive effect, but local income inequality has a negative effect, on individuals’ life satisfaction. Our findings help to clarify the mixed results in previous studies and point to the importance of both economic and social policies in improving people’s subjective well-being in China’s transitional economy. Economic Growth, Income Inequality and Subjective Well-being in China 3
Ex-vivo phantom for evaluation of ultrasound speckle tracking in the uterus

Uterine peristaltic movement plays an important role for the success of embryo implantation. This is especially relevant in the context of assistive reproduction technology. Unfortunately, the lack of tools for quantitative analysis limits our understanding of the uterine activity. Recently, strain analysis by ultrasound speckle tracking has gained attention for assessment of the uterine activity. However, the absence of a ground truth hampers the optimization of this technology. This work proposes the first ex-vivo phantom able to generate controlled uterine movement, especially suitable for evaluation and optimization of ultrasound speckle tracking methods.
A lithium depletion boundary age of 22 Myr for NGC 1960

We present a deep Cousins RI photometric survey of the open cluster NGC 1960, complete to R C ≃ 22, I C ≃ 21, that is used to select a sample of very low mass cluster candidates. Gemini spectroscopy of a subset of these is used to confirm membership and locate the age-dependent ‘lithium depletion boundary’ (LDB) – the luminosity at which lithium remains unburned in its low-mass stars. The LDB implies a cluster age of 22 ± 4 Myr and is quite insensitive to choice of evolutionary model. NGC 1960 is the youngest cluster for which a LDB age has been estimated and possesses a well-populated upper main sequence and a rich low-mass pre-main sequence. The LDB age determined here agrees well with precise age estimates made for the same cluster based on isochrone fits to its high- and low-mass populations. The concordance between these three age estimation techniques, that rely on different facets of stellar astrophysics at very different masses, is an important step towards calibrating the absolute ages of young open clusters and lends confidence to ages determined using any one of them.
Content-and-Language Integrated Learning: From Practice to Principles?

This article surveys recent work on content-and-language integrated learning (CLIL). Related to both content-based instruction and immersion education by virtue of its dual focus on language and content, CLIL is here understood as an educational model for contexts where the classroom provides the only site for learners’ interaction in the target language. That is, CLIL is about either foreign languages or lingua francas. The discussion foregrounds a prototypical CLIL context (Europe) but also refers to work done elsewhere. The first part of the discussion focuses on policy issues, describing how CLIL practice operates in a tension between grassroots decisions and higher order policymaking, an area where European multi- and plurilingual policies and the strong impact of English as a lingua franca play a particularly interesting role. The latter is, of course, of definite relevance also in other parts of the world. The second part of the article synthesizes research on learning outcomes in CLIL. Here, the absence of standardized content testing means that the main focus is on language-learning outcomes. The third section deals with classroom-based CLIL research and participants’ use of their language resources for learning and teaching, including such diverse perspectives as discourse pragmatics, speech acts, academic language functions, and genre. The final part of the article discusses theoretical underpinnings of CLIL, delineating their current state of elaboration as applied linguistic research in the area is gaining momentum.
Improved Density Estimation for the Visualisation of Literary Spaces

Abstract The elements that constitute the literary space can mainly be described by categories such as settings, zones where actions take place and routes along which characters move. Apart from the presentation of the specific locations and spatial distribution of literary places, we are also interested in the spatial pattern such places form, the boundaries that separate the literarily populated from the void regions and the varying density of the literary space. From a GIS point of view, the elements of the literary space correspond to point, line and area data types. However, the established method used to calculate the spatially varying density – the method of density estimation – is restricted to point data only. In this paper, we will present an improved method that is able to estimate the density regardless of the underlying data type. Our approach aims at adopting the typically radially symmetric kernel function to approximate also linear and areal features. We claim that this method treats point, line and area data in a consistent way by taking equivalent density contributions into account. The different steps of the improved method can visually be examined by the accompanying map examples.
Design and Synthesis of Artificial Ion Channels

The synthesis of a series of functional artifical ion channels is described. Candidate structures are assembled from a modular construction set of subunits consisting of a core crown ether unit for structural organization, multiple macrocyclic tetraester wall units to span a bilayer membrane, and polar head units to impart amphiphilic character. The modular assembly approach allowed the efficient synthesis of a suite of compounds but the inherent properties of the construction set limited the range of synthetically accessible structures.
15 Years of Pearl Millet Improvement in the SADC Region

Pearl millet improvement under the SADC/ ICRISAT Sorghum and Millet Improvement Program (SMIP)originally focused on two major objectives. The first was to lay the foundation for making improved varieties widely available to farmers in the region. This was to be achieved by supplying national breeding programs with enhanced germplasm and information they could use to stabilize yields in their specific environments. The second was to raise the level of expertise available for the breeding, production, and utilization of pearl millet, contributing to development of strong national programs with the capacity to generate and test elite germplasm. Significant progress has been made towards these objectives. The pearl millet germplasm from southern Africa have been collected, characterized, and conserved. The regional facility holds well over 7000 pearl millet germplasm accessions from around the wor ld, 3082 of which are of SADC origin. Sixteen pearl millet varieties originating from this project have been released in five SADC countries: Malawi (2), Namibia (4), Tanzania (2) , Zambia (4) , and Zimbabwe (4) . These varieties currently occupy 2-45% of the total pearl millet area in these countries. Functional millet breeding programs have been established in nine countries, among them Namibia where a successful seed development and delivery system was developed from scratch, Malawi, Namibia, and Tanzania are now in the process of redefining their breeding priorities through farmer-participatory methods. An IPM package for control of the armored bush cricket has been successfully implemented in Namibia and Zambia. Over 80 scientists and 200 technicians have been trained in crop improvement, agronomy, crop protection, seed production, and quality control; and this training has helped national programs upgrade their skills and experience. SMIP recognizes that a strong regional scientific capability and the technical advances made in the development and dissemination of improved varieties provide a solid foundation for increasing farm-level productivity and incomes. If the ful l potential of this foundation is to be realized and the ultimate goal of the program fulfilled, SMIP must now address three important issues: seed delivery systems, broader stakeholder input into technology development, and commercialization of pearl millet.
Experimental verification and stability state space analysis of CLL–T series parallel resonant converter with fuzzy controller

This paper presents a closed loop CLL-T (capacitor inductor inductor) series parallel resonant converter (SPRC) has been simulated and the performance is analyzed. A three element CLL-T SPRC working under load independent operation (voltage type and current type load) is presented in this paper. The stability and AC analysis of CLL-T SPRC has been developed using state space technique and the regulation of output voltage is done by using Fuzzy controller. The simulation study indicates the superiority of fuzzy control over the conventional control methods. The proposed approach is expected to provide better voltage regulation for dynamic load conditions. A prototype 300 W, 100 kHz converter is designed and built to experimentally demonstrate, dynamic and steady state performance for the CLL-T SPRC are compared from the simulation studies.
A potential role for LPS-induced inflammation in the induction of Alzheimer's disease-related pathology and cognitive deficits

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by neuronal cell death and atrophy in regions of the adult brain, including the hippocampus and cortex, due to formation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Presence of these pathologies can limit normal signaling properties and ultimately lead to learning and memory deficits. Chronic inflammation has been implicated in the onset and progression of these AD pathologies. Our study was designed to create an animal model of peripheral inflammation-induced AD-like pathologies in mouse using the bacterial endotoxin Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). C57BL/6J mice were given intraperitoneal injections of LPS or saline for 7 consecutive days. Hippocampal tissue from animals receiving LPS contained significantly higher levels of Aβ1-42, a peptide component of AD plaques, than did saline control animals. To determine if the elevation in Aβ1-42 might inhibit learning, we first had to determine if the consecutive days of LPS lead to sickness behavior. Here we demonstrate that one injection of LPS leads to sickness behavior, but 7 consecutive days does not, implicating a tolerance to the endotoxin. Further cognitive testing was then conducted to determine if deficits from increased Aβ1-42 was evident. Results from both Morris water maze and contextual fear conditioning revealed learning deficits in LPS treated mice. In summary multiple injections of LPS resulted in increased Aβ1-42, in the hippocampus and cognitive deficits in C57BL/6J mice.
Development and evaluation of a more efficient monitoring system for apple maggot (Diptera: Tephritidae)

A series of tests done in commercial and research apple ( Malus domestica Borkh.) orchards during 1986-1988 evaluated different trap designs and treatment thresholds for apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh). No difference in catch efficiency in unsprayed trees was observed among Ladd yellow-panel-plus-red-hemisphere traps, red wooden- sphere traps, and Olson sphere traps covered with standard, brush able, or diluted adhesive mixtures. Of 10 trap designs that we tested in 20 commercial orchards, all sphere traps baited with synthetic apple volatiles were more effective at catching apple maggot adults than were unbaited sphere traps, which caught more adults than did yellow-panel traps. In a test using the baited traps to time control sprays in commercial orchards, we achieved acceptable levels of control with a catch action threshold of eight adults per trap. With this threshold, 70% fewer sprays (2.8 fewer applications) were applied than in a calendar-based program. Trials in 16 blocks scouted by growers with baited traps and a threshold of five adults per trap for timing sprays resulted in 0.6 fewer applications and no difference in fruit infestation levels, compared with blocks sprayed according to the growers’ conventional schedules. Despite the use of a threshold of five adults per trap, which was chosen to be more conservative than that in the research trials, growers did not always follow the recommended treatment guidelines. The use of this trapping system has been incorporated into current commercial pesticide recommendations for New York apple growers.
Does the Stolper-Samuelson Theorem Explain the Movement in Wages ? : The Linkage Between Trade and Wages in Latin American Countries

Shinkai, Naoko. Does the Stolper-Samuelson Theorem explain the movement in wages? : the linkage between trade and wages in Latin American countries / by Naoko Shinkai. The views and interpretations in this document are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Inter-American Development Bank, or to any individual acting on its behalf. The Research Department (RES) publishes the Latin American Economic Policies Newsletter, as well as working papers and books, on diverse economic issues. To obtain a complete list of RES publications, and read or download them please visit our web ABSTRACT * How does trade liberalization affect the wage gap between skilled workers and unskilled workers? The Heckscher-Ohlin (HO) trade model gives a prediction about the relation between wages and prices. However, its simple Stolper-Samuelson (SS) and Specific-Factors (SF) versions make opposite predictions about the correlation between prices and wages of certain types of workers (specific factors in industries) when they are not used intensively. The analysis in this paper provides evidence that may allow one to distinguish empirically between these two versions of the HO model, using wage data from household surveys in several Latin American countries—Bolivia, Mexico, and Venezuela. Two different specifications for the specific factor are examined: educated workers and experienced workers. In summary, the results favor SS, when educated workers are defined as the specific factor for these Latin American countries from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. and Miguel Szekely for inspiring me. The views that are offered here do not correspond to the views of the Bank but are those of the author, to whom comments may be directed at NAOKOS@iadb.org.
Combining offline and online learning in developing an adaptive controller for a simulated car racing environment

This report presents the work done to develop an autonomous driver for the Simulated Car Racing Championship (SCRC), a competition in computational intelligence based on The Open Racing Car Simulator (TORCS). Autonomous race driving based only on local sensory data is a complex problem, and previous SCRC entries' work show a wide variety of approaches taken to address it. We describe CRABCAR, a controller that combines oine learning prior to the competition with online learning during the competition to optimize its performance in the SCRC context. The presented approach extends and builds on track modelling and racing line optimization techniques introduced previously, addressing known problems said techniques have with noisy sensory input and non-perfect track information. CRABCAR's performance is compared to previous entries from the SCRC, with results showing CRABCAR at a performance level similar to the others. We conclude that a system for online adaption is essential when pre-learned strategies are applied to discretely segmented and non-perfect track models in the SCRC context.
ХИЕРАРХИСКА КЛАСИФИКАЦИЈА НА ВИДЕО ПОДАТОЦИ

In this study we propose a novel architecture of Support Vector Machines (SVM) classifiers for classifying video documents in classes organized in a predefined class hierarchy. This architecture of SVM classifiers was designed to provide superior recognition speed and accuracy utilizing a binary classification tree. It solves a four-class video classification problem, having a two level hierarchy. The classification data consisted of automatically detected key frames, which were described by the MPEG-7 standard. The experimental results show that the classification architecture achieves high classification accuracy, especially in the first level of the hierarchy where the classification was made between different genres of videos.
A review of integrated analysis of production-distribution systems

This paper reviews recent work on integrated analysis of production-distribution systems, and identifies important areas where further research is needed. By integrated analysis we understand analysis performed on models that integrate decisions of different production and distribution functions for a simultaneous optimization. We review work that explicitly considers the transportation system in the analysis, since we are interested in the following questions: (i) how have logistics aspects been included in the integrated analysis? and (ii) what competitive advantages, if any, have been obtained from the integration of the distribution function to other production functions within a company and among different companies? In our review we also mention whether the work has been done at the strategic level, i.e., if it concerns the design of the distribution system, or at the tactical level, i.e., if it concerns optimization problems for which the characteristics of the distribution system are provided.
Reducing the Risks of Herbicide Resistance: Best Management Practices and Recommendations

Herbicides are the foundation of weed control in commercial crop-production systems. However, herbicide-resistant (HR) weed populations are evolving rapidly as a natural response to selection pressure imposed by modern agricultural management activities. Mitigating the evolution of herbicide resistance depends on reducing selection through diversification of weed control techniques, minimizing the spread of resistance genes and genotypes via pollen or propagule dispersal, and eliminating additions of weed seed to the soil seedbank. Effective deployment of such a multifaceted approach will require shifting from the current concept of basing weed management on single-year economic thresholds.
On the interface between two growing Eden clusters

The authors have measured the roughening exponent chi at the interface between a pair of growing Eden clusters. Their numerical results suggest that chi differs from the corresponding exponent for a freely growing interface, and that it depends on the initial geometry of the clusters, which grow into a vacant sector with an angle theta . For theta 180'.
Autonomous Object Movement in Modeling Bees Foraging

This paper presents an algorithm inspired by Bresenham's algorithm to move an object from one location to another. This algorithm uses the slope calculation for different location and direction to move an object through the desired path. Such an approach has extended the use of existing Bresenham algorithm into a better use as direction of movement is no longer a limitation. Experiment conducted using Bees simulation environment shows that the required bees have successfully moved to the identified location.
Distributions and Composite Models for Size-Type Data

In the first part of this chapter, we present a sample of the best known and most used classical size distributions with their main statistical properties. In the second part, we introduce the concept of composite models and based on the size distributions of the first part, we describe those which already exist in the literature. In the last part of this chapter, we apply the described statistical size distributions and some of the composite models to two real data examples and compare their goodness-of-fit.
Scalable Fabrication of Metallic Nanofiber Network via Templated Electrodeposition for Flexible Electronics

Metallic nanofiber networks (MNFNs) are very promising for next‐generation flexible transparent electrodes (TEs) since they can retain outstanding optical and electrical properties during bending due to their ultralong and submicron profile. However, it is still challenging to achieve cost‐effective and high‐throughput fabrication of MNFNs with reliable and consistent performance. Here, a cost‐effective method is reported to fabricate high‐performance MNFN‐TEs via templated electrodeposition and imprint transfer. The fabricated electrodeposition template has a trilayer structure of glass/indium tin oxide/SiO2 with nanotrenches in the insulating SiO2 that can be utilized for repeated electrodeposition of the MNFNs, which are then transferred to flexible substrates. The fabricated TEs exhibit excellent optical transmittance (>84%) and electrical conductivity (<0.9 Ω sq−1) and show desirable mechanical flexibility with a sheet resistance <2 Ω sq−1 under a bending radius of 3 mm. Meanwhile, the MNFN‐TEs reproduced from the reusable template show consistent and reliable performance. Additionally, this template‐based method can realize the direct patterning of MNFN‐TEs with arbitrary conductive patterns by selective masking of the template. As a demonstration, a flexible dynamic electroluminescent display is fabricated using TEs made by this method, and the light‐emitting pattern is observable from both sides.
A Numerical Study on the Effect of Position and Number of Openings on the Performance of Composite Steel Shear Walls

Use of composite steel shear walls (CSSW) in earthquake-resistant structures has grown in recent years. However, no thorough information exists on their performance, especially in cases where openings are present. In the present study, in order to first validate the analysis method, ABAQUS was used to model the studied composite shear wall with gap at UC-Berkeley, according to the results of which, a good agreement between the experimental and analytical models was observed. Then, the effect of the position and number of the openings on the performance of the walls was addressed. To this end, models with various openings, including openings close to the beam/column, horizontal/vertical openings and distributing opening, were prepared and analyzed. The results indicate that the maximum reduction in stiffness and strength occurred in walls with single openings. The size of opening and the opening’s area significantly affect shear wall performance. Ultimately, artificial neural network and fitness function tools were employed to obtain predictive models for shear wall performance. A neural network has proven an appropriate alternative method for predicting the displacement, stress, and strength of the composite shear wall.