Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Capacity analysis of the asymptotically stable multi-valued exponential bidirectional associative memory

The exponential bidirectional associative memory (eBAM) has been proposed and proved to be a stable and high capacity associative neural network. However, the intrinsic structure and the evolution functions of this network restrict the representation of patterns to be either bipolar or binary vectors. We consider the promising development of multi-valued systems and then design a multi-valued discrete eBAM (MV-eBAM). The multi-valued eBAM has been proved to be asymptotically stable under certain constraints. Although MV-eBAM is also verified to possess high capacity by thorough simulations, there are important characteristics to be explored, including the absolute lower bound of the radix, and the approximate capacity. In order to estimate the capacity of the MV-eBAM, a modified evolution equation is also proposed. Hence, an analytic solution is derived. Besides, a radix searching algorithm is presented such that the absolute lower bound of the radix for this MV-eBAM can be found.
Devising a consensus definition and framework for non-technical skills in healthcare to support educational design: A modified Delphi study

Abstract Background: Non-technical skills are a subset of human factors that focus on the individual and promote safety through teamwork and awareness. There is no widely adopted competency- or outcome-based framework for non-technical skills training in healthcare. The authors set out to devise such a framework using a modified Delphi approach. Methods: An exhaustive list of published and team suggested items was presented to the expert panel for ranking and to propose a definition. In the second round, a focused list was presented, as well as the proposed definition elements. The finalised framework was sent to the panel for review. Results: Sixteen experts participated. The final framework consists of 16 competencies for all and eight specific competencies for team leaders. The consensus definition describes non-technical skills as “a set of social (communication and team work) and cognitive (analytical and personal behaviour) skills that support high quality, safe, effective and efficient inter-professional care within the complex healthcare system”. Conclusions: The authors have produced a new competency framework, through the works of an International expert panel, which is not discipline specific that can be used by curriculum developers, educational innovators and clinical teachers to support developments in the field.
Educational game as interactive learning for hurricane safety

Learning natural disaster safety is important to equip human with awareness and preparedness if the disaster happens. Hurricane is an extreme and dangerous natural disaster which can cause loss of property and life. However, the disaster safety learning in Malaysia only covers flood, earthquake and fire. There is no safety learning to teach hurricane in Malaysia yet. Due to that, Malaysians are still lack in preparedness for emergencies and natural disaster, especially in hurricane since only few games are available. In addition, the development and research of the instructional games based on natural disaster are still lacking. Hence, this study proposes the development of learning hurricane safety using game-based learning technique. The methodology uses Game Development Life Cycle (GDLC). A usability testing and functionality testing has conducted to test the usability and functionality of the game. Results indicate that 90% of the game participants are able to learn hurricane disaster safety effectively.
Undocumented migrants in Greece: issues of regularization.

This article studies migration from Albania to Greece and schematically looks at the socioeconomic integration and/or exclusion of Albanians. It explores the issue of regularization: first, using the game-theoretic framework, it provides an explanation for the choices made by the Greek government; second, it outlines efforts made towards the regularization of undocumented migrants in Greece. In an effort to explain the Greek government choices with the regards to the regularization of migrants, a number of possibilities or outcomes of both regularization and non-regularization, which depend on the relative magnitudes of payoffs to employers and government were established. Attempts from the Greek government to regularize migrants include passing a framework law specifying procedures for regularization. This law, if successfully enforced, will increase the cost of labor to Greek firms; and if implemented in the years to come, the regularization rate may be low because migrants are given only a temporary status. In addition, there is a possibility that the required procedures would not be followed properly. Moreover, the absence of political debate has not helped ease continued foot-dragging in dealing with an issue so critical for Greece. This has contributed to Greece being seen as unofficially encouraging illegal migration so as to keep wages down and boost economic growth.
Estimation of dietary arginine requirements for Longyan laying ducks

&NA; This study aimed to establish the arginine requirements of Longyan ducks from 17 to 31 wk of age based on egg production, egg quality, plasma, and ovarian indices, as well as the expression of vitellogenesis‐related genes. In total, 660 Longyan ducks with similar body weight at 15 wk of age were assigned randomly to 5 treatments, each with 6 replicates of 22 birds, and fed a corn‐corn gluten meal basal diet (0.66% arginine) supplemented with either 0, 0.20%, 0.40%, 0.60%, or 0.80% arginine. Dietary arginine did not affect egg production by laying ducks, but it increased (linear, P < 0.01) the egg weight at 22 to 31 and 17 to 31 wk of age. Dietary arginine increased the yolk color score (linearly, P < 0.05) and the yolk percentage (quadratic, P < 0.05), where the maximum values were obtained with 1.26% arginine. Dietary arginine affected the total shell percentage and shell thickness, with the highest values using 1.46% arginine (P < 0.01). The weight and number of small yellow follicles (SYFs) increased (quadratic, P < 0.05) with the dietary arginine level and there was a quadratic response (P < 0.05) in terms of the SYFs weight/ovarian weight; the highest values were obtained in ducks fed 1.26% arginine. The plasma arginine concentration exhibited a quadratic (P < 0.05) response to dietary arginine. The plasma progesterone concentration decreased (linear, P < 0.05) as dietary arginine increased. The mRNA abundance of the very low density lipoprotein receptor‐b increased in the second large yellow follicle membranes (quadratic, P < 0.05) with the dietary arginine level, where the highest value occurred with 1.26% arginine. According to the regression model, the dietary arginine requirements for Longyan laying ducks aged 17 to 31 wk are 1.06%, 1.13%, 1.22%, and 1.11% to obtain the maximum yolk percentage, SYFs number, SYFs weight, and SYFs weight/ovarian weight, respectively.
Design with and for disaffected teenagers

This paper describes how an e-learning product for teenagers was developed using design sessions based on a participatory design approach. The product, in the form of a computer game, is the outcome of a project that aims to improve teenagers' emotional intelligence. The specific user group is from institutes for pupils that had previously been excluded from mainstream education. The novelty in the approach is that participants were involved in designing a tool that was intended to modify their emotional behaviour - for this discussion, it is the participation in the process that is critical, less so the end product. The project and the design approaches are described and the participatory activity is reflected on. The benefits resulting from the design sessions were bi-directional: the engagement with the prospective users was valuable both for the actual contribution to the product design and as an experience for the participants.
Universities’ emerging roles to co-create sustainable innovation paths: some evidences from the Marche Region

Rural areas are characterised by having a myriad of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with generally low levels of knowledge, more concerned about day-to-day survival than long-term sustainable development strategies. In order to encourage rural development, multi-stakeholder networks involving Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been recognized as the best way to use existent resources and stimulate interaction and knowledge exchange. On the other hand, the presence of heterogeneous stakeholder groups marked by distinctive set of values and ideologies make cooperation in rural areas harder. Given these premises, this paper aims at determining what roles universities can assume in multi-stakeholder networks, in order to support materialisation of sustainable development.
Same Leverage, Less Volatility: An Alternative Approach to the Construction of Leveraged Funds

This article introduces the concept of variable leverage for exchange-traded funds while keeping in mind that the target value for the leverage value is still fixed. This is done to ensure that the daily percentage hedging demand is kept constant, which in turn provides some assurance to investors that excessive buying and selling will not take place. By using simulations, the authors show that this newly constructed leveraged fund is better behaved than the usual constant multiple leveraged fund in terms of standard deviations and volatility of compounded returns.
Relapse prevention in a national smoking cessation contest: effects of coping planning.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of a brief coping planning intervention to prevent smoking relapse in the context of a national smoking cessation contest ('Quit & Win'). DESIGN A controlled trial with three measurements was used to evaluate the efficacy of the coping planning intervention. METHODS Three on-line surveys were conducted among 1,566 participants in Quit & Win. Contest participants were alternately assigned to a control and planning group, the latter of which completed a planning intervention that included the formation of three coping plans on how to refrain from smoking in personal risk situations. RESULTS The coping planning intervention increased conservative 7-month continuous abstinence rates from 10.5 to 13.4%, indicating that, if implemented correctly, coping planning can significantly reduce long-term smoking relapse. CONCLUSIONS In addition to growing evidence for the efficacy of self-regulatory planning in the promotion of health behaviour, the results of the present study indicate that planning can also be effective in the prevention of unwanted behaviour. The results may stimulate research and application of coping planning in its current form.
Resonant-tunneling-diode oscillator with high-frequency modulation structure for high-capacity terahertz communication

We fabricated a novel resonant-tunneling-diode terahertz oscillator with high-frequency modulation structure for high-capacity terahertz communication and measured the frequency response using vector network analyzer. A very high cut-off frequency of 30 GHz in intensity modulation was obtained by the device oscillating at 350 GHz with reduced MIM capacitor of 0.7 pF.
Wide-aperture aspherical lens for high-resolution terahertz imaging.

In this paper, we introduce wide-aperture aspherical lens for high-resolution terahertz (THz) imaging. The lens has been designed and analyzed by numerical methods of geometrical optics and electrodynamics. It has been made of high-density polyethylene by shaping at computer-controlled lathe and characterized using a continuous-wave THz imaging setup based on a backward-wave oscillator and Golay detector. The concept of image contrast has been implemented to estimate image quality. According to the experimental data, the lens allows resolving two points spaced at 0. 95λ distance with a contrast of 15%. To highlight high resolution in the THz images, the wide-aperture lens has been employed for studying printed electronic circuit board containing sub-wavelength-scale elements. The observed results justify the high efficiency of the proposed lens design.
Structural thermodynamics of a random coil protein in guanidine hydrochloride

An important problem in protein folding is to understand the relationship between the structure of a denatured ensemble and its thermodynamics. Using 0 – 6M GdnHCl at fixed pH, we evaluated dimensional changes of an extensively denatured ensemble along with a thermodynamic parameter (Δυ) that monitors the proton inventory of the ensemble. Reduced and carboxyamidated ribonuclease A (RCAM) is a member of a class of disulfide‐free RNase A molecules believed to be random coils (extensively denatured) in aqueous solution. Because GdnHCl interacts more favorably with the protein than water does, this denaturant is observed to increase the Stokes radius of the random coil, with the greatest Stokes radius change occurring in the 0 – 1.5M GdnHCl range. Measurement of the degree of protonation (proton inventory) of the ensemble as a function of GdnHCl at the fixed pH shows that the thermodynamic character of the ensemble also changes markedly in the 0 – 1.5M GdnHCl range, but with little or no change beyond 1.5M GdnHCl. To obtain denaturant‐independent ΔG°N–D values, the linear extrapolation method (LEM) requires the thermodynamic character of the native and denatured ensembles to be invariant in the transition zone. The results reported here indicate that proteins with a transition midpoint in the 0 – 1.5M GdnHCl range will not give denaturant‐concentration independent ΔG°N–D values. Such LEM‐derived ΔG°N–D quantities are a property of the protein and the denaturant, a condition that considerably limits their value in understanding structural energetics. Proteins 2000;41:44–49. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Psychobiology of Children Exposed to Marital Violence

We examined the psychological and physiological functioning of a community sample of children exposed to marital violence, comparing them to a clinical comparison group without marital violence exposure. Results replicated past findings of elevated levels of trauma symptomatology in this population. Further, children exposed to marital violence differed significantly from comparison children with respect to sympathetic nervous system functioning and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning. Specifically, elevations were seen in heart rate and salivary cortisol levels, but not in orthostatic challenge response or blood pressure. These results indicate that children exposed to marital violence have a different physiological presentation than controls and may be physiologically "traumatized" by virtue of marital violence exposure.
Decreased frequency of interferon‐γ‐ producing CD4+ cells in the peripheral blood of patients with atopic dermatitis

Abstract: Recently, decreased interferon ‐ γ (IFN‐γ) and increased interleukin (IL)‐4 production have been reported in measurements of the content of the cytokines in culture supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). These data suggest deviation of PBMC into Th2‐reactive cells in AD. In the present study, we examined the frequency of IL‐2‐, IL‐4‐, and IFN‐γ‐ producing cells in PBMC with flow cytometry. PBMC from 16 patients with AD and 18 healthy controls were stimulated for 2 days with anti‐CD3 and IL‐2, and further cultured for 4 days with a maintenance dose of IL‐ 2. Thereafter these cells were restimulated with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐ acetate (PMA) and ionomycin for 4 h in the presence of monensin. After fixation of the cells, the cell membranes were made permeable and intracellular cytokines were stained with anti‐IL‐2, anti‐IL‐4 or anti‐IFN‐γ antibody. Cytokine‐producing cells were analyzed by gating CD4+ ‐ or CD8+ ‐subsets. Thus counted frequency of IFN‐γ‐producing cells was significantly decreased in CD4+ subsets of AD patients (9.9±7.4%) when compared with that in the controls (20.0±6.7%). There was no significant difference either in the frequency of IL‐2‐ or IL‐4‐producing CD4+ subsets or in that of CD8+ subsets. Furthermore, in the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, we also found a decreased production of IFN‐γ in the culture of PBMC from AD patients, when compared with those from healthy controls, although it was only at a marginally significant level (P= 0.07). Again there was no increase in IL‐4 concentration in AD patients. In addition, we found a weak negative relationship between the disease severity and the frequency of these cells. These results suggest that the decreased frequency of IFN‐γ‐producing CD4+ cells with subsequently decreased production of IFN‐γ play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of AD.
ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL AND CULTURAL CHANGES WITHIN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION FROM 2009-2014 WHICH COINCIDE WITH A REDUCTION OF MALE PRE-SERVICE AGRICULTURAL EDUCATORS

OF THESIS ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL AND CULTURAL CHANGES WITHIN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION FROM 2009-2014 WHICH COINCIDE WITH A REDUCTION OF MALE PRE-SERVICE AGRICULTURAL EDUCATORS Changes within and outside of agricultural education were analyzed between 2009-2014 which coincided with a reduction of male pre-service agricultural teachers. Under the lens of the Theory of Gender Re-alignment, special attention was given to changes in legislation, curriculum, recruitment, and economic factors which relate to structural and cultural changes within agricultural education. The Changes identified in this study explain why male students are being outperformed by female students at a two to one ratio in regards to agricultural education degrees obtained.
Alcohol and marijuana use trajectories in a diverse longitudinal sample of adolescents: examining use patterns from age 11 to 17 years.

AIMS We tested race/ethnic differences in alcohol and marijuana (AM) trajectories (comprising an intercept term, reflecting overall probability of use, and a slope term, reflecting change in probability of use) during adolescence, whether AM use trajectories predicted high school outcomes, and whether outcomes differed by race/ethnicity after controlling for trajectory of AM use. DESIGN This longitudinal study involved 6509 youth from 16 middle schools in Southern California surveyed from age 11.5 (2008) to age 17 (2015) years; all surveys assessed AM use, and the final survey also examined high school outcomes. SETTING Youth completed five surveys in middle school and two on-line surveys in high school. PARTICIPANTS The sample was 50% male and 80% non-white. MEASUREMENTS Intercept (at 2.75 years post-baseline) and slope of AM use were examined as outcomes for race/ethnic differences. AM use trajectories were examined as predictors of academic performance and unpreparedness, social functioning, mental and physical health and delinquency. FINDINGS We found differences in trajectories of use by race/ethnicity, with white youth reporting a higher overall intercept of alcohol use compared to all other groups (versus Asian P < 0.001, black P = 0.001, multi-ethnic P = 0.008). Overall, examination of trajectories of use showed that adolescents with a higher alcohol use intercept term reported greater academic unpreparedness (P < 0.001) and delinquency (P < 0.001) at wave 7 in high school. In addition, youth with a higher intercept for marijuana use reported greater academic unpreparedness (P < 0.001) and delinquency (P < 0.001), and poorer academic performance (P = 0.032) and mental health (P = 0.002) in high school. At wave 7, compared to white youth, Hispanic and multi-ethnic youth reported poorer academic performance (P < 0.001 and P = 0.034, respectively); Asian, black and Hispanic youth reported higher academic unpreparedness (P < 0.001, P = 0.019, and P = 0.001); and Asian youth and multi-ethnic youth reported poorer physical health (P = 0.012 and P = 0.018) controlling for AM use. CONCLUSIONS Greater AM use was associated with worse functioning in high school for all youth. After controlling for AM use, non-white youth reported worse outcomes in high school for academics and health.
The degradation pathway of a model misfolded protein is determined by aggregation propensity

Protein homeostasis in the secretory pathway is maintained by a hierarchy of quality control checkpoints, including endoplasmic reticulum–associated degradation (ERAD), which leads to the destruction of misfolded proteins in the ER, as well as post-ER proteolysis. Although most aberrant proteins are degraded by ERAD, some misfolded proteins escape the ER and are degraded instead by lysosomal/vacuolar proteases. To date, it remains unclear how misfolded membrane proteins are selected for these different fates. Here we designed a novel model substrate, SZ*, to investigate how substrate selection is mediated in yeast. We discovered that SZ* is degraded by both the proteasome and vacuolar proteases, the latter of which occurs after ER exit and requires the multivesicular body pathway. By interrogating how various conditions affect the fate of SZ*, we also discovered that heat-shock and substrate overexpression increase ERAD targeting. These conditions also increase substrate aggregation. We next found that aggregation of the membrane-free misfolded domain in SZ* is concentration dependent, and fusion of this misfolded domain to a post-ER quality control substrate instead targets the substrate for ERAD. Our data indicate that a misfolded membrane protein with a higher aggregation propensity is preferentially retained in the ER and targeted for ERAD.
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for the treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization

Myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a sight-threatening condition which occurs in eyes with myopia, particularly in those with pathologic myopia. It is the most common cause of CNV among patients younger than 50 years. Hemorrhage and exudation from the CNV lesion may eventually result in scarring or chorioretinal atrophy. While myopic CNV was previously treated with focal laser photocoagulation or photodynamic therapy (PDT), the current treatment of choice is anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents. Many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of intravitreal anti-VEGF agents in the treatment of myopic CNV. The RADIANCE study reported that intravitreal ranibizumab was superior to PDT in eyes with myopic CNV (at 3 months, both groups receiving intravitreal ranibizumab gained 10.5 and 10.6 letters vs 2.2 letters among patients receiving PDT). In addition, the study demonstrated similar visual outcomes in eyes treated on the basis of visual acuity stabilization or disease activity criteria. Other clinical studies have provided evidence for the efficacy of ranibizumab and aflibercept in the treatment of myopic CNV. This review addresses the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and imaging characteristics of myopic CNV, and discusses the evidence for the efficacy of anti-VEGF agents as compared to laser photocoagulation and PDT.